# Causes of leaks in boot (Coupe)



## Rip

What are the common things that cause a leak in the boot? I currently have a bodyshop teying to diagnose and hopefully fix my leak. So far they've looked at:

Spoiler drain hoses

A square vent in the body behind the rear bumper on the passenger side

So what else causes leaks in the boot? I want to help point them in the right direction to speed things up as currently they have my car most weekends which is a pain in the ass!


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## robbiepepper

how much water?

the square vent will be to allow air to come out of the car when you shut the door, it is called a duct drafter, do not block it off or you windows can pop out (literally)


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## MT-V6

Put paper on the boot floor then hose the car to see where it gets soggy


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## Rip

robbiepepper said:


> how much water?
> 
> the square vent will be to allow air to come out of the car when you shut the door, it is called a duct drafter, do not block it off or you windows can pop out (literally)


Thanks, yes it hasn't been blocked off, it look like it was letting a bit water in around the edges of the plastic vent insert so I think they've just put a bit of sealant around the outside.


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## Rip

MT-V6 said:


> Put paper on the boot floor then hose the car to see where it gets soggy


I have actually already tried this and so has the body shop, we've both had the hose all over the rear of the car and can't see anything.


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## Rip

It's a fair amount of water getting in, the car has been stationary for 1 night in the rain and I've done 10miles on wet roads since all the water was dried out and already there is a puddle about 100mm diameter in the battery tray in the boot.


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## Rip

How do I adjust the rubber boot lid stoppers properly? I know they screw in and out but how exactly do I know when they are set properly?

We don't 'think' the water is coming over the boot lid seal but I may as well make sure those stoppers are set correctly as it can't make it any worse.


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## Rip

I've had this leak since I bought the car about 2 months ago and it's really starting to piss me off as every time it comes back from the body shop after a day or two there's water in the boot and condensation all over the rear window. I need this sorted before the dry weather or I'll never find it.


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## Pukmeister

I'd recommend removing trim and carpets then dusting with talc or baby powder then hosing the outside. Have the rear seats folded and leave the tailgate shut, check from inside the car to see disturbed areas of talc.

I don't own a TT but have traced leaks this way on other models, especially rear light cluster seals and boot/tailgate seals.


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## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> I'd recommend removing trim and carpets then dusting with talc or baby powder then hosing the outside. Have the rear seats folded and leave the tailgate shut, check from inside the car to see disturbed areas of talc.
> 
> I don't own a TT but have traced leaks this way on other models, especially rear light cluster seals and boot/tailgate seals.


Thanks, I'm pretty sure the body shop has done all sorts of tests with the hose (at least I hope they have), they've had the car for probably 5 days in total now in the last 7 weeks. I'm not sure I can do anything that they haven't already done but I guess I'll have to start leak detecting myself now as well.

I'd also really like to hear from anyone who's diagnosed various leaks in the TT coupe so at least I'll have an idea at exactly where to look.


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## barry_m2

I'm in the same situation... pool of water in the battery try after a heavy downpour. I have a feeling mine is getting in under the spoiler somewhere, or possibly boot seals as when I open the boot there is sometimes a little pool of water in each corner on the seal/plastic boot trim.

I just haven't had time to investigate further yet.


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## Rip

barry_m2 said:


> I'm in the same situation... pool of water in the battery try after a heavy downpour. I have a feeling mine is getting in under the spoiler somewhere, or possibly boot seals as when I open the boot there is sometimes a little pool of water in each corner on the seal/plastic boot trim.
> 
> I just haven't had time to investigate further yet.


I feel your pain:-( Let me know if you find the cause.


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## Rip

I think rather than have it back at the body shop for another weekend I'll strip the trim out of the boot again and stuff blue paper towels everywhere in the boot, jet wash the rear of the car and hopefully find some rain to drive in.


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## SwissJetPilot

Hopefully it's not this bad...


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Hopefully it's not this bad...


Haha no, funnily enough I saw that video yesterday!

TBH though I wish it was that bad, at least then I'd know exactly where it was coming from.


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## brittan

Given whet's been tried so far it may be worth removing the trim from the boot lid, folding the seats down, watering the car with the hose and the climbing in and checking the seal around the spoiler recess.

I concur with theus eof talcum powder as a leak finding agent. Any water leaves a trail in it while not soaking so far that it makes it hard to accurately determine the leak site - like paper does.

I've been using talc to find leaks on my old Discovery recently and it works a treat; found a few really tiny leaks. 
As a bonus the Discovery now smells like a tarts handbag.


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## SwissJetPilot

I saw in one of the posts about the Bose Amp, that they've also identified water being forced up into the car from the wheel well. So it could be coming in from anywhere. Best bet is to pull all the rear panels, mats, etc. Then head over to the local car wash and hit the car with a high pressure washer with someone inside the car to watch from inside as you move the sprayer around. It should be pretty obvious at that point.


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## Rip

brittan said:


> Given whet's been tried so far it may be worth removing the trim from the boot lid, folding the seats down, watering the car with the hose and the climbing in and checking the seal around the spoiler recess.
> 
> I concur with theus eof talcum powder as a leak finding agent. Any water leaves a trail in it while not soaking so far that it makes it hard to accurately determine the leak site - like paper does.
> 
> I've been using talc to find leaks on my old Discovery recently and it works a treat; found a few really tiny leaks.
> As a bonus the Discovery now smells like a tarts handbag.


I'll get some talc then and give that a go


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> I saw in one of the posts about the Bose Amp, that they've also identified water being forced up into the car from the wheel well. So it could be coming in from anywhere. Best bet is to pull all the rear panels, mats, etc. Then head over to the local car wash and hit the car with a high pressure washer with someone inside the car to watch from inside as you move the sprayer around. It should be pretty obvious at that point.


Funny that as my BOSE amp is currently away for repair for water damage. I'll get in the boot and have someone pressure wash up under the rear arches. I've got a decent pressure washer so I'll try that first.


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## SwissJetPilot

Worth a read...AUDI TT MK2 BOSE AMPLIFIER REPAIRS

http://boserepairexperts.eu/audi-tt-bos ... er-repair/

_WHAT FAILS AND WHY

"Popular online discussion threads try to explain that condensation builds up inside the casing causing corrosion to the circuit board. We don't agree with this - all the evidence points to a gap in the inner wing seam, the rear wheels at speed force road water through a gap .

Every single unit that comes in to us for repair has tiny bits of grit trapped in the heat sink compound on the amplifier modules. Images below are what we typically find, condensation is pure water and doesn't contain grit. And to make matters worse, the road grit also contains salt which accelerates the corrosion process.

Diagnosis

Problems with the amplifier are usually characterised by speaker failure, be it one or all of the speakers. The head unit rarely fails, although you can get issues with the iPod adaptor (when fitted)."_


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Worth a read...AUDI TT MK2 BOSE AMPLIFIER REPAIRS
> 
> http://boserepairexperts.eu/audi-tt-bos ... er-repair/
> 
> _WHAT FAILS AND WHY
> 
> "Popular online discussion threads try to explain that condensation builds up inside the casing causing corrosion to the circuit board. We don't agree with this - all the evidence points to a gap in the inner wing seam, the rear wheels at speed force road water through a gap .
> 
> Every single unit that comes in to us for repair has tiny bits of grit trapped in the heat sink compound on the amplifier modules. Images below are what we typically find, condensation is pure water and doesn't contain grit. And to make matters worse, the road grit also contains salt which accelerates the corrosion process.
> 
> Diagnosis
> 
> Problems with the amplifier are usually characterised by speaker failure, be it one or all of the speakers. The head unit rarely fails, although you can get issues with the iPod adaptor (when fitted)."_


Yeah that's actually who has my amp right now.


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## TT-driver

Common causes are: 
- spoiler drain pipes
- spoiler mechanism seal
- boot lid seal too soft or boot lid not in enough contact with that seal

Less common:
- sealant between boot floor and car floor damaged or missing
- sealant between rear wing and wheel well damaged

Things to check too (dodgy accident repair?)
- sealant around the boot lid window
- sealant behind the rear light units 
- missing bungs


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## SwissJetPilot

If you don't know where your bung hole is, this will help.

https://audi.7zap.com/en/rdw/audi+tt+tt ... 03-803036/

.


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Common causes are:
> - spoiler drain pipes
> - spoiler mechanism seal
> - boot lid seal too soft or boot lid not in enough contact with that seal
> 
> Less common:
> - sealant between boot floor and car floor damaged or missing
> - sealant between rear wing and wheel well damaged
> 
> Things to check too (dodgy accident repair?)
> - sealant around the boot lid window
> - sealant behind the rear light units
> - missing bungs


Thanks


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> If you don't know where your bung hole is, this will help.
> 
> https://audi.7zap.com/en/rdw/audi+tt+tt ... 03-803036/
> 
> .


lol thanks.


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## Rip

I'm officially taking over this whole leak detection thing as the dealer and the bodyshop they've commissioned haven't managed to solve it in 7 or so weeks.

Step one, interior boot trim removal:










Step two comes later on when I've got some talcum powder :mrgreen:

Also, anyone know what this is as the black duct tape doesn't exactly scream 'factory' :?:

_It's taped to the drivers side rear wheel arch:_


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## SwissJetPilot

Dunno...but can't wait for you to untape it and find out.


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Dunno...but can't wait for you to untape it and find out.


Well now I'm scared, I don't want to, maybe it's a tracking device.


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## MT-V6

Where do the wires go? Could it be an insurance black box?

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## Rip

MT-V6 said:


> Where do the wires go? Could it be an insurance black box?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


Look like they actually go into the proper loom (I'll get another photo tomorrow)


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## TT-driver

I think it's a high water level sensor. :wink: Or does it have after market parking sensors?

There are 2 rubber bungs missing left from the battery. Or did you take those out?

And I find it strange that the larger rubber bung close to the battery is painted red. Rubber bungs were installed in the factory after painting, I'd think. Was the car hit from the rear at some stage?


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> I think it's a high water level sensor. :wink: Or does it have after market parking sensors?
> 
> There are 2 rubber bungs missing left from the battery. Or did you take those out?
> 
> And I find it strange that the larger rubber bung close to the battery is painted red. Rubber bungs were installed in the factory after painting, I'd think. Was the car hit from the rear at some stage?


Well spotted with the bungs, haven't had a chance to check if there was supposed to be bungs there or not. I'll get them sealed ASAP and see if that helps. Not sure how water would get from there up to the amp though, which was water damaged.

Regarding the paint, that bung hasn't actually got paint on It, it's a bit of tape with ref paint on. Not sure why but I know the rear quarter has been touched up at some point. Can't see any actual damage to the the inside of the chassis or body though, also the rear bumper was off at the body shop and everything looked OK under there so I'm guessing the touch up was from some kind of scratch.


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## Rip

Actually you're right, the right hand bung has been painted, no idea why. The car is HPI clear.

Both the small holes now have new rubber bungs in courtesy of a Halfords "Bung Assortment Pack" so we'll see.

Also I now have this lot...


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> I think it's a high water level sensor. :wink: Or does it have after market parking sensors?


lol and I'm pretty sure my parking sensors are factory as I can set their volume etc in my DIS.


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## Rip

There was actually water down in those two holes where those bungs were missing but not sure if that's from water on its way up into the car or from water down on its way out of the car. Either way they are bunged up now and there's a load of talcum powder all over the place so hopefully things will become clearer over the next few days of driving in the wet and hosing the car.

I've just read somewhere that it's quite common for an amp to get damaged after windows have been tinted and strangely enough I found an old photo of my car on an old dealer for sale ad and it had tinted rear side windows, which it no longer has so maybe the amp got damaged then and not by the current water ingress.


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## SwissJetPilot

With all those leaks, it's just a matter of time before your TT becomes a U-Boat. But at least you'll be able to find it with that massive GPS tracker duct-taped in Das Boot! 
.


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> With all those leaks, it's just a matter of time before your TT becomes a U-Boat. But at least you'll be able to find it with that massive GPS tracker duct-taped in Das Boot!
> .


Hahaha, hopefully it's just one small leak, I mean, it's not pouring in but it's deffo getting in somewhere. And as for that weird black box, I'm going to have to investigate that a bit more, if I have time tomorrow I'll see if I can trace the wires further.


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## TT-driver

Window tinting as such obviously doesn't cause a leak or an amp to be damaged. However, if at any stage parts of a car are disassembled and not properly reassembled, all bets are off. 
I'm wondering why those two bungs were missing. Did this car suffer from a leak and did the previous owner remove them so water could drain from the boot?

I've been around for a while on this forum. And I still haven't seen an explanation as to where water would be leaking onto the amp. Therefore I still think it is condensation water. When driving a bit longer, the boot floor gets warm. Water on the boot floor evaporates. The water vapour condensates on colder parts. These colder parts can be a cold heat sink or for instance cold aluminium parts from the body work. Also one should be aware that half of the air that enters through the ventilation system actually passes this amp on the way out: the exits are behind the rear bumper and see the ventilation openings in the boot side covers. Get in the car in a wet coat and with wet shoes and all this water is transported through those ventilation openings.

Aluminium is extra cold during cold periods. So again while you see mist on your rear window, chances are the aluminium parts behind the boot coverings are damp too.

This is just me trying to think logically. There is no proof of the above. It might be something to consider anyway though.


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## Rip

Water is used in the inside of the window when a window is tinted and usually this water goes down behind the interior trim and in some cases pours right on to the amp.

Also the amp repair place are certain water gets forced through the wheel arch somehow, having not stripped that all apart myself yet I can't really comment.

Either way regardless of how my amp got damaged for whatever reason puddles of water keep appearing in my battery tray so one way or another a fair amount of water is getting in from somewhere.


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## Rip

My boot is currently full of talcum powder and it's pissing it down with rain so hopefully after a 10 mile commute in the morning on wet roads I'll see some disturbance in the powder.


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## SwissJetPilot

Based on the various topics of wet, damp, rust and corrosion in this forum, I suspect these issues have more to do with your climate and less to do with the car itself. The fact most of you keep your cars outdoors, in all weather conditions, has to be a major contributor since they can never properly dry out, which means they get wet, and stay wet. When they get damp inside, they stay damp. Not to mention it rains about 50% of the time and is cold and damp 80% of the time - so the UK isn't really the most favorable climate for cars in general.

But having said that, I think TT-driver may be on to something.

It's not necessarily water getting into the vehicle from outside, but reoccurring condensation in the same places inside the car. As he said, moisture condenses on the cold metal and in the same location(s) over and over and over. Which would explain why Audi's - especially those in the UK - are seeing water damage in the same places. The water is condensing in the same places in all TTs because they're all built exactly the same.

Now one could argue build quality where water is getting in through the wheel well as Bose repair claims. Or you could argue about plugged drains, especially where Roadsters are concerned. So yeah, bad seals and blocked drains will have an impact. But be honest, even with your heater running full blast, there's no way you'll properly dry the interior of a TT in your regular commutes to and from work. It's just not going to happen. Even if you do, the second you open the door, you'll suck in all that wet, moisture laden air and you'll be right back to square one. Track in your wet shoes and toss your wet coats in the back, and yeah - it never really gets dry enough inside your car.

So - I suspect that the majority of water damage is probably due to reoccurring condensation and the fact UK cars simply do not have the opportunity to properly dry out. And not so much about leaks and blocked drains.

Just my two cents worth.


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## Rip

In my case there is no way the climate is responsible. Too much water is appearing in one place in a short space of time. The very bottom of my rear window condensates as a result, no other windows around the car get even i hint of moisture. Also I've had over 20 cars in the past and all but one have never suffered from condensation or any water inside. The exception being a pick-up that developed a pin hole leak in the sealeny around the windscreen.


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## lac

The tailgate hinges on the top, Remove the plastic covers and search for leak behind there, i had a leak in this area as some of the sealant between the body panels had come away, i replaced the sealant and alls been good for 3 years now.


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## Rip

lac said:


> The tailgate hinges on the top, Remove the plastic covers and search for leak behind there, i had a leak in this area as some of the sealant between the body panels had come away, i replaced the sealant and alls been good for 3 years now.


Thanks I'll take a look.


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## Rip

Small update:

Car got rained on last night while parked on the driveway but unfortunately the roads were dry this morning.

I can see in the talcum powder where water has been in the battery tray, but I can't see how it got there, I haven't spotted any clues in the powder. This water my be residue from the last time there was water in there, maybe I didn't dry the battery tray enough. So I better loosen the battery and make sure its proper dry before hose testing at the weekend.

Photos:










_Water in the battery tray_


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## barry_m2

Put a bit more powder around the bit I've arrow'd, I have a feeling mine is leaking down this part. The corners where the boot seals against the rubber seal...


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## Rip

barry_m2 said:


> Put a bit more powder around the bit I've arrow'd, I have a feeling mine is leaking down this part. The corners where the boot seals against the rubber seal...


Will do.


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## SwissJetPilot

Holy cow that's a lot of talcum powder! For your sake, I hope you find the leak. But if not, at least your trunk area will be as soft as a baby's behind!










.


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Holy cow that's a lot of talcum powder! For your sake, I hope you find the leak. But if not, at least your trunk area will be as soft as a baby's behind!
> 
> .


I figured the more coverage the better lol.

