# Passenger Footwell Very Wet



## johnmgrv8 (Mar 14, 2020)

2011 TT Coupe
I have not been using the TT for some months when I noticed the windows steaming up. I looked in the passenger footwell to find the carpets covered in mould, the car did not smell so I don't think it's not a coolant leak. 
I removed the glovebox and pulled back some of the carpet to reveal everything covered in moisture. Set up a dehumidifier with limited success however it did dry out some of the moisture.
Removed the wiper arms and the wiper motor protection panel to reveal a rubber drain hole at each side which were blocked and adjacent to each one was a 15m dia hole which drained water to the same place as the rubber unit ie the engine bay. Cleaned these out.
Back in the passenger footwell I looked behind the rubber/foam sound insulation matting and the section that runs down from the top of the wheel arch was dripping wet. There is so much equipment under the dash that it is difficult to see where it is coming from. 
Is it possible to see more by removing the wheel and the arch protection panel? 
Any other suggestion would be appreciated


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## johnmgrv8 (Mar 14, 2020)

Managed to dry out the carpets by using towels over a long period. No further problems so it must have been the blocked rubber drain pipes on each side of the shuttle area under the wiper blades.

PS - removing the wheel arch cover at each side you can see the bottom end of the drain pipe. So access is available this way if you have trouble removing the wiper blade arms as this requires a puller.

Audi should have made these more easily accessible. Vorsprung durch technik!


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi John, Welcome to the TTF.
Plenty of leaking places on the MK2, check the MK2 KB. Windscreen seals are getting quite common areas.
Hoggy.


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## C00P5TT5 (Jul 10, 2016)

Agree with hoggy on the windscreen seal.

A year ago I went through a car wash and water, not much, ran down the inside of the windscreen.

I hand washed the car since with no issue, so it was the pressure of the car wash pushing down on the windscreen that broke the seal.

A year later and, I guess due to hot weather and then the heavy rain my car was full of water.

It's a shame that windscreen insurance doesn't cover it


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## 83kY (Apr 5, 2017)

I will hijack the thread for the time being, having some issues I would like some opinions on.

I've read the knowledge base thread on water leaks and checked everything it points to with no luck. Issue is that the left hand side carpets (which is drivers side on my case) on my 2007 coupe get wet/moist.

I took the car off the road a month ago to drive my 306 S16 for a while and had to leave the car outdoors - though it has rained only once since then. I came to check on the car and drive it around a bit on the private country roads at my parents place.

Checked the drivers side front footwell, dry - it has been wet in the past and once I was able to use a "wet vacuum/extractor" to gather 1.5 litres of water from what just felt damp to the touch. But the drivers side rear footwell was quite wet this time - threw in some towels with weights over them to absorb it for now.

But where could it have come from? There are no visible water leak marks on the carpets which could be easily seen on the beige trim.


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## Nidana (Jun 9, 2018)

Check your boot area and remove the tray to check if dry or wet also check your battery compartment. 
I have/had a leak from the c pillar on drivers side and it will when in motion run down along the boot floor and then reach your rear bench seat. 
Took all of the heat wave we had recently in Blighty to dry it out. A long shot but it might then run into the footwell from here. 
I wish you the very best of luck with this as it was ruining my enjoyment for a while.

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## 83kY (Apr 5, 2017)

Good idea, I will check that tomorrow when I am going there again. We are having quite a heat wave at the moment here in Finland so it would be great to have most of the water absorbed so the heat could do it's trick and dry out the rest. Of course the problem has to be found also so it won't occur again in the future.

I am so close at dismanting to whole interior to pieces and fix any problems that might be hiding (and to clean every nook and cranny). Did you ever find what was the precise cause of the leak at the c-pillar section?


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## Nidana (Jun 9, 2018)

Never found it and had the rear interior removed trying to. Tissue in every point to track it also. Also taped the suspect areas and ran water over nonstop for best part of two weeks.

Not seen it back yet but early days.

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## 83kY (Apr 5, 2017)

Managed to solve the issue on my car. Went to check on it a few weeks ago as it had been outside and was shocked to find a huge swimming pool on drivers side. Immediately disconnected battery negative and started to extract the water. Removed the seat and carpets fully from the said side. There is a good 2-3 inches of sound deadening material beneath the main carpet in the middle and in the back and in the front there is a bolted on plate which rises the front footwell a few inches (and has empty space beneath) so if you see a puddle formed on the floor then you have lot's of water beneath. I had an inch of water in the front and a good 3 inches in the back (over the carpetline) because the car was parked slightly uphill. Passenger side was dry.

