Dude!!! Just hours ago I diagnosed that all 3 of my drains were good EXCEPT that damn rear driver side too! You’re the first one to show exactly what it looks like. I could find a basic diagram of the lines but no detail on how to get to them. And you also answered why I couldn’t find that rear drain under my car either!! I have a 2016 q5 TDI 3.0 & this was my issue! So many thanks🙏🏁🤩
As a relatively new MKIV R32 owner (1 year), I really appreciate your videos. They are extremely helpful. Thank you very much for making them and helping the "R" community. Looking forward to your next one.
Huge help with my 2003 20th GTI. Just went through this whole process. You have to get under the insulation to realize just how much moisture is trapped, even if the carpet feels dry.
Dang Charles - you earned your upvote today in a personal way! I had the passenger side floor board soaked on my Mk1 Jetta and it never occurred to me it might be the sunroof drain. I assumed it caused by a faulty windshield seal when I had my windshield replaced. As a precaution I ran a very thin bead of clear silicone along the windshield perimeter where it touches the glass and the body thinking that fixed the problem. Mind you I don't drive much in the rain so I never had to test that since. I don't have any discoloration on the headliner, but still I suspect there's a chance the drain line pulled out from the drain spigot as you demonstrated and water ran down the A-pillar. I did notice that the frame that the K-Jetronic ECM bolts to was a little crusty when last I looked there - that would absolutely explain it! I will follow the routine you laid out to see if that's the culprit! Kudos to you bro! You are a rock star! Your Friendly Canadian-prairie driver
This is just one of many places water can leak into a car. From my experience this is the most common place on a MK4/B5 car. I am also gearing up for a killer road trip. Stay tuned. :)
@@atubebuff - I recently had to deal with that myself. There's a place where a wiring bundle goes thru the firewall, below the wiper motor. You'll need to remove the wiper motor assembly (and the windshield cowl, and the wiper arms) to get at it.
You can pull entire rug & insulation to dry in the sun or inside. I have used commercial laundry washer & dryer for rug; color & shape somewhat disappear and hot dryer can shrink rug so use caution. You can use wet vac at home first to get most of the water or in a pinch. But you really need to dry completely ASAP to prevent mold (which will stink and can cause dangerous health issues). Experience- owned several VW Golfs lol.
Used to see so many A4 and A6 Audi models with wet carpets where the pollen filter housing would leak after the plenum chamber drains blocked up with leaves and filled up with rain water. Not so much now I live in Western Australia! Sun roof drains are always a first check. Another great video Charles.
Happy New Year Charles! I restored a 1987 Golf Tdi (sold), fixed up a 03' Golf Tdi (sold), and like a bad drug, bought an 03' Golf Tdi I wanted to say "Thank You!" for all your helpful videos. They have saved my butt many times over trying to find leaks and other PITA problems with the Golf family vehicles. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Outstanding videos!
If you don't have a sunroof and have water on one of the front sides, then it can come from the doors inner panel, the sticky seal on the inner panel fails to do its job over time thus, water getting in the car when it is not on a flat surface. I have had the issue with my MK IV and fixed it by removing the sticky seal cleaning the panel and putting some clear silicone on the inner panel and refitting while still not dry.
I removed my door card and alloy cover and resealed it with sealant,hopefully that’s it cured,but how does the water get in to soak the carpet if the cover is behind the door card? Cheers
@@dmc1221 Leaks between the door frame and the inner alloy panel going on the door rubber seal and since the door is closed it continues its way to the carpet
Hi - I liked the video. Have a 2002 beetle where I taped up the sunroof totally when leak continued after clearing tubes. STILL leaking. Where from? Under the cowling by the windshield wipers? This is now killing me. I can't figure it.
I had the same problem with my mk4 Jetta however in my case the drain hose disconnected itself from the plug in the door jam. So the hose would drain directly into the driver's side food well. Great diy and problem diagnosis
Bought this car to be a low maintenance commuter because my last car was an absolute nightmare and required constant repair. Owned it about two months and just found a puddle and damp marks along the front of the car. Working on my car is like getting dental work done for me I hate ever moment but thank you very much for this informative video its going to help me out a lot
Good Video! My MK4 R32 actually had a leak through the firewall. The body filler in the seam @ the rain tray was cracking. Not sure if its common problem just spreading the word.
