Water ingress in front passenger foot well

[spacebat]

Hi there

(My Yeti is a 2010 1.2 Elegance and does *not* have a sun roof.)

A few weeks ago I noticed a damp smell in my new 3 month old Yeti. This smell got worse over the course of a week. At the weekend I was hoovering the car and when I lifted the front passenger rubber floor mat up I noticed it was visibly wet underneath. I then felt the carpet and that was wet to the touch. I spent the following week trying to dry it out by blasting the dual aircon on max heat and fan setting but to no avail.

I found the two little gaps in the carpet that exist underneath the passenger seat (near the front) and was just able to slide my hand in under the carpet- it was even wet as far up as there!

I saw the posts on this forum regarding other Yeti owners who had had water ingress problems, but every one of these was for a Yeti with a sunroof, and the general consensus was that the fault was due to the sun roof and its associated drain channels/flaps. My Yeti does not have a sunroof.....

So to sumarise

-The Elegance model features an auto-closing window system which rules out the chance of windows being left open and rain getting in. (This is definately operating correctly)

-I have no sun roof

-I have not spilled any fluid inside the car

-I have indeed been diving through some torrential rain over the last few weeks (the windows were closed at these times)

-I have not used a car wash or pressure wash at all (its only been hand washed and the windows were closed at these times)

-The wet/damp can be felt from where your feet would sit, right up to under the passenger seat, and only exists in the front passenger area of the car)

- I'm relieved to find that the smell isn't coming from me LOL!!

- My dog says I owe him an apology!

So I'm posting this up here just in case anybody else has noticed/is trying to deal with the same problem, and I will keep this thread updated as the situation progresses. Next step is to telephone the dealer.....

Edited 9 September, 2010 by spacebat

[spacebat]

Ok- just spoke to my dealer (Vindis Skoda Cambridge) and am really happy to say they were most reassuring :-)

They told me I'm not the only one, and infact they just fixed another Yeti that had exactly the same problem in the same area of the vehicle- phew!!

They weren't sure whether that car had a sunroof or not but did tell me that the problem was not caused by the sunroof anyway.

I explained that I'd read elsewhere on this forum of the nightmare one poor Yeti owner went through when their dealer/Skoda Customer Services refused to accept there was a fault at all, and attempted to bill the owner for refitting of the carpets and mats that the dealer had removed as part of their failed investigations- but my dealer assured me that won't be the case in this instance and its all under warranty anyway- what a relief!!

So- next week I have to take the Yeti in to them. They are going to strip off the carpets and sound deadening matting too. They will dry this and the car out completely over the weekend and then start looking for the cause (hopefully the same as the other Yeti they fixed). I should have my Yeti back by the following Wednesday.

Will keep you posted....

Edited 9 September, 2010 by spacebat

[The Plumber]

Hi,

sad to hear you have such an issue, do get the odd bead of rain coming through the top of the drivers door seal in heavy rain (to be looked at on next service) but not that this would cause your problems.

Sounds like a dealer visit unfortunately :( but from experience the following are possible causes:

faulty door seals or door adjustment incorrect

front windscreen gap in bonding letting water through (windscreen change? or factory fault)

bodywork seam not sealed correctly (were required)

leak on cabin heater matrix (check coolant level)

wiring loom/pipework grommet through bulkhead not fitted correctly

leak from rear wash/wipe pipe as it passes through the cabin

blocked drains in the plenum chamber (the area directly in front of the windscreen)

Anyway hope you get it fixed and I would insist if it's a warranty issue that they replace the carpet/underlay as you will be stuck with that mouldy smell indefinitely, particularly on a warm day (my sons Furby I has this problem from when it had leaking carrier seals which is a known problem on the Mk I's).

TP

[Onesque]

Did the dealer give any indication what the source of the problem might be? I was wondering if it was due to leakage from the heating system (if possible) or rubber grommet not fitted to the floor or front bulkhead?

[Onesque]

Looks like TP and me were typing at the same time. I've never been one for fast typing, two fingers about 8 wpm is about my limit plus keep having to correct the auto-insertion the iPad likes to make without you noticing lol.

[harriemeeh]

nothing on passenger side, BUT driver side is wet... after recent long trip decided to give yeti a hoover and after removing all mats to do a "proper job", noticed a wet patch probably 30cm squared. i wouldn't have noticed had i not removed the floor mats. perhaps it might be worth other yeti owners with mats doing a quick test just to make sure their yeti is OK?

Mark

[JonA]

My guess is a misalligned or in some other way faulty drain from the AC-evaporator/heater matrix box under the dashboard. If this drain doesn't work the way it should, all the water that condenses on the evaporator (which can be quite a lot) will end up on the cars floor instead of under the car like it is supposed to do.

I hope your dealer takes good care of you and your car and sorts this out!

[harriemeeh]

My guess is a misalligned or in some other way faulty drain from the AC-evaporator/heater matrix box under the dashboard. If this drain doesn't work the way it should, all the water that condenses on the evaporator (which can be quite a lot) will end up on the cars floor instead of under the car like it is supposed to do.

I hope your dealer takes good care of you and your car and sorts this out!

thanks for that. I'll update post visit to dealer later in week.

[lee67]

checked mine earlier bone dry

[g6zru]

Hi there

(My Yeti is a 2010 1.2 Elegance and does *not* have a sun roof.)

