Water leak into footwell - dodgy seal info and DIY repair guide (Image links dead)

Reggie Cupra TDi

Active Member
Jan 14, 2016
103
71
yea I will do that mate, just waiting for it to stop raining... sick of it being steamed up every time I get in the dam thing!
 

Bigjohn84

Intagram / johnyoung84
May 5, 2015
2,330
1
Mine isn't in the spare wheel well yet but I have an old sleeping bag on top so that might have absorbed it. I can see water trail on the plastic cover (on left) when you lift the base its a little damp. I will need to take the plastic off and see if I can see any thing underneath. Can you take a pic of where the seal is that you have located.

Cheers
Marv

Your rear washer pipe may have disconnected a little bit, open the boot in the left side at the top of the seat belt take of the plastic try above the cigarette socket in the boot, 3 screws I think, lift carpet back and the pipe is behind there it's worth a try, also hear the guide for the door seals.

http://dubsteve68.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/seat-leon-leaky-door-seals-repair-guide.html
 

Bigjohn84

Intagram / johnyoung84
May 5, 2015
2,330
1
yea I will do that mate, just waiting for it to stop raining... sick of it being steamed up every time I get in the dam thing!

Be careful as your side impact sensors are under both front carpets, if they get wet You will need new ones and need to reset the airbag light
 
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Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
Hi guys,

I went through everything I could find on the forum but I am no closer to finding out where I get water from.

The only place I have water is the passenger rear footwell - I have a proper puddle there. Odd enough it is only wet at the bottom of the footwell - all sides are dry.
I took the door cover off thinking it is the obvious leak but doing that everything is dry behind the cover. I left it off and I'll have a look at the next rain.
The previous owner paid Seat a fortune to have all doors done but this was a few years back so the seals could have dried out by now.

Does anyone have any idea if the water could be coming from anywhere else? The only thing that pops into mind is the rear underseat vent but I don't recall anyone having this so not sure.

Any ideas are more than welcome.
 

frijj

Active Member
Aug 15, 2015
52
0
South Wales
If the door seals are dry, it could be comming from the pollen filter. Has this been changed to your knowledge?

Don't wait for the next rainy day, sit in the car and have someone wet the car with a hose. Look for obvious water ingress.

You can wash the car then afterwards!
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
If the door seals are dry, it could be comming from the pollen filter. Has this been changed to your knowledge?

Don't wait for the next rainy day, sit in the car and have someone wet the car with a hose. Look for obvious water ingress.

You can wash the car then afterwards!

But if it was the pollen filter wouldn't the front footwell be wet as well? Mine is dry - only the rear passenger footwell has water in it.
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
Cheers, Lee. Will give it a try in the evening.
The carpet isn't wet but I didn't pull it back to check the underlay. I figured that if it's puddling in the back it will be wet at the front as well if that is where it is coming from.
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
Update on the above:
* Door card off - baby powder around the door - hosed down - no leak
* Removed polen filter and no signs of ingress - quite a bit of settled dust and no traces of water.

What I did find was that I had a very very small leak coming from the top corner of the windscreen (passenger side). No idea how that happened or if that is how all the water got in.
I initially thought I only had water in the back footwell as the front was dry but once I looked under the carpet the underlay was soaked on the underside.
All in all spent the weekend trying to get all the water out and put some sealant around the windscreen corner - seems to have done the trick but still not sure if that is the reason for the water.
Can't believe that such a small leak - hosed down for a few good minutes and only got a few drops of water on the inside.
Could that really have led to a few good pints of water under the carpets?

I guess I'll have to wait for a proper rain and see what happens.
 

Bigjohn84

Intagram / johnyoung84
May 5, 2015
2,330
1
Did you take the inner door seals of and replace them? Also check the drain holes are clear on the rubber under the doors sometimes they get blocked with crap
 

Marv-95

Active Member
Dec 30, 2010
154
0
Southampton, Hampshire
Juve - did you check out my photos?? It will be the Pollen Filter - take carpets up and get a hose onto the car - feel free to sit in it whilst someone hoses it down. The other place I had it was water building up under the door seal and getting into the car. You would need to take all the plastic trim from the rear door to see this as it happens under the plastic and under the carpet.

I have already done my door cards and pollen filter and had this build up under the door seal. I siliconed in the groove of the door seal and pushed it back insitu. No issues so far.

