History of my leaking Leon

[superhans]

OK,

This is either a rant or a desparate plea for help, depending how you look at it.

Last year (almost exactly) my Leon got the classic water leak into the rear footwells. It also totalled the convenience panal, wiring and shafted the central locking. Oh, and it blew the window motor too.

I got all this fixed at the local dealers (who have been fantastic. BTW) doing a "full-works" strip out, new carpet, underlagging etc. and resealed it.

Then it leaked again within 2 weeks, and blew the window motor (again). Took it back and they fitted another motor, checked the seals and even fitted a new rear window, all free of charge.

Car was fine for the rest of the year until I got water in it a 3rd time, about 8 months after the first incident. Surprisingly the dealers stood on their word and had the car in the garage, stripped out and re-sealed over a weekend, and i picked it up again at nil cost! Awesome service.

Now, my Leon has gone back again, with another blown window motor and soggy footwells. The dealers have said without a doubt they will fix it for free again.

My question is... Where is the water coming from?!?! I've read every thread, and discussed it with the mechanic but to no avail. Bare in mind that the window motor/central locking keeps getting effected.

I'm almost to the point of selling it... But the MK2 FR/Cupras are still a wee bit pricey.

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

what seals are they renewing , if its the foam'y std type then this would be the problem, mine leaked last year and went to b&Q and bought what was lead to be the best silicone sealant / for powershowers and mould etc etc

and hasnt leaked so far , mind you i did seal it over a course of a week , i kept adding layers as the other dried , so prob about 3 or 4 layers on there which all dried clear

job done,

 

[lc_allan]

Bulkhead hole?.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=185596

Although it would be a lot of water to reach the back footwells. Normally thats the common door leak.

 

[andycupra]

from what dealers have told me, they are instructed to use sealant rather than the rubber sticky sealant.

But, anyway, if its the rear doors leaking, i cant say im aware of this leading to issues with electrics.

Have they checked that the drain holes are clear?

 

[dg-1984]

Mine was wet on rear footwell and also in the front, found out water coming from above the pedals and running down the side into footwell.

I have removed scuttle panel and sealed everything round the bonnet release cable and also where the wiring goes into the car, I had posted about it a while ago and posted up some pics.

The water has seemed to stopped, there was very little when it was really heavy rain but I used a seek and seal liquid which finds small leaks and is supposed to stop them, and have been dry ever since, so fingers crossed.
I still have the sound deadening lying in the garage until i'm sure its completely dry.

I used a hose and found out that the water was coming in from above the pedals, I would have thought the garage would have done the same.

Keep us updated with what the garage find.
Good luck.

 

[tonyjo]

Unfortunately, my 03 LCR drivers door has started to show the tell tale signs of door seal trauma!!

Noticed it last week after all this fantastic summer weather we are having. It hasn't got into the car yet, but it leaves a puddle of water between the bottom of the door and the rubber seal that separates the carpet and the sil.

I have clean the drainage holes that were blocked with gunk. This has improved the situation, but I am sure it will only get worse.

Might have a go at fixing it myself, if it actually ever stops raining!!!

 

[superhans]

I'm pretty sure the water is getting in the rear, as the window motor keeps blowing due to the water in it.

I'm on good terms with the aftersales manager and get chatting to him most times I'm in there. Says he's carried this work out on more Leons than he can remember and all have been right as rain since.

And I know someone else personally who's had this problem and has been fine after taking to the same garage, so I don't think I'm getting fobbed off anywhere. At the end of the day, it's costing them in time and money (and lending me a courtesy car each time) each time it goes back so they'll be throwing straight dice, and I'm not picking up any bills, but it seems to have both me and the dealers stumped

So far they have:

Totally stripped the car, refitted the door seals (self adhesive foamy stuff), replaced all carpets and underlagging, fixed the wiring gremlins, put her back together again.

Then:

Checked for blockages in drain holes.
Refitted the door seals again.
Noticed a "minor leak" in said door seals and patched this up.
Refitted the burnt out window motors
Fitted a whole new rear door wondow including all rubber "flange-type" seals (IE what the window winds down into).

Both myself and the dealers have had the car stood out under a hosepipe and can't see any water getting in. They even had it under a pressure washer while it was still stripped bare on the insides (this is how they found the second door seal leak) and no one can see any water getting in anywhere.

It seems to be fine in most rain (I check the carpets every morning, i'm that paranoid), but in these really heavy monsoons we keep getting, it gets damp again.

B*ggered if i know...