Thanks. This video was very help. It turns out this is something everyone should do if you have a VW Golf car with a sunroof. That nipple for the sunroof drain should be cut open as shown in this video. They are easy to get to in the front of the car, cut them open and test the drain with water. You can get to the other two in the back of the car from the inside of the trunk, you can pull the entire rubber unit into to the car and then cut them open, then reinstall them. It is a bit tricky but easy compared to trying to get to them from underneath the car. Great fix for preventing water getting into the car in the future, and the original solution to the sunroof drain is a bad design to begin with from VW.
i had the exact same issue with my mk4 but i dont have a sunroof, turned out to be the seal on the big metal plate that the window regulator fits to in the door, the gasket foam tape stuff had split and water was leaking in through the door and into the front, i bought a d shaped sticky back rubber seal from ebay and replaced the original tape stuff and that solved the leak
Water leakage is one of the reasons that I don't buy cars with sunroof. But I had to change the antenna rubber gasket of my Mk.4 Golf to prevent a future water leakage issue coming from the antenna. Anyway, very interesting video, very usefull video.
My mk4 was victim of this last week! There was a puddle in the rear passenger side. My sunroof drains are clear so that's not the problem. I think it may be the body plugs? One of them is pretty worn out but is it possible to have that much water inside through just those body plugs? Also going to snip the drain nipples. Great idea!
Great video Charles , I'm having the same issue with my mk6 gti. Question do you know where the front drains are on the mk6. It's doesn't have the nipples on the doors like the mk4. Thanks
They are under the cowel cover, underneath where your wipers, on either side in the chamber where the wiper linkage and motor sits. You will have to remove the wiper arms and cover to access them safely. Be careful when removing the cover, they break easily. Oh, and the drains are still hard to access even when you remove all that stuff, haha.
@@draves8953 thanks for the quick reply. I'm definitely not looking forward to this lol. I just hope it's a clogged drivers side drain. And not a loose hoose. Definitely don't want to mess with the A pillar and breaking clips. Hard to believe that at 40k , I would have a leak. It's nothing like what Charles had to deal with just a small section got wet somehow but I still want to find the source of the problem.
Ohhhhh man I’m so happy you out of all people is making this video. I have a MkVI gti and when it rains I get a moist carpet under the drive (not as soaked as yours) but it’s a frequent issue... I have a couple torn weather strips and plastic trim that lifts like by the windows and even my windshield one a bit. Hopefully you cover some more of these issues in coming videos
Dude thank you so much for this vid. I've been having a persistent leak in my mk4 Jetta and it wasnt the sunroof drains. Driving me nuts trying to find it
Thank you very helpful, I see the upper connection under the headliner, do you have video on how to access the connection, I fear my upper, passenger hose is disconnected at the sunroof. Going in blind, too ease to snap off parts. Thanks
I've got a 2015 B8 VW Passat it doesn't have a sun roof but it does have a water leak on the drivers side floor. I've checked under the plastic cowl under the windscreen and that was clear I've also check the drivers for with water between the glass and door skin and the water ran out underneath the door at the front of the door, still a water leak any other ideas to check?
Feel your pain dude, just fixed and cleaned up a water leak on my oldie. Funny thing is I didn't even notice anything until I looked at the blower motor and saw it dripping. My car has three oem layers of padding and that just stuff was sopping wet. Luckily no rust and the top two layers were dry. Was a good time to use my x mat in place of the just.
I had the exact same issue in my Passat 2002, but the drain coming from the sunroof dislodged way down in the front, near the nipple. It seems when attempting the cleaning I pushed a little hard with the wire and... Pop! Didn't realised in that moment, but the rain season came months later and I began smelling the funky thing. Suddenly, below the front passenger carpet there was this little flood. Did the same you showed here but in passats the comfort module is down there. Luckily the water didn't flooded inside the CM. The amount of water was impressive, around 5 liters. The culprit part got some adhesive to be sure it doesn't happen again. Between dissasembling, drying, disinfecting and reassembly it was a 4 day labour. Other place worth the inspection on passats is below the battery. Lots of mud and leaves get down there and can clog the rubber drains and that water can get into the cabin through the blower motor and come out by the air vents. Yes VW's are famous for trying to be U boats. German heritage! I suddenly recalled Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Great info and great video.
My MK5 Jetta had the same issue. Wish I found this vid sooner. That leak was stressing me tf out lmao. Took me forever to figure it out. But luckily no smell
Charles, don't know if you check back on some of your old videos, but I just checked my drain tube ends and both of mine are cut. What I don't understand is who cut them since I bought this car new in Jan. 05 Amazing.
wow, this is a great video showing what really happens underneath the carpet when you have a wet carpet, i just got a puddle of water in my 08 audi a6 driver footwell and rear driver side. My reading suggests it has to do with some drain holes plugged. I'm confused who does what you do, the detailing shop or the mechanic shop and how much does it cost for a job like this.
Hey man. Thanks for this. Would this work on a 2013 VW tiguan? I have a puddle on the right side passenger and rear passenger. They unclogged the sunroof but still having water.
Hello Charles, thanks for showing us how to dry out our early 2000s VW/Audi. I just unclogged my sunroof drains in my A4 B6. I have a question regarding key fobs and programming new ones to the car, how would one go about doing that?
