Document: Golf IV / Octavia 1 Water ingress at the doors (Solution)

Vehicles:

. Audi A3 8L
. Skoda Octavia 1U
. VW Golf IV / Bora
. SEAT Leon 1M


Error:

. Water ingress at the doors, where water often accumulates in the frame seal and then flows into the interior, especially after heavy rain.

. This can be provoked by spraying the gaps between the door and the fender with a high-pressure cleaner.



Cause:

. Door seal at the bottom of the door (lip seal) is worn, torn, or compressed. This is designed to repel water from the top, running down the side; however, after a certain age, it no longer does this, but instead directs the water like a gutter onto the inner door seal.


Short-term emergency repair:

. Expand the poetry. The lower sealing edge is shaped like a round pipe, so it is hollow inside; for a temporary solution, a suitable elastic material can be introduced into this round pipe; this "thickens" the sealing edge and restores the pressure against the A-pillar and the sills.

>> Material Type: I sprayed the seal with an elastic car body sealant. It is a temporary solution until the replacement seal is available.



Permanent Solution:

. Replace the gasket (approximately €15-€20), either by removing and replacing an old gasket or by having a new gasket ordered from a dealer.




Tips for Golf IV / Bora:

. Before replacing the seal, rule out the possibility that the cause is not a leaking door frame seal; the seal between the door and the frame plate, located below the door cladding, is also often leaking. Not available individually, Repair tip: Body sealant or suitable elastic sealant tape.

>> to identify when the dampness is not just on the seal, but is visibly running out from under the door frame.



>> In a Skoda Octavia 1U, there is no carrier installed, but a foam sheet, which is usually not the cause of the water ingress.