Just tried to fold my rear seats forward and the smaller portion only folds down about 30° then locks solid?! God dammit.


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## TT-driver

Rip said:


> Also the amp repair place are certain water gets forced through the wheel arch somehow, having not stripped that all apart myself yet I can't really comment.


Water from the wheel arches always contains sand and dirt. So if water would be coming from there, traces would be visible.

After your test, was the inside of the rubber seal still dry? Can you see moisture behind the boot lid cover or behind the licence plate light units?

Oh and don't get pulled over by the police. White powder may trigger some spectacular actions :lol:


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> Also the amp repair place are certain water gets forced through the wheel arch somehow, having not stripped that all apart myself yet I can't really comment.
> 
> 
> 
> Water from the wheel arches always contains sand and dirt. So if water would be coming from there, traces would be visible.
> 
> After your test, was the inside of the rubber seal still dry? Can you see moisture behind the boot lid cover or behind the licence plate light units?
> 
> Oh and don't get pulled over by the police. White powder may trigger some spectacular actions :lol:
Click to expand...

Hahaha! Good point about road water. I have seen traces of water on my rubber seal so I've been messing with the rubber boot lid stoppers trying to find a happy medium between having the stoppers wound in enough to keep the lid sealed but not too much that the boot lid rattles.

I took the boot lid trim offset weekend and it was all dry in there.

I'm going to pull the trim off again and water test while somone is in the boot looking for leaks but the rear seat won't fold down now which is making things more difficult.


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## TT-driver

Your boot lid needs to push against the seal with enough force. There is a very specific path water can follow to the inside of the car. Hard to explain by words, but I'll give it a try:

Water that runs down the boot lid eventually collects underneath the spoiler area. You know, open the boot lid after a shower and you get a shower, right? Well at some stage more water came down than that area underneath the spoiler can hold. This water drips left and right into the 'gutter' close to the rear light units and finds its way past the rear light units, rear bumper onto the ground. That water is gone and dealt with. However, some of those droplets don't fall into that gutter. They stay bonded to the boot lid. And if your boot lid is well waxed, these droplets run down the boot lid and eventually get exactly to the point where the boot lid and the rubber seal meet. If the seal between the rubber and the boot lid aren't forced together with enough force, it's this water that might make it to the inside of the boot.

If you have your boot lid open a bit and you fill the area underneath the spoiler with water from a bottle, you may see how this water makes it to the other side of the boot lid. I was surprised when I found out.


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Your boot lid needs to push against the seal with enough force. There is a very specific path water can follow to the inside of the car. Hard to explain by words, but I'll give it a try:
> 
> Water that runs down the boot lid eventually collects underneath the spoiler area. You know, open the boot lid after a shower and you get a shower, right? Well at some stage more water came down than that area underneath the spoiler can hold. This water drips left and right into the 'gutter' close to the rear light units and finds its way past the rear light units, rear bumper onto the ground. That water is gone and dealt with. However, some of those droplets don't fall into that gutter. They stay bonded to the boot lid. And if your boot lid is well waxed, these droplets run down the boot lid and eventually get exactly to the point where the boot lid and the rubber seal meet. If the seal between the rubber and the boot lid aren't forced together with enough force, it's this water that might make it to the inside of the boot.
> 
> If you have your boot lid open a bit and you fill the area underneath the spoiler with water from a bottle, you may see how this water makes it to the other side of the boot lid. I was surprised when I found out.


Yeah I get what you mean. My boot is waxed too. I did wind the stoppers all the way in but then figured all the way in might too much and squash the seal out of shape so I wound the stoppers back out a little. Hopefully some extended leak testing this weekend will show me something. At least then I can start to deal with it and fix it.


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## TT-driver

There's the option to adjust the lock catch too if your boot lid sits too high.


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> There's the option to adjust the lock catch too if your boot lid sits too high.


Yes I've read about that, that'll be something I'll have to look at if I find the water is getting in over that boot seal.


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## Pukmeister

Good luck, I feel your pain having had two cars in the past that leaked (I had a peugeot once that was like a mobile swimming pool).


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## Rip

I think I've found it!

Rear drivers side quarter









Can you spot it yet?









One drip...









And another, coming from under that seem









Talcum powder is a GENIUS idea as I noticed the trail first and the drip after, without that trail I'd have never spotted that drip.

So, how do I fix it then?


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## barry_m2

Could be coming in behind the rear light cluster then? Remove the light and have a look.


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## Rip

barry_m2 said:


> Could be coming in behind the rear light cluster then? Remove the light and have a look.


Sweet, car is at the body shop tomorrow morning anyway so I'll have them pull the cluster and have a good look, at least we now have a target area to focus on.

The car has had a hose on it for an hour now in all sorts of spray patterns and angles and the rest of the boot is bone dry as far as I can see.


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## SwissJetPilot

Glad you found the leak...but...


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## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Glad you found the leak...but...


Damn I was hoping you forgot. Once the leak is confirmed as fixed I'll clean up all the talcum powder and see if I can trace the wires.


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## Pukmeister

Glad the Talc tip has helped, I learnt that one when I worked at Rolls-Royce motor cars near Chichester (subcontractor work doing the site air conditioning, not building cars).

We serviced a cooler unit that prevented Legionnnaires disease forming in the water spray booth that the cars are leak tested in. On chatting to the testers about 'problem' leaks, they mentioned that as a last resort they have had to go old-school and strip out interiors and use talc. This is after an array of electronic leak sensors/laptop in the boot has failed to find it.

I hope drying out and vacuuming/wiping the talc away isn't too messy. At least it'll smell fresh. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

I would bet its the soft seal between the rear light cluster and bodywork leaking, I had this on a Passat B5.5 I owned (best car I ever had once boot and drivers door leaks fixed). These type of seals lose compression with age and once disturbed e.g. lamp changes, they never seem to reseal properly.


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## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Glad the Talc tip has helped, I learnt that one when I worked at Rolls-Royce motor cars near Chichester (subcontractor work doing the site air conditioning, not building cars).
> 
> We serviced a cooler unit that prevented Legionnnaires disease forming in the water spray booth that the cars are leak tested in. On chatting to the testers about 'problem' leaks, they mentioned that as a last resort they have had to go old-school and strip out interiors and use talc. This is after an array of electronic leak sensors/laptop in the boot has failed to find it.
> 
> I hope drying out and vacuuming/wiping the talc away isn't too messy. At least it'll smell fresh. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


Well it helped massively! Im picking tbe car up from the bodyshop in the next hour as they've now had that rear light out and had look at where the water is getting in. IF that leak is fixed the only thing remaining for me to is to drive the car on some wet roads with the talc in the boot and see if there are any more leaks anywhere.


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## Pukmeister

Very happy for you if its sorted mate, I know how frustrating and challenging such a tiny water leak can be.


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## TT-driver

The rear light unit hasn't got a seal to the body of the car. Various metal parts come together behind it though and missing or damaged sealant between them could cause a leak. Other than that, I think there is just a screw fixture above that area for the bumper. It's hidden behind the black cover where the boot lid stopper goes through.


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## Rip

TT-driver said:


> The rear light unit hasn't got a seal to the body of the car. Various metal parts come together behind it though and missing or damaged sealant between them could cause a leak. Other than that, I think there is just a screw fixture above that area for the bumper. It's hidden behind the black cover where the boot lid stopper goes through.


Well when I pick the car up shortly I'll ask them what they found and what they've done about it. While I'm there I'll chuck some more talc in as the roads are currently wet and see what happens.


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## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Very happy for you if its sorted mate, I know how frustrating and challenging such a tiny water leak can be.


It's beyond frustrating!


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## Rip

Spoke too soon...

Got the car back, the body shop has readjusted/replaced the rubber grommet around the big plastic bolt that holds the rear drivers side light in place, as it looked like maybe some water was getting through the hole where the bolt was going through the chassis/tub.

But, I drove back on wet roads in the rain for 6 miles and this is what I saw in the boot:

Lots of water around the passenger wheelarch:









This grommet on the right is full of water (don't think it's the cause though?). And the bottom of the foam arch liner is soaking wet:









Its running down these tracks to the rear when the amp would usually be:









It's defiantly leaking a bit on the drivers side boot seal (this isn't the cause of all the water on the passenger side):









The passenger side boot seal is also letting a bit of water through but not sure if this is the entire cause?


----------



## Rip

I've now popped the foam arch liner off, covered it in talc and been out in the rain again but can't see any more water ingress, all the new talc is dry.

I think I might email the independent dealer now and tell them we need to start talking about the car being returned. It's 8 or so weeks in now and most weekends my car is at a body shop where they are just stabbing in the dark and when I have got my car its now missing half its trim and full of talc, I've actually had enough now.


----------



## TT-driver

[smiley=bigcry.gif] Though not too much as it might interfere with the leaking....

Braking, accelerating and cornering makes water go all over the place... I'd say: replace the boot lid seal and re-investigate.

The water: is it clean (i.e. coming from above) or is it dirty (i.e. coming from the roads? )


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> [smiley=bigcry.gif] Though not too much as it might interfere with the leaking....
> 
> Braking, accelerating and cornering makes water go all over the place... I'd say: replace the boot lid seal and re-investigate.
> 
> The water: is it clean (i.e. coming from above) or is it dirty (i.e. coming from the roads? )


It looks clean from what I can tell. I've just emailed the dealer and told them I'm done messing about with a non Audi specialist bodyshop, they either book it in to Audi and get me a courtesy car or they can have it back, I'm done spending all my spare time trying to fix this damn car. After all it's not just the leak that I've been dealing with for the past 8 weeks so I've just about had enough now. I want a car that works, has a usable boot space, has a radio and doesn't burn rear brakes.

No Anti-Dazzle Glass

Broken window regulator

Broken side skirt

Water damaged amplifier

Missing locking wheel nut

Broken wiper stalk

Both front window seals are full of grit that has very badly scratched the glass

Both rear brakes keep seizing up and smoking and burning

Both rear parcel shelf mounts are broken

Drivers side bucket seat falling apart and spilling foam everywhere


----------



## TT-driver

Sounds like lemon yellow would have been the more suitable colour for your car.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Sounds like lemon yellow would have been the more suitable colour for your car.


Yeah, I mean I was willing to sort most of the other issues myself but this leak dragging on for so long, taking up my spare time and leaving me with no stereo or boot space has just really put me off the car now.


----------



## Rip

I suppose it could be the boot lid seal or boot lid alignment.


----------



## legend_of_chaos

Rip said:


> I suppose it could be the boot lid seal or boot lid alignment.


I changed my boot seal not because it was leaking but because it was torn and missing a piece and looked shabby, bit of a nightmare to change but didn't take too long.


----------



## ashfinlayson

I don't know what's worse, a leak in boot or a boot that smells like an old man's underpants :?


----------



## Rip

ashfinlayson said:


> I don't know what's worse, a leak in boot or a boot that smells like an old man's underpants :?


I'm just sick to death of having car that's half ripped apart cause of a leak no one can find.


----------



## Vanu

how about going into the boot itself with a flashlight, having one of your mates spinkle water on top of the car with a hose and check it in real time? Or a preasure washer.


----------



## Rip

Vanu said:


> how about going into the boot itself with a flashlight, having one of your mates spinkle water on top of the car with a hose and check it in real time? Or a preasure washer.


I've done all that, found a leak like that yesterday, mended it and now it seems to be coming from the boot lid seal as well. Not sure how to align the boot properly to fix it though.


----------



## Rip

I'm not at all convinced that the boot lid seal is the main original leak, if it was then I'd have had wet carpet originally but throughout all of this the carpet has always remained dry. The water has always somehow just appeared on the metal boot floor.


----------



## ashfinlayson

Have you checked the drain hole for the spoiler isn't clogged?


----------



## Rip

ashfinlayson said:


> Have you checked the drain hole for the spoiler isn't clogged?


Yes, see post #1 of this thread.


----------



## Rip

More photo's, so more help needed:

Car was parked and rained on all night so this is what I've found this morning.

Pooling water on the inside of drivers side boot lid seal which is running down into the battery tray:









Pooling water on the inside of passengers side boot lid seal:









So clearly a new boot seal or some kind of boot alignment is needed, but which is it?

But also:

Water is somehow getting under this piece of metal:









And running all down here and pooling at the bottom:









So, I can't see how these last two photo's are caused by the boot lid seal, or could it be? If not then what else could it be? The water is getting in higher up than the rear light cluster so cannot be related to that.

This has all appeared while the car is static.


----------



## Pukmeister

Does the TT tailgate have any wiring going into it through rubber gaiters? Most cars do at the hinge side for boot lock, heated glass etc.(I dont own a TT yet).

Could water be getting in via a split or badly fitted wiring gaiter ??

Check all panel seams whilst there. Not sure if you could do a contact chalk test on the rubber boot seal to see if it is not making contact with the metal all around. Another suggestion is to remove the rubber boot seal itself and pack its groove out with a length of electrical wire then refit to the car to tighten the seal.

Clutching at straws I know, gutted it isn't sorted.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Does the TT tailgate have any wiring going into it through rubber gaiters? Most cars do at the hinge side for boot lock, heated glass etc.(I dont own a TT yet).
> 
> Could water be getting in via a split or badly fitted wiring gaiter ??
> 
> Check all panel seams whilst there. Not sure if you could do a contact chalk test on the rubber boot seal to see if it is not making contact with the metal all around. Another suggestion is to remove the rubber boot seal itself and pack its groove out with a length of electrical wire then refit to the car to tighten the seal.
> 
> Clutching at straws I know, gutted it isn't sorted.


Problem with the TT is, when the boot lid is wet on the outside you can't open it as water pours into the boot (bad design) so as it's constantly raining here I'm having to do all my testing leaving the boot lid closed and by climbing in bast the rear seats.

I've just emailed the dealer and told them that they either book it in to Audi for a boot lid seal and boot lid alignment and a general leak test or I'm returning the car.


----------



## brittan

I think the next step should be to remove the boot lid trim panel and re-check for the leak source. It's still possible that the spoiler recess seal or the drain pipes are leaking. A leak here would appear from the lower edge of the trim and lay on the boot seal.

An alternative leak indication method maybe to lift the lower edge of the boot lid trim slightly and pack a thin strip of folded paper towel or similar under there: something narrow so that it does not touch the boot seal when the lid is shut. That would hopefully show if there is a leak somewhere inside the boot lid without having to take the trim off in the first instance. Obviously if the paper shows wet, the trim then will need to be removed for more investigation.

From my recent experience with the Discovery you have to work your way upwards to confirm that you have found the highest leak point. Fix the highest leak first and then re-test as water appearing lower down may just be from that higher leak. On mine, water in the passenger footwell came from the top corner of the windscreen and was running down the A-pillar under the trim. Water by the passenger door came from a leak on the windscreen top seal above the steering wheel.

In general the joins between panels on the TT seem to be well sealed at the factory so it's hard to see that you have that many leaks from panel joints - assuming the car has not been damaged and repaired in the past.


----------



## barry_m2

Rip said:


> More photo's, so more help needed:
> 
> Car was parked and rained on all night so this is what I've found this morning.
> 
> Pooling water on the inside of drivers side boot lid seal which is running down into the battery tray:


I think this is where the water in mine is leaking in from too. I'm not sure if my seal is out of shape, worn or anything, but would be interested in adjusting the boot lid too if you find out how!?


----------



## Rip

brittan said:


> I think the next step should be to remove the boot lid trim panel and re-check for the leak source. It's still possible that the spoiler recess seal or the drain pipes are leaking. A leak here would appear from the lower edge of the trim and lay on the boot seal.
> 
> An alternative leak indication method maybe to lift the lower edge of the boot lid trim slightly and pack a thin strip of folded paper towel or similar under there: something narrow so that it does not touch the boot seal when the lid is shut. That would hopefully show if there is a leak somewhere inside the boot lid without having to take the trim off in the first instance. Obviously if the paper shows wet, the trim then will need to be removed for more investigation.
> 
> From my recent experience with the Discovery you have to work your way upwards to confirm that you have found the highest leak point. Fix the highest leak first and then re-test as water appearing lower down may just be from that higher leak. On mine, water in the passenger footwell came from the top corner of the windscreen and was running down the A-pillar under the trim. Water by the passenger door came from a leak on the windscreen top seal above the steering wheel.
> 
> In general the joins between panels on the TT seem to be well sealed at the factory so it's hard to see that you have that many leaks from panel joints - assuming the car has not been damaged and repaired in the past.


At this point my involvement needs to cease, I bought the car for nearly £12000 with 3 months warranty so I really shouldn't have to spend all my spare time fu*cking about with this. I should get a reply from the dealer tomorrow so we'll see. I've been pissing around for weeks now and I have other things to spend my free time on, for instance ive gots of DIY projects on the go at my house which have literally just been put on hold as I work full time and I keep having to fu*k about with this car.


----------



## brittan

Rip said:


> At this point my involvement needs to cease, I bought the car for nearly £12000 with 3 months warranty so I really shouldn't have to spend all my spare time fu*cking about with this. I should get a reply from the dealer tomorrow so we'll see. I've been pissing around for weeks now and I have other things to spend my free time on, for instance ive gots of DIY projects on the go at my house which have literally just been put on hold as I work full time and I keep having to fu*k about with this car.


