# Water in rear passenger footwell



## Ian... (Mar 2, 2014)

I've searched countless times and haven't been able to find anything specific to my problem. 

I noticed quite a bit of water in the passenger footwell of my MK4 R32. I've heard it could be the sunroof drains so I went looking around inside the rear passenger side trunk panel and found standing water below the tail light.

Basically, I looked in the little door in the trunk that allows access to the tail lights. If I shine a flashlight down as far as I can see inside that panel, I see the sunroof drain hose but even further below that, I see standing water. Does anyone know where the water could be coming from? It's isolated to the rear passenger footwell only. Nothing on the pillar, head liner, seats or even side wall of the footwell Just the floor board and mostly where your heel would be if you sat there. Do you guys think the wet floor and standing water in that side panel could be from the same leak or do you think I have more than one on my hands?

I'm stumped.


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## DubAutowerks (Oct 1, 2014)

The sunroof drains generally don't leak in the rear of the vehicle. The tail lights quite often do. You can remove them and replace the seals, either with ones from the dealer, or with a product called window weld or butyl tape that the parts store should carry, it's rubber type of sticky seal that comes in rope form.

Make sure the sunroof drain in the front between each of the front door hinges has the duck bill snipped off of it, and slowly pour water into the sunroof tray and see if it drains well.

The main cause of sunroof drains clogging is from debris like pine needles and dirt, and since the rear drains are all the way at the back of the sunroof tray, they just don't get enough crud back there. In almost 10 years of working on VWs professionally, I can count on one hand the amount of rear drains I've seen clogged, even if I was missing a couple fingers.


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## Ian... (Mar 2, 2014)

So you think the standing water below the tail light may be from a leaky tail light? Could that somehow migrate to the rear floor on the same side? Only the floor though.


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## MXTHOR3 (Jan 10, 2003)

I doubt it's your taillights, most likely still the sunroof drains, getting water into the headliner then down the b pillar.


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## Ian... (Mar 2, 2014)

MXTHOR3 said:


> I doubt it's your taillights, most likely still the sunroof drains, getting water into the headliner then down the b pillar.


Would there be water stains or wetness in the headliner or pillar? There's no sign of water anywhere except the spots I mentioned.


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## DubAutowerks (Oct 1, 2014)

There sometimes is stains but the headliner is on a composite material that is almost like plastic so water doesnt soak through easily.


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## Ian... (Mar 2, 2014)

Tried dumping water into the rear sunroof drains and watched it leak out the back where the drain exit point is. 

I don't have time or patience to tear the car apart to figure this out. Does anyone know how much this would cost for someone to troubleshoot and fix? Any recommendations on places in north puget sound area?


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## DubAutowerks (Oct 1, 2014)

My shop is Dub Autowerks and Im in the south sound area in Sumner. Thats by Federal Way and Puyallup. Price depends on if we are drying the interior too or just fixing the leak. If you have to drop the headliner it can be a few hundred dollars. Worst case scenario it could even be a broken sunroof frame which would be more


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## Ian... (Mar 2, 2014)

Ok since we are having a nice morning I decided to take my passenger seat out to further check it out. 

Looks like it may be coming from the heat duct under the seat. I can't be certain but there's mold around the duct in the carpet. I'll be tearing the carpet and all padding up to clean and dry it. But does anyone know where the leak would be coming from if it were through the vent down there? Where do I need to seal to solve the problem?


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## Ian... (Mar 2, 2014)

Also, to add to the excitement, I went to pop the hood Friday and it must have disconnected from the latch. Now my hood is closed with no way to pop the latch. 

I love these cars!


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