Luckily the only wiring connectors that were submerged were the drivers seat airbag and seat heating wires (I have manual seats). After getting all the water out I dried those connectors and treated them with some contact cleaner so they won't corrode. There is a wiring loom that goes down from the front and near the sill, has a junction in the middle for the seat connectors and then goes back up in the back and like I said it doesn't have any other connectors than the ones that go to the seat.

Left the sound deadening material out to dry for a few sunny days and took the main carpet to bathroom and washed it throughout and hanged it to dry. The reason for this major leak was caused by the drivers side cowl drain clogged with birch (a common tree in Finland) seeds - they are rather small and get into every nook and cranny. Passenger side drain wasn't clogged but there is a hump in middle of the cowl area that separates the sides so water can accumulate on either side. I had reached into the cowl area before to check if there was a puddle (there wasn't at that moment) but didn't find the drain back then - the drain is a rubber grommet with an opening that acts as an "one way valve" for water to go through. It has "hairs" poking up on the sides of it to prevent bigger debris from getting into it but the birch seeds are so small that they get everywhere. The drain is situated behind the strut tower near the side of the car. They are hard to remove from the upside but can be easily pushed down and then they drop behind the wheel arch liners. Of course they should be easy to reach after removing the liners.

I decided to remove both drain "grommets" for the time being so the cowl area can drain freely. After a few weeks with the carpets out and checking the situation every few days I came to the conclusion that the water leak has been stopped - we had some heavy rains during the period. So I put everything back together and everything seems to work like it should so no damage had been done. The sound deadening material weirdly was good only after air-drying it. No smells or anything on it- even though the water underneath there smelled like a swamp.

This is an evil leak when the cowl gets clogged because the water will run down the inside of the firewall and go straight under the carpet. So it will have to collect quite some water beneath there and the sound deadening material will act as a sponge and absorb it. Eventually there will be enough water for the main carpet to get damp.

One thing I want to point out, if anyone ever has the same situation and needs to drain the water quickly there are two chassis bungs right in the rear part of the rear footwells and they can also be seen from underneath the car. They are glued on so they can't be easily popped in (they are fitted from the inside) but one could poke a hole to either one of them to drain the water quickly without removing the carpets. Not recommending it but if someone finds themselves in a bind with a pool of water in their footwell. Though one can never get it dry from there without removing the carpets. I used a carpet cleaner/extractor to suck the water out myself and rags for the few last drops.

I do not know if there are more wiring or some control units in the bottom of the passenger footwell. Drivers side only has the connectors for the seat.

*tldr*: cowl area drain clogged, huge amount of water to drivers footwell, removed seat and carpets to wash/dry, unclogged the drain, everything fine again


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## MarksBlackTT (Nov 29, 2016)

Good stuff, hopefully your nightmare is over and no more water ingress to worry about


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## 83kY (Apr 5, 2017)

I am pretty sure it is sorted for now. Even though my drivers side window wasn't fully closed during the drying period because I disconnected the battery with the door open so the window stayed lowered at the door open position. And like I said - we had some heavy rain during the drying period and there was absolutely no water on the floor.

And to think of how long it had been leaking... I've had the car for almost 3.5 years now and the first time I noticed that the driver side carpets were really damp was almost 2 years ago. Though I think most of it had evaporated while the car was in daily use. Now that I haven't used the car for this summer it was a good opportunity for water to "pile up".

Weird thing is that the car did not smell weird on the inside at any point. Only after I lifted the carpet and sound deadening I was hit with that swamp smell. The sound deadening material seems to be some kind of synthetic material as it didn't rot during the years or smell bad after drying up. It looks like oil absorbing mat but in thick form and made to fit and stay in shape. But it feels more foamy than "fibery" - like the absorbing mat is. So it stayed in shape after I lifted it on a rack to fully dry.

The carpet isn't water proof like on some cars. It is a quite a thin layer and liquid will seep through if you pour some over it. Maybe this helps it breath and evaporate moisture from underneath - but then again it adds up the amount of liquids that can get under there... And if the carpet is constantly wet - well then you most likely have a pool forming underneath it already.


