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

[tazsura]

Hi Guys,

I've got the damn condensation problem in my car also. I get lots of condensation on the front and rear screens only though...is this coming from the door seal problem?

The footwels etc are all dry, but i do get water collection on the door sill which just drips to the outside after rainfall or car wash.

Also, i've noticed that the mechanism for the pollen filter on mine is sticking i.e. doesn't open and close properly. Could this be the casue?

All help most appreciated!

Cheers

Taz

 

[thequixotic2001]

If you have condensation then you have water getting in.

 

[EmDee]

If you have condensation then you have water getting in.

 

[tazsura]

That was helpful...

More to the point, i was asking if the water could be getting in from somewhere else, like near the rear wash/wipe mechanism?

I recall this problem on one of the forums I am a member of, but can't remember if it was on the Leon, or the other cars I have.

Cheers

Taz

 

[LEE69]

Water on the sills is in the car

 

[tazsura]

Yeh, it's just i would expect the window on the door where the water is to mist up/condense first?

Probably is the same as the rest and is the door seal problem. Job for the weekend.

Cheers

Taz

 

[CupraCool]

Quick update

Well, I've now done this fix ... twice! In short there's not much to be afraid of even for the most cack handed DIY'er, i.e. me

A few pointers from my experience. Some of these may well have been already mentioned earlier in the thread but I cant remember and don't fancy reading the whole thing again, this thread is getting quite long which is an indicator of just how many leaky leons there are out there!

Firstly, I would recommend loosening the ancillary carrier panel and getting the silicon inside between the panels, as originally recommended in this guide, rather than just sealing round in place. On my first attempt I did this for the drivers door, but did the passenger in place. Result next time it rained was a dry drivers side door sill and still a wet passenger one. So I've now done the passenger side 'properly' too, and so far so good, it's rained a load lately but dry sills both sides.

Drivers side front door. Be VERY careful removing the door trim. The wires for the alarm indicator are particularly short and mine sheared out as the trim finally gave way. Had to solder it back together.

As most people have found, it's the seals on the front doors near the speaker which have perished. Even though most of the water ends up in the back. I did the back doors too but the seals looked fine there. My front passenger carpets were mostly dry, and back soaked though.

Drying out. Not fun. I spent hours with a Vax and removed a ton of water from under the carpets but it's still squelchy down there. Problem is water in the cavities under the carpets. Carpet can be bone dry but push it down into the cavity and it will come up wet! Guess the seats are going to have to come out at some point!

 

[tolly_tdi]

Yeah I had to redo my drivers door this winter used half a tube of sealant on the one door alone this time!

With the carpets I think the only real resolve is when they are removed and dried...not really a winter job I know! I was the only way I got rid of all the steamed up windows- only the slightest amount of dampness within the soundproofing/padding material seems to cause this as you may have already found!

 

[museumsteve]

I had a spare couple of hours so I did one of my doors this morning (passenger front). However, before I get to the other doors this weekend can someone confirm if there's anything to know about the rears. I only ask because the rear windows dont wind all the way down like the fronts.
And if you fancy a laugh, after finishing the job I tested everything before bolting up, but I tested the elec window from the drivers side and lol if the damn thing wont go up using the passenger side switch now..boo (guess I'll be removing the panel again this weekend)

 

[LEE69]

I only ask because the rear windows dont wind all the way down like the fronts.

That is due to the design of the doors.

 

[museumsteve]

I know that, what I mean is the guide specifically says wind front window down fully to do the job. I assume thats because the window needs to be in the mechanism when moving the inner ancilliary panel to prevent damage to the glass.

 

[LEE69]

My windows were up when i did mine.

 

[museumsteve]

Thanks mate...that's what I wanted to hear

 

[thequixotic2001]

My windows were up when i did mine.

Same here, If you are careful you won't do any damage, one thing for sure is you will break some of the clips on the rear panels.

 

[museumsteve]

Well I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll buy some clips in advance

 

[Witor]

Fingers crossed I can do mine in the next couple of days, looks straightforward enough. Arrgh we've had torrential rain in Gibraltar for about 4 week non-stop, rear footwell is soaked (car is LHD but its behind the RHD passenger in UK terms), looking like the front passenger door is leaking, definitely not the pollen filter in my case (checked). Sillicone sealant and gun at the ready, just 3 more days of rain according to the forecast.

Annoying since the car is ready to be sold, cant do it at the moment seeing as the interior smells of a nice bouquet of stale farts and wet dog. Tips for drying out the carpets? (just had a skim through the 11 page thread) Removing carpets is not really an option for me, and I aint got a garage..

 

[AndyT23]

My recently purchased 04 Toledo is another victim of this, I think it's a problem that has just shown itself tho as the car doesn't smell damp and was dry when I viewed it a week or so ago, also I don't have much of a condensation problem yet!... I think the puddle the GF discovered when trying out the rear legroom behind me was it's first and related to the wash it got before I picked it up.

I phoned the dealer I bought the car from this morning and he insists a window has been left open at some point and it will be fine!! So I don't know what joy I will be getting there as he didn't sound very forthcoming. Now I've a portfolio of evidence from various forums to present him with tomo I'm hoping he'll come round and do all 4 doors for me. However I think I may be struggling with that.

I'm going to be prepared for doing the work myself I think so the guide and all the other info has been great. I have printed off various bits and began collecting what I might be needing just in case.

Big Thanks to everyone who has posted valuable info in this thread.

 

[AndyT23]

I've got to thinking about the problem of drying out the car once it's (hopefully! ) watertight again. I'd be struggling for space to do a strip out job at home.

I found a website with some products that might be useful to draw out the last remnants of damp once you've got most of the water out.... Unfortunately I can't post a link but if you Google "Airandwatercentre.com" you should find it ok.

 

[AndyT23]

Update to the above:

Try search for Kilrock Slimline moisture trap on Amazon they're approx £4 and you can get calcium chloride crystal refills of 2.5kg for approx £5. Only problem being you have to be careful with handling the raw crystals and the resulting gel.

A lot cheaper than the Airandwater centre. com products but a lot more hassle to use from what I can see.

 

[LEE69]

98p shop as a moisture trap for errrrrrm 98 p