Fair point.


----------



## Rip

brittan said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> At this point my involvement needs to cease, I bought the car for nearly £12000 with 3 months warranty so I really shouldn't have to spend all my spare time fu*cking about with this. I should get a reply from the dealer tomorrow so we'll see. I've been pissing around for weeks now and I have other things to spend my free time on, for instance ive gots of DIY projects on the go at my house which have literally just been put on hold as I work full time and I keep having to fu*k about with this car.
> 
> 
> 
> Fair point.
Click to expand...

Obviously I still really appreciate the input and ideas as if it all goes South I'll end up having to fix it myself anyway!


----------



## TT-driver

barry_m2 said:


> I think this is where the water in mine is leaking in from too. I'm not sure if my seal is out of shape, worn or anything, but would be interested in adjusting the boot lid too if you find out how!?


Adjusting the boot lid it nothing more than lowering the lock catch and adjust the stoppers accordingly. My boot lid was sitting a bit on the high side when comparing the height of the lid with the edge of the rear wings.

Silicone spray may bring back some of the required flexibility in the seal itself. So if it isn't damaged, go ahead, apply it.

But before all: do check if this leaking water is coming from the outside of the seal, or from the inside of the boot lid. You may want to remove the licence plate lights and feel if there is any moisture inside the lid. (water from behind the plastic boot lid cover) Because if there is, your spoiler plate seal and or spoiler drain pipes and drains are the first items to focus on.


----------



## TT-driver

Rip said:


> At this point my involvement needs to cease, I bought the car for nearly £12000 with 3 months warranty so I really shouldn't have to spend all my spare time fu*cking about with this.


Initially I thought you bought a project car at a genuine discounted price. Clearly this is not the case and you didn't intend to.
Anyhow, I still hope the forum can help fixing the problem. 

Since water also seems to appearing from so high up, the area where the hinges disappear in the roof and the rubber through which the electrics run near the hinges need to be checked too. Please post pictures of them so we all can check if there's something odd there. Also carefully check the joints between the various panels up there in the gutter of the boot lid.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> At this point my involvement needs to cease, I bought the car for nearly £12000 with 3 months warranty so I really shouldn't have to spend all my spare time fu*cking about with this.
> 
> 
> 
> Initially I thought you bought a project car at a genuine discounted price. Clearly this is not the case and you didn't intend to.
> Anyhow, I still hope the forum can help fixing the problem.
> 
> Since water also seems to appearing from so high up, the area where the hinges disappear in the roof and the rubber through which the electrics run near the hinges need to be checked too. Please post pictures of them so we all can check if there's something odd there. Also carefully check the joints between the various panels up there in the gutter of the boot lid.
Click to expand...

Certainly feels like a project car which is why I'm super pissed. I will get a photo of the top by the hinges when it stops raining. I can't open the boot now as water will piss in and disturb the talc and skew my results.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> At this point my involvement needs to cease, I bought the car for nearly £12000 with 3 months warranty so I really shouldn't have to spend all my spare time fu*cking about with this.
> 
> 
> 
> Initially I thought you bought a project car at a genuine discounted price. Clearly this is not the case and you didn't intend to.
> Anyhow, I still hope the forum can help fixing the problem.
> 
> Since water also seems to appearing from so high up, the area where the hinges disappear in the roof and the rubber through which the electrics run near the hinges need to be checked too. Please post pictures of them so we all can check if there's something odd there. Also carefully check the joints between the various panels up there in the gutter of the boot lid.
Click to expand...

Body shop has already lowered boot catch but I don't think they know what they are doing TBH.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> barry_m2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I think this is where the water in mine is leaking in from too. I'm not sure if my seal is out of shape, worn or anything, but would be interested in adjusting the boot lid too if you find out how!?
> 
> 
> 
> Adjusting the boot lid it nothing more than lowering the lock catch and adjust the stoppers accordingly. My boot lid was sitting a bit on the high side when comparing the height of the lid with the edge of the rear wings.
> 
> Silicone spray may bring back some of the required flexibility in the seal itself. So if it isn't damaged, go ahead, apply it.
> 
> But before all: do check if this leaking water is coming from the outside of the seal, or from the inside of the boot lid. You may want to remove the licence plate lights and feel if there is any moisture inside the lid. (water from behind the plastic boot lid cover) Because if there is, your spoiler plate seal and or spoiler drain pipes and drains are the first items to focus on.
Click to expand...

I've had the boot lid trim off and it's all dry in there.


----------



## TT-driver

Rip said:


> Certainly feels like a project car which is why I'm super pissed. I will get a photo of the top by the hinges when it stops raining. I can't open the boot now as water will piss in and disturb the talc and skew my results.


If you raise the spoiler first and dry the area underneath first, the only water you need to watch is what is in the area between the glass and the metal work of the boot lid. After rain or washing I do use a towel to catch all the drips when I need to open the lid. Now that is Vorsprung durch Technik!


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> Certainly feels like a project car which is why I'm super pissed. I will get a photo of the top by the hinges when it stops raining. I can't open the boot now as water will piss in and disturb the talc and skew my results.
> 
> 
> 
> If you raise the spoiler first and dry the area underneath first, the only water you need to watch is what is in the area between the glass and the metal work of the boot lid. After rain or washing I do use a towel to catch all the drips when I need to open the lid. Now that is Vorsprung durch Technik!
Click to expand...

Thanks I'll give that a go.


----------



## suzannec

I empathise with your frustration. I had a TTS last year and mucked around for weeks with an oil leak which after 4 trips to the garage never got fixed. I returned the car and managed to get a full refund. I feel disappointed that I had to do that as it has now been sold on and I worry that another owner is having the same problems I had if the dealer didn't repair it. However like you I am extremely busy and didn't plan on spending all my spare time trying to get it fixed not to mention the small fortune I spent on a car I couldn't use.

I do hope you get to the bottom of this but equally if you decide your time is up then I hope the dealer responds favourably. The consumer rights law has changed in recent years but I found citizens advice quite helpful: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consu ... -used-car/ Really hope you don't need the link.


----------



## Rip

More photo's, again the car still has not moved, this is all from just being sat in the rain.

Everywhere circled in green is water :x

Its just running down here, I can see it constantly running down and dripping in real time, somehow its getting inside the bodywork but I cant see how :x









And then spreading all over the place:


























This is the top of the boot for reference:


----------



## Rip

suzannec said:


> I empathise with your frustration. I had a TTS last year and mucked around for weeks with an oil leak which after 4 trips to the garage never got fixed. I returned the car and managed to get a full refund. I feel disappointed that I had to do that as it has now been sold on and I worry that another owner is having the same problems I had if the dealer didn't repair it. However like you I am extremely busy and didn't plan on spending all my spare time trying to get it fixed not to mention the small fortune I spent on a car I couldn't use.
> 
> I do hope you get to the bottom of this but equally if you decide your time is up then I hope the dealer responds favourably. The consumer rights law has changed in recent years but I found citizens advice quite helpful: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consu ... -used-car/ Really hope you don't need the link.


Thanks


----------



## Rip

I've now started a *flickr* album of all the water ingress to show the dealer, so feel free to browse it to see if any other ideas come to mind, the more eyes on the issue the better [smiley=gossip.gif] :wink:

See album here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/UK0566 [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif]

FYI "RoadStar Automobile" is the place I bought it from at full market value with no issues disclosed at the point of sale: https://www.roadstargb.co.uk/

And I actually now have an extensive list of issues that have become apparent after buying it, most of which were pretty undetectable at the point of sale for one reason or another. A couple have been sorted by RoadStar so I'll give them credit for that but there are still obviously some major problems that the RoadStar appointed body shop cannot fix. So I've told them it goes to Audi or you have it back, their choice.


----------



## Rip

I can clearly see there is an issue with the boot lid seal/alignment but what I don't get is how the hell is water getting in to the body this high up:

It's obviously getting in higher up the body than this, this is just the highest place I can actually see water as there is a hole in the body panel, and it's not just a small amount of water, it pretty much drips every second in light/medium rain, there must be quite a sizable entry point somewhere:


----------



## Pukmeister

Rip, where abouts are you located? I am in Fareham, Hampshire and would be quite happy to spend a few hours helping if you are local to me.

Like others, I presumed you had bought a project car not a 12 grand motor. I really feel for you mate, cars are toys to me as I ride bikes year-round, you must be fuming.

Not knowing how the TT body shells are put together, I'm sadly not much further help to you without seeing the car in the metal.

Best of luck with it, I bet it's a simple fix once you find it, leaks always look massive when in reality its a relatively small volume getting in.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Rip, where abouts are you located? I am in Fareham, Hampshire and would be quite happy to spend a few hours helping if you are local to me.
> 
> Like others, I presumed you had bought a project car not a 12 grand motor. I really feel for you mate, cars are toys to me as I ride bikes year-round, you must be fuming.
> 
> Not knowing how the TT body shells are put together, I'm sadly not much further help to you without seeing the car in the metal.
> 
> Best of luck with it, I bet it's a simple fix once you find it, leaks always look massive when in reality its a relatively small volume getting in.


Thanks very much. I'm up in Gloucester mate. If I get no joy from with the dealer I literally might have to start recruiting forum members lol


----------



## Pukmeister

Rip, here's a thought......

What about closing the tailgate on a thin strip of material, say some scrap plastic like the cut down lid of a margarine tub etc. Use the thin plastic like a feeler gauge to feel and measure the grip of the rubber seal between tailgate and bodyshell. Any loose feel might show where the seal is ineffective.

This may be complete bollocks and unachievable due to the shapes involved etc, its just a thought.


----------



## TT-driver

On the picture below










I noticed a couple of drops between the gas strut and the rear seat on the boot seal. Water shouldn't be there.

On this picture, it's like I'm seeing traces of dried up water on the rubber lip that is folded over the head liner.










Also the seal is wet on the contact surface. My gut feeling: the boot lid isn't pushing down hard enough on the seal. How do the roof and the boot lid line up when the boot is closed? What's the gap like? And what's the height difference between the roof and the boot lid?

The rest seems surprisingly clean, even behind those black hinge covers. Also the rubber hoses for the wiring look very well maintained or new even. How does the work with the door-window seals that were so dirty that they can't seems to be cleaned any more. Last but not least to me it seems as if the boot seal has been taken from the car at some stage. It's a bit wobbly in some places where I'd expect it to be straight.

Water that makes it to the plastic -fabric covered- pillar covers could guide water to lower areas where it then drips onto the metal work that seems to be so high up.

I'd take a small garden spray bottle at this stage and fill it up with water and some ink from a fountain pen. And then try very carefully where blue water is running towards. Provided interior fabrics don't get wet (and thus blue).


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Rip, here's a thought......
> 
> What about closing the tailgate on a thin strip of material, say some scrap plastic like the cut down lid of a margarine tub etc. Use the thin plastic like a feeler gauge to feel and measure the grip of the rubber seal between tailgate and bodyshell. Any loose feel might show where the seal is ineffective.
> 
> This may be complete bollocks and unachievable due to the shapes involved etc, its just a thought.


No That is actually a good idea as TBH there is no other way of telling how tight the seal is in any given area. I'll clean the talc up as it's served it's purpose for now then try to climb in there and see if I can assess the seal gaps.

I'm just really miffed by the water that seems to be inside the body in the C-pillars?!


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> On the picture below
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I noticed a couple of drops between the gas strut and the rear seat on the boot seal. Water shouldn't be there.
> 
> On this picture, it's like I'm seeing traces of dried up water on the rubber lip that is folded over the head liner.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also the seal is wet on the contact surface. My gut feeling: the boot lid isn't pushing down hard enough on the seal. How do the roof and the boot lid line up when the boot is closed? What's the gap like? And what's the height difference between the roof and the boot lid?
> 
> The rest seems surprisingly clean, even behind those black hinge covers. Also the rubber hoses for the wiring look very well maintained or new even. How does the work with the door-window seals that were so dirty that they can't seems to be cleaned any more. Last but not least to me it seems as if the boot seal has been taken from the car at some stage. It's a bit wobbly in some places where I'd expect it to be straight.
> 
> Water that makes it to the plastic -fabric covered- pillar covers could guide water to lower areas where it then drips onto the metal work that seems to be so high up.
> 
> I'd take a small garden spray bottle at this stage and fill it up with water and some ink from a fountain pen. And then try very carefully where blue water is running towards. Provided interior fabrics don't get wet (and thus blue).


Good info and well spotted, I'll check it out.


----------



## TT-driver

Pukmeister said:


> Rip, here's a thought......
> 
> What about closing the tailgate on a thin strip of material, say some scrap plastic like the cut down lid of a margarine tub etc. Use the thin plastic like a feeler gauge to feel and measure the grip of the rubber seal between tailgate and bodyshell. Any loose feel might show where the seal is ineffective.
> 
> This may be complete bollocks and unachievable due to the shapes involved etc, its just a thought.


Only last week I saw the new 5 pound note. (remember I live in the Netherlands). Being a bit like plastic this 5 pound note is perfect for the friction test. I always use bank notes for tests like these. They are strong and thin and always close by. :wink:


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Pukmeister said:
> 
> 
> 
> Rip, here's a thought......
> 
> What about closing the tailgate on a thin strip of material, say some scrap plastic like the cut down lid of a margarine tub etc. Use the thin plastic like a feeler gauge to feel and measure the grip of the rubber seal between tailgate and bodyshell. Any loose feel might show where the seal is ineffective.
> 
> This may be complete bollocks and unachievable due to the shapes involved etc, its just a thought.
> 
> 
> 
> Only last week I saw the new 5 pound note. (remember I live in the Netherlands). Being a bit like plastic this 5 pound note is perfect for the friction test. I always use bank notes for tests like these. They are strong and thin and always close by. :wink:
Click to expand...

Nice idea!


----------



## Pukmeister

Another thought......

I used to be in the Royal Navy, and we would test our ships doors and hatches for an effective gas-tight seal by performing a "chalk test". We used to rub a stick of chalk on the metal knife edge of the door/hatch being tested, clamp it shut then open and inspect if the chalk had transferred to the corresponding rubber seal on the ships hull.

Maybe on a dry day (good luck with that) you could try putting some powdered chalk, engineers blue, boot polish or even vaseline (don't laugh!) on the rubber tailgate seal and see if it then marks the metal car bodywork with the tailgate cycled shut? Might be messy and an unreliable test, but if all else fails......


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Another thought......
> 
> I used to be in the Royal Navy, and we would test our ships doors and hatches for an effective gas-tight seal by performing a "chalk test". We used to rub a stick of chalk on the metal knife edge of the door/hatch being tested, clamp it shut then open and inspect if the chalk had transferred to the corresponding rubber seal on the ships hull.
> 
> Maybe on a dry day (good luck with that) you could try putting some powdered chalk on the rubber tailgate seal and see if it then marks the metal car bodywork with the tailgate cycled shut? Might be messy and an unreliable test, but if all else fails......


Another good idea thanks.


----------



## Pukmeister

Note the edit after you responded re: boot polish etc.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Note the edit after you responded re: boot polish etc.


That's funny cause after I read your first post I instantly thought of engineers blue and Vaseline!


----------



## Pukmeister

Rip said:


> Pukmeister said:
> 
> 
> 
> Note the edit after you responded re: boot polish etc.
> 
> 
> 
> That's funny cause after I read your first post I instantly thought of engineers blue and Vaseline!
Click to expand...

Use the engineers blue on the car.

The vaseline is for the dealer who sold the car with faults, he should be bending over backwards by now. :mrgreen:


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pukmeister said:
> 
> 
> 
> Note the edit after you responded re: boot polish etc.
> 
> 
> 
> That's funny cause after I read your first post I instantly thought of engineers blue and Vaseline!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Use the engineers blue on the car.
> 
> The vaseline is for the dealer who sold the car with faults, he should be bending over backwards by now. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

lol


----------



## Rip

More photo's (no idea why they are all rotated as they look fine in my Flickr album?!):

So I opened the boot dried the boot seal and everything around it but left water on the boot lid, shut the boot and opened it again and saw this:

Water all over the seal:


















So the seal is not working at all... But if anything the boot is sitting too low compared to the rest of the bodywork:

Roof:









Left side:









Right side:









And it's a genuine Audi seal:









So what now?


----------



## Pukmeister

Is the seal new?

If not, it might be worth insisting the supplying dealer replaces it with a brand new audi item. I doubt it is more than £100 in parts and ten minutes to replace (dont quote me on that, it is audi after all).

Perhaps the existing seal sits low somehow and a brand new seal would be effective ?

If all else fails, prehaps you can remove the seal and pack it up somehow eg put something in its mounting groove like earth sleeving, assuming it sits on a body flange. Bodge engineering I know.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Is the seal new?
> 
> If not, it might be worth insisting the supplying dealer replaces it with a brand new audi item. I doubt it is more than £100 in parts and ten minutes to replace (dont quote me on that, it is audi after all).
> 
> Perhaps the existing seal sits low somehow and a brand new seal would be effective ?
> 
> If all else fails, prehaps you can remove the seal and pack it up somehow eg put something in its mounting groove like earth sleeving, assuming it sits on a body flange. Bodge engineering I know.