I kinda recently had to do similar stuff to the Renault Clio from my mother. It was on the driver side and happened due to cabling of the auxiliary heating system. The isolation of the hole where the cables came through in the firewall became brittle and together with a slightly clogged water drain in the firewall caused water intrusion. Was kinda hard to find as I had to remove basically everything in front of the windshield which was inside the firewall. Guys, clean up the firewall at least once a year and also check the inside of your fenders when changing the tires! Stuff gets in there and clogs up everything and your car starts to rod from the inside out.
A good gadget for drying water is the "balloon promotion inflatables" used for temporary advertising. Also kids inflatable contraptions like water slides. I got one at a garage sale. Used it for blasting focused air into the boat sump. I was surprised how well it worked. Even better than the et dry vacuum in reverse.
Definatly do a video on finding leaks, My Mk3 jetta has a leak right near the driver side sun shade. No sun roof so i suspect the roof trim or the windsheild glue is leaking .
There must have been some kind of internal VW recall that had dealers and shops cutting the drains like you did in this video Every Mk4 and B5 that I’ve owned and seen (that number is a lot) had drains cut like this, even on ones whose owners did not work on their own cars
Wow Charles great video thank you so much for making this you are the man. I always enjoy watching these repair videos you make I have this annoying rain tray leak on my Corrado. I wasn't sure where it was coming from but this really clears it up. I was always afraid to open my sunroof I haven't in the past 6 months, but now I will check my sunroof tracks perhaps with some good speed cable I will run some bottled water through there and test those drains 👍🏁🏆
The drain tube in my 05 TDI Jetta has seperated from the utter in the door jam . Have you come up with a solution to unite the two and stop the water from flooding the foot well?
Great video. I had a problem with the drains clogging on my 02 Jetta VR6. I ended up replacing all of the drain tubes with no idea of how to do it other than starting at the roof and working my way down. It had water in it that froze over the winter in storage and split the lines.
@@HumbleMechanic How do you know if the problem is actually the tubes being broken or disconnected? I had the lines cleared only a cpl months ago and now its leaking from both front panels and rear driver side ('09 Tiguan). I plan on getting a cable and trying this today. Thanks for the great video as always!
I really wish VW would take responsibility at a corporate level for this.. I used black Shoe Goo to glue the drain lines in place.. most use silicone.. but I'm a Shoe Goo fanatic, it's my go-to after JB Weld. Also Goo Gone cleaned the clogged nipples pretty well and you can just poor it down the drains routinely. But snipping seems like a good idea too..
Nice video Charles. Very thorough as usual. Can you tell me if there can be a leak source from the engine coolant on the drivers side on the mk4 vw gti? I seem to be losing coolant very slowly and just noticed moisture on the drivers side carpet. Thanks!
Hey Charles. Do you have any tips for reinstalling a pollen filter housing on a B5.5 Passat? I managed to get a new old stock housing with a new seal and have got some sealing chord from the dealership. I actually have my carpet completely out right now so that I can pinpoint leaks as they appear. I seem to be getting water in from behind the glovebox but, worryingly, it also seems to get wet when I turn the HVAC on. This has me concerned about the heater core. I'm going to replace the pollen filter housing anyway but what do you think? The air doesn't really smell of coolant but my car does use very slight amounts of coolant over time.
Great info sir;;; weed eater string dudes. I put some got soapy water in firat, not too much then work your weed eater string down through. My 03 GLI had the same issue lol.
Where does that drain tube in the CD changer compartment on a MKIV originate from? I had that pop off once and completely flood the trunk. I assume it's another sunroof drain, but never spent time figuring it out.
Hello, what about Touran 2005, I have the same problem, but I neither have slide roof nor such this silicon nipple. All the seal around the door is ok. I think the water comes from an area near the passenger right foot place. What do you think about the leakage comes from?
This was helpful I have a 99 sunfire and it has been neglected. I opened the driver door and saw water across in the passenger side. When it stops raining I can maybe fix this
The rubber grommet in the floor of my b4 wagon got all crusty and over time ( with out my knowledge lol) it completely came out. Had a open hole for about 9-10 months before I noticed. All that moisture stayed rite there in the sound deadening and carpet and rusted out the floor around the hole for the grommet. Upstate NY in a 25 year old car lol.
Great video (per usual). Follow up question, at the 13:21 mark, you mention a leak at the back of the sunroof frame. That is where my MK4 Golf is currently leaking from. Any ideas on how to fix it? I'm cool with links to other sources if you have them (I cannot find any). Many thanks.
You should post a video on mk7 Golf and Sportwagon sunroof water leaks... It would be a good 1 hour video. Cracked sunroof frames, clogged drains, body side sunroof frame seals un sticking... it goes on and on. Sure keeps us busy! Lol
won't cutting off the door drain nipple at the door hinges cause rust therein?(i.e, it'll drain into those hinges first before continuing to the bottom)
Every winter I have water in my car. Usually a new leak some where. Tired of it. Would taking the carpet out completely and not put back be looked down on?
