Sunroof Drain Hoses / Water in Spare Tire Well

Well, now it's time to tackle some well-known issues.
Today, while changing the tires, I needed the wheel lock and found an aquarium in the spare tire well – the water level was 4 cm high.

I know that my car will have the drain tubes of the panoramic sunroof replaced free of charge if there's a problem with them (TPI number 2023456/3 from April 7, 2011). I just thought I wouldn't have such a major issue and could wait until summer to get it done.

Despite everything, I want to be on the safe side and see where it's coming from, which direction it's originating from.
The water is running into the spare tire well (which must be on the left side).
Sometimes water takes mysterious paths...
I've now applied watercolor paint and drilled holes in the drain plugs.

There's still quite a while to go until the service appointment after Christmas.

Have you ever had a car accident from behind?

RedR32 wrote:

Have you ever had a crash at the back?

No - not that I know of.

The AHK (trailer hitch) was installed by the Volkswagen dealer after the car was originally purchased.

I'm pretty sure it's the drain hoses for the panoramic sunroof. I'll just have them fix it now; it doesn't cost anything, so we can see what happens next.

Hmm...
...I'm not exactly being particularly clever right now - which I had almost suspected already.

You can clearly see that the water is entering much more on the right side of the vehicle. Especially in the lower right corner, all the paint has been washed away. This isn't surprising, as the water tends to flow backward when starting.

The water also leaks from the groove at the top edge all around when turning.
which in turn made the entire experiment questionable.

The only thing that stands out from the attempt is that the water seems to be coming more from the right side of the vehicle.

But the rainwater drainage tubes and drain holes on the sunroof are located on the left side.

Hmm... well, all the plastic trim at the back would have to be completely removed, right down to the seat bench – everything needs to come out.

That thought gives me a real sense of dread.

I just remembered that I had a new fuel tank lock mechanism installed about three weeks ago, and it was done free of charge.

Could it be related to that?

There's also a water drain hose located in the area around the fuel filler cap.
Does it go through the interior?

Actually, does it go down to the undercarriage?

hkss wrote:

I'm pretty sure it's the drain hoses of the panoramic sunroof. I'll just have it checked now - it doesn't cost anything - and then we can see what happens.

I unfortunately have to correct myself – I absolutely didn't want to make a false statement here.

Contrary to the initial verbal confirmation from my customer service representative, I will not be receiving the replacement of the rainwater downpipes free of charge – despite having a warranty (TPI).
As we have heard sufficiently already, the TPI has nothing to do with any goodwill arrangements.

Yes, but I don't want to just let that be easily dismissed.
I have now contacted Volkswagen directly, as well as Autobild (through their reader complaints section). I had contact with Autobild...
I had extremely positive experiences years ago.

The technical product information (TPI) regarding the rainwater downspouts (procedure number 2023456/3) describes a manufacturing defect (poor workmanship).

If I have to pay for this myself, I don't think that's fair, and I will do everything I can to get a reasonable concession or refund.

I would try removing the rear paneling. The wiring for the trailer hitch and the taillights are also potential sources of problems. With that much water, it should be relatively easy to find the source using a hose.

Here's the translation:

Images to illustrate: You can see the kinked water drain hose on the right, and also notice that the hose was located at the bottom.
It slipped out of the nozzle, so the water flowed into the car instead of outside.
The entire thing, starting from the soft edges, is so incredibly trivial and full of errors...
I really don't understand why they didn't use adhesives or sealants here – everything is just loosely fitted together.
And you can also see the water droplets hanging beautifully – just like in a picture book... uhm... TPI number 2023456/3.

Thank you for the information - and I learned something new again.

The problem with the rubber grommets (which protrude from the A-pillar between the hinges) is known to exist in the Golf3. Over time, these grommets become clogged, and then...
When frost forms, the sleeves slip off the hose.

It's quite incomprehensible why the hoses aren't routed all the way to the outside using a simple fitting and a one-piece design.

I've experienced something similar; just like you, the green hose was kinked! I replaced it with a thick fuel hose from the sunroof to the bottom, and since then, there have been no problems.
"There's a lot of condensation in this car," I said. "My friend was surprised that the windows always fog up from the inside, even in cool weather, and without using the air conditioning."

Thank you for the many pictures!
I suppose I'll have to explore the trunk of our Octavia 1U soon before it's too late.
Luckily, the fuel hose is transparent, so you can immediately see if it's blocked anywhere.

Hello,
"Does anyone have instructions on the best way to remove the trim panel in the trunk? I'm also having a problem with water collecting in the spare tire well of my Touran, and I don't want to break all the plastic clips when I take it apart."
Thank you in advance.
Nils.

Hello!
Here you'll find everything you need.

https://erwin.volkswagen.de

Thank you! I'll try to tackle that page.