I've just this second sent an email to the dealer giving them that option, told them to book it in for a new seal or come collect the car and refund me.


----------



## ross_cj250

Hi Rip, sorry to read about the saga of your leak, I've only skimmed through this thread but a couple of thoughts sprang to mind...The pictures of the top hinge area looks remarkably clean for a 2008 car (especially under the black plastic covers) are your sure it hasn't had accident damage or other recent work in this area? My 2009 TTS is well looked after but there's still a bit of crud builds up around there! Also, I often see some moisture on the seal along the bottom edge of the boot opening when it's been raining heavily but not sign of the water getting inside...other than what comes in off the edges of the hatch when you open it in the wet! Have you contacted Audi direct to try and get any history they might have for the car?

Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll enjoy the car if you can get it all sorted! 

Regards
Ross


----------



## Rip

Dealer says they'll authorize a new boot seal and lid alignment at the same body shop they keep sending me to who I don't think are capable. BUT I have to sign a waiver to say that they are no longer responsible for the leak.

Obviously I can't sign that as I don't know for sure if the boot lid seal is the only leak I have.

I told them I'm not signing anything until that car stops leaking. Awaiting a reply.

They said they don't care that the rear brakes keep binding and overheating as the car had an AA check and came with a 3 month AA Gold warranty before they sold it. I enailed AA warranty 16 days ago, no reply...


----------



## Pukmeister

A waiver ?

What planet are they on ??

Sale of goods act - unfit for purpose, cars should not leak in the rain, end of.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> A waiver ?
> 
> What planet are they on ??
> 
> Sale of goods act - unfit for purpose, cars should not leak in the rain, end of.


I know right?! A template letter from Citizens Advice will be sent to them tomorrow telling them to basically sort it or take it back. I've been more than patient and given them enough chances to resolve it.


----------



## Rip

As far as Trading Standards are concerned I have to give them a chance to resolve it at no cost to me (which I've done), and that any issues with the car should be resolved locally to me and at no cost to me.


----------



## MarksBlackTT

Rip said:


> As far as Trading Standards are concerned I have to give them a chance to resolve it at no cost to me (which I've done), and that any issues with the car should be resolved locally to me and at no cost to me.


If all else fails then it's off to the Small Claims Court to reiterate the Trades Description Act/Sale Of Goods Act. Cheap enough to file the easy paperwork. Usually, once lodged, they'll be more than willing to rectify the matter out of court to your satisfaction and avoid both publicity and further costs. Oh, and AA warranties aren't worth the paper their written on!


----------



## Rip

MarksBlackTT said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> As far as Trading Standards are concerned I have to give them a chance to resolve it at no cost to me (which I've done), and that any issues with the car should be resolved locally to me and at no cost to me.
> 
> 
> 
> If all else fails then it's off to the Small Claims Court to reiterate the Trades Description Act/Sale Of Goods Act. Cheap enough to file the easy paperwork. Usually, once lodged, they'll be more than willing to rectify the matter out of court to your satisfaction and avoid both publicity and further costs. Oh, and AA warranties aren't worth the paper their written on!
Click to expand...

Yep, tomorrows letter will give them 7 days, then after that I'll file for court.


----------



## TT-driver

Thx for the pics. It seems to me as if the boot lid is a bit lower than the roof when closed. That looks about right. At least it is not above the roof.

As indicated by Ross as well: a usually dirty area looks (too?) clean. Even though the car is HPI clear, it doesn't guarantee that it has had a (partial) respray. Possibly the seal is fitted the wrong way around: what should be at the top is at the bottom now and vice versa. The seal adjusts over time to the position it is in. Take it off and fit it upside down and the seal may not touch the lid all around. From what I've seen, my gut feeling still says the seal must have been removed at some stage.

Best way forward to fix the leak is a new seal. I can't give any advice on legal steps.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Thx for the pics. It seems to me as if the boot lid is a bit lower than the roof when closed. That looks about right. At least it is not above the roof.
> 
> As indicated by Ross as well: a usually dirty area looks (too?) clean. Even though the car is HPI clear, it doesn't guarantee that it has had a (partial) respray. Possibly the seal is fitted the wrong way around: what should be at the top is at the bottom now and vice versa. The seal adjusts over time to the position it is in. Take it off and fit it upside down and the seal may not touch the lid all around. From what I've seen, my gut feeling still says the seal must have been removed at some stage.
> 
> Best way forward to fix the leak is a new seal. I can't give any advice on legal steps.


Agreed. Although I still can't see how water is getting inside the C-pillar. There is no way that I can see that water coming over the seal will end up in the C-pillar.

FYI, RoadStar (the place I bought it from) signed for my letter this afternoon so the ball is in their court and Trading Standards are firmly on my side.

If RoadStar didn't insist I signed a waiver in order for them to have a new seal fitted I'd have done it by now but the waiver would then let them off of any other leaks. And as yet I'm not 100% sure it's just the boot seal.


----------



## TT-driver

Rip said:


> Agreed. Although I still can't see how water is getting inside the C-pillar. There is no way that I can see that water coming over the seal will end up in the C-pillar.


Indeed, we haven't found the root cause yet. Could even be the side windows, who knows. If only you were living in the Netherlands. My hands are itching to get to the root cause of this one. But I guess you won't be flying me in :wink: 
So as long as you're willing to diy fix it, we'll be here to help you


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> Agreed. Although I still can't see how water is getting inside the C-pillar. There is no way that I can see that water coming over the seal will end up in the C-pillar.
> 
> 
> 
> Indeed, we haven't found the root cause yet. Could even be the side windows, who knows. If only you were living in the Netherlands. My hands are itching to get to the root cause of this one. But I guess you won't be flying me in :wink:
> So as long as you're willing to diy fix it, we'll be here to help you
Click to expand...

Haha thanks for your enthusiasm!


----------



## Rip

Finally i can replicate the leak in the C-Pillar!!!!!!!!!!

Low pressure hose here. The water is ONLY going in to the top passenger side corner of the boot, it's not going on to the boot lid glass or down over to the passenger side rear window glass:



















This causes this leak:










I've just moved the hose down a bit to try to rule out or pin point the hole in the body where the boot hinges go:










Hopefully that'll give me some more accurate info shortly once the water from the first test has all drained out. The boot lid seal is still letting in a little water though so that still needs doing as as well.


----------



## Pukmeister

Odd how water gets inside the rear pillar like that.

Does the panel 'flange' that the boot seal presses/clips onto consist of several body panels spot welded together? Obviously the way to tell is to pull up the boot seal from the car and look.

Possible accident repair work to rear quarters and/or tailgate? Is the floorpan wrinkle-free ?

I would suspect a leaking seam somewhere high, leaking hinges or a leaking cable penetration.

Long term, if a new seal doesn't fix it, you may need to revert to bodge tactics like silicone sealant, blue tak/plasticine type cable gland packing compounds etc to form a seal.

I have a cheap USB endoscope from eBay for my laptop which is a bit crap but could be fed up inside the C pillar to find the source.


----------



## Rip

OK this is getting weird now:

No leaks when hose is in any of these positions:




























But it leaks very quickly when water is allowed to run over where the boot hinge goes, even though it does not leak when the hoses is right up in that cavity?!










Even though i can't see any holes up in there:


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Odd how water gets inside the rear pillar like that.
> 
> Does the panel 'flange' that the boot seal presses/clips onto consist of several body panels spot welded together? Obviously the way to tell is to pull up the boot seal from the car and look.
> 
> Possible accident repair work to rear quarters and/or tailgate? Is the floorpan wrinkle-free ?
> 
> I would suspect a leaking seam somewhere high, leaking hinges or a leaking cable penetration.
> 
> Long term, if a new seal doesn't fix it, you may need to revert to bodge tactics like silicone sealant, blue tak/plasticine type cable gland packing compounds etc to form a seal.
> 
> I have a cheap USB endoscope from eBay for my laptop which is a bit crap but could be fed up inside the C pillar to find the source.


Boot seal looks like it's been bonded on with some kind of white sealant (i pulled the boot seal up a bit to have a look and saw some white stuff) so I can't pull it off just yet. Also when water is left to run on just the boot seal it does NOT get into the C-Pillar from what I can see.

Definitely somewhere high, seems to leak when water is run over the boot hinge cavity but not when the hose is shoved up in to the cavity?

I've tried a borescope already and I couldn't get a very good idea of what's going on, maybe I'll try it again.


----------



## Pukmeister

I wonder if a pint of body wax (Waxoyl) in that hinge recess could plug it?

Gotta be getting in through the hinge bolts or a panel seam, that hinge recess is a real glory hole !

What about where the roof panel is bonded/welded to the hinge recess ? Any missing seam sealer ?.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> I wonder if a pint of body wax (Waxoyl) in that hinge recess could plug it?
> 
> Gotta be getting in through the hinge bolts or a panel seam, that hinge recess is a real glory hole !
> 
> What about where the roof panel is bonded/welded to the hinge recess ? Any missing seam sealer ?.


No idea, I've felt all up in there and can't see any holes or anything out of place. Weird that it won't leak with the hose actually up in there.


----------



## Rip

Going back outside for a little more testing, back shortly.


----------



## Pukmeister

Check again where the flexible tailgate cables penetrate the roof panel, the last pic where you state it leaks worst has water flowing from the hose over the cable gaiter.

EDIT: Just zoomed into hinge recess pic, I don't like it where top of C pillar meets roof panel, looks like a small hole in the seam sealer although difficult to judge from the internet, it might be nothing.

Reading this on my tablet at work, dont know how to edit and repost the offending pic.


----------



## Rip

I think I've got it, It only leaks when water is allowed to run over this lip, up underneath this lip is a gap in the bodywork, my guess is that water is rolling up and under this lip and into the body of the car. And I think the reason it does not happen on the other side of the car is because the black plastic cover fits much much better and is tight, the black cover on this leaky side of the car moves is rattly and moves around a lot.










I guess I'll try to get under there and seal the gap with something then buy another clip as well. I'll need some kind of sealant that I can apply with my hand as I access is tight, any ideas?


----------



## Rip

Temporarily I'll refit the black cover and run a small bead of silicone across the top of it and see if that stops the leak, if it does then I'll know I'm on the right track.


----------



## Pukmeister

Dry out thoroughly and degrease with automotive spirit wipe (painters panel wipe). Use a hairdryer to heat the panel join and drive out moisture ( keep it moving, dont burn the paint).

Ideally an automotive seam sealer would be best as its formulated for this purpose and hardens just enough to remain flexible, sticks like shit to a bears arse and holds paint.

Ideally you want that body shop/coachworks to be doing this under approval from your supplying dealer.

Sounds like youve sussed out the source of the leak, which is the hard part !


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Dry out thoroughly and degrease with automotive spirit wipe (painters panel wipe). Use a hairdryer to heat the panel join and drive out moisture ( keep it moving, dont burn the paint).
> 
> Ideally an automotive seam sealer would be best as its formulated for this purpose and hardens just enough to remain flexible, sticks like shit to a bears arse and holds paint.
> 
> Ideally you want that body shop/coachworks to be doing this under approval from your supplying dealer.


Good plan. For now to test the theory I've just refitted the black cover and ran a bead of clear silicone across the top edge, I'll let that go off for a few hours before testing but I'm hoping water will now run over the sealant and down the front of the black plastic cover and won't be able to run up under that lip. If this temporarily stops the water getting into my C-pillar then I'll remove the cover and seal up the seam up under that lip properly.










Best place to get a replacement cover? Can't see anywhere online, am I going to have to go to an Audi dealer and wait while they order it in?

Part number: *8J8 827 279*


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Check again where the flexible tailgate cables penetrate the roof panel, the last pic where you state it leaks worst has water flowing from the hose over the cable gaiter.
> 
> EDIT: Just zoomed into hinge recess pic, I don't like it where top of C pillar meets roof panel, looks like a small hole in the seam sealer although difficult to judge from the internet, it might be nothing.
> 
> Reading this on my tablet at work, dont know how to edit and repost the offending pic.


This photo?









All the black marks around that area are all just dirt as far as I can see.

I've eliminated the where the flexible rubber hose goes into the body by putting the hose just on that area and it does not leak, that was my first thought also when I first managed to replicate the leak. Those rubber bungs are very tight against the body and no water is getting past from what I can see.


----------



## Pukmeister

Thats the pic. Look at outer top left and zoom in to the panel seams. I hope its just dirt showing and not a hole/crack in the seam sealer.

I'd wager that due to the slot in the plastic cover for the hinge arm, your solution may not work 100% as you can't prevent water tracking around the silicone (although lets hope it does stop it).

I guess Audi are the place to get replacement trim parts as its bespoke to the TT.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Thats the pic. Look top left and zoom in to the panel seams. I hope its just dirt showing and not a hole/crack in the seam sealer.
> 
> I'd wager that due to the slot in the plastic cover for the hinge arm, your solution may not work 100% as you can't prevent water tracking around the silicone (although lets hope it does stop it).
> 
> I guess Audi are the place to get replacement trim parts as its bespoke to the TT.


I think you are spot on about the gap in that cover being problematic to my temp fix and I think I've proved it. Just been out with the hose again:

No leak:









Leak:









If water is allowed through that gap in the plastic cover it leaks. I can't see any holes in the body around that whole area other than up under the roof, If I take the cover off and hook my finger up under there (see photo below) I can feel gap in the bodywork, I also put a small mirror in there and I can even see the gap!

Gap up under here where the arrow is:









So what I don't understand is, if all TT's are like this, why don't they all leak? And why doesn't my drivers side leak? Clearly they all have a plastic hinge cover with a gap in which would allow water in. Maybe for some reason mine happens to have a gap in the seam inside when it shouldn't have.


----------



## Pukmeister

Can you get a close up picture of the gap underneath with a smart phone?

Probably been leaking from new, robot caulking machine not as thorough as a human would be?

Might be an idea to also recheck the opposite hinge extremely closely for potential seam leaks (drivers side).

Reading back through this threads, I see somebody else had exactly this issue and once resealed it has been fine since.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Can you get a close up picture of the gap with a smartphone?
> 
> Might be an idea to also check the opposite hinge for seam leaks (drivers side).
> 
> Reading back through this threads, I see somebody else had exactly this issue and once resealed it has been fine since.


God dammit really?! Do you Have a link to that or a post number as I must have missed that?

Also I can't get in there and get a photo of the gap now as I've put the plastic cover back on and siliconed it in place.


----------



## Pukmeister

lac said:


> The tailgate hinges on the top, Remove the plastic covers and search for leak behind there, i had a leak in this area as some of the sealant between the body panels had come away, i replaced the sealant and alls been good for 3 years now.


Third page on my tablet, post by Lac of Swindon, 2008 TT.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> lac said:
> 
> 
> 
> The tailgate hinges on the top, Remove the plastic covers and search for leak behind there, i had a leak in this area as some of the sealant between the body panels had come away, i replaced the sealant and alls been good for 3 years now.
> 
> 
> 
> Third page on my tablet, post by Lac of Swindon, 2008 TT.
Click to expand...

Nice one, I've PM'd him. I'll drop by the bodyshop on Saturday morning and ask him what he suggests I use seal up the gap. And I'll get a photo of that gap in a mirror when I seal it up.


----------



## Rip

I'm going to need some kind of a seam sealer putty if such a thing exists and is available locally. Anything brushable won't work as I'm going to have to apply it with my finger.


----------



## Pukmeister

Something like 3M Polyurethane seam sealer.

A decent bodyshop should do it for not much outlay, or if DIY find a local automotive paint suppliers, or ebay etc.

Can be overpainted once cured with touch up paint if required.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Something like 3M Polyurethane seam sealer.
> 
> A decent bodyshop should do it for not much outlay, or if DIY find a local automotive paint suppliers.
> 
> Can be overpainted once cured with touch up paint if required.


Paint shouldn't be an issue as this gap can't be seen without a mirror. Not sure if any of these seam sealers will be thick enough for me to apply by hand but I won't know until I get one and give it a try. I feel like just ramming some silly putty in there as a temp fix but I know I'd never be able to get it out again to do a proper fix.


----------



## Rip

I've just popped that cover off again and had a look at this gap with a mirror and it's going to be a hard one to fix. the gap in the seam is marked in GREEN and I can't fit my finger in the gap marked with the BLUE arrow and I cannot even get at the bit marked in YELLOW at all! Literally the boot lid would have to be removed! I think the water is running down that green line on the inside of that lip and running into the c-pillar.










I have some very small soft rubber piping at work, it's probably 3 or 4mm diamter, it's just a solid cylinder and does not have a hole through the middle, I'm thinking I might be able to wedge a length of it into that gap using some small dentist tools and a dentist mirror which I also have. It's pretty good stuff, we use it for vacuum sealing things as it's air tight so should be water tight too. I'll grab some tomorrow and see if that works. I'll still drop into the bodyshop Saturday though to see what they say. I really don't want to have to take the boot lid off.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

Anyway to get to it from inside the roof?


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Anyway to get to it from inside the roof?


No not at all unfortunately. I don't want to apply silicone with a stick or anything as I'll never get a good seal, it has to be done with a finger but I can't get in there to do it. Very frustrating.


