Leak - NOT the door leak, and probably not pollen filter....

[Ginner]

Surprise, surprise I got a leaky Leon.

Had water in driver's side footwell, and had puddle on driver's door sill when I opened the door. I noted evidence of drippage from behind the bonnet release lever, and also the black plastic footplate on the right of the footwell.

Took it to dealers and they re-sealed (all four) doors.

Door sill now dry, but evidence of drippage behind the bonnet lever and footplate came back (never went away? - only happens in heavy/persistant rain).

Back to dealer - they sealed a grommet in bulkhead - for free

But... the drippage is back.

I've been through the various leak threads and most centre around the door seals and pollen filter - I'm pretty sure it's neither (doors fixed and pollen filter on t'other side of car).

Does anyone have any suggestions of other known weak spots that affect the driver's side footwell only?

Dealer said if problem persists it's a full carpet, bulkhead strip to find it

 

[traumapat]

im sure the dealers would have checked/cleaned it.. but where that bonnet cable goes through the bulkhead .. next to it is a drainage hole. theres another im guessing on the other side. if they get blocked id imagine in heavy rain you may get problems.

check their clear and waters running out when you poor water over the windscreen. i have a boost gauge pipe and 2 wires coming through that bonnet release grommet . so heavy rain should cause a leak. never has though.

sounds like a drainage problem

 

[orbital45uk]

I got that problem to with water on the driver side sill whenever it rains

 

[olaf]

I had the same problem.

But I think *fingers crossed* that its been sorted.

Trouble is as it only ocurred rarely its hard to tell.

Mine only really fully came to light when the car wouldn't run properly and I couldnt get it started due to the relays becoming rusty from the water. I will be checking the relays a few months before warranty runs out and may well take it back to the dealers.

 

[wardy2602]

I know these feelings well, battered my head stripping the car trying to find the leak.
mine too looked like it was running down from behind the bonnet release filling not just the front drivers footwell but the rear too, gave up trying to sort it my self and sent it and all the bits i took out to the dealers, i should get it back tomorrow i'll keep you posted as they believe they have it sorted.
Im lead to believe that vag cars have been hit and miss with the sealing of a certain joint, where the floor pan meets the bulk head behind the dashboard is a seam running the width of the car, mine like many others has no seam sealer on it hence the leak and many a morning foggy window moment.

 

[Ginner]

I got that problem to with water on the driver side sill whenever it rains

I think that's the internal door seal problem.

Have a search for this. There's a guide to fix it, or the dealer will charge you about £70. Got all 4 doors on mine fixed for that price.

My sills are dry now. Just got this frackin drip from behind the bulkhead.

 

[Ginner]

I know these feelings well, battered my head stripping the car trying to find the leak.
mine too looked like it was running down from behind the bonnet release filling not just the front drivers footwell but the rear too, gave up trying to sort it my self and sent it and all the bits i took out to the dealers, i should get it back tomorrow i'll keep you posted as they believe they have it sorted.
Im lead to believe that vag cars have been hit and miss with the sealing of a certain joint, where the floor pan meets the bulk head behind the dashboard is a seam running the width of the car, mine like many others has no seam sealer on it hence the leak and many a morning foggy window moment.

Have you had that problem from new tho? Had my LCR for 4 years now, and problem only started last Oct. It's like something has got blocked (or perished if the piss poor doors seals are anything to go by).

 

[mattyF]

Yeh, I've got a 2003 Leon Cupra R and i've just noticed it doing the same thing with the door seals.
Don't want it to get any worse and ruin the carpets in the footwells.

Any advice would be be greatly appreciated!!

 

[DPJ]

Have you had that problem from new tho? Had my LCR for 4 years now, and problem only started last Oct. It's like something has got blocked ........

.........Drain holes on either side under the valance (in front of the windscreen)

 

[orbital45uk]

I think that's the internal door seal problem.

Have a search for this. There's a guide to fix it, or the dealer will charge you about £70. Got all 4 doors on mine fixed for that price.

Has anyone her tryed doing this themselves using some sort of sealant?

 

[DPJ]

Has anyone her tryed doing this themselves using some sort of sealant?

The answer is in the quote you posted. "Have a search for this. There's a guide to fix it"

 

[33754k]

If when you open the door you get a gush of water, as if trapped between the door and the frame + puddle in footwell, then this is definitely the door seals. Fix is cheap and simple. If there is water on the bonnet release cable, then possibly something else....

 

[Neil_Ireland]

You have two problems here, I've had both and fixed them

1. Door seal needs to be fixed, this is causing the water on the sill, easily fixed, takes about half an hour to do diy.

2. The water around the bonnet pull lever is caused by a seam in the bulkhead which is not sealed properly, I had this and have fixed it.
Do a search for "bulkhead seam"

Neil.

 

[ChrisJ]

Another possibility, when i bought my car it had lived under a pine tree before me so the scuttle was FULL of pine and leaves!! I had to remove the whole lot and take the wipers off to clean it out.

As said early'r if the drains are blocked either side this could be causing the leak.

 

[Ginner]

You have two problems here, I've had both and fixed them
1. Door seal needs to be fixed, this is causing the water on the sill, easily fixed, takes about half an hour to do diy.

Yep. Already fixed on all 4 doors by dealer. Problem has gone away.

2. The water around the bonnet pull lever is caused by a seam in the bulkhead which is not sealed properly, I had this and have fixed it.
Do a search for "bulkhead seam"

OK. Will have a look for this. Thanks for the heads up.

.........Drain holes on either side under the valance (in front of the windscreen)

Cheers. Will have a look just as soon as it stops feckin raining for 1 minute....

I think that's the internal door seal problem.
Have a search for this. There's a guide to fix it...

Has anyone her tryed doing this themselves using some sort of sealant?

Good lad! Made me chuckle that did....

 

[VeeFourTee]

Wardy 2602 - How did you get on at the dealer? I've been quoted £17O all in to seal the bulkhead. I've already done the doors myself.

Cheers.

 

[wardy2602]

Sorry to not get back to the thread
Dealer has done a sterling job no more water in the footwell looks like it was the bulk head.
Was lucky really as the car was an 05 they done the job under warranty.
cheers
craig

 

[latics33]

VeeFourTee - did you get the bulkhead sealed by the dealer and what did it cost? Did it work?? Just browsing the forums as I have the well-known water leak on my Cupra R 54 reg. Only had it about a month!
Have re-sealed the pollen filter holder, but noticed water in driver footwell that I didn't see before, so I'm thinking it may be the bulkhead problem.
I haven't done the door seals yet - that's next on the list!!
Any info you can give would be appreciated.

 

[latics33]

Any info from anyone would be appreciated - I know that the thread is an old one, but I'm tired from reading all the threads on this topic!!

 

[m.r.davies]

I'm going to use the old kitchen towel technique

basically put tissue paper in varying parts of the car where the fault could be.

because i live in the uk, all i need to do is make a cup of tea and drink it, within this time, we should have had 22mm of rainfall, so i'll just check to see if the paper has signs of being damp.


To assist me in my mission i'll need to know where to put the tissue

I gather i can just wrap a bit around the bonnet release catch?
where else would you recommend?

Cheers all
Mark