View Full Version : Water leak front passenger door
First post, great site.
We got our Leon Cupra 1st Sept this year, purchased through www.drivethedeal.com saved us just over £1000.00 on list of a UK supplied, very pleased generally.
One problem we have noticed that the front pasenger footwell gets damp when it's been raining. The water appears to be either coming through the door seal or through the door trim just below the speaker.
I have noticed another post with apparently the same problem. There was mention of cutting holes in the rubber sealling strip along the bottom of the door (not the door aperture seal). Does anybody have any details of exactly what and where to cut? and whether it cured their problem?
Cheers
Waterleaks have been a "Leon Issue".........
I beleive there was a design change to the door seals. Your car is pretty recent though.....check the chassis number via the "windscreen aperture" ....if it is blah...blah...blah...MZ1R....followed by 5 numbers, it is a 2001 spec model.
If it is blah... blah...blah...MZ2R....followed by 5 numbers then it is a 2002 spec model.
In saying that, I have no idea when the seals were revised. :)
I wouldn't cut anything yourself.....get it addressed under warranty.
Water ingress can also be due to a faulty (or blocked) pollen filter (- but after re-reading your post this doesn't sound like your problem!)
Thanks for the reply mik, I was kind of keen to try the cutting of the rubber seal my self if anybody had any details.
My experience in the past of trying to track down water leaks in a new car (Mk3 Golf GTI - big, big disappointment btw) through the VW dealer caused lots of lost work time and more damage to the car (by the dealer!). Sold it not long afterwards.
I'm not saying a Seat experience would be the same it's just that if it is a simple mod and will not cause any other problems if done I'd like to try it.
Cheers
Have a look at this weeks Auto Express, theres a guy in there with a Leon S who's passenger footwell was getting wet. Dealer could not pinpoint the problem, but Seat Engineer found that the area below the windscreen that houses the wiper motor etc, had not been properly sealed. They fixed the problem and replaced the carpets and compensated the guy with three years free servicing. Can't guarentee this is your problem, or that you'll get that sort of deal but it's certainly worth checking if this is the problem.
Biff
Haven't seen the article, but now you mention it folks have talked about windscreen seal before....
Regarding "cutting seal" ~ check back to previous thread on this ('cos I can't be bothered!)......something about the Leon doors being designed to let water in, and drain through the bottom of the doors to between inner and outer seals. I think the "cutting" was to clear the drain holes....which are not always properly clear(?)
If you can see water on door skin below speaker maybe this is yer problem?
Decided i'll book the Cupra into a dealer for the passenger door water leak investigation.
Does anybody have any experience of warranty or servicing with either the Emmer Green garage, Sonning Common (Nr Reading) or Richard Huzzey & Co in Newbury?
Cheers
speed_uk
27-10-2001, 07:30
Hi
a seat dealer told me the leaks in the front were down to
rubber gromets not being fitted when they were switched
from left to right hand drive :D
speedy
Well it's now booked into Emmer Green for Tuesday.
But washing the car this morning I at least found out where the leak was coming from.
I sprayed the hose around all the door shut lines and along the bottom window seal. Opened the driver's door to have a look. I gently open the passenger door and found that the door aperture seal was fine but there was a trickle of water running from between the door trim and the door paintwork where the speaker is. This the pools on the door seal on the inside of the car to a point where it spills over at the lowest point into the front passenger footwell.
Now I was quite pleased I found this but I thought I would check the rest of the doors. Quess what they all do it! They all leak from between the trim and the door paintwork to a lesser or greater extent.
We garage the car overnight so I guess we have been lucky that it hasn't stood out in rain for too long. With all the doors leaking I'm sure all the footwells would have ended up wet.
This is a pretty poor QA from Seat in my opinion. I have checked the drain holes in all the doors and they appear to be clear. All I can assume is that any internal membrain behind the door trim has not been adequately sealed against the door structure.
Anybody else with apparent door seal leaks might want to try the hose treatment to see if their Cupra has the same problem.
:(
Hi all!
I'm new to these forums, but I have been reading with interest about the Leon and its water ingress problems (this and the other thread). I too have a Leon with wet carpets on the passenger side (front and back).
I have identified the water leak on the front passenger side by sellotaping paper towels to various parts of the door (its the door seal or membrane).
However I have not been able to find out why the rear passenger footwell is soaking (its soaking wet in the footwell base, but never seens to be getting wet on the 'edges').
Other thing is; anyone know why these leak problems seem to be mainly on the passenger side?? I have had no problems on the offside doors. Only thing I can think of is that you are likely to drive through standing water on that side(?)
Anyway... my car is booked in to the garage on Tuesday and will let you know how they get on.