----------



## Rip

If I could somehow safely support the boot lid in the up most position I could unbolt that one hinge and fold it down out the way but I don't really have the means to safely support the boot lid in the fully open position.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

FYI -


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> FYI -


Thanks.


----------



## TT-driver

Wow... one day at work, I come back and it seems you have discovered the not only your leak issue but the root cause of destroyed Bose amps too! This must be it! [smiley=dude.gif] [smiley=mexicanwave.gif]

That black cover is just for cosmetics. It was never meant for guiding water. I think what you are looking at now is a workshop where you can tie the boot lit to a lift. Support it on one side and then remove the 2 bolts from the lid. That allows you to access the area that should have been factory sealed. Then put the hinge back exactly at the same spot and repeat on the other side. That way there is no need to take all electrics apart too. Or perhaps someone with small narrow fingers can get in there while someone else keeps the lid just open.

The rubber seal should indeed be glued to the body with some weird white stuff.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Wow... one day at work, I come back and it seems you have discovered the not only your leak issue but the root cause of destroyed Bose amps too! This must be it! [smiley=dude.gif] [smiley=mexicanwave.gif]
> 
> That black cover is just for cosmetics. It was never meant for guiding water. I think what you are looking at now is a workshop where you can tie the boot lit to a lift. Support it on one side and then remove the 2 bolts from the lid. That allows you to access the area that should have been factory sealed. Then put the hinge back exactly at the same spot and repeat on the other side. That way there is no need to take all electrics apart too. Or perhaps someone with small narrow fingers can get in there while someone else keeps the lid just open.
> 
> The rubber seal should indeed be glued to the body with some weird white stuff.


Well I'm hoping I'm now on the right track at least. Thanks for clarifying about the boot seal gunk. As for fixing that leak, I either have to seal up the open seam or invent and make a better cover that actually does divert water away from the open seam. I need to have a good think about both solutions.


----------



## TT-driver

The TTRS has a seal that closes the gap between the boot lid and the roof:










I retrofitted this seal on my 2006 TT. However this seal doesn't cover the area above the hinges. 

Fixing the seal between the 2 parts is the best way forward. Use bodywork sealant. Body shops have loads of it. Second best is to try to spray cavity wax in there (remove rear part of headliner first) hoping for block the gap with wax. Third best: stick some black plastic profile with double sided tape so that water can't get to the area where the gap in the seal sucks it inside. Guide it away.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> The TTRS has a seal that closes the gap between the boot lid and the roof:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I retrofitted this seal on my 2006 TT. However this seal doesn't cover the area above the hinges.
> 
> Fixing the seal between the 2 parts is the best way forward. Use bodywork sealant. Body shops have loads of it. Second best is to try to spray cavity wax in there (remove rear part of headliner first) hoping for block the gap with wax. Third best: stick some black plastic profile with double sided tape so that water can't get to the area where the gap in the seal sucks it inside. Guide it away.


Do you have a part number so I can take a closer look at that seal?


----------



## Pukmeister

Why isn't the supplying dealer paying for this relatively straightforward repair in a proper bodyshop?

Serious question.

Remember, you paid good money for that car, in good faith, and it should not be leaking through body panel seams.

It would be a few hours labour at most to repair, body sealer is just a few pounds.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Why isn't the supplying dealer paying for this relatively straightforward repair in a proper bodyshop?
> 
> Serious question.
> 
> Remember, you paid good money for that car, in good faith, and it should not be leaking through body panel seams.
> 
> It would be a few hours labour at most to repair, body sealer is just a few pounds.


Because they are idiots. They said they'd pay to have a new boot seal fitted but only if I signed a waiver to say that they were no longer responsible for any further leaks. Obviously I have a leak that has nothing to do with the boot seal. I've given them 8 weeks now to sort it and they keep faffing around so I'm now talking to Trading Standards. In the meantime though I'm trying do what I can to stop my car filling with water everyday.


----------



## Rip

Then there is also the matter of the rear brakes keep randomly sticking on so I'm trying to get them to sort that too but they keep saying it's not their responsibility. Also both parcel shelf brackets are broken. Why they won't just book it in to a few places local and have the issues sorted I don't know, which is why I'm now going through Trading Standards. The dealer now has 6 days to provide a solution or I'm taking them to court.


----------



## Rip

Trading Standards have told me I can't book it in anywhere and get the work done myself as that will completely undermine the ongoing case.

I'm just trying to do some damage control with regards to the leak so I can start to put my £12000 car back together and start using it as intended.


----------



## Rip

I believe if the dealer doesn't offer a full repair after their time is up that then I can go ahead and get the work done at my expense and then I can take them to court to recover the costs.

Apparently I have to give them time to fix it and I shouldnt be trying to fix it myself as they could claim i created the issues myself.


----------



## TT-driver

Rip said:


> Do you have a part number so I can take a closer look at that seal?


8J8827669 it is. But it won't fix your leak!


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> Do you have a part number so I can take a closer look at that seal?
> 
> 
> 
> 8J8827669 it is. But it won't fix your leak!
Click to expand...

 Haha OK thanks.


----------



## TT-driver

The brakes is a different topic. Could be the calipers and pads just need a good clean. Pads that are slightly stuck in the calipers stay too close to the rotors. And with all that water spraying :wink: the pads get wet and overnight rust solid to the rotors.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> The brakes is a different topic. Could be the calipers and pads just need a good clean. Pads that are slightly stuck in the calipers stay too close to the rotors. And with all that water spraying :wink: the pads get wet and overnight rust solid to the rotors.


Yeah but this dealer want to deal (or not) in the she package at once which is making things difficult.


----------



## Rip

The brakes are sticking bad enough to smoke and burn and get the alloy wheels VERY hot.


----------



## TT-driver

That should be an MOT fail if you ask me. And if it's that bad, it might well be that the calipers are destroyed. -> costly affair.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> That should be an MOT fail if you ask me. And if it's that bad, it might well be that the calipers are destroyed. -> costly affair.


I know, which is why I'm seeking a full repair or I'm going to court.


----------



## Rip

What if I clipped some of this in the gap above the hinge where the water is getting in? This should be too much of an obstacle for the water to be sucked around.

https://www.edgetrims.co.uk/product/sid ... mm-x-22mm/

And randomly this place is actually a couple of miles away from where I work. Has to be worth a go for £4.40 for a metre.

I could cut a short piece and clip it here:


----------



## TT-driver

I guess it won't fit, or hold.


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> I guess it won't fit, or hold.


Maybe we'll find out tomorrow.


----------



## Hoggy

Hi, I can't see how it would make any difference.
Hoggy.


----------



## TT-driver

I think if you'd glue some thin plastic like I indicated in this picture (yes also the part that is behind the hinge) water has to flow away from the gap in the seal.










Water can creep up only so much ...


----------



## Hoggy

Hi, If dealer is not going to fix it, you need to raise the height of the squashy rubber seal.
Must be higher seals avail from the supplier in your link
Hoggy


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> I think if you'd glue some thin plastic like I indicated in this picture (yes also the part that is behind the hinge) water has to flow away from the gap in the seal.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Water can creep up only so much ...


Yeah that was my thinking somewhat, to make a shape the water couldn't be sucked up under, but...

I've just been up the body shop, we supported the boot, dropped the hinge down and applied sealant all up in that hinge cavity along the front edge and down into the corner where the roof meets the C-pillar. So hopefully that's it.

I'll let it cure properly and then hose test in the morning. If that solves it then it's just the boot seal left to do as that does let a small amount of water in, nothing like the c-pillar leak but it still needs doing.

Fingers crossed.


----------



## Rip

MarksBlackTT said:


> Either have the balls to take them on in court or don't. It's quite simple, you've either got a case or you haven't. Stop messing around and sue through the courts for damages or stop whinging.


There's always one huh. If you actually paid attention you'll know that I plan to take them to court. But legally I have to give them time to sort it, that time runs out next week so there is nothing I can do until then. In the meantime I've been trying to stop the water coming in myself so my £12000 car does not get wrecked by by all this water. The amp has already been damaged and repaired and there is plenty of other electronics in the boot area that I want to keep dry.


----------



## Rip

Hoggy said:


> Hi, If dealer is not going to fix it, you need to raise the height of the squashy rubber seal.
> Must be higher seals avail from the supplier in your link
> Hoggy


I'm hoping just a new genuine seal will be enough, the seal is only letting a small amount of water through and I'm hoping it's just the existing seal is old and tired.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

@ Rip - One way of getting silicon sealant into this spot would be using a disposable syringe with a large bore needle. Just bend the needle as needed, fill the syringe with silicone sealant and you should be able to get it where you want it.

If you can't get one from a local hospital, clinic or even a pet doctors office, you can buy a "Seasoning Injector" from Amazon. Your local cooking store might even have them on the shelf. Since these often have a hole just above the pointy end of the needle, you can use a Dremel tool to cut the needle to suit your purpose and even blunt it so you don't risk stabbing youself.

https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-50 ... g+injector


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ Rip - One way of getting silicon sealant into this spot would be using a disposable syringe with a large bore needle. Just bend the needle as needed, fill the syringe with silicone sealant and you should be able to get it where you want it.
> 
> If you can't get one from a local hospital, clinic or even a pet doctors office, you can buy a "Seasoning Injector" from Amazon. Your local cooking store might even have them on the shelf. Since these often have a hole just above the pointy end of the needle, you can use a Dremel tool to cut the needle to suit your purpose and even blunt it so you don't risk stabbing youself.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-50 ... g+injector


We'll I think we've managed to get the silicone into the desired area this morning by dropping the boot hinge down! It's real tricky as with a string you'd have to bend the needle almost 180°! My wife is actually a nurse though so if it comes to it she's could get me an array of syringes!


----------



## SwissJetPilot

Another option would be a large bore catheter needle, made of plastic, but it might be too flexible. Show your wife the problem, she may have a solution.


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Another option would be a large bore catheter needle, made of plastic, but it might be too flexible. Show your wife the problem, she may have a solution.


That's given me an idea, large bore syringe with a plastic hose on the end. We actually use a similar set up at work to get a similar funky compound into hard to reach areas so not sure why I didn't think of that earlier.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

Like this...single use and disposable. Also from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cassie-Brown-C ... ed+syringe


----------



## Pukmeister

I would find a way to suspend the tailgate and release the hinge for better access. I'd wager its a heavy piece of glass and metal.

Maybe tie tailgate to garage roof beams or make temporary freestanding timber A-frame scaffold to take the weight, undo hinge so I can inject sealant into the roof seam.

Is this purely temporary, or a permanent fix ?


----------



## SwissJetPilot

@ Rip - While you're at it, you might want to pull back the grommet for the wire harness and put some silicone around that too, especially around the upper edge where water would hit first. I discovered when I pulled mine there's a small amount of factory sealant added to ensure a good water-tight seal. I would imagine over time this can dry out.


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ Rip - While you're at it, you might want to pull back the grommet for the wire harness and put some silicone around that too, especially around the upper edge where water would hit first. I discovered when I pulled mine there's a small amount of factory sealant added to ensure a good water-tight seal. I would imagine over time this can dry out.


Will do thanks, at least that one is nice and accessible.


----------



## TT-driver

Rip said:


> We'll I think we've managed to get the silicone into the desired area this morning by dropping the boot hinge down!


Sounds like as if you pretty much followed my plan. Keeping fingers crossed now


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> We'll I think we've managed to get the silicone into the desired area this morning by dropping the boot hinge down!
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like as if you pretty much followed my plan. Keeping fingers crossed now
Click to expand...

I really hope this is it.


----------



## Rip

I don't want to speak too soon, but I think that's solved the main leak in the c-pillar.

It's been raining for around 5hrs and I've had the hose on it for 20mins and the c-pillar is dry:


----------



## Pukmeister

Thats great news Rip, well done and thanks for posting for the benefit of all.

(Guess whats the first thing I will check when I am looking to buy my TT later this year.)

Have you still got leaks elsewhere ??


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Thats great news Rip, well done and thanks for posting for the benefit of all.
> 
> (Guess whats the first thing I will check when I am looking to buy my TT later this year.)
> 
> Have you still got leaks elsewhere ??


When it's stopped raining in a few hours I'll go out and do a more comprehensive leak test to be sure.

I'm pretty sure my boot lid seal is also letting a bit of water in so that's still on my radar and there is a bit of inner arch liner foam that is still damp so I need to dry that out fully to make sure it's just left over water from the previous leaks, only then will I know for sure if my only leaks were the boot seal and the hinge cavity.


----------



## Pukmeister

What about the drivers side (hinge cavity?)

Didn't you have a droplet from the panel seam in an earlier picture, close to the battery?

Maybe worth buying some table salt and put in a plastic tray in the boot area to absorb moisture??


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> What about the drivers side (hinge cavity?)
> 
> Didn't you have a droplet from the panel seam in an earlier picture, close to the battery?
> 
> Maybe worth buying some table salt and put in a plastic tray in the boot area to absorb moisture??


I believe that drop on the drivers side was caused by me shoving the hose right in the gaps around the drivers side rear light cluster, and I'm pretty sure that type of situation won't happen in normal use.

I am going to test the drivers side hinge cavity though just in case.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> What about the drivers side (hinge cavity?)
> 
> Didn't you have a droplet from the panel seam in an earlier picture, close to the battery?
> 
> Maybe worth buying some table salt and put in a plastic tray in the boot area to absorb moisture??


The remaining moisture is on just one area of foam so I'll stick a little electric fan heater in front of it later when it's stopped raining and hopefully that'll clear it up and hopefully it won't come back.


----------



## TT-driver

I'm glad to see a positive result!


----------



## Rip

TT-driver said:


> I'm glad to see a positive result!


Yeah me too! I should know more later after another test.


----------



## Rip

So far so good, car has been rained on for probably 10hrs now and the only water I can see getting in is just on the boot lid seal here:










I guess a new seal will fix that. So far though the c-pillar leak has not occurred.


----------



## brittan

It may just be the picture or a mark on the paint but it does look like the water is dripping from the edge of the boot lid trim.


----------



## Rip

brittan said:


> It may just be the picture or a mark on the paint but it does look like the water is dripping from the edge of the boot lid trim.


I'll check it out thanks.


----------



## Rip

brittan said:


> It may just be the picture or a mark on the paint but it does look like the water is dripping from the edge of the boot lid trim.


You're right, I took that photo with my arm stretched out into the boot from the rear seats (its raining so dont want to open the boot lid as itll let water in and make itvhard for me to know if i still have leaks). Now I've just climbed in there I can see it, there must still be a small leak somewhere around the spoiler then.

I had the boot lid trim off a while back but couldn't see any water in there.


----------



## Pukmeister

Might be worth a check for holes behind the number plate if all else fails, I've seen where dealers use self tappers to fit plates which then leave an unsealed hole behind after a number plate swap. Its most probably from the spoiler though.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Might be worth a check for holes behind the number plate if all else fails, I've seen where dealers use self tappers to fit plates which then leave an unsealed hole behind after a number plate swap. Its most probably from the spoiler though.


Good idea, I'll check that out as well.


----------



## Rip

With regards to the small leak in the boot lid. My spoiler drain holes are unblocked so I guess it's back to getting the hose out and testing the spoiler area. Any tips for exactly where leaks can occur around the spoiler?

So far it's become apparent that this car had 3 separate leaks in the boot area! Hinge recess, boot seal and somewhere in the boot lid!


----------



## Gaz78

Rip said:


> I don't want to speak too soon, but I think that's solved the main leak in the c-pillar.
> 
> It's been raining for around 5hrs and I've had the hose on it for 20mins and the c-pillar is dry:


RESULT [smiley=dude.gif]

on the subject of using trading standards in your situation, well a few cars back i had big issues with one i purchased from a garage ( 300zx TT). i was ££££££££££££££££s out of pocket after replacing the engine and gearbox  . anyway someone suggested ringing trading standards which i did. they were super helpful (though woman helping me was miserable as anything :lol: ), and eventually i got all my expenses back. took a while but definatly worth pursuing. i think alot of people see pursuing these things as stressful and just pay out their own pockets, but the reality is just follow trading standards advice and being patient and you should get sorted.

lets hope no more leaks for you 8)

Gaz


----------



## Rip

Gaz78 said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't want to speak too soon, but I think that's solved the main leak in the c-pillar.
> 
> It's been raining for around 5hrs and I've had the hose on it for 20mins and the c-pillar is dry:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> RESULT [smiley=dude.gif]
> 
> on the subject of using trading standards in your situation, well a few cars back i had big issues with one i purchased from a garage ( 300zx TT). i was ££££££££££££££££s out of pocket after replacing the engine and gearbox  . anyway someone suggested ringing trading standards which i did. they were super helpful (though woman helping me was miserable as anything :lol: ), and eventually i got all my expenses back. took a while but definatly worth pursuing. i think alot of people see pursuing these things as stressful and just pay out their own pockets, but the reality is just follow trading standards advice and being patient and you should get sorted.
> 
> lets hope no more leaks for you 8)
> 
> Gaz
Click to expand...

Yeah getting there! Just a little leak in the boot lid I have to find now and a very small leak around the boot lid seal and hopefully that'll be it.

