Puddle in my MK4 Polo

[Cads]

Picked up a MK4 Polo late summer and noted the screen was misting up, so clearly some water was getting in, but nowhere noticeable and not worth worrying about.
Until this morning, and Wife finds this.

Popped out in the dark after work and noted there is moisture between the internal plastic trim and bottom of the door rubber. But the seal looks fine visually.
A mates a VW trained mechanic and said it sounded like the window regulator seal, not something a google search seemed to throw up as a common issue.

Any thoughts?

It has a sunroof and the scuttle panel appears free of debris but will need taking off to be 100% sure.

[Cads]

So further inspection this afternoon and both rear foot wells are saturated too. This may rule out the water coming in the front as we have a sloping drive and the rear of the car is usually higher than the front.
So more likely the water is coming in the rear somewhere.

Annoying!

[shtu]

Trad VW leak spots,

Sunroof drains. if it has the rubber outlets in the door shuts, squeeze them and be ready for a pint of water to flood out.

Door membrane seals. Remove the door cards, unscrew the membrane, and squirt a bead of this around the join - https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-roof-gutter...

Cabin filter. Check the drains for the scuttle area are clear, that the filter is fitted properly, and that the plastic cover is undamaged and fitted properly.

[Cads]

By way of an update. I poured water over the screen and nothing came out the bottom of the car. Clearly it was pooling in the scuttle area.

I bought a wiper arm removal tool and had the plastic scuttle panel off and the metal panel beneath that. Sure enough the drain holes were blocked.
Cleaned the area out and water now drains out where it should. I never did find where it was coming into the cabin though.
The car appears to be drying out, but I wont know if this has solved the issue until we get some decent rain again.

[Cads]

So after some rain the puddles are back. So it’s not the scuttle area as that is still draining as it should.

I’ve poked strummer wire as far down the sunroof drains as is possible but they don’t terminate in the door shuts. Water hits the floor from somewhere around the wheel arch, behind the plastic panel. Water does seem to run through these drains, all be it slowly.

So am still no nearer locating the issues. Door seals remains a possibility.

[nice1two]

I have exactly the same problem in my Mk 4 polo, So will let you know if i manage to solve it

[Cads]

Thanks mate. I may get inside the car and get the wife to hose the car down this weekend in attempt to identify where its coming in.

[Dr Imran T]

There may be rear sunroof drain outlets. My A8 has 4 outlets for the sunroof. There are 2 at the front of the vehicle and 2 inside the rear wheel arches. One has to remove the rear plastic wheel arch liners to gain access.

If you look at the back of the sunroof whilst it is open, you may see the rear drain pipes for the water to escape. I'm not familiar with the polo, but this is a fairly common issue on VAG cars.

Also worth checking around your rear tail lights and boot seals. Systemically rule everything out. Do ensure that water has somewhere to exit and drain away.

Hope you find the cause of the leak.

[anonymous-user]

My mk4 polo leaked also , but the water was behind the front passenger seat. Turned out the rear screenwash hose only goes as far as the boot area before there is a join to another piece to the nozzle. It had detached there and water was scooshing out in boot and subsequently to rear floor.

[Cads]

Still baffled by this leak. It now seems limited to the rear nearside foot well, or that's where the water is pooling.

Last weekend I talc'd the door seals on the passenger side and let storm Ciara do its thing. Water level seemed to get worse in the foot well, but no water marks on the talc around the door seals.
The carpet all around the foot well is dry, and I have no idea how its getting into the foot well.

Rear lights are not the issue. And boot and under rear seat are bone dry.

Sunroof doesn't appear have any rear drainage holes and the front drainage holes seem ok, and would drain down the windscreen pillar towards the front anyway.

Any more ideas??

[anonymous-user]

if the battery sits in a bulkhead under the windscreen, check underneath that. In many VWs, there are often blocked drains at the bottom of the battery holder.

Take battery out, clean drains, and put battery back in.

[Cads]

Thanks Bulldong. That’s the first I’ve read of that. Still wouldn’t explain why the front foot well is dry and rear wet. But certainly worth a look!
Many thanks.

[Drive Blind]

if its the common problem with the back doors also seen on the Fabia a quick fix is to attach a plastic bag to the rear door pockets and then shut it in the door. This stops the water coming in the cabin

[anonymous-user]

Cads said:

Thanks Bulldong. That’s the first I’ve read of that. Still wouldn’t explain why the front foot well is dry and rear wet. But certainly worth a look!
Many thanks.

In my case it was because the same bulkhead also holds the air vents that go into the footwell of the rear seats. The water fills up to the level that it literally just runs down the pipe into the floor carpet.

Hope you find a fix.

[Who me ?]

Drive Blind said:

if its the common problem with the back doors also seen on the Fabia a quick fix is to attach a plastic bag to the rear door pockets and then shut it in the door. This stops the water coming in the cabin

WELL known problem on the MK1 Fabia. DOOR SEALS. Simply check floor and if wet, to check for seal problems, apply duct tape to /around lower door rubbers.
there's a solution on the Fabia thead on Briskoda.net

[Cads]

bulldong said:

if the battery sits in a bulkhead under the windscreen, check underneath that. In many VWs, there are often blocked drains at the bottom of the battery holder.

Take battery out, clean drains, and put battery back in.

I’ve just had a look and the battery is front right, nowhere near the bulkhead.

[Cads]

So I was able to spend a while prodding about this afternoon and soaking up the worst of the water with towels.
All around the footwell is bone dry and therefore water must be coming in through the heater vent as has been suggested.

My question, therefore is, where is water likely entering the pipe?
The battery isn’t in the bulkhead so it’s unlikely to be under there.