Great video!! I have a question I own a jetta vr6 mk4 2002 do you recommend to install a cold air intake kit? Will gas mileage increase or decrease? Will the air flow sensor get damaged? I only use my car to go to work about 8 miles daily Thanks!! And greetings from Guatemala!!
Leaks can be very hard to find. Often you find multiple leaks (like you did). Over the years I have seen so many people spend a huge effort drying out the car and never find the actual real leak. Personally I wedge something up the side of the drain grommets from the outside to let them drain and put my time into solving the leak. Eventually it will dry out and any smells will go away at a later stage.
A common source of water in the front foot well is overflow from the pipe that runs down the back of the front wheel arch. In a VW Sharan it is easier to access and clear this if the windscreen wipers and plastic cover underneath the wipers is first removed. This is an easy non-specialist job
As long as there is no tubing leak, and just a clog...How about using a vacuum to remove clog by sucking water thru the tube as a mechanical means of dislodging the obstruction ? Though I’ve never had this happen to any car I’ve ever owned...I coincidently had a AC Evap drain clog this weekend that caused the pass side carpet to get wet. I tried using a similar method as you to unclog, but eventually found success with my wet/dry vac by pulling vacuum on the rubber drain tube.
Dude!!! Just hours ago I diagnosed that all 3 of my drains were good EXCEPT that damn rear driver side too!
You’re the first one to show exactly what it looks like.
I could find a basic diagram of the lines but no detail on how to get to them.
And you also answered why I couldn’t find that rear drain under my car either!!
I have a 2016 q5 TDI 3.0 & this was my issue!
So many thanks🙏🏁🤩
Hell yes!!!! I mean sucks about the drains but glad you got it fixed up.
As a relatively new MKIV R32 owner (1 year), I really appreciate your videos. They are extremely helpful. Thank you very much for making them and helping the "R" community. Looking forward to your next one.
Huge help with my 2003 20th GTI. Just went through this whole process. You have to get under the insulation to realize just how much moisture is trapped, even if the carpet feels dry.
Yep it’s scary how much water can live under there.
@@HumbleMechanicWhy are Audi alarms so quiet? It’s a high pitched beep and it’s quiet!
Dang Charles - you earned your upvote today in a personal way! I had the passenger side floor board soaked on my Mk1 Jetta and it never occurred to me it might be the sunroof drain. I assumed it caused by a faulty windshield seal when I had my windshield replaced. As a precaution I ran a very thin bead of clear silicone along the windshield perimeter where it touches the glass and the body thinking that fixed the problem. Mind you I don't drive much in the rain so I never had to test that since.
I don't have any discoloration on the headliner, but still I suspect there's a chance the drain line pulled out from the drain spigot as you demonstrated and water ran down the A-pillar. I did notice that the frame that the K-Jetronic ECM bolts to was a little crusty when last I looked there - that would absolutely explain it! I will follow the routine you laid out to see if that's the culprit! Kudos to you bro! You are a rock star!
Your Friendly Canadian-prairie driver
This is just one of many places water can leak into a car. From my experience this is the most common place on a MK4/B5 car. I am also gearing up for a killer road trip. Stay tuned. :)
I'm actually troubleshooting my MK4 right now for a water leak. It seems to coming from an area just near the wiper motor.
@@atubebuff - I recently had to deal with that myself. There's a place where a wiring bundle goes thru the firewall, below the wiper motor. You'll need to remove the wiper motor assembly (and the windshield cowl, and the wiper arms) to get at it.
Agreed. Maybe a part two on the cowl drains under the inner fender and resealing the fresh air and wiring harness pass through.
You can pull entire rug & insulation to dry in the sun or inside. I have used commercial laundry washer & dryer for rug; color & shape somewhat disappear and hot dryer can shrink rug so use caution. You can use wet vac at home first to get most of the water or in a pinch. But you really need to dry completely ASAP to prevent mold (which will stink and can cause dangerous health issues). Experience- owned several VW Golfs lol.
Older VW Golf's were notorious for leaking via the doors - the polyethylene liners break or are not adhered properly 360*.
Used to see so many A4 and A6 Audi models with wet carpets where the pollen filter housing would leak after the plenum chamber drains blocked up with leaves and filled up with rain water. Not so much now I live in Western Australia! Sun roof drains are always a first check. Another great video Charles.
This video is so freaking helpful!!! Dealing with my first water issue and it’s helped me diagnose things much quicker!!!
I browsed about 7 videos on RUclips. This is best fix video. Clean and practical instructions.
This video helped me to figure out why my wifes floor is wet when it rains. THANKS MAN!
