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Megane I - Leak in Drivers Footwell / Glovebox - W/Pictures!

8K views 28 replies 4 participants last post by  renofan 
#1 ·
Okay I'm a little confused about the drainage in my Megane - I found this morning the drivers side carpet is soaked, i'd noticed previously that the glovebox gets wet too. Anyway - I had a little look at under the scuttle panels on the window and there looks to be a hole (pictured and circled) where it drains - but it just seems to drain right into the battery bay.



This was filled with sludge and crap (pictured), which i've cleared, but I can't actually see (or feel) where the water is meant to go.



I've had a look through and seen lots of metions of drainage pipes but no idea where they are!!

Please help!

K
 
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#2 ·
Hi sorry to here your bad news:( i wish i could help but iam not the familiar with your model but like you say iam sure there is a drainage hole there help it drain away from the scuttle panel:confused:,

Iam sure another member will help soon,good luck all the best Donald
 
#6 ·
Right - I'm narrowing it down - it seems the water is coming in through the windscreen. I unclipped the tweeter covers and there was a puddle of water behind them where it meets the windscreen - how would I go about sorting this?!?

Thanks

K
 
#7 ·
First thing I would do is take away as many panels/covers around where you think the leak is coming in and get someone to throw water over the car with a hose while you're inside to make sure you have found the source of the leak. Then I'd get windscreen sealent (from motor factors) and not silocone (as this can eat through the paint etc) and seal up as neatly as you can. If you're sure its the windscreen and you have windscreen cover on you're ins policy it might be just as good to get a new one fitted!
 
#8 ·
Doh!

Right - think the windscreen thing may have been me being a bit over zealous... I'm certain I know where the water is coming from now.. See below..



and trickling down and puddling by the centre console...



So I removed the plastic and pulled back the carpet and foam and it definatly seems to be coming from that area - as you can see the foam there is soaked...



I had a look but there really seems to be no obvious place where it is coming in to get there - it's difficult to hose it down as I live in a block of flats!

Anyone got any clues?

K
 
#9 ·
It could be from the scuttle under the wiper cover (the black plastic cover at the bottom of the winscreen) or the rubber around the door could be worn and letting water in. Could you take the car to a garage and hose it there and have as many parts/covers off as this will be the beat way to find the source!
 
#10 ·
It gets weirder - it's worse than it was this morning - but the car hasn't moved - and it hasn't rained either. The carpets are saturated now. It's just plain ol water too - not from the coling system or the screenwash.. I'm getting quite upset about it all now as the car smells like a wet dog. :mad:

It's definaltely coming in around the door area. Skuttles are all clear. Rubber isn't perished - one thing I have noticed is water likes to sit on the sill on that door to the point it's looking a bit rusty. Which is odd.

I've chucked some water over it - but there is no sign of exactly where it is coming from! I really can't afford to take it into a garage - but i'm starting to think i'll have to :(

K
 
#11 ·
Oh my god!!! I've found the problem....

It's the sunroof... well more exactly the drainage pipe on the passenger side! I noticed the water was sitting on the passenger side of the sunroof. I poured some water into the hole, and it started 'backing up' looked in the footwell and the water was pouring in!

I can see the pipe goes down to the footwell - does it link anywhere? Wondering if it links to a drain on the passenger side of the car..

K
 
#12 ·
I think the sunroof drain pipes should end up behind the rear wheel liners at the front wheels:)
Have you tried gently probing the tubes with a piece of soft wire or such. If the water can't get away through the tubes it will spill over and run down the inside of the head cloth.
 
#14 ·
Really need some advice now! Okay... pipe if blocked. I used some 4 core telephone cable and gently fed it down the tube.. It gets stuck i'd say roughly at the top of the wing - there looks like mud down it, and I can't get it down any further! I don't want to force it too hard and get the tubing disconnected. Anyone got any smart ideas?!?

HELP!!

:eek:
 
#17 ·
As already mentioned in my previous post you may have to get in behind the front rear wheel arch liners. It is well known for them to become blocked with crud at the lower end.
One other thing you could try is using a piece of stretchy curtain wire and slighlty uncoil one end into a mini cork-screw. As you insert it down the tube keep turning it in one direction and it may soften the blockage. Don't force it or you may pierce or dislocate the tubing. Under no circumstances be tempted to use compressed air or water pressure as there is the liklihood of blowing the hoses off:)
 
#18 ·
Might think about getting the arches off tomorrow - is it that complicated?!?! I'm assuming - wheel off - undo some screws?!?

BUT... it looks like it might be working... just put some hot (not boiling!) water down - and been pressing.. i've got the wire down further now and also the water doesn't seem to be making it into the car.. obviously time will tell but it's definatly getting better.

Next question - how the hell do I dry out the carpets - well to be more precise, the foam backed stuff?!!?

K
 
#19 ·
If the drain pipes are clear you should be able to see the water spill out on to the ground under the car. access to the lower ends involves removing the wheel and rear plastic arch liners.
Drying the carpets is a pain and unless you can get a dehunidifier it may take many weeeks but try and prop up the carpet when the car is not in use:)
If the car had air-con runing the heater system in re-circulate also helps.
 
#21 ·
Well - I thought i'd test as the water doesn't appear to be coming into the car now... I took 100ml of water and poured it through the drain hole - car is dry.. BUT... only a few dribbles came out under the wheel arch :(

I'm I right in thinking the drain is on the back of the wheel arch on the door side of the car??

K
 
#23 ·
Right.. Well - I went back to the car later and found a small puddle under there - so the water is getting out now. It also doesn't seem to be going into the car either. Although I'm not convinced it's totally clear. My dad is going to have a look at it at the weekend - he's a retired mechanic so he has all the tools and gubbins to actually sort it!

K
 
#25 ·
Right... success!!! :)

I *think* the problem is sorted.. dad cleared the drain area under the wheel arches... LOTS of mud.

Interestingly though - the water was also getting in somewhere else too.. there were rivet holes that seemed to go straight down under the sunroof into the headlining. So these have had some sealant put on them. Just gotta wait and see now if all is good. He also took the rather wet and stinky foam backed lining out so that can dry off properly.

Just gotta wait for the next rainstorm now to confirm it's sorted - but it's looking very very good!

I'll probably write up a long 'how to' with photos to help others!

K
 
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