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## johnmgrv8 (Mar 14, 2020)

Following on from my original problem I thought I had cured it but now we are back in the wet weather again its back with the same fault.
So this time I removed wiperarms, schuttle cover (the drains are clear) from the wiper area. I removed the plastic deflector shield that covers the fresh air intake for the heater fan. Then I removed the plastic fan air intake which is held in place with three screws and is sealed with a foam seal which appeared intact. The hole in the bodywork that forms the intake for the heater fan has a raised lip so I don't think water could get over the lip. The fan housing is bolted from the inside up to this hole. Between the housing and the bodywork is a piece of foam strip which I suppose stops the air from short circuiting within the interior. This foam was wet along the bottom edge. Removed it, dried it out and refitted. I then refitted the air intake and applied some silicone around the foam seal to ensure that it is sealed. Put everything back together, dried things out and waited to see the outcome. This was not the problem so back to square one still water coming down the lefthand side of the heater unit highup. The water does not smell, the widescreen is original and no damage to the schuttle cover, no damage to body sealant in the wiper schuttle area.

After some further research I have eventually located the problem. Tried to determine with a feeler gauge ( thin strip of metal) whether the windscreen was fully bonded. On the drivers side I could not push the windscreen but on the passenger side the screen would move upwards so it was not bonded on this side. Took it to National Windscreens who did a good job £60+VAT, problem solved after months of pondering, still it kept me busy during lockdowns


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## Nidana (Jun 9, 2018)

You have just answered a question I have been trying to search for. Basically my car started to make a whistle noise last night from the front when above 50mph. As it was to dark left it till today have taped the whole front screen up and taken for a test run in which every man and his dog is out Sunday driving. Managed to get up to required speed and no whistling so my screen needs rebonding.

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## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Just to add to window seal failure experiences I replaced my windscreen very shortly after purchasing my car a few years back, there were no leaks into the vehicle but as it had numerous chips on the screen I decided to replace it.

On replacing the windscreen the repair man noted how the seal had failed on top over on the left hand side (looking from the drivers seat) and would only have caused future problems.

It really isn't an obvious leak area so the more people that register this fault the more owners may include a feeler gauge check in the windscreen surround when searching for that elusive leak.


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## Nidana (Jun 9, 2018)

So front screen ended being replaced from choice as the screen sat waiting incase it cracked during removal had a top tint which I never had. 
More importantly whilst I hadn't found the issue as only discovered it on Saturday night and was to busy to trace so just taped screen and tested to confirm an issue I had seal failure. 
Passenger top left had failed but not as bad as drivers side. 
A lot of movement when fitter did a check before hand on drivers side. The couple of photos show lack of seal bonded on the screen but I'm no screen fitter so how much is failure and how much is removal process I don't know. 
I do know I had a seal breach before hand so all is now resolved.









Passenger









Drivers.

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## Matttaylor91 (Oct 25, 2021)

Hi there, I'm new to Audi ownership having just picked up a 2014 mk2 TT at the weekend to replace my 21 year old SL Mercedes, but it looks like I'm already experiencing some issues with damp. The passenger side carpet is absolutely soaked (didn't realise this when I picked it up) and looks like water is coming down from behind the glovebox. I cant see any obvious windscreen movement or leaks, and we haven't had any rain this weekend, so just wondered if this could be a heater matrix issue, or something else?
I'm taking it back to the place I bought it from tomorrow to see if they can diagnose but I never really trust car dealers when a problem arises.


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## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

Matttaylor91 said:


> The passenger side carpet is absolutely soaked (didn't realise this when I picked it up) and looks like water is coming down from behind the glovebox.


As suggested above, double-check the drains under the windshield cowl. That area is prone to collect leaves that can block the drains (particularly in the fall) You'll probably need to remove your wiper arms to get good access (and will likely need a wiper-arm puller to get them off).

