# Leaking Window Seals?



## alvin (Oct 7, 2013)

Happy New Year! Anyway, on a few few occasions now after HEAVY rain, the highest sill as you enter the drivers door has had a puddle on it about the size of the palm of your hand. Thankfully, it hasn't ran down onto the carpet yet, but if it continues this will happen I know. Leaking rubbers perhaps? :?:


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

Sounds like there is a leak between the inside of the door and the inside of the interior door trim. I think it would be unlikely to be the window seals. Remove door trim to further troubleshhot. This type of thing has been discussed loads of times, search the forum.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, If you mean water on this section, then it's normal, main seal is further in. 
If this area was sealed any water getting into doors couldn't drain away & would be trapped on sill.










***Just realised it's a Mk2, but probably no difference***

Hoggy.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Was perhaps the window regulator replaced on the same door?

To my experience it's very hard getting the cover plate back in, water tight. That results in water finding a way from inside the door to behind the door card. It will drip down from there, onto the highest sill.

For the time being, fold a piece of plastic around the window, so that the window and the upper part of the door don't get wet. While the water may not have touched the upper side of the carpet yet, it may creep between the plastic and the rubber seal and find a way under the carpet.

Picture 1000 words and so on:

Water should not get to the area marked by the red arrow. At the green arrow is OK. Water at the green arrow should appear less when the door is equipped with an outer rubber seal. I think this became standard around 2008. You can see the seal on the lower picture on my door, but I glued it on mine myself. Mine is a 2006 car.










The red arrows show where water leaks from the cover plate to the inside of the door. You can see the dirt marks from the water. The green arrows point to the fasteners of the door card. All fasteners have to be used. When I fitted my door card with just two fasteners as I had to get my regulator replaced a second time, but needed the car in the mean time, even these little holes were causing substantial leaking.










The damaged seal of the cover:


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Rain will always get past the windows seals & find it's way into door, as long as the door drains are not blocked, it will drain onto the sills & then outside.If the door drains are blocked they will fill with water & then the water may find it's way past the door card & into the interior. Normal for water to be on the sills. Check after you have washed her.
Hoggy.


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## alvin (Oct 7, 2013)

Thanks very much for the advice fellas. I only got the car (first TT) in Oct. so don't know if the regulator has been changed. The water is in the Red areas of the first picture so not good. I'll have a good look with door card off. Thanks again. Al


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, If in the RED area, check the door drains are not blocked first.
If the doors can drain freely, the water shouldn't rise enough to get past the door cards.
Hoggy.


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## Olsens (Jun 1, 2012)

I just came home after being away a few days and found my driver side carpet(lhd car) totally soaked. I will remove door card asap to troubleshoot in this area. I know the leak is coming from the highest door sills as described in the first post.

Love the pictures tt-driver. Thanks!

I think this leak could also explain why my left hand speaker doesn't work.

I have also had the same problem with a mkiv golf.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

You're welcome. Please do keep us posted


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

If you find the leak is as TT drivers dont faff about with silicone sealant etc. Get a new one its only £10 from Audi. 
TIP: when refitting the cover put the clips in from the bottom ensuring they are in correctly.


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## Olsens (Jun 1, 2012)

the minty1 said:


> If you find the leak is as TT drivers dont faff about with silicone sealant etc. Get a new one its only £10 from Audi.
> TIP: when refitting the cover put the clips in from the bottom ensuring they are in correctly.


Thanks for the tip. I was planning to use sillicone but will ask audi about the seal tomorrow. They probably cost a bit more here in Norway. I'm ordering new clips in case they break.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

@ the Minty1: do you have a part number for that seal? My dealer didn't have a clue and I couldn't find it in the parts list.


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

TT-driver said:


> @ the Minty1: do you have a part number for that seal? My dealer didn't have a clue and I couldn't find it in the parts list.


What i am referring to is the black plastic cover you remove to get to the window regulator. It comes with the grey seal already bonded to the cover. I replaced the drivers side (UK) , so the one on the right of the car. The part number is actually on this cover itself. I have the receipt somewhere if you still require the part no. Note that it is differennt for the left and right sides.

Just had a sniff on the net. This should assist, although it was cheaper form Audi parts dept.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sacat ... +8j&_rdc=1


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Ah OK. About 15 euros for the cover plate. Not too bad since there is an Audi logo on it after all. 

I used rubber like gutter kit to seal instead. Not much choice on a Sunday and I still had some left of the stuff. Works perfectly well.


