Hi All,

First off, I'm not a car guy, I don't drive so my apologies. Hopefully you can stop me tearing, what's left of my hair out.

My wife has an Audi A1 TFSi Sportback 2016, over the last 4 months or so we've noticed the passenger rear footwell having water ingress, started off damp and now, a small puddle, see images, a friend works at a garage so had the car in, the rest of the floor/footwells are dry, boot is dry, drain holes been checked under the windscreen etc, he 1st thought the passenger door card was the issue as the plastic clips, some were broke, so we had them replaced, inside the door was bone dry, so again nothing was found.

Now some say the doors should have a waterproof membrane in the door, whilst others say not, so if someone could say for sure.

So, we've contacted garages and body shops all of which say it's not a job they undertake, we contacted Audi who have said £150 an hour and a couple of weeks having the car, but no guarantee of locating the problem.

Car recently had its mot and the garage had a look but couldn't find anything, it seems to be getting worse, we are currently using cat litter in pillow cases to try and mop up the water.

We are at a loss and with the weather clearing up in the next few months, there's only a short amount of time to locate the issue, otherwise is waiting for the weather to turn again.

Thanks for reading and hopefully it makes sense.

Edited March 14Mar 14 by DEViANCE
spelling

Sorry to hear your news. I know only too well what water ingress does having come from a B8 Allroad and a leaking panoramic roof.

Which leads me to my next question, does the A1 have a sunroof?

Temporarily dealing with water by soaking it up and drying it out until the next instance will like cause issues down the line, as there may be convenience modules and electrics there. If you can do some of the work yourself, that will save money, as most of this is labour intensive.

If it was me, I’d strip out the carpets. Under the carpet is foam backed insulation. Even sticking a dehumidifier in the car won’t get rid of all the water. If you don’t do this the car will have a musty odour down the line, and you’ll need more than magic trees to hide the smell.

Invest in some tools if you don’t have, Torx drivers, anti-marr trim tools, socket set, including triple square bits, etc. Disconnect car battery and put it on trickle charge. Now remove seats, they will be triple square heads. Use 1/2” ratchet. Undo seat electrics including air bag wires (yellow). Don’t reinstall seats until everything is connected or you’ll trip error codes on the dash.

With the seats out, you have more space to work in.

If you’ve tried and checked the plenum (behind engine bulkhead) which regularly fills up with leaves on other cars and blocks, then water is either coming in on door rubber seals. Have you checked boot. Is it dry? Plenty examples of cars that leak at rear lights, or even equalising vents behind the bumper.

More details required. What’s the history of the car, any accident repairs, sunroof, etc.

Thanks gorcreplying Spartacus 68.

We only purchased the car in May of last year, 2 previous owners, no accidents as far as we know.

Everything else in the car is bone dry, apart ftom the rear footwell, the seals etc have been checked and we have been told they are all fine.

If someone could provide images of the ports that get clogged in engine bay, or anywhere else etc, I'm happy to have a look.

It's not feasible to take out the interior where we live, I just can't seem to find anyone in Plymouth, Devon to investigate the issue.

Another option is a leaking front windscreen, if it’s been replaced and not sealed properly.

Take a look, with the bonnet open. The trim that covers the area directly below the windscreen is the plenum chamber. Water drains here through rubber grommets on both sides. Leaves and other debris can block the grommets. You’ll need a decent torch. Any pooling water here, then that’s a likely culprit.