 

[superhans]

@ Tonyjo,

I don't think there's a problem if the water sits in the sills and then "falls out" when you open the door.
From what I can gather this is normal and only a problem if it pools deep enough to get over the bottom door seals, which should keep it out anyway.

Unless this is in fact my problem! I've noticed the same thing on the front drivers door sills, but the front footwells are dry. And this wouldn't explain the rear door window motor constantly blowing... (unless this has nothing to do with the water and we've been barking up the wrong tree all this time).

I'll check when I take it in later in the week, but I'm sure on the first strip and reseal job they did, they re-sealed all four doors and all other seals as a precautionary measure anyway.

 

[superhans]

@ andrewcupra TDI,

I had thought about doing something with a tube of silicone sealant too.

Can I ask exactly where you applied it? Did you take the door panals/lining off and stuff? I'm too mechanical, but reckon I can give it a go.

Speaking of being useless, where exactly are the drainage holes! I had a look under there but only saw a solid bit of shiny door coloured metal! The dealers have checked the drain holes, but I wouldn't mind a peak... Just to be sure.

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

@ andrewcupra TDI,

I had thought about doing something with a tube of silicone sealant too.

Can I ask exactly where you applied it? Did you take the door panals/lining off and stuff? I'm too mechanical, but reckon I can give it a go.

Speaking of being useless, where exactly are the drainage holes! I had a look under there but only saw a solid bit of shiny door coloured metal! The dealers have checked the drain holes, but I wouldn't mind a peak... Just to be sure.

ok i took doorcard off , behind there is a big silver panel attached to door via bolts i undone these (not removed completely) and put fingers between for gap and sealed all the way around, bolted back up , smothed silicone with finger , like a pvc window fitter does , then waited a day or two until tacky , then done another bead (this time no undoing bolts ,) - i left the doorcard off , and another & another then its all done
there is a guide on here somewhere from the tdi club , which had piccies ,

drainholes are direcly under the door , a rubber strip which u can seperate and poke a cotton bud in and clean gunk, i also used an alcohol wipe & baby wipes to clean inbetween these rubber strip bits

 

[glynnd]

The most likely place for it to come through and get into the cabin is just below the speaker.
Make sure that this area is sealed as best as possible. I had the problem on mine and it took 2 goes to finally sort it. Its a really annoying problem when it leaks in when you think you have solved it!
Glynn

 

[flares]

My wifes Toledo was leaking into the drivers side rear footwell , all 4 doors resealed & still leaking . When I took the drivers door panel off it was wet so I used a good silicone sealent around the foam strip . This was done before the winter & it`s been fine since

 

[hoopsa]

Had more or less exactly the same problems on my 55 mk1 TDI - so here goes, the story so far...

This time last year came back from hols to find rear n/s footwell a paddling pool, and the n/s front also very wet. I took it to Seat dealer as still under warranty at that time, they checked the drain holes and door seals, sealed the pollen filter housing, dried out carpets and water tested all seemed ok. The next rainy day (not too long to wait for last summer!) again a soggy rear footwell so took it back again - this time they actually resealed the doors and replaced the carpet underlay, water tested ok but still leaked the next rainy day.

So...
Took it to a different Seat dealer, all the usual checked and resealed as before and you guessed it - still had a soggy footwell next time it rained. So once again took it back - this time they sealed the bulkhead (and replaced a grommet - something to do with the aircon pipe through the bulkhead?) claiming that this was the cause. Due to the amount of water in the rear footwell when it did leak I was not so sure about this latest fix to say the least, but imagine my surprise (as the saying goes) when this (and the combination of the other fixes?) cured the problem - a dry car that lasted through the winter - until now that is!

So...
Now around 9 months later once again the wet has returned with a vengeance over the past day or two! Now out of warranty so I'm taking it to a trusted service garage to hopefully sort once and for all.

Any thoughts/comments (and magic spells!) meanwhile would be welcome!

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

what seals are they renewing , if its the foam'y std type then this would be the problem, mine leaked last year and went to b&Q and bought what was lead to be the best silicone sealant / for powershowers and mould etc etc

and hasnt leaked so far , mind you i did seal it over a course of a week , i kept adding layers as the other dried , so prob about 3 or 4 layers on there which all dried clear

job done,

hoopsa done this myself and didnt cost much , bought the dearer silicones from B&Q and job done

 

[swilky23]

Got all 4 doors sealed on ine for £100 at peugoet not leaked since., Seat wanted £500 for same job so shop around if you ever have to pay!!