# Wet carpet in a Roadster - blocked roof drainage system



## martinrmiles (Jan 31, 2021)

Had a very recent problem with my wife's 2015 Audi TT Roadster where the carpet on the passenger side was absolutely soaking wet. 
After some online research concluded the problem was probably due to the roof drainage. 
Cycled the roof opening back to the stage just before the flaps close and the problem identified, the area where the roof mechanism resides was bone dry on the Driver's side - but the passenger side was full of water. 
On either side the roof drains into a plastic container which has drain at the bottom inner side and from that a rubber pipe takes the water away and exits the car underneath. 
On the passenger side the drain had clearly become blocked, resulting in the water in the plastic container overflowing into the inner frame and then seeping into the passenger compartment. 
By squeezing my hand down to bottom of the container was able to feel the exit hole and create a bit of plunger pressure on it. At which stage the water started to drain away at an awfully slow rate. Obviously needed some way of clearing the pipe out. Came up with using some flexible plastic tubing used for garden water system, attached to some plastic tubing used for electric work attached to a bicycle pump. After a lot of effort managed to get the flexible tubing into the drain hole and inch it through the drainage pipe whilst giving it some positive air pressure via the bicycle pump. About 25cm before it would go no further. Withdrew it and poured some water into the container which now disappeared rapidly with a nice gurgle. Problem solved. 
In the water now running out from under the car came 2 small twigs and a collection of sycamore seeds, together with some brown gunge, making the source of the plug apparent. Wind-blown debris from autumn storms had ended up trapped where the roof meets the rubber seal and when the roof has been lowered had fell into the water catchment system. Then ended up in the drainage container and formed a plug in the exit hole and pipe. 
As a preventative measure I also removed a few sycamore seeds out of the driver's side container and cleaned all around the flexible plastic material at the lower edge of the roof that channels water to the drainage container. You can access this by closing the roof to around 90%. Also gave all the rubber seals a good clean too. 
So if your car is kept outside and subject to leaf fall something to be aware of. 
I am thinking Audi should have fitted a filter gauze to the exit hole to prevent debris getting stuck in the pipe or add a task to the service to check the drainage (an air compressor with the right attachment would very quickly ensure the drainage pipe is clear). 
Some pictures attached and a link to a video describing a similar problem on a MK 2. The Mk 2 does not have the plastic water catchment system but a blocked drain results in the same problem, a wet carpet -


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi Martin, Welcome to the TTF.
Very common problem on all Mk1, 2 & 3 TT roadsters.
Not sure where the Bose Amp is on the MK3, but that suffers from the same water ingress.Vorsprung durch Technik :? 
Thanks for the video, I'm sure it will help some.
Hoggy.


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## pcbbc (Sep 4, 2009)

Hoggy said:


> Not sure where the Bose Amp is on the MK3, but that suffers from the same water ingress.Vorsprung durch Technik :?


Hoggy. No Bose on the MK3. It's got B&O sound system.

Amp is under the passenger seat.


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

pcbbc said:


> Hoggy said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure where the Bose Amp is on the MK3, but that suffers from the same water ingress.Vorsprung durch Technik :?
> ...


 [smiley=thumbsup.gif] just waiting for a wet carpet.
Hoggy


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

You've correctly identified the problem and found a simple way of fixing it. Audi would end up charging you £2000k plus to sort this (labour costs mainly).

As you have found small seeds and debris can find their way into the drainage trays and block the narrow outlet causing the water to gather and spill over, eventually finding its way under the carpet. Small dried berries blocked mine. 
Accumulated sludge can also block these outlet channels.

The system is very similar to the Mk2 roadster and there's quite of bit of useful info in their Knowledge base &#8230;..
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1831981
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1944945

Access is very limited. I used a siphon to remove the water and then a short length of hose attached to my vac to suck out the berries.

Be warned though it could take many weeks for the carpet to dry out. Apart from a thick insulating matting there is also an impermeable membrane under carpet. I mopped up the worst by pressing cloths into the carpet and then ran a small fan heater each day for over a week, pointing it down to the floor. The water will probably have found its way to the front footwell too.


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## moro anis (May 27, 2010)

Welcome to the form Martin. AN excellent write up and thanks for posting. Hope it all dries soon.


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## martinrmiles (Jan 31, 2021)

I can confirm that drying the carpet out is going to take a long time. 
The carpet in front of the passenger seat, under it and behind was soaking wet. Despite using a carpet vac to suck the excess water up, 3 rolls (so far) of highly absorbent kitchen roll and small fan heater, the carpets are still damp. 
Should be dry by the end of lockdown!
This will not happen again, not only shall I regularly check the drainage containers, but I have also invested £50 in a half cover too.


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## Mr Grinch (Mar 20, 2021)

Hi all, seen this thread and i feel im not alone in my pain. 
Im not a "car person" if you do what i mean, no idea about tech jargon etc but i did want a Mk1 TT convertible so bought one last year. 53 plate, low milage, good condition.

Now around the autumn i noticed a lot of condensation in my car, dash steaming up, internal glass and in the boot. Stupid but i bought a few of those condensation pads which clearly could not cope. So one day i had a feel of the passengers side carpet, soaking wet. Behind the seat the same and when i looked on the passenger shelf, in the corners, they were wet. It seem like the water was getting in, running down then onto the floor. I knew nothing about the containers that after reading this, are there.
So i mopped up the excess was paper towel, then spent a whole day with a hair dryer drying it out. I then bought a decent cover and left it for the winter.
MOT time yesterday, it passed and then i took it to a local hood installer. Now here is where i need some advice, he had a quick look and i mean quick and said the seal gullys need to be replaced as water was getting in but he said by the time you have done that, you may aswell get a new hood for the extra few hundred quid. 
Now im no expert but IMHO the roof is in good condition, clearly looked after by previous owners. There was no evidence of water getting in except in these corners just behind the seats. Now ive read about these pipes getting blocked then even if i changed the whole roof, now i know water is supposed to get in then surely i would have the same issues. 
What you be your advice ? As a non car person, the idea that it was normal for water to get into the cabin is ridiculous but now a know that maybe its not a hood issue but a drain issue.


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