Imagine volkswagen building boats...
Might be good at building a Submarine?
VW has made water cars before called the VW schwimmwagen
VW made first Electric yacht 👍
😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
Capsized on its first day
Happy New Year Charles! I restored a 1987 Golf Tdi (sold), fixed up a 03' Golf Tdi (sold), and like a bad drug, bought an 03' Golf Tdi
I wanted to say "Thank You!" for all your helpful videos. They have saved my butt many times over trying to find leaks and other PITA problems with the Golf family vehicles. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Outstanding videos!
If you don't have a sunroof and have water on one of the front sides, then it can come from the doors inner panel, the sticky seal on the inner panel fails to do its job over time thus, water getting in the car when it is not on a flat surface. I have had the issue with my MK IV and fixed it by removing the sticky seal cleaning the panel and putting some clear silicone on the inner panel and refitting while still not dry.
mathotp what do you mean inner panel mate ?
@@tomrenwick3056 think he means the panel behind the doorcard. The one the window motor is bolted onto.
Hi mathotp, I have the same problem, could you kindly post a pic of how you fixed this issue? thanks a lot!
I removed my door card and alloy cover and resealed it with sealant,hopefully that’s it cured,but how does the water get in to soak the carpet if the cover is behind the door card? Cheers
@@dmc1221 Leaks between the door frame and the inner alloy panel going on the door rubber seal and since the door is closed it continues its way to the carpet
You inspired me to do my own leak test. Happy to report everything is fine. But as I said in another post, I had an issue like this once before.
I’m not a mechanic but I’m humble and I loved this video. It gave me the words to explain to my mechanic what’s leaking and where in my car.
Hi - I liked the video. Have a 2002 beetle where I taped up the sunroof totally when leak continued after clearing tubes. STILL leaking. Where from? Under the cowling by the windshield wipers? This is now killing me. I can't figure it.
I had the same problem with my mk4 Jetta however in my case the drain hose disconnected itself from the plug in the door jam. So the hose would drain directly into the driver's side food well. Great diy and problem diagnosis
Thanks for video, Charles! You make a difference in the VW community and I appreciate it very much.
Bought this car to be a low maintenance commuter because my last car was an absolute nightmare and required constant repair. Owned it about two months and just found a puddle and damp marks along the front of the car. Working on my car is like getting dental work done for me I hate ever moment but thank you very much for this informative video its going to help me out a lot
"a low maintenance commuter" LOL these babbies are like 6 months old puppys, they need constant supervision!
I use weedeater line to clear the drains - just an FYI. You can choose how stiff you need by the differing diameters available.
I looked at that too. lol so many solutions
Good Video! My MK4 R32 actually had a leak through the firewall. The body filler in the seam @ the rain tray was cracking. Not sure if its common problem just spreading the word.
Jerry Cortorreal. Thank you. I will check that on my mk4. 👍
Thought I’d RUclips this before going to the dealership. Definitely doing this today!!!
Hey Carl, I feel your pain, had happened to me in a couple of cars. Thanks for Sharing buddy.
Thanks. This video was very help. It turns out this is something everyone should do
if you have a VW Golf car with a sunroof. That nipple for the sunroof drain should be cut open as shown in this video. They are easy to get to in the front of the car, cut them open and test the drain with water. You can get to the other two in the back of the car from the inside of the trunk, you can pull the entire rubber unit into to the car and then cut them open, then reinstall them. It is a bit tricky but easy compared to trying to get to them from underneath the car. Great fix for preventing water getting into the car in the future, and the original solution to the sunroof drain is a bad design to begin with from VW.
i had the exact same issue with my mk4 but i dont have a sunroof, turned out to be the seal on the big metal plate that the window regulator fits to in the door, the gasket foam tape stuff had split and water was leaking in through the door and into the front, i bought a d shaped sticky back rubber seal from ebay and replaced the original tape stuff and that solved the leak
could you explain exactly what needed replacing? i might have a similar issue: no sunroof leak issues, but car floor still gets wet after rain.
Hey , I own a polo Gt and have water under my mat on the drivers side after a rain . Can you tell me what you did specifically to clear the issue?
@@RetiredTeenager go to ebay and search for "Car Door Seal D-Shape Stick On"
mathjuk thanks man
Thank you so much for this useful video. You save me from lot of headache. God bless you.
Well. This is excellent. I am pretty sure this is my problem. Going to the garage tomorrow to investigate it!
Great video! Found it really helpful because I had no idea what was wrong with my car before watching it
Using a wire in the tubing is genius! Thanks for saving me ~$600
Water leakage is one of the reasons that I don't buy cars with sunroof. But I had to change the antenna rubber gasket of my Mk.4 Golf to prevent a future water leakage issue coming from the antenna. Anyway, very interesting video, very usefull video.