Cheers
Ray
I have the same problem with my Leon, water leaks.
As my car is LHD (Sweden) it is the drivers side that gets soaking wet :(
It must be something wrong in the design of the left front door. I'm thinking of comparing the two sides and see if there are something different between left and right door.
Originally posted by rayko
However I have not been able to find out why the rear passenger footwell is soaking (its soaking wet in the footwell base, but never seens to be getting wet on the 'edges').
rayko
have you tried the cellotape and paper towel treatment on the other doors?
That may be your problem, I found that all of my doors are leaking between the door trim and the door frame.
Just hope the dealer is careful with the door trim removal when it's in on Tuesday. :(
Cheers
Originally posted by HRP
have you tried the cellotape and paper towel treatment on the other doors?
To be honest I am more worried about the passenger side carpets than the driver side ones... I'll probably do it tomorrow and hope it rains in the afternoon, but to be honest I have been keeping a tab on all the footwells and if it is leaking, its no where near as bad/obvious :(
Ray
Well the Cupra is back from Emmer Green garage. It now smells strongly of silicon. All door trims and handles are perfect (no marks, scratches etc).
They resealed the water proof membrane for each door and cut the rubber strips on the bottom of doors where the drain holes are.
They have done a good job, providing it doesn't leak anymore (which is the real test).
They were quite touchy about whether it was an import or not, which was interesting - wanted to see all the seat service info etc.........
I'll have to try the hose treatment when the silicon has had time to go off :)
Cheers
StevoWarby
30-10-2001, 18:28
hmm- Interesting..
This subject has been raised many times over the past several months, and I thought the fix was found in that the pollen filters were being fitted incorrectly, or back to front, and that was how the water was getting in to the front footwells...
Stevo.
Rayko
How did you get on with your Leon at the dealers today? Did they find the problem?
Cheers
Originally posted by HRP
How did you get on with your Leon at the dealers today? Did they find the problem?
Not well... I am expecting a telephone call.
So any news Rayko, did you have to leave it at the garage?
The word from my dealer is that the water that comes in between the side windows and the door is supposed to exit via drainage ducts at the bottom of the door. However, due to a bad sealing between the door and the foam liner water enters the cabin. The fix is to replace the foam liner with the one from the Toledo (Since they are not the same). This means that the doors must be disassembled, something that can be done in a day. My dealer here in Norway has done this to a number of cars with a success ratio of 100 %. :)
Originally posted by HRP
So any news Rayko, did you have to leave it at the garage?
Left it at the garage Tues along with afew printouts of people suggesting water leaks locations. Garage took one look at this and didnt touch the car. Got advised that they were seeking clarification from Seat.
:(
Picked up the car Tues night, asked Dealer to call me Weds/Thurs. Ended up calling the dealer on Thurs. Got told that Seat said that the water is likely to be coming through side windows, and that modified door seals to be sent through.
Anyway, having read the post above from our Norge friend, it sounds like they might know something.
Ray
:rolleyes:
First time I washed the Cupra since the work was done at Emmer Green Garage.
Yes you've guessed it. They still leak. That is three of the four do. And the fact that three do doesn't inspire any confidence in the fourth "repair".
Should I be suprised? I'm starting to get a feeling of "de ja vue" with the problems we once had with a new MK3 Golf GTI and it's water leaks.
Back to the garage (and more wasted time I expect) :mad:
PS Rayko did you have yours sorted with the new modified door seals?
I,ve got the same problem mate, been to garage 7 times, they have managed to fix 3 doors, but my drivers door seem impossible, the garage told me about another leon cupra owner with same prob, and they have said to him they cant fix it, dont know prob!, he has had all recomended fix's done to car
What can we do?
dave
Dave
have you tried contacting Seat UK about the water leaks, seven times! Don't think I could handle that.
I sent Emmer Green Garage a fax (their email address is duff) re my prespective on the repair so to speak, I will be phoning them tomorrow. I've suggested they speak to Seat UK re. the fault before our Cupra goes in again :(
Cheers
have you tried contacting Seat UK about the water leaks, seven times! Don't think I could handle that.
The garage have been in contact with seat uk, i have been in contact with seat uk , but with no fix for my one, they have tried everything, i dont know what i can do, just hope it doesn't rain too much:)
dave
Originally posted by HRP
PS Rayko did you have yours sorted with the new modified door seals?
The dealer was suppose to phone me back last week to arrange a time to come in.
So if you are reading Mr Dealer, please feel free to phone me :rolleyes:
Anyway, check car today and water is ingressing into the rear passenger footwell and gathering in one of the corners, making a nice squelching noise when you push down on the carpet...
:confused:
Ray