And yeah Trading Standards have been super helpful so far. A couple of days after the dealer got my first letter they suddenly seem helpful, they left me a voicemail saying they want to help me further. I emailed them and told them all further correspondence should be via email for a paper trail. The dealer knows full well where I'm going with this with Trading Standards and they know they'll end up loosing.


----------



## Rip

OK so all the spoiler mounting bolts look nice and clean and shiny, except one, so this is suspect number one for letting water in.










Difficult one to prove and fix though, you can only see it when the boot lid is up so obviously won't leak. I'll pull the nut off and put sealant around it.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

@ Rip - This might be helpful. Note there are a few parts that the instructions states "always replace" when this is done:

* Item 2 - Adjusting element
* Item 4 - Bolt
* Item 6 - Water drain hose


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ Rip - This might be helpful. Note there are a few parts that the instructions states "always replace" when this is done:
> 
> * Item 2 - Adjusting element
> * Item 4 - Bolt
> * Item 6 - Water drain hose


Thanks, I'll save that image. I'm hoping I can get away with not taking the whole thing out. From what I can see it's only that one bolt letting water through so I've sealed it up with silicone. I'll check on it every time the car is wet over the next few days.


----------



## Pukmeister

You will be proud of yourself once this is all sorted, plus the pages here could prove a great help to the next guy who finds water in his boot. Well done.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> You will be proud of yourself once this is all sorted, plus the pages here could prove a great help to the next guy who finds water in his boot. Well done.


Haha yeah, I guess every boot leak suggestion has been posted in this thread so far so yeah it should prove helpful in the future.


----------



## MarksBlackTT

Rip said:


> MarksBlackTT said:
> 
> 
> 
> Either have the balls to take them on in court or don't. It's quite simple, you've either got a case or you haven't. Stop messing around and sue through the courts for damages or stop whinging.
> 
> 
> 
> There's always one huh. If you actually paid attention you'll know that I plan to take them to court. But legally I have to give them time to sort it, that time runs out next week so there is nothing I can do until then. In the meantime I've been trying to stop the water coming in myself so my £12000 car does not get wrecked by by all this water. The amp has already been damaged and repaired and there is plenty of other electronics in the boot area that I want to keep dry.
Click to expand...

Yes... there's always one huh! I have paid attention sonny. And legally, if you start fixing/rectifying issues and problems yourself, outside of your original warranty, and without the dealership having access to your vehicle 'to give them time to sort it' then you might find you have a real problem tying to take on the might of Audi in a court of law! You've had a relatively large post following for 12 days, over 1,100 views and 216 postings. You've provided a fascinating account and personal view together with in depth and vivid picture accounts of your boot water leakage problems, and I'm sure we are all very understanding and immensely sympathetic to all of your recent hardships. Yours will be a source of feedback and recommendation by forum members with similar issues and problems for years to come.


----------



## Rip

MarksBlackTT said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MarksBlackTT said:
> 
> 
> 
> Either have the balls to take them on in court or don't. It's quite simple, you've either got a case or you haven't. Stop messing around and sue through the courts for damages or stop whinging.
> 
> 
> 
> There's always one huh. If you actually paid attention you'll know that I plan to take them to court. But legally I have to give them time to sort it, that time runs out next week so there is nothing I can do until then. In the meantime I've been trying to stop the water coming in myself so my £12000 car does not get wrecked by by all this water. The amp has already been damaged and repaired and there is plenty of other electronics in the boot area that I want to keep dry.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes... there's always one huh! I have paid attention sonny. And legally, if you start fixing/rectifying issues and problems yourself, outside of your original warranty, and without the dealership having access to your vehicle 'to give them time to sort it' then you might find you have a real problem tying to take on the might of Audi in a court of law! You've had a relatively large post following for 12 days, over 1,100 views and 216 postings. You've provided a fascinating account and personal view together with in depth and vivid picture accounts of your boot water leakage problems, and I'm sure we are all very understanding and immensely sympathetic to all of your recent hardships. Yours will be a source of feedback and recommendation by forum members with similar issues and problems for years to come.
Click to expand...

OK so A. It's not Audi, it's a small ndependent dealer as previously mentioned (https://www.roadstargb.co.uk), and B. They've had 2 months to sort the car out and all they've done is faff around with a half added attempt at fixing the leak, never mind any of the other issues. In fact I found out on Friday that the total sum they'd allocated a local body shop to diagnose and fix the boot leak was £25... So it's no wonder that the body shop hadn't been able to thoroughly strip down and leak test. They've had the car for probably a total of 7 days maybe, all for just £25.

At no point have I not given RoadStar full access to my vehicle, from day one I said "get it fixed at no cost to me", that's it. The problem was they didn't take a hold of the situation and get it sorted.

So far they've been very uncooperative so I've had to take the more urgent problem (the big water leak) into my own hands to stop my car from filling with water everyday to limit any further damage. Yes legally I should have left it alone but to me persoanall it's made no difference to the final outcome, if I had left it all soaking wet then eventually the dealer would have had to pay a body shop to sort it which could have taken them weeks to find and fix all the while I'd have no car. But becaause I've fixed most of the leaks I've retained the use of my car throughout and it's cost me nothing to fix it other than my time. It's not like I had the option to send it to the body shop for a complete and final repair once and dor all anyway as the dealer wasn't playing ball. They just kept arguing about everything.

I'm just happy the car is now dry. I'm still pursuing the dealer for the rear brakes, a new boot lid seal and the parcel shelf mounts that were clearly badly glued back on before they sold the car.

And yes I hope this thread helps others in the future, I'll leave the photos hosted indefinitely if I can.


----------



## Rip

Not entirely sure what to make of this but my boot is the driest it's been since o bought the car but the outside demo has dropped to 9°C and the rear window has condensated quite heavily and the windscreen has a medium amount of condensation too?! Since I've had the car the front windscreen has barely condensated at all.

I know there is a tiny amount of water still in the boot, one of the prices of foam in the boot is still a little damp but the damp area is only about 2 square inches. I wouldn't have though that the small amount would condensate so much, or may be it would?

This piece of foam can't be removed without ripping out more interior so I'll either get a fan heater on it tomorrow or I'll just cut the damp bit out.


----------



## Rip

So far the sealant around the spoiler bolt seems successful but I'll pull the boot lid trim off tomorrow just to be sure.


----------



## qooqiiu

Even a tiny damp area can cause condensation. There may be wet areas you haven't yet found. Put a load of Siica gel packets in the car in likely places for a couple of weeks. Might help.


----------



## Hoggy

Hi, These work well & cheap enough.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-5-x-INTER ... 2377279150
Hoggy.


----------



## Rip

qooqiiu said:


> Even a tiny damp area can cause condensation. There may be wet areas you haven't yet found. Put a load of Siica gel packets in the car in likely places for a couple of weeks. Might help.


Yeah can't hurt I guess.


----------



## Rip

Hoggy said:


> Hi, These work well & cheap enough.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-5-x-INTER ... 2377279150
> Hoggy.


Thanks


----------



## Pukmeister

Dewpoint for airborne vapour condensation is typically below 6 degrees centigrade, so on a cold night the largest areas of glass will condense most vapour from inside your car. Once fully dried out you should be okay, things like foam and fabric/carpets take forever to dry out without a heat input source, ideally you need a low to moderate steady dry heat source eg electric fan heater and an absorbent substance such as silica gel, salt packs or one of those household condensation absorber blocks inside the car to absorb the water vapour once liberated.

These work very well:

http://www.wilko.com/invt/0286745


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Dewpoint for airborne vapour condensation is typically below 6 degrees centigrade, so on a cold night the largest areas of glass will condense most vapour from inside your car. Once fully dried out you should be okay, things like foam and fabric/carpets take forever to dry out without a heat input source, ideally you need a low to moderate steady dry heat source eg electric fan heater and an absorbent substance such as silica gel, salt packs or one of those household condensation absorber blocks inside the car to absorb the water vapour once liberated.
> 
> These work very well:
> 
> http://www.wilko.com/invt/0286745


Thanks I'll grab some when I'm out next. I went through all the fabric and foam I could yesterday and it's all dry from what I can see. There was a very small amount of water inside the boot lid so that's now been dried as well (I'm hoping I've fixed that leak so that shouldn't come back). It's very possible there is some water sat somewhere in the body of the car that I just can't see as this leak I had seems to have been leaking for a very long time. I'm hoping with some time and some dehumidifier solutions that slowly my condensation will become less and less until it's completely gone. I'm pretty sure I'm on top of the water ingress now.


----------



## MT-V6

Cars take forever to dry out in this weather. If no more is coming in then in spring and summer it should be fine


----------



## Rip

MT-V6 said:


> Cars take forever to dry out in this weather. If no more is coming in then in spring and summer it should be fine


I definitely have a little water coming in around the spoiler somewhere but I can't seem to pinpoint it.


----------



## MT-V6

Ah I see

Warm air naturally contains more moisture, so the trouble in winter is you have the heating on, then park up and lock it all in leading to condensation. You could try turning the temperature down for a bit before you park to remove some of the warm air

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


----------



## Rip

MT-V6 said:


> Ah I see
> 
> Warm air naturally contains more moisture, so the trouble in winter is you have the heating on, then park up and lock it all in leading to condensation. You could try turning the temperature down for a bit before you park to remove some of the warm air
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


Yeah I totally get that. I need to sort the little leak in the boot lid 100%, I thought I had it sorted but there is still a little getting in somewhere around the spoiler that I've noticed today. It's a had one to pinpoint as you can't see up in there when the boot lid is closed and when it's open you can't get it to leak.


----------



## Rip

I guess I'll remove the boot lid trim, raise the spoiler, get the hose on it then quickly open the boot lid and look up and around the spoiler mechanism and see if I can see where it's getting in.


----------



## brittan

You could try taping a folded up paper towel over each fastener before the hose test.


----------



## Rip

brittan said:


> You could try taping a folded up paper towel over each fastener before the hose test.


Yeah that's an idea, I'll do that.


----------



## Rip

Some good news, so far I've had no water ingress in to my c-pillar after a week of on and off rain and some more hose testing, the fix for this was smearing some black sealant all up in here on the inside where the lines and arrows are:










So if anyone else in the future has water coming into the boot are through the inside of the c-pillar then this (and the drivers side hinge cavity) is a real good place to have a look at.


----------



## Rip

Also, water leak around spoiler confirmed, looks like it's only getting here on the drivers side:




























_Can't see much here but there is water there_









_It's then running down into the boot area of the car_









So the only real fix for this is to remove the spoiler assembly, and refit with some kind of sealant as I can't work out if there is a factory rubber seal or anything that is supposed to be there?










The dealer (non Audi) is slowly starting to realize that they need to step up and sort this out, so far they are agreeing to sort some of the issues, they've agreed to a new boot lid seal as long as I get a local bodyshop and not an Audi dealer to do it (I'm arguing this though as the local body shop they've been using has thus far not been able to fix much) and they've offered to get a back street garage to fit new rear discs and pads to stop the rear brakes binding up (again I'm arguing this as new disks and pads probably won't stop that from happening, I want the calipers looked at and serviced or replaced if they are beyond repair from overheating). So far they seem to be skirting the main water leaks! (they are so far unaware that I've fixed the main leak around the boot hinge).

So one of the things I'm asking for is for the rear spoiler mechanism to be removed and refitted by an Audi dealer/specialist and not a local non Audi specialist body shop as it looks like a bit of a specialist job to get done without damaging anything or scratching the paintwork and of course items 2, 4 & 6 need replacing whenever this mechanism is removed and refitted and items 7 & 8 need the correct torque settings and I doubt that the local body shop has access to this information, so we'll see what happens this week.


----------



## Rip

Hoggy said:


> Hi, These work well & cheap enough.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-5-x-INTER ... 2377279150
> Hoggy.


I've got some of these now so as soon as the spoiler leak has been fixed i'll put them in the car one by one until any remaining moisture is gone.


----------



## Pukmeister

FWIW your binding rear brakes could well be just corroded pads and possibly not the calipers. I just replaced my daughters disks and pads on her pug 208 which uses the same type of rear disks and her pads were jammed solid and had never seen a spanner despite FDSH. I had to hammer what was left of the old pads out of the calipers so I could remove the rear disks which were also shagged.

For sealing the rear spoiler assembly I'd recommend either "tiger bond" or "stixall." It bonds and seals where other stuff doesn't, I used it to re-bond the wifes mini cooper sunroof strip to the main roof panel where it had shrunk in the corners, nothing else worked except a cartridge gun of stixall (available from toolstation).


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> FWIW your binding rear brakes could well be just corroded pads and possibly not the calipers. I just replaced my daughters disks and pads on her pug 208 which uses the same type of rear disks and her pads were jammed solid and had never seen a spanner despite FDSH. I had to hammer what was left of the old pads out of the calipers so I could remove the rear disks which were also shagged.
> 
> For sealing the rear spoiler assembly I'd recommend either "tiger bond" or "stixall." It bonds and seals where other stuff doesn't, I used it to re-bond the wifes mini cooper sunroof strip to the main roof panel where it had shrunk in the corners, nothing else worked except a cartridge gun of stixall (available from toolstation).


Nice one thanks.


----------



## Pukmeister

Just an afterthought, it might be worth buying a stick of Wurth "Gummi Pflege" for your boot, window and door rubbers to plump them up a bit and lube them.


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Just an afterthought, it might be worth buying a stick of Wurth "Gummi Pflege" for your boot, window and door rubbers to plump them up a bit and lube them.


Thanks


----------



## Pukmeister

Rip, how is the car now? Have you finally got it sorted ??


----------



## Rip

Pukmeister said:


> Rip, how is the car now? Have you finally got it sorted ??


The big c-pillar leak is sorted but there is still a small leak around the spoiler. The dealer has until end of business Monday to respond with a final resolve for the issues with the car. So currently my car is pretty damn dry!


----------



## suzannec

Rip said:


> Pukmeister said:
> 
> 
> 
> Rip, how is the car now? Have you finally got it sorted ??
> 
> 
> 
> The big c-pillar leak is sorted but there is still a small leak around the spoiler. The dealer has until end of business Monday to respond with a final resolve for the issues with the car. So currently my car is pretty damn dry!
Click to expand...

What a headache your've had - but at least you know the car really well now (perhaps too well!).


----------



## Rip

suzannec said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pukmeister said:
> 
> 
> 
> Rip, how is the car now? Have you finally got it sorted ??
> 
> 
> 
> The big c-pillar leak is sorted but there is still a small leak around the spoiler. The dealer has until end of business Monday to respond with a final resolve for the issues with the car. So currently my car is pretty damn dry!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> What a headache your've had - but at least you know the car really well now (perhaps too well!).
Click to expand...

Yeah it's been a nightmare TBH but it's slowly coming together. The main gripe was me spending 12k on a motor that should have been sound only to have to spend hours and hours leak testing and researching :-(

On the plus side I can strip an Audi TT rear interior in about 5 mins.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

@ Rip - If you decide to pull the spoiler assembly, that would be a great "How To"! Your photo skills are already well proven.


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> @ Rip - If you decide to pull the spoiler assembly, that would be a great "How To"! Your photo skills are already well proven.


Haha yeah OK, depending on how this dealer responds and/or if we got to court I may well end up doing the spoiler myself, if that's the case I'll document it.


----------



## suzannec

Rip said:


> Yeah it's been a nightmare TBH but it's slowly coming together. The main gripe was me spending 12k on a motor that should have been sound only to have to spend hours and hours leak testing and researching :-(
> 
> On the plus side I can strip an Audi TT rear interior in about 5 mins.


I feel your pain. I think I said I had a similar experience last year, spent a fortune on a TTS which I didn't expect to be visiting the garage 4 times in as many weeks. I gave mine back but I do feel guilty as somebody else has got it now and potentially still with the same problem. I do admire your grit and determination!


----------



## Rip

suzannec said:


> Rip said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah it's been a nightmare TBH but it's slowly coming together. The main gripe was me spending 12k on a motor that should have been sound only to have to spend hours and hours leak testing and researching :-(
> 
> On the plus side I can strip an Audi TT rear interior in about 5 mins.
> 
> 
> 
> I feel your pain. I think I said I had a similar experience last year, spent a fortune on a TTS which I didn't expect to be visiting the garage 4 times in as many weeks. I gave mine back but I do feel guilty as somebody else has got it now and potentially still with the same problem. I do admire your grit and determination!
Click to expand...

Well it's funny you say that as this particular car has had 6 previous owners I believe and due to the nature of the main water leak in the boot I reckon it's probably been leaking since brand new and I'm guessing that each owner has found the leak, not been been able to diagnose and fix it and then sold the car on on a dry day! I wouldn't mind if I'd got the car cheaper than the market rate as that would have made my hard work worth it.

On a side note, I'm chasing the dealer for a partial refund for a diminution of value as the rear quarter has had some paintwork done that was not disclosed at the point of sale (I didn't notice on the day as it was pissing with rain). My argument is that when I go to sell the car I'm going to get less than market rate for it when I disclose to the new buyer that it's had a bit of paint done. I don't see why I should take that loss as I didn't have the paint done and they sold it to me without disclosing it. Whether they actually knew or not is a moot point because as a car dealer they have certain responsibilities, guidelines and laws to follow. They should be the ones taking the hit as they either didn't inspect the car properly when they bought it or they've purposely advertised it without mentioning it.


