Water Leaking in VW Golf (MK4)

PrettyBoy

Hows it going guys, over the last few weeks I've noticed the windscreen in my car (2003 VW Golf) getting really foggy and a sort of "damp" smell in the car for want of a better word. I checked the footwell today, lifted up the mat and sure enough its very wet.

Now, I have to find out if the leak is coming from the drivers door or around the windscreen? Anyone have experience or know how to go about doing this?

Just looking online and it seems like it's a relatively common problem with the MK4 Golf? Just said I'd ask here to see if anyones heard of this issue before.

crosstownk

Check your pollen filter housing - the most common cause of water ingress in a VW.

Are your carpets damp?

GTE

Easy:
Check the roof drains.
Open the front door and you will see a rubber thing which is a drain for the water from the sunroof, if you have one. These can fill with junk and cause a leak.

Fix by opening the sunroof, pour some water into the edge of the sunroof housing. You should be able to see a hole where the drain starts.

Then squeeze the rubber yoke by the door a for a bit until the water begins flowing again.

Fairly Easy:
Open the bonnet, on the passenger side at the base of the window take off the plastic cover and check the pollen filter is seated properly.



Difficult:
The front door has an inner skin so from the outside in, if you looked at a cross section of the door you would have the bodywork, inner skin, door card.

The seals that are applied to the inner skin to keep water coming from the outside, windows etc. can perish.

Tis the stuff I know about anyway.
You fix this by taking the door card off, undoing the inner skin screws, scraping the old seal off and using waterrpoof silcone sealant to reseal the skin.

lomb

Are the carpets damp? My 03 mkiv car filled with water to the point it was like as boat with water flying around. The cause? Parking at an angle and possibly bad door seals. Parking flat solved it. Best ask on the UK MkIV forum. Great resource.

crosstownk

lomb wrote: »

Are the carpets damp? My 03 mkiv car filled with water to the point it was like as boat with water flying around. The cause? Parking at an angle and possibly bad door seals. Parking flat solved it. Best ask on the UK MkIV forum. Great resource.

Do you not think that is reasonable for the car to keep water out when parked on any incline/angle? Parking flat is hardly an acceptable solution.

PrettyBoy

The carpet is noticeably damp, but only in the drivers side footwell, no where else that I can see. It's not like there's a puddle or anything but it is noticable that there is a very damp feel in the car, whether it's just the smell or the moisture in the air, I'm not sure.

For example, I had a few pages printed off and they were sitting in the boot for a week, no where near the damp part in the front drivers side. I took them out today and they feel slightly wet, rough around the edges, etc. Like I said, it's as if there's a lot of moisture in the air. I feel like getting some kind of dehumidifier to get rid of the dampness, or else leave it out in the baking sun (not much chance of that happening!).

I will check the seals and pollen filter tomorrow, thanks lads.

GTE

PrettyBoy wrote: »

The carpet is noticeably damp, but only in the drivers side footwell, no where else that I can see. It's not like there's a puddle or anything but it is noticable that there is a very damp feel in the car, whether it's just the smell or the moisture in the air, I'm not sure.

For example, I had a few pages printed off and they were sitting in the boot for a week, no where near the damp part in the front drivers side. I took them out today and they feel slightly wet, rough around the edges, etc. Like I said, it's as if there's a lot of moisture in the air. I feel like getting some kind of dehumidifier to get rid of the dampness, or else leave it out in the baking sun (not much chance of that happening!).

I will check the seals and pollen filter tomorrow, thanks lads.

Pollen filter is on the passenger side. Hmm.

When my door seals were fecked and it rained heavily I would notice the water running from the bottom of the door. You should two pieces of trim overlap running along the bottom of the door, closer to the engine end of it. That is where I would notice water pouring in when I reversed. No where near enough to give me a puddle of water but enough to get it damp.
Driving the car and baking it (and yourself) for a good trip with the air directed to the floor will help. Then, after a while open the windows to let the moist air out.

Oh!
Also, with the door open look underneath it. I think the part underneath is painted. You should be able to see some holes which are drains. Give them a clearing with a toothpick.

If you have to do the inner door seals you can really clear them out but this can help as general maintenance every once and a while along with clearing the roof drains.

vipereire

I am having an awful time with water filling up into a puddle behind driver seat. It is beginning to stink. I have tried cleaning the water drains, but to no availe. I could see water coming in from footwell above pedals, but cannot work out how it is filling up behind me. Any ideas?