If water collects there, it will run down through your interior vent, down through your blower motor (behind your glovebox) and ultimately down to the floorboards soaking the passenger carpet.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Good posts here on accessing the drains and how to remove the plenum cover. Unfortunately leaking windshields are not uncommon especially as the seals continue to age -









How to: Plenum Access for Drain Inspection & Cleaning


These instructions are for a LHD Mk2 TT so there may be some subtle differences with a RHD vehicle. In addition to drain access, you'll need to remove the Plenum if you want to access the following: • HVAC Intake • ECU Module • Wiper Motor & Assembly • Front Shock Tower Bolts & Bearings •...




www.ttforum.co.uk












FAQ - Rear Hatch Seals & Solving Condensation Problems


For anyone who's having water ingress problems or serious condensation that won't go away, here's a few links that might help. Drain Holes on the TT https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1144209 How to: Audi TT Mk2 (8J) Roadster Drain Hose Access...




www.ttforum.co.uk












FAQ - Drainholes on the TT


Soooo... summer is over, the wet period is coming again. Unless you life in that unfortunate place where summers are wet too... It is time to check the TT's water management features in order to prevent damage from water entering or staying in places where it shouldn't. Rear spoiler drains...




www.ttforum.co.uk


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## Yam900 (Oct 26, 2021)

Hoggy said:


> Hi John, Welcome to the TTF.
> Plenty of leaking places on the MK2, check the MK2 KB. Windscreen seals are getting quite common areas.
> Hoggy.


Yeah had to have audi take my screen out and reseal it only a couple of weeks ago. Water drips on the dash and front speaker and wet passenger footwell. Never had a windscreen leak on any other car ive owned and theres been many.


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## Matttaylor91 (Oct 25, 2021)

Matttaylor91 said:


> Hi there, I'm new to Audi ownership having just picked up a 2014 mk2 TT at the weekend to replace my 21 year old SL Mercedes, but it looks like I'm already experiencing some issues with damp. The passenger side carpet is absolutely soaked (didn't realise this when I picked it up) and looks like water is coming down from behind the glovebox. I cant see any obvious windscreen movement or leaks, and we haven't had any rain this weekend, so just wondered if this could be a heater matrix issue, or something else?
> I'm taking it back to the place I bought it from tomorrow to see if they can diagnose but I never really trust car dealers when a problem arises.


thanks everyone. I went back to the dealer who I bought it from as agreed, he was nowhere to be seen, show room was closed up. Thought he might’ve just been on his lunch so asked the mechanics at the back of the office and they said they knew nothing about me bringing the car back. So at this point I’m pi**ed off. They agreed to look at it since I’d driven an hour to get there, and turned out to be a blocked drain. I’ll definitely keep an eye on these drains, we’ve got a fair bit of rain coming out way soon I think. 
Unfortunately the dealer will not be getting a good review like he requested.


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## Essexaviator (Jan 10, 2012)

Mine did the same - got A silicon whipping fluid off eBay £7 Did the trick as not covered by windscreen cover. No need to remove screen.


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## darrylmg (Oct 16, 2021)

Matttaylor91 said:


> thanks everyone. I went back to the dealer who I bought it from as agreed, he was nowhere to be seen, show room was closed up. Thought he might’ve just been on his lunch so asked the mechanics at the back of the office and they said they knew nothing about me bringing the car back. So at this point I’m pi**ed off. They agreed to look at it since I’d driven an hour to get there, and turned out to be a blocked drain. I’ll definitely keep an eye on these drains, we’ve got a fair bit of rain coming out way soon I think.
> Unfortunately the dealer will not be getting a good review like he requested.


That's terrible that the dealer just up and left like that. Maybe check on Companies House to see if they have a new premises?

Thanks to this thread I thought I would check my drains and sure enough with all the rain last night my nearside under plenum drain was blocked and full!
I don't have a puller for the wipers so instead I got a torch and spied through the grill the drain hole. Just poked a bit of plastic coated wire through the grill holes and into the drain and let the waterfall commence!
On the passenger side it was dry but I can't spot the drain hole so could have been tricky on that side.


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## SamoaChris (Jun 24, 2014)

Same story here.

After the recent heavy rain I was driving yesterday and heard the dreaded slosh of water from in front of the dashboard.

Had a look today and could see a depth of water in the plenum chamber on the drivers side. I knew from the excellent guides that to gain access to the drains the wiper arms and plastic cover had to be removed - such poor design, didn't the designer consider that drain holes could get blocked! Also that if blocked, the resultant build up of water could damage components and/or get into the interior.

Anyway, rant over, and knowing from the guides exactly where the drains were, I had a gentle poke around through one of the grille holes in the cover and was delighted to get a sudden and considerable amount of water to drain from under the car - result!

As mentioned elsewhere, seems to be those pesky birch seeds, which get everywhere and seemingly in greater and greater amounts.

I shall keep an eye on it, and a poke if necessary, but at some point get a wiper arm puller and give the plenum etc. a good clean.


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