----------



## SwissJetPilot

Two questions:

1. Have you completely eliminated the leak?
2. Did you figure out what was under all that duct tape?

.


----------



## Rip

SwissJetPilot said:


> Two questions:
> 
> 1. Have you completely eliminated the leak?
> 2. Did you figure out what was under all that duct tape?
> 
> .


No and no lol.

The main leak is sorted, but the spoiler tray is letting a little water through so I'll need to remove the whole assembly and refit it with some tiger seal or similar. And as for the black box under the duct tape, I have no idea, the two wires coming out of if seem to just completely integrate into the factory loom?!


----------



## Scottishpinz

I had similar mystery leak viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1679465&p=8534985#p8534985 and I'm now wondering if there isn't still places small amounts of water are getting in. I used silicon sealant all around the spoiler tray too but at the time it didn't seem to solve anything.


----------



## chriscapon

I believe I had the worst leak known in TT history. I will get a video of how bad mine was on here when I next can.

I took mine to a bodyshop in south manchester and left with with them for the day. £100 later, it is totally fixed.

From what they said, they took the entire upper boot lining out and sealed it all again as the seals were corroded. I have never been happier with this fix as it was an on going issue for about 2 years and I did everything that I could myself to no avail.


----------



## andy mac

chriscapon said:


> I believe I had the worst leak known in TT history. I will get a video of how bad mine was on here when I next can.
> 
> I took mine to a bodyshop in south manchester and left with with them for the day. £100 later, it is totally fixed.
> 
> From what they said, they took the entire upper boot lining out and sealed it all again as the seals were corroded. I have never been happier with this fix as it was an on going issue for about 2 years and I did everything that I could myself to no avail.


Could I ask who you used please?
I'm in a similar situation and live in South Manchester.


----------



## Rip

andy mac said:


> chriscapon said:
> 
> 
> 
> I believe I had the worst leak known in TT history. I will get a video of how bad mine was on here when I next can.
> 
> I took mine to a bodyshop in south manchester and left with with them for the day. £100 later, it is totally fixed.
> 
> From what they said, they took the entire upper boot lining out and sealed it all again as the seals were corroded. I have never been happier with this fix as it was an on going issue for about 2 years and I did everything that I could myself to no avail.
> 
> 
> 
> Could I ask who you used please?
> I'm in a similar situation and live in South Manchester.
Click to expand...

Hopefully that sorts it out for you. It's SO frustrating. Best thing I ever did was get rid of my TTS. Not to rub it in but my S3 hasn't leaked a single drop of water and has zero condensation in the winter. Someone really messed up when designing/building the TT mk2.


----------



## Nidana

I wish to thank this thread as last night I had to read through it all. 
Thought I had sorted leak out as only recently started happening so assumed it was something I had done. So removed reversing camera rechecked boot seals especially on passenger side as had that panel removed to do shelf bracket. 
Well boot was wet again last Sunday so dried all found surface water kept an eye on it and up until last night been dry as a bone. 
Had a lot of rain the beginning of the week so when I checked on Wednesday and it was dry thought happy days. 
So I found water again last night and thus morning my screen was as if it had rained on the inside gutted. So I have been out bought some talcum powder and hopefully going to get it traced this week. 
The rewiring for reversing camera version 2, fitting for rear footwell lights along with underseat storage will all have to wait again. 
Wife does not yet know she will be hosing the rear down whilst in sat inside looking yet before I make the boot smell like a freshly washed infant. Will then have to see what the week brings me in answers. 
All my carpets are bone dry and this whole thread will serve me well I hope.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rip

Nidana said:


> I wish to thank this thread as last night I had to read through it all.
> Thought I had sorted leak out as only recently started happening so assumed it was something I had done. So removed reversing camera rechecked boot seals especially on passenger side as had that panel removed to do shelf bracket.
> Well boot was wet again last Sunday so dried all found surface water kept an eye on it and up until last night been dry as a bone.
> Had a lot of rain the beginning of the week so when I checked on Wednesday and it was dry thought happy days.
> So I found water again last night and thus morning my screen was as if it had rained on the inside gutted. So I have been out bought some talcum powder and hopefully going to get it traced this week.
> The rewiring for reversing camera version 2, fitting for rear footwell lights along with underseat storage will all have to wait again.
> Wife does not yet know she will be hosing the rear down whilst in sat inside looking yet before I make the boot smell like a freshly washed infant. Will then have to see what the week brings me in answers.
> All my carpets are bone dry and this whole thread will serve me well I hope.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Good luck!


----------



## Nidana

Rip said:


> Nidana said:
> 
> 
> 
> I wish to thank this thread as last night I had to read through it all.
> Thought I had sorted leak out as only recently started happening so assumed it was something I had done. So removed reversing camera rechecked boot seals especially on passenger side as had that panel removed to do shelf bracket.
> Well boot was wet again last Sunday so dried all found surface water kept an eye on it and up until last night been dry as a bone.
> Had a lot of rain the beginning of the week so when I checked on Wednesday and it was dry thought happy days.
> So I found water again last night and thus morning my screen was as if it had rained on the inside gutted. So I have been out bought some talcum powder and hopefully going to get it traced this week.
> The rewiring for reversing camera version 2, fitting for rear footwell lights along with underseat storage will all have to wait again.
> Wife does not yet know she will be hosing the rear down whilst in sat inside looking yet before I make the boot smell like a freshly washed infant. Will then have to see what the week brings me in answers.
> All my carpets are bone dry and this whole thread will serve me well I hope.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck!
Click to expand...

Cheers Rip 
I'm definitely going to need it 3 hours running water over the back end and nothing. Went for a drive and bam leak arrived. It's clean water always so have ruled out road water. Thought it might have been the rear wing as couple of rusted nuts at each end but is bone dry. 
Not happy with the upper passenger side boot seal looks flatter compared to the drivers side. 
Seems to be dripping or running down from unknown source on passenger side so fuel cap is ruled out like others have had issues with.






























Have more talc above the suspected drip and have now run out of daylight. So going to see what the weather brings me until weekend for tracing now.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rip

This brings back some pretty frustrating memories for lol. You've read the whole thread already so you should be pretty well informed as to what the usual leak suspects are and also the main one I had on my boot hinge cavity that apparently was a pretty rare leak. I hope you get it sorted quickly as that condensation is extremely frustrating this time of year.


----------



## Nidana

Your posts have certainly been a great help so far. Never had this issue last year I'm convinced it's something I have done and disturbed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Wolvez

Try sealing this gap


----------



## Wolvez

Tail light has a rubber on the number 3 on the diagram below


----------



## Nidana

Wolvez said:


> Tail light has a rubber on the number 3 on the diagram below


I'm pretty sure my issue will be from number two. The difference in shape compared to the other side is pretty substantial. 
So far had no rain so boot is looking like a a crack den from a scene of robocop. With no fresh telltale marks. 
Routine when getting home from work is drop rear seats and have a look around with a torch. 
Do have a new boot seal coming as not happy with said shape at the top compared to the drivers side. 
Just waiting to see what weekend brings me and hopefully resolve quickly.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Wolvez

Aluminum have a very bad habit leaking on the casting mark or where metal overlap each other. Look at #4 on Audi's TPI instructing to seal gap on the hinge.

Use E6800 industrial self leveling glue. It will flow to the crack just park it in slight incline with the nose facing down. You can also use this glue on front under cover.


----------



## Wolvez

Microscopic crack


----------



## Nidana

So with no rain until weekend this has been a slow moving investigation. Wanted boot lid always closed until some trace of leak found instead of having just a puddle of water within the boot. 





































You can see it coming down within internal joints so spoiler is in the clear at least. Also not coming from boot seal so all that reversing what I had done has been for nothing. 
Like has already been mentioned it looks like boot hinge maybe the culprit. Have a tube of panel seamer couldn't source some e6800 as recommended. 








Also waiting on new boot seal as just not happy with a section at the top not able to get a decent photo showing why. So hopefully I can have this all done by mid week as have a couple days of. 
Again Thankyou for the original author Rip and to Wolvez.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rip

You've probably already worked out by now that your leak in that c-pillar looks very much like the leak I had, see the water droplets:










I could replicate it by letting a *low pressure* water source run gently over the roof and boot hinge cavity, like this:










I fixed it by getting some mastic up in the boot hinge on the other side of this green line where the roof panel ends (ignore the blue and yellow markings):










I could no longer replicate the leak after that which was great but even after fixing that leak, fitting a new OEM boot seal and fully drying the car out I STILL had condensation issues which is why my car went back for good. Hopefully you'll have better luck than me!


----------



## Nidana

I'm hoping that I have caught it before internal fabric has absorbed the breaking point for constant condensation. 
As soon as I saw it coming down that c pillar with your prior knowledge and help I went straight to the hinge.

The talc can for now stay within the boot to save me drying out the battery tray again at least. 
Auto correct keeps changing random words. 
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rip

Nidana said:


> I'm hoping that I have caught it before internal fabric has absorbed the breaking point for constant condensation.
> As soon as I saw it coming down that c pillar with your prior knowledge and help I went straight to the hinge.
> 
> The talc can for now stay within the boot to save me drying out the battery tray again at least.
> Auto correct keeps changing random words.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well keep us updated!


----------



## Nidana

Not much of an update as now I'm off work been out and tried to seal up hinge panel area but wind has picked up and made it difficult. 
Decided to do the other side also more as preventative than cure. 
Just leaving it now to see how it goes before touching it up. 
The wind has now blown talc all over the interior now 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Wolvez

The crack is huge.. Try E6000 glue, You also have small leak coming from the tail light. Look at the water mark on the bolt with plastic head securing the tail light. Check the tail loght where the bolt hole is. You should see orange seal.

The fastest and best way to remove all water in the interior is by using a plastic bucket and put sodium hydroxide. Make sure not to put to much because it will absorb the water. Make sure not to spill even small amount of water because sodium hydroxide will eat aluminum. It's safe as long as you don't make contact with aluminum. Test with small amount first because it absorbs water very fast. Don't put more than 1/4 of sodium hydroxide in bucket.


----------



## Wolvez

Also seal the updated red circle for prevent future leak.


----------



## Nidana

Appreciate your help I'm still on with this just awaiting this e6000 stuff. I had noticed the washer on lamp not looking to good and replaced with a fibre washer from my spare plumbing kit of all things.

I also now have an issue with rear spoiler no longer seating correctly on the return stroke so now need to look into this. 
Or better yet replace with a fixed spoiler so one less component to fail going forward.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nidana

This has been the first week since discovering and stripping the boot that it's been dry. Have swept most of my talcum powder obsession out from the boot leaving just enough just in case it decides to prove me wrong. Interior boot trim has now all finally been replaced back in time for the Christmas madness got really tiring using the rear seat for a while. 
I'm unable to say exactly which out of two areas was my as I couldn't generate it. Passenger hinge section and boot seal is what I am sticking with though. 
Big thanks again to this thread and all contributors.

Pop up spoiler is in hand so not worried on that and have since discovered passenger rear exhaust mount has snapped so have that in hand also.

Just got to add discovered missing drivers side rear light bump stop thingy and can tell you it's £1.13 from stealers.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Knight-tts

Nidana said:


> I also now have an issue with rear spoiler no longer seating correctly on the return stroke so now need to look into this.
> Or better yet replace with a fixed spoiler so one less component to fail going forward.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


If you get a fixed spoiler and need to code out the pop up one I can do that for you if you live around Leicester area , I just put a rs one on my TTS and coding out was very simple 8)


----------



## Nidana

Knight-tts said:


> Nidana said:
> 
> 
> 
> I also now have an issue with rear spoiler no longer seating correctly on the return stroke so now need to look into this.
> Or better yet replace with a fixed spoiler so one less component to fail going forward.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
> 
> 
> 
> If you get a fixed spoiler and need to code out the pop up one I can do that for you if you live around Leicester area , I just put a rs one on my TTS and coding out was very simple 8)
Click to expand...

Thankyou will keep that in mind.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rossinator

This thread is super helpful. This week I bought what I thought was a dry S Line TT TDI, but it appears to be a mobile swimming pool with leaks onto the board below doors, water accumulating on top of the rear boot black plastic trim then making it's way down to the battery tray, a fault code suggesting the cursed Bose amp has seen some hydro action and headlamps with lots of moisture inside them. :-/ I think I'm going to be getting better as leak finding. [smiley=bigcry.gif]

Can someone recommend a sealant that if pull the spoiler off and want to seal it back it will then not be too hard to separate in the future ?


----------



## Rip

rossinator said:


> This thread is super helpful. This week I bought what I thought was a dry S Line TT TDI, but it appears to be a mobile swimming pool with leaks onto the board below doors, water accumulating on top of the rear boot black plastic trim then making it's way down to the battery tray, a fault code suggesting the cursed Bose amp has seen some hydro action and headlamps with lots of moisture inside them. :-/ I think I'm going to be getting better as leak finding. [smiley=bigcry.gif]


☹


----------



## rossinator

Is it possible to source replacement main seals for the oval spoiler?


----------



## Blabberbox

Went to look at a coupe today which obviously had leaks at some point in the past, with a rusty passenger seat rail and a damp smell, then reading this thread after has really put me off a bit if I'm honest!
Have had enough wet floor issues with mx5's of old...


----------



## Rip

Blabberbox said:


> Went to look at a coupe today which obviously had leaks at some point in the past, with a rusty passenger seat rail and a damp smell, then reading this thread after has really put me off a bit if I'm honest!
> Have had enough wet floor issues with mx5's of old...


Well spotted, possible bullet dodged there then.


----------



## Nidana

This was short lived leaks back and unable to recreate it. Just going to keep drying boot out with kitchen towels until I have more time to trace it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Rip

Nidana said:


> This was short lived leaks back and unable to recreate it. Just going to keep drying boot out with kitchen towels until I have more time to trace it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


☹


----------



## Nidana

Back to operation trace small leak in boot. Have been prepping away I can not let this beat me again. 
I don't have access to an endoscope so will be putting tissue paper in all points right up to the hinge on the inside. Then on the outside I will tape areas into sections and work my way towards the hinge and run water over the area until I hopefully track it down. I only have a small leak but it is annoying all the same. Near side interior is all stripped ready. 









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## rossinator

Nidana said:


> Back to operation trace small leak in boot. Have been prepping away I can not let this beat me again.
> I don't have access to an endoscope so will be putting tissue paper in all points right up to the hinge on the inside. Then on the outside I will tape areas into sections and work my way towards the hinge and run water over the area until I hopefully track it down. I only have a small leak but it is annoying all the same. Near side interior is all stripped ready.


I've read some of your previous posts. Where is the water collecting/pooling? What issues have you had with gaps on rear spoiler fitting?


----------



## Nidana

Spoiler section is water tight. I get a trickle coming down the c pillar from unknown location. I kept doing small steps and I got a couple of weeks into it thinking it was solved and it was back. Then winter and dark nights kicked so lived with it until now. 
X marks the visible start into the boot then it runs/trickles down to the boot eventually gathering into the battery tray if left long enough. 









Somehow I will solve this.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Audi Russ

Coming from a relatively new, used TT owner, I really can't believe quality cars like these have so many bloody leaks!

It was a new windscreen for me, still have a slight smell of damp but the wet carpets have hopefully dried and will remain that way going forward.

Good luck finding your leak, be interested to hear how you get on.


----------



## Graham'sTT

It's several years since I had a coupe (fortunately my '59 plate roadster is so far completely dry). I recall the tailgate hinges on the coupe are somewhat open to the elements. If they do take on water then it must drain away somewhere - I have no idea where.
Now, Nidana, your photo indicates where you believe the water first makes itself known, with a red cross. Slightly up and to the right of the centre of the cross there appears to be a black line - is this a split, is this where the water may be entering from a possible drainage route from the left hand side tailgate hinge.


----------



## Nidana

Have to be honest the photo is from first strip down. 
Since then everything in that area has a covering of high grade talc and it only enters still from the x. 
Bose amp area plus amp is bone dry along with tail light area from internal boot side.

When the boot seal is removed to which I have replaced it has hollow sections along the seams on the body panels. 
Some of my thinking is that although the seal has some sealant it's not enough to prevent water getting through when under the pressures of driving. I say this because when I keep running a hose over it I just can not get it to leak sat parked. Yet take it for a run afterwards and then it leaks. I could well be barking up the wrong tree though.

Just going to add I may use gas seal paste to full panel voids along the seams and refit seal. 
Gas seal paste is non settings and has some flex so could work with natural body flex.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Graham'sTT

The tiny black line I refer to is at the 5 position (clock face) on the circular depression close to the centre of your cross.
If you have eliminated this as a possible entry point already then OK.
Confess I've not read all of this thread so forgive me if already mentioned. Owners of Bose equipped cars have said, on investigating amplifier faults, that the amp has suffered water / road grime corrosion and that water from the nearside rear wheel is getting between the inner and outer wheel arch skins. The outer being aluminium and the inner being steel and breakdown in the bonding and corrosion here could be the route into the rear of the car. A sound hosing upwards and into the rear n/s arch may indicate something.