My mk4 was victim of this last week! There was a puddle in the rear passenger side. My sunroof drains are clear so that's not the problem. I think it may be the body plugs? One of them is pretty worn out but is it possible to have that much water inside through just those body plugs? Also going to snip the drain nipples. Great idea!
Great video Charles , I'm having the same issue with my mk6 gti.
Question do you know where the front drains are on the mk6. It's doesn't have the nipples on the doors like the mk4.
Thanks
They are under the cowel cover, underneath where your wipers, on either side in the chamber where the wiper linkage and motor sits. You will have to remove the wiper arms and cover to access them safely. Be careful when removing the cover, they break easily. Oh, and the drains are still hard to access even when you remove all that stuff, haha.
@@draves8953 thanks for the quick reply. I'm definitely not looking forward to this lol.
I just hope it's a clogged drivers side drain. And not a loose hoose. Definitely don't want to mess with the A pillar and breaking clips. Hard to believe that at 40k , I would have a leak. It's nothing like what Charles had to deal with just a small section got wet somehow but I still want to find the source of the problem.
Ohhhhh man I’m so happy you out of all people is making this video. I have a MkVI gti and when it rains I get a moist carpet under the drive (not as soaked as yours) but it’s a frequent issue... I have a couple torn weather strips and plastic trim that lifts like by the windows and even my windshield one a bit. Hopefully you cover some more of these issues in coming videos
Dude thank you so much for this vid. I've been having a persistent leak in my mk4 Jetta and it wasnt the sunroof drains. Driving me nuts trying to find it
Dealing with this problem now with my Jeep Liberty. So frustrating….
Hoping some of your tips might help. Nice video 👍
Thank you very helpful, I see the upper connection under the headliner, do you have video on how to access the connection, I fear my upper, passenger hose is disconnected at the sunroof. Going in blind, too ease to snap off parts. Thanks
Greta guide. Have this issue with my mk5 golf gti with the driver and rear footwell carpets soaked.
I've got a 2015 B8 VW Passat it doesn't have a sun roof but it does have a water leak on the drivers side floor. I've checked under the plastic cowl under the windscreen and that was clear I've also check the drivers for with water between the glass and door skin and the water ran out underneath the door at the front of the door, still a water leak any other ideas to check?
For the drain tubes , you can use the nylon string from a weed wacker . Great lesson . A smoke machine may find other leaks .
Feel your pain dude, just fixed and cleaned up a water leak on my oldie. Funny thing is I didn't even notice anything until I looked at the blower motor and saw it dripping. My car has three oem layers of padding and that just stuff was sopping wet. Luckily no rust and the top two layers were dry. Was a good time to use my x mat in place of the just.
I had the exact same issue in my Passat 2002, but the drain coming from the sunroof dislodged way down in the front, near the nipple. It seems when attempting the cleaning I pushed a little hard with the wire and... Pop! Didn't realised in that moment, but the rain season came months later and I began smelling the funky thing. Suddenly, below the front passenger carpet there was this little flood. Did the same you showed here but in passats the comfort module is down there. Luckily the water didn't flooded inside the CM. The amount of water was impressive, around 5 liters. The culprit part got some adhesive to be sure it doesn't happen again.
Between dissasembling, drying, disinfecting and reassembly it was a 4 day labour.
Other place worth the inspection on passats is below the battery. Lots of mud and leaves get down there and can clog the rubber drains and that water can get into the cabin through the blower motor and come out by the air vents.
Yes VW's are famous for trying to be U boats. German heritage! I suddenly recalled Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Great info and great video.
I think you just saved me $400! Thank you for the awesome video!
My MK5 Jetta had the same issue. Wish I found this vid sooner. That leak was stressing me tf out lmao. Took me forever to figure it out. But luckily no smell
Charles, don't know if you check back on some of your old videos, but I just checked my drain tube
ends and both of mine are cut. What I don't understand is who cut them since I bought this car new in Jan. 05
Amazing.
Someone at the dealer cut them. We did it in a lot of bigger services.
wow, this is a great video showing what really happens underneath the carpet when you have a wet carpet, i just got a puddle of water in my 08 audi a6 driver footwell and rear driver side. My reading suggests it has to do with some drain holes plugged. I'm confused who does what you do, the detailing shop or the mechanic shop and how much does it cost for a job like this.
Very helpful video thanks Seemingly any leak in the car will be a nightmare to find and fix?!
It’s not fun lol
great video. exactly what I was looking for to figure out my mk4 TDI leak. Thanks!
wondering if this is a similar set up for an 2004 infiniti fx45 , attempting to solve this exact problem!
Hey man. Thanks for this. Would this work on a 2013 VW tiguan? I have a puddle on the right side passenger and rear passenger. They unclogged the sunroof but still having water.