Cheers
Marv
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
Juve - did you check out my photos?? It will be the Pollen Filter - take carpets up and get a hose onto the car - feel free to sit in it whilst someone hoses it down. The other place I had it was water building up under the door seal and getting into the car. You would need to take all the plastic trim from the rear door to see this as it happens under the plastic and under the carpet.

I have already done my door cards and pollen filter and had this build up under the door seal. I siliconed in the groove of the door seal and pushed it back insitu. No issues so far.

Cheers
Marv

Thanks Marv, I hosed down the car and checked both doors and under the glove compartment with the carpet and underlay pulled to one side. I couldn't see any water - when I opened the doors I had a bit of water on the outer sill but I guess that is expected. No water on the inner ones or in the car. I took the back seats off, plastic trims around the doors and raised both the carpet and underlay so I can get a good view.
I had loads of baby powder around the door and sills and it didn't show any water marks. Also the part of the carpet that is raised from the footwell to the door was dry to begin with - both carpet and underlay. I only had water at the bottom of the footwell - front and back.
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
The windscreen leakI mentioned is similar to http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=416225&highlight=windscreen+leak but nowhere near as bad. The trim on the A pillar was slightly wet - about an inch but noticed it was dripping on the carpet - very slowly so that is why I can't see how this led to what I found under the carpet - especially since the worst was at the back.
I still have the seats and trim off and will leave it like that for now.
I would say that it all points to the polen filter but hosing it down showed no leaks.
 

Marv-95

Active Member
Dec 30, 2010
154
0
Southampton, Hampshire
WOW!!! Never seen that before - but that wouldn't get to the rear footwell of your car. Did you take the passenger front seat out when you hoiked the carpet to one side?? I guess you are also soaking the the passenger side windscreen and tops of the doors AND you removed the door cards of both passenger doors. Nothing by the speakers??

Can you get someone to put the hose on the car whilst you are in it?? Im running out of ideas but I would say Pollen Filter. When you drive the car the acceleration/gravity forces water into rear footwell from the front. :(
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
Yup, everything got soaked.
I had someone to help me whilst I was in the car keeping an eye on what's happening.
First I got the rear quarter soaked making sure to get the window, door, etc soaked but making sure not to get water going towards the front. Then we moved on the front door - same thing making sure not to get too much water going towards the windscreen / polen filter, then soaked the windscreen roof.
Finally hosed it all down. The one thing I didn't do was to take the front door card off but I couldn't see any water coming in - had the plastic trim, carpet and underlay off.
I really am running out of ideas. I love the car, it has been really well looked after and except this bit I didn't have any issues with it but I am seriously considering to sell it and move on.
 

Marv-95

Active Member
Dec 30, 2010
154
0
Southampton, Hampshire
Bad times - I took all door cards from front and rear and front seat (all plastic trims) as you did. Mine was coming in where speakers sit and the failed butyl strip sandwiched between metal sheets and failed butyl strip under the pollen filter AND the last thing was under rubber seal on rear door.

Sorry!!
 

Juve

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
23
0
Reading
Appreciate the help Marv, I'll leave it as it is for now and see what happens at the next rain. Maybe it is hose proof but not rain proof - sounds crazy but hey.
The doors were redone by the previous owner - he paid Seat £600 to have them done and taking the door card off it all looks still in good order. I'll have another look at the drain holes - did that already but it seems that it is the only thing I didn't do twice.
 

phizzandlil

Divers go deeper!
Feb 22, 2009
23
0
Nr Gatwick
Hey all,
Read through 90% of this thread and realised I had 4 leaking door inner panels. Purchased the butyl strip from ebay and got my mechaninc to do all four doors at once. Spent two days with a little fan heater and large conventional fan drying out the lifted carpets.
All seemed to be going well until I went to replace the trim yesterday. Checked the sound proofing behind the drivers seat and it was soggy again. Cursing I thought that the reseal hadn't worked, however I'm not seeing the same symptoms with wet door sills that I had before. Looking around I noticed water running down the inside of the wheel arch next to the rear seat.
It looks like it's been doing it for some time and there's a dark grimey line where the water has been tracking down the wheel arch and into the footwell.

It starts here:
Runs down here:

I've seen a couple of other posts regarding aerial leaks and tailgate hinge plate leaks, the screw on part of the aerial is pretty perished so I'm guessing the rubber membrane under the aerial could be as bad. There is no water in the boot (under the spare) and the carpets in the boot are dry.
Has anyone seen this before?Any help greatly appreciated and thanks to the OP for this great thread.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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