----------



## Nidana

Don't worry Graham sometimes a fresh suggestion helps to remove the blinkers. 
8 years ago I would have gone for a smoke and then had a eureka moment and then had it fixed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nidana

Some more after work prepping for my weekend of watering a TT into an A5. 
Outside sectioned strips of tape.









On the inside kitchen roll with a strip of marker pen for water identification within c pillar.










Let the games commence.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KirkFletcher

I've had a nightmare over the last couple of days, it all started with jumping in the car one morning putting the key in the ignition and the instrument cluster was dead, no lights nothing! Obviously starting the car just meant the engine cut out in about 2 seconds (i believe the engine doesn't start without the instrument cluster).

After messing around for ages I removed the battery to find it sitting in a puddle of water, I then removed all the polystyrene and found it to be quite wet all around the right hand side (looking in from boot), I then pulled out the back seat bench and that was also soaked (the foam was 100% drenched).

I took out the battery to check the charge (it was full) put the battery back in still no joy. I happened to hold down the unlock key on the keys (not sure why i did that) windows went down as expected but holding lock did not put them back up. Out of panic i put the keys in the ignition to see if I could get the windows up (the windows were also not working with the instrument cluster not working) and low and behold everything fired up.

With the battery and wiring sitting in water was there a short happening?

Anyway, I check absolutely everywhere and think it was coming from a rubber bung above the driver side rear wheel letting in the water, defo coming in from underneath nothing above the polystyrene was wet.

The rubber bung looked a bit perished so have now sealed it with RTV and putting duct tape over it (will check again in a few days.


----------



## Nidana

It's a proper PITA I had some moisture absorbers in the boot whilst I was hunting it down and one of them leaked. 
No matter how hard I try and clean it up it's residual effects are to keep drawing moisture and it's within the bottom part of the bench seat also. 
I had the bottom part of the bench seat sat out enjoying the heat wave to dry out. 
I have done new boot seal strip as it was something I disturbed doing another task. I have done my best with the hinge sections on both sides. I have a damp lower edge strip on padding on rear passenger arch and talc is not showing it coming from last location. 
I did have a faulty abs on that very side so when I replace shocks and springs and have the liner removed going to check the plug seal for abs wiring as it had a botch repair in previous ownership on that very side. 
Unfortunately the rear bench gets spillover from the boot and battery tray is the lowest spot. Luckily for me cars not really a daily as I'm in a works van for work. 
My boot leak is not anyway near what it was like so I'm having a positive but slow effect of getting to it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## daveystein

Has anyone managed to resolve the water into the boot & smelly carpets in the mk3 audi tt, as I bought an 18 plate tt & within a couple of months I have the problem


----------



## tttony

Hi. You've posted in the Mk2 section of the forum. Also, it's not a good idea to use your e-mail address as your user name.


----------



## towens2000uk

Hi,
Sorry to disturb you but did you find out the cause of the leak on the c pillar as I have exactly the same problem?
Many thanks.


----------



## towens2000uk

Nidana said:


> Spoiler section is water tight. I get a trickle coming down the c pillar from unknown location. I kept doing small steps and I got a couple of weeks into it thinking it was solved and it was back. Then winter and dark nights kicked so lived with it until now.
> X marks the visible start into the boot then it runs/trickles down to the boot eventually gathering into the battery tray if left long enough.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Somehow I will solve this.
> Sorry i'm new to the forum and struggling with they format so I might have already sent a message - did you ever find the because please ?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





Nidana said:


> It's a proper PITA I had some moisture absorbers in the boot whilst I was hunting it down and one of them leaked.
> No matter how hard I try and clean it up it's residual effects are to keep drawing moisture and it's within the bottom part of the bench seat also.
> I had the bottom part of the bench seat sat out enjoying the heat wave to dry out.
> I have done new boot seal strip as it was something I disturbed doing another task. I have done my best with the hinge sections on both sides. I have a damp lower edge strip on padding on rear passenger arch and talc is not showing it coming from last location.
> I did have a faulty abs on that very side so when I replace shocks and springs and have the liner removed going to check the plug seal for abs wiring as it had a botch repair in previous ownership on that very side.
> Unfortunately the rear bench gets spillover from the boot and battery tray is the lowest spot. Luckily for me cars not really a daily as I'm in a works van for work.
> My boot leak is not anyway near what it was like so I'm having a positive but slow effect of getting to it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Nidana

towens2000uk said:


> Nidana said:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler section is water tight. I get a trickle coming down the c pillar from unknown location. I kept doing small steps and I got a couple of weeks into it thinking it was solved and it was back. Then winter and dark nights kicked so lived with it until now.
> X marks the visible start into the boot then it runs/trickles down to the boot eventually gathering into the battery tray if left long enough.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Somehow I will solve this.
> Sorry i'm new to the forum and struggling with they format so I might have already sent a message - did you ever find the because please ?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nidana said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's a proper PITA I had some moisture absorbers in the boot whilst I was hunting it down and one of them leaked.
> No matter how hard I try and clean it up it's residual effects are to keep drawing moisture and it's within the bottom part of the bench seat also.
> I had the bottom part of the bench seat sat out enjoying the heat wave to dry out.
> I have done new boot seal strip as it was something I disturbed doing another task. I have done my best with the hinge sections on both sides. I have a damp lower edge strip on padding on rear passenger arch and talc is not showing it coming from last location.
> I did have a faulty abs on that very side so when I replace shocks and springs and have the liner removed going to check the plug seal for abs wiring as it had a botch repair in previous ownership on that very side.
> Unfortunately the rear bench gets spillover from the boot and battery tray is the lowest spot. Luckily for me cars not really a daily as I'm in a works van for work.
> My boot leak is not anyway near what it was like so I'm having a positive but slow effect of getting to it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I just spotted your other post with the redirect to here. I'm going to say I wish you the best of luck with this firstly. 
I tried to replicate this during some good weather and just could not get a leak to appear. My guess is when car is moving as opposed to just sat still there is enough pressure to squeeze water through the tiny cracks in the bonding between steel and aluminium. I've had some issues recently with the front screen and a split battery hose vent allowing cool air into the car and it allowing car to condensate like a trooper inside which has knocked out my steering wheel controls from head unit plus giving me a damp boot also but not a drowning battery tray at least. 
The boot hinge area is a proper pig to do. I taped the whole area up as it was going to get messy. Then with the boot as low as possible so you can get your fingers up to above the hinge I kept pressing panel seal in until I was happy enough I thought I caught it. This worked well on the drivers side which happened to start just before September. Passenger side has been a trial of parts in various places. I'm confident enough I have stopped it as battery tray is dry. Just need to know I have stopped the condensation issue to prove it now. 
That hinge area has proven for many others the main problem so go with that firstly is my best advice really. I almost had myself talked into the rear quarter windows at one point but with how the water was running down just could not link it completely.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Nidana

Just an update really as all was looking really good in the last few weeks until today. As it was decent enough decided to give the car a wash and get rid of the accumulated road salt. 
So I'm at the passenger side rear giving it a rinse and wondering where is all this bird shite coming from as I've washed it down twice. Turns out it's the window seal on the rear glass as per pic so hoping to get it in this week to be rebonded or replaced. Replacement will be good as some of the grid sections have cracked so it doesn't demist effectively. 









Want to get it in quickly before it undoes everything else at the rear end.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## fubar7

I posted this on another member's page...if it helps at all.

I had similar issues with my MK2. After v heavy rain I opened up the tailgate and was greeted by a torrent of water coming out from the tailgate inside trim panels. The battery box (as I think you are indicating) was also wet. There seamed to be a major/significant leak coming in from somewhere...

The solutions I posted on this page are INCORRECT, so don't do them...

The tailgate leak...is actually coming in from the 3rd brake light area. The brake light unit must be STUCK down using double sided gasket tape....see my next post -on page 21.


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## ADB

fubar7 said:


> So what you need is 2 meters of P-Section weather strip (ebay £10 or less )attached to the side of the tailgate up to the tailgate strut (as shown), and about 1 inch length of 11mm Outside Diameter plastic piping which you insert into the tailgate spoiler weep hole as shown. Not the exact same problems as yours but you are right to think the tailgate gasket is a weak point. When I opened the tailgate, the top of the gasket was wet. Water is getting past the seal for sure. Best of luck to you.


Will this do?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Ca ... Swr0NfTJWM

My 2009 RS doesn't have the retrofitted strips that are supposed to channel the water from the spoiler when the boot is opened and instead drips into the boot. I can't find the post that showed a white TT with these fitted.... Will these P-section strips do the same job?


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## SwissJetPilot

These strips? The installation PDF is in the link below -

Seal, Left Rear - 8J8827359
Seal, Right Rear - 8J8827360
Seal, Upper - 8J8827669

FAQ - Water Leaks & Condensation Problems
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1897307


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## ADB

SwissJetPilot said:


> These strips? The installation PDF is in the link below -
> 
> Seal, Left Rear - 8J8827359
> Seal, Right Rear - 8J8827360
> Seal, Upper - 8J8827669
> 
> FAQ - Water Leaks & Condensation Problems
> https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1897307
> 
> View attachment 1


Yes, thats it. There was a post on here with a white coupe that showed these fitted I think.
My 2009 RS doesn't have then and when you open the boot any water under the spoiler (normal mechanical one) runs out and then drips into the boot. I think these 'seals' channelled the water back towards the hinge of the boot when its opened - they are expensive parts on eBay...
I emailed Audi about a retrofit, however they replied with the usual 'bring it in' and we'll assess it....

Hoping this £7.35 part does the same thing?


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## ADB

fubar7 said:


> So what you need is 2 meters of P-Section weather strip (ebay £10 or less )attached to the side of the tailgate up to the tailgate strut (as shown), and about 1 inch length of 11mm Outside Diameter plastic piping which you insert into the tailgate spoiler weep hole as shown. Not the exact same problems as yours but you are right to think the tailgate gasket is a weak point. When I opened the tailgate, the top of the gasket was wet. Water is getting past the seal for sure. Best of luck to you.


Does the P-section weather strip not need to be the other way around to channel the water?


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## fubar7

ADB:

I see what you're saying...

All of my solution described here (with these weather strips) is INCORRECT. The water is coming in from the 3rd brake light which has to be stuck down into position using double-sided gasket tape...see my next post..


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## ADB

fubar7 said:


> ADB:
> 
> I see what you're saying...the idea is to force the water collecting on the open section to roll over the edge and drip down into the water gulley asap by completely avoiding going near the gasket area. The water on the top edge will also roll away towards the back of the tailgate. The idea being to avoid any water going near the seal. It's a bit crude but it gets the job done.
> 
> It was chucking it down the other day and when I checked, my tailgate, all the gasket seal was dry and no water was collecting in the battery box. it was dry. There was some condensation on the lower part of the rear window the other night after I parked it up, but I think the sound proofing in the lower tailgate trim might be still drying out from being saturated the last time.


Sorry I'm not quite getting it, or we are talking about different issues...

When its been raining there is inevitably water collected under the spoiler (normal mechanical one) and when I open the boot this runs out of the edge and then into the boot. I thought the official Audi retrofit strips were there to direct the water backwards towards the hinge so it doesn't drip into the boot?


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## ADB

Just wanted to resurrect this as the water dripping into the boot from the spoiler recess when you open the tailgate is bugging me.
The retrofit strips are stupidly expensive so I'm hoping a cheaper alternative using some weather strip will work.

I think fubar7's issue is different to mine - I don't have water ingression into the boot unless I open the tailgate. When I do this, its the water under the spoiler and, if enough is there, water on the rear window running to the edge and then into the boot. The retrofit strips are there to direct this water backwards toward the boot hinge so it doesn't get chance to drip into the boot.

Wondering whether this would work https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5M-Black-T-T ... 1195.m1851

Andy


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## TT'sRevenge

ADB said:


> Just wanted to resurrect this as the water dripping into the boot from the spoiler recess when you open the tailgate is bugging me.
> The retrofit strips are stupidly expensive so I'm hoping a cheaper alternative using some weather strip will work.
> 
> I think fubar7's issue is different to mine - I don't have water ingression into the boot unless I open the tailgate. When I do this, its the water under the spoiler and, if enough is there, water on the rear window running to the edge and then into the boot. The retrofit strips are there to direct this water backwards toward the boot hinge so it doesn't get chance to drip into the boot.
> 
> Wondering whether this would work https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5M-Black-T-T ... 1195.m1851
> 
> Andy


Worth giving it a shot. As long as it doesn't look obvious/look stupid, if it works it works right?  I would otherwise say just don't open the boot when it has been raining but that is probably easier said than done in UK :lol:


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## fubar7

I believe this issue is complex and multi-facetted.

Although the weather strip on the side definately helped in my case, i think the leak is actually at the spoiler as well.

I know the Audi strip is v expensive (and unavailable), so the only solution now is to remove the spoiler assembly and use gasket sealer or silicone to seal it all along the edge as it fits to the tailgate, and all around the edge of the water trunking.

Because the drive shaft is above the lowest area in the indent, i believe that only needs a little sealer there.

That's my next move anyway. If anyone has any advice as to the best way to remove it, I would appreciate that.


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## GoCrackOneOff

fubar7 said:


> I believe this issue is complex and multi-facetted.
> 
> Although the weather strip on the side definately helped in my case, i think the leak is actually at the spoiler as well.
> 
> I know the Audi strip is v expensive (and unavailable), so the only solution now is to remove the spoiler assembly and use gasket sealer or silicone to seal it all along the edge as it fits to the tailgate, and all around the edge of the water trunking.
> 
> Because the drive shaft is above the lowest area in the indent, i believe that only needs a little sealer there.
> 
> That's my next move anyway. If anyone has any advice as to the best way to remove it, I would appreciate that.


I've just sorted my boot leak 7 it was indeed traced to the boot spoiler. Spoiler easy to remove, you need to remove the lower half of the tailgate trim and is fastened by 11 M6 nuts. I'd actually removed the spoiler from the mechanism arms first, this was held on by 4 T25 bolts. I then applied the sealant around the cut out on the tailgate & bedded the spoiler onto the sealant. Let it dry and tested with a hose, no more running water into the boot.


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## fubar7

Gud job GC,

by the way, was there any refit issues (alignment etc) when putting the spoiler (aerofoil) back onto the mechanism?

Also, when I preparing to remove my spoiler, I removed the trim and found one of the 3rd brake light mounts was wet, the spolier surround was actual dry, so i removed the 3rd brake light and found the gasket had broken up. the gasket is one piece and about 4mm thick, 400mm long by 25mm. I ended up removing it of the light and managed to make another one using twp layers of emblem double-sided tape. I suppose the brake light has to be stuck down into position. After fitting it, all the trim leak and battery box (even the lower tailgate gasket) is dry, so i believe it has solved all the leaks. Time will tell.


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## GoCrackOneOff

fubar7 said:


> Gud job GC,
> 
> by the way, was there any refit issues (alignment etc) when putting the spoiler (aerofoil) back onto the mechanism?
> 
> Also, when I preparing to remove my spoiler, I removed the trim and found one of the 3rd brake light mounts was wet, the spolier surround was actual dry, so i removed the 3rd brake light and found the gasket had broken up. the gasket is one piece and about 4mm thick, 400mm long by 25mm. I ended up removing it of the light and managed to make another one using twp layers of emblem double-sided tape. I suppose the brake light has to be stuck down into position. After fitting it, all the trim leak and battery box (even the lower tailgate gasket) is dry, so i believe it has solved all the leaks. Time will tell.


Umm, never occurred to me to look there, good spot, .

On refitting it all back in, there was no alignment issues at all, as the spoiler had left witness marks on the actuator mechanism.


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## crusnik91

Wolvez said:


> Tail light has a rubber on the number 3 on the diagram below


Hi guys!
Firstly would like to thank all the contributors of this thread because it has made my diagnostic of the leakage in my boot a lot easier. Also, like in the uk here in malaysia it is pretty darn rainy as well and it has finally taken its toll my on tt as well.
I've gone through a full striping of my boot and finally found out that when I spray water near my rear lights it starts to leak into my boot. Below are my questions on this issue. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated! [smiley=book2.gif]










*Question 1:*









Based on the picture above at point 3. there is a PVC seal covering the rear lights. I've notice mine does not have it. (please ignore the 3m tape I've put on.) Any one has the code number of this part or where can I purchase something similar to seal of the hole between the plastic and the rear?



















*Question 2:*
Should I also Seal off the area between the plastic cover and the body panel of the car?
I've notice I can easily separate the plastic from the car body panel as it is not sealed at all.



















Any advise would be appreciated! [smiley=cheers.gif]

PS @Wolvez It was your post I am referring to regarding the PVC any ideas on that part number?
https://audi.7zap.com/en/rdw/audi+tt+tt ... 009-609/8/


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## Wolvez

8J0 810 967 Left
8J0 810 968 Right
4L0945121A Tail light housing Seal 2x

Also check the spoiler drain. Only a piece of hairy tape holding the spoiler drain inplace when the spoiler is up.


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## The Stuart D

Rip said:


> Haha no, funnily enough I saw that video yesterday!
> 
> TBH though I wish it was that bad, at least then I'd know exactly where it was coming from.


Hi just a quick question did your amp cover ever cause overheating issues with your amp thanks


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