Hello Charles, thanks for showing us how to dry out our early 2000s VW/Audi. I just unclogged my sunroof drains in my A4 B6. I have a question regarding key fobs and programming new ones to the car, how would one go about doing that?
I kinda recently had to do similar stuff to the Renault Clio from my mother. It was on the driver side and happened due to cabling of the auxiliary heating system. The isolation of the hole where the cables came through in the firewall became brittle and together with a slightly clogged water drain in the firewall caused water intrusion. Was kinda hard to find as I had to remove basically everything in front of the windshield which was inside the firewall.
Guys, clean up the firewall at least once a year and also check the inside of your fenders when changing the tires! Stuff gets in there and clogs up everything and your car starts to rod from the inside out.
A good gadget for drying water is the "balloon promotion inflatables" used for temporary advertising. Also kids inflatable contraptions like water slides. I got one at a garage sale. Used it for blasting focused air into the boat sump. I was surprised how well it worked. Even better than the et dry vacuum in reverse.
That’s an awesome idea. Like those wacky arm flailing guys 😂
@@HumbleMechanic That's the one!
Definatly do a video on finding leaks, My Mk3 jetta has a leak right near the driver side sun shade. No sun roof so i suspect the roof trim or the windsheild glue is leaking .
7:18 whats that square hole in the carpet on the central tunnel part?
Thank you your
video helped me fix my 2010 Passat leak from the sun roof
There must have been some kind of internal VW recall that had dealers and shops cutting the drains like you did in this video
Every Mk4 and B5 that I’ve owned and seen (that number is a lot) had drains cut like this, even on ones whose owners did not work on their own cars
There was! We were doing it for years before the recall to prevent it
Wow Charles great video thank you so much for making this you are the man. I always enjoy watching these repair videos you make I have this annoying rain tray leak on my Corrado. I wasn't sure where it was coming from but this really clears it up. I was always afraid to open my sunroof I haven't in the past 6 months, but now I will check my sunroof tracks perhaps with some good speed cable I will run some bottled water through there and test those drains 👍🏁🏆
The drain tube in my 05 TDI Jetta has seperated from the utter in the door jam . Have you come up with a solution to unite the two and stop the water from flooding the foot well?
Great video. I had a problem with the drains clogging on my 02 Jetta VR6. I ended up replacing all of the drain tubes with no idea of how to do it other than starting at the roof and working my way down. It had water in it that froze over the winter in storage and split the lines.
YUCK!!! That is not awesome. Replacing the tubes kinda sucks
@@HumbleMechanic How do you know if the problem is actually the tubes being broken or disconnected? I had the lines cleared only a cpl months ago and now its leaking from both front panels and rear driver side ('09 Tiguan). I plan on getting a cable and trying this today. Thanks for the great video as always!
You can also get a leak from the drain try over the pollen filter on the passanger side will cause the same problems
Yep. They are good about that too.
I really wish VW would take responsibility at a corporate level for this..
I used black Shoe Goo to glue the drain lines in place.. most use silicone.. but I'm a Shoe Goo fanatic, it's my go-to after JB Weld. Also Goo Gone cleaned the clogged nipples pretty well and you can just poor it down the drains routinely. But snipping seems like a good idea too..
Honda has the same problem. They cover it up.
Thanks Charles your video was the most complete and thorough of all the ones I watched on this subject... it was very helpful
Awesome. Thank you so much
Very good video. Now I know where to check on my wife's car, for the water leak.
Really good seeing all these MK4 interior vids. Keep em coming.
Nice video Charles. Very thorough as usual. Can you tell me if there can be a leak source from the engine coolant on the drivers side on the mk4 vw gti? I seem to be losing coolant very slowly and just noticed moisture on the drivers side carpet. Thanks!
Hey Charles. Do you have any tips for reinstalling a pollen filter housing on a B5.5 Passat? I managed to get a new old stock housing with a new seal and have got some sealing chord from the dealership. I actually have my carpet completely out right now so that I can pinpoint leaks as they appear. I seem to be getting water in from behind the glovebox but, worryingly, it also seems to get wet when I turn the HVAC on. This has me concerned about the heater core. I'm going to replace the pollen filter housing anyway but what do you think? The air doesn't really smell of coolant but my car does use very slight amounts of coolant over time.
Great info sir;;; weed eater string dudes. I put some got soapy water in firat, not too much then work your weed eater string down through. My 03 GLI had the same issue lol.
Great info. Thanks for helping me solve my leak problem on my r32.
Where does that drain tube in the CD changer compartment on a MKIV originate from? I had that pop off once and completely flood the trunk. I assume it's another sunroof drain, but never spent time figuring it out.
It’s starts near the light in the head liner and comes out behind the bumper
12:19 Yeah Baby!