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## Sticks (Sep 3, 2008)

I have this since having a regulator replaced. The info and pics are really useful, thanks very much. Just got to wait for a dry day now


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## Olsens (Jun 1, 2012)

I removed the door panel today. The seal around the speaker was totally rotten and there was water marks at the bottom of the seal shown earlier in this thread. I also found som old sillicone at the bottom of the seal. Someone had definately removed the door panel before.

Here's two pics of the seal and the speaker. I used sillicone everywhere. Even around the Clips when i fitted the door panel back on.

Rotten speaker seal


Old sillicone


The bottom drain holes on my car seemed open and fine. Underneath the door a little higher up then the lower drains is two holes with a rubber grommit in. I used sillicone on those two holes as well.

Has anyone experienced getting a engine warning light after removing the door panel?? Or is it just coincidental?

Pic of what's behind the door panel:


Pic from inside the door .
This one shows the back of the speaker. Looking Down inside the door


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## the minty1 (Mar 27, 2011)

Olsens, That looks as though there has been someone messing around in there, possibly the window regulator. I would just get a new black plastic cover with the new seal on it. The speaker one may be more tricky though as the speaker is 'built' into the speaker mount itself. If you remove the speaker mount form the door (red in your car) it is the same tape of seal as the window regulator cover. You can run with the speaker disconnected but cover up the hole with gaffa tape until you decide the best course of action. Remember to cover up the samll holes where to the door trim clips would be 
I have ran with the door trims off for a month at a time and got no errors.


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## Olsens (Jun 1, 2012)

I'll wait and see if the leak stops. I used sillicone on all the holes/seals at the bottom of the door, so the build up of water inside the door should have to be pretty high before causing a leak now.

Hopefully it's fixed. I will report success or not when i find out. The carpet will have to dry out before i know.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Olsens said:


> Underneath the door a little higher up then the lower drains is two holes with a rubber grommit in. I used sillicone on those two holes as well.


There was no need to seal those holes. They are there to allow access to the window height adjusters.

But it's clear someone performed a rough job fixing something inside the door.



Olsens said:


> The carpet will have to dry out before i know.


No real need. Open the door. Push a bit again the window, to the inside of the car. Use a sponge to release water against the window. Water will drip past the seal into the door, just as if it's been raining oh well, cats and dogs :wink:


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## Olsens (Jun 1, 2012)

Olsens said:


> I removed the door panel today. The seal around the speaker was totally rotten and there was water marks at the bottom of the seal shown earlier in this thread. I also found som old sillicone at the bottom of the seal. Someone had definately removed the door panel before.
> 
> Here's two pics of the seal and the speaker. I used sillicone everywhere. Even around the Clips when i fitted the door panel back on.
> 
> ...


Update: The engine warning light was coincidental and had nothing to do with removing the door panel. The warning light dissapeared after a while. It was an emission system warning light. 
I might still have a leak in the front somewhere. It hasn't been raining lately so I'll have to wait to be sure.


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## Karma 88 (Sep 15, 2016)

Hiya did you get this problem sorted? As I have water leaking into passenger footwell carpet from the sill. So annoying, a bodyshop man told me he would have to strip out the carpet and remove the seats to get to the root of the problem. Arrgghhh!!


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

Karma 88 said:


> Hiya did you get this problem sorted? As I have water leaking into passenger footwell carpet from the sill. So annoying, a bodyshop man told me he would have to strip out the carpet and remove the seats to get to the root of the problem. Arrgghhh!!


Not necessarily. The first check should be to remove the door card and check that all the seals to the door inner skin are intact. A leak on any of these will see water come out from the bottom of the door card and that is inboard of the door seal.
Remember that the door card fasteners themselves incorporate a seal so any broken or missing ones should be replaced.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

I once wrote down the knowledge I gained from investigating this topic. See here:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1144209


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## Karma 88 (Sep 15, 2016)

Thanks for all the help. I've just left the car in for discs and pads and mentioned water lying on upper sill, so the technician is going to do water test and remove door card to reseal. Fingers crossed it does the job. On failing that this link to cleaning drain holes is brilliant thanks a million!! I'll post the outcome of the resealing job..............


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## brittan (May 18, 2007)

TT-driver said:


> I once wrote down the knowledge I gained from investigating this topic. See here:
> 
> viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1144209


I've added this to the KB. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## Karma 88 (Sep 15, 2016)

Thanks a million fellas for your knowledge, inner door panel resealed, and 6 months later still no leaks!!!
No more sleepless nights.........


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