Will remember this when at work. Just replaced a fuel pump module that was burned up from water leaking into the back seat from a VW Jetta.
Dang! I’ve never had a fuel pump module have issues from water leak. .
Did you have any airbag codes afterwards. Did the water short out anything? Airbag module?
Nope nothing damaged thankfully
Hello, what about Touran 2005, I have the same problem, but I neither have slide roof nor such this silicon nipple. All the seal around the door is ok. I think the water comes from an area near the passenger right foot place. What do you think about the leakage comes from?
Nice video and explanation. Why didn't you use a pair of scissors to cut the drain hose at the end for a nice edge?
That would work too!
This was helpful I have a 99 sunfire and it has been neglected. I opened the driver door and saw water across in the passenger side. When it stops raining I can maybe fix this
Thanks for the vid Charles... any chance you have a part # on those floor pan plugs under the backseat carpet? I have several that need replacing.
It should be n-102-266-01
You hit the jackpot. I had one on my desk
@@HumbleMechanic Thank you! For those playing along at home... it looks like 1K0 899 185 is an equivalent part number.
Great video. Extremely useful
man thx so much ihad wet floors at the right side all the time and turned out the drain was full of muck!
Can ypu make video how to remove the headline on gti
I will when I proper recover it
@@HumbleMechanic thanks man
The rubber grommet in the floor of my b4 wagon got all crusty and over time ( with out my knowledge lol) it completely came out. Had a open hole for about 9-10 months before I noticed. All that moisture stayed rite there in the sound deadening and carpet and rusted out the floor around the hole for the grommet. Upstate NY in a 25 year old car lol.
Always good watching a HumbleMechanic 👍🏻🇬🇧
🙏🙏🙏
Great video (per usual). Follow up question, at the 13:21 mark, you mention a leak at the back of the sunroof frame. That is where my MK4 Golf is currently leaking from. Any ideas on how to fix it? I'm cool with links to other sources if you have them (I cannot find any). Many thanks.
for the mk4 jetta body, I have often found some standing water in the rear corner of the trunk, could that be a rear sunroof drain clog ?
It is on my Audi q5, same drain set up as the VW here.
Gentleman, many thanks, you do perfect presentions, short and really focused.
Thank you !
Good video, can you please make a video of how to replace the tension pulley in a 2013 cc thank you very much
What a beautiful preview photo
Can you use a Bissell vac or something to get the water out without taking up the padding?
It won’t get all the water
Question where could I find the fabric for the A pillars on the MK4 R32?
You should post a video on mk7 Golf and Sportwagon sunroof water leaks... It would be a good 1 hour video. Cracked sunroof frames, clogged drains, body side sunroof frame seals un sticking... it goes on and on. Sure keeps us busy! Lol
That’s the worst design food of all time.
Thank you so much bro for showing me this vid, I really really appreciate all your vids.
Love it keep it coming. Actually working on getting 99 b5 avant quattro 1.8t 5spd
The pollen filter housings on Mk4 Golf models under the windscreen leak water into the passenger footwell also.
Yes they do. Lol it’s basically a leak machine
won't cutting off the door drain nipple at the door hinges cause rust therein?(i.e, it'll drain into those hinges first before continuing to the bottom)
Every winter I have water in my car. Usually a new leak some where. Tired of it. Would taking the carpet out completely and not put back be looked down on?
Great video!! I have a question I own a jetta vr6 mk4 2002 do you recommend to install a cold air intake kit? Will gas mileage increase or decrease? Will the air flow sensor get damaged? I only use my car to go to work about 8 miles daily Thanks!! And greetings from Guatemala!!
You can run and Intake. Most aren’t worth the money
Leaks can be very hard to find. Often you find multiple leaks (like you did).
Over the years I have seen so many people spend a huge effort drying out the car and never find the actual real leak.
Personally I wedge something up the side of the drain grommets from the outside to let them drain and put my time into solving the leak. Eventually it will dry out and any smells will go away at a later stage.
A common source of water in the front foot well is overflow from the pipe that runs down the back of the front wheel arch. In a VW Sharan it is easier to access and clear this if the windscreen wipers and plastic cover underneath the wipers is first removed. This is an easy non-specialist job
Good job Charles! ...I’m glad I don’t have a Sunroof.
Was awesome seeing you and the car in Helen 👍🏻 Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much. See ya next year?
As long as there is no tubing leak, and just a clog...How about using a vacuum to remove clog by sucking water thru the tube as a mechanical means of dislodging the obstruction ?
Though I’ve never had this happen to any car I’ve ever owned...I coincidently had a AC Evap drain clog this weekend that caused the pass side carpet to get wet.
I tried using a similar method as you to unclog, but eventually found success with my wet/dry vac by pulling vacuum on the rubber drain tube.
How did the water get in? From the bottom plugs or thru the door seals?
Sunroof drains on this one