A few weeks ago I noticed a damp smell in my new 3 month old Yeti. This smell got worse over the course of a week. At the weekend I was hoovering the car and when I lifted the front passenger rubber floor mat up I noticed it was visibly wet underneath. I then felt the carpet and that was wet to the touch. I spent the following week trying to dry it out by blasting the dual aircon on max heat and fan setting but to no avail.

I found the two little gaps in the carpet that exist underneath the passenger seat (near the front) and was just able to slide my hand in under the carpet- it was even wet as far up as there!

I saw the posts on this forum regarding other Yeti owners who had had water ingress problems, but every one of these was for a Yeti with a sunroof, and the general consensus was that the fault was due to the sun roof and its associated drain channels/flaps. My Yeti does not have a sunroof.....

So to sumarise

-The Elegance model features an auto-closing window system which rules out the chance of windows being left open and rain getting in. (This is definately operating correctly)

-I have no sun roof

-I have not spilled any fluid inside the car

-I have indeed been diving through some torrential rain over the last few weeks (the windows were closed at these times)

-I have not used a car wash or pressure wash at all (its only been hand washed and the windows were closed at these times)

-The wet/damp can be felt from where your feet would sit, right up to under the passenger seat, and only exists in the front passenger area of the car)

- I'm relieved to find that the smell isn't coming from me LOL!!

- My dog says I owe him an apology!

So I'm posting this up here just in case anybody else has noticed/is trying to deal with the same problem, and I will keep this thread updated as the situation progresses. Next step is to telephone the dealer.....

[g6zru]

Had this on a Roomster Scout with panoramic roof, which was the first suspect. The roof had been replaced and the fitters carefully examined it but found nothing. Eventually the windscreen was removed and resealed and it was cured. A little while later I got a call from the dealer to say that there was a recall on the windscreen! New screen was fitted 3 months ago and despite monsoon conditions since the inside remains dry.

Fred

[Macdemon]

That's good news then Fred :yes:

Edited 15 September, 2010 by Macdemon

[spacebat]

Hi there.

Thanks for all your interest and all your replies!

I have just taken my Yeti to the dealer and left the vehicle with them, with any luck I can pick it up next week :-)

Interestingly my dealer said that Skoda will not replace the carpets or sound matting as they never do. :-(

He said he can put in the replacement request, but they will just turn it down. All they can do is dry the carpet and matting out and refit it, having hopefully cured the water ingress.

As far as I am concerned I don't mind if its not replaced with new providing that the carpet/matting no longer has a bad smell. I'm hoping that the odor was simply an artifact of live bacteria due to damp warm conditions. In theory if its made totally dry, all bacteria will then be dead, so it can be cleaned and refitted and there should no longer be that damp smell any more?

I'll just have to wait until I hear from the dealer again I guess........

Cheers,

Al.

[leckman]

Would of thought asking for new carpet/sound proofing will be a very modest request.There is obviousley a fault on the car which caused the water ingress,I would of expected Skoda to authorise replacements without any fuss.

[JonA]

The sound proofing mats will take ages to get perfectly dry, and if it is hung up to dry somewhere hot, it might loose it's shape.. Will make the carpet look bad when put on top of it when dry. The carpet itself is thin, and shouldn't be a problem to get dry :|

[kenfowler3966]

The sound proofing mats will take ages to get perfectly dry, and if it is hung up to dry somewhere hot, it might loose it's shape.. Will make the carpet look bad when put on top of it when dry. The carpet itself is thin, and shouldn't be a problem to get dry :|

When my superb had the typical water leak problem during the warranty period, all the carpets, and the underlay in the wet area were replaced by Skoda without question.

I would expect any item damaged by a warranty fault to be repaired, although you could understand if it is only damp and not damaged that thorough drying out would be tried first

[Yeti_Man]

Hi there.

Interestingly my dealer said that Skoda will not replace the carpets or sound matting as they never do. :-(

He said he can put in the replacement request, but they will just turn it down. All they can do is dry the carpet and matting out and refit it, having hopefully cured the water ingress.

That would so not wash with me Im afraid. Under no circumstances would I accept the vehicle back!

Ive seen interiors of an Octy Mk1 refitted after a leak and it appeared as though the carpet had actually shrunk away from the trim panels a few months later and the owner said that it still smelt inside the car. :(

[FirstTimeSkoda]

Hi,

sad to hear you have such an issue, do get the odd bead of rain coming through the top of the drivers door seal in heavy rain (to be looked at on next service) but not that this would cause your problems.

Sounds like a dealer visit unfortunately :( but from experience the following are possible causes:

Hi, Plumber - interesting comment about the 'bead of rain'. I got this as well, on my 58-Roomster - dealer couldn't replicate the fault with a pressure washer but I later showed them the partially wet seal that indicated rain ingress. Although they eventually said they could order in a new seal, I decided it wasn't worth the hassle and didn't want the trim panels being ripped apart. It's an easy DIY fix, though - simply insert a length of silicone tubing (mines was 8mm diameter) into the body-door seal. The tubing is flexible and soft but sufficient to give a better seal to the top of the door. Alternatively, you can buy flexible rubber extrusion from Woolies - this would also work.

Did you get yours looked at, BTW?

Regards.

Edited 17 September, 2010 by FirstTimeSkoda

[pecifico]

Hi,

I am facing similar issue with my Soda Yeti ambition from couple of weeks . It started with the first rains and as I stepped inside the vehicle in the morning - found water collected on the floor mat and water was seeping in under the glove box (front passenger side). It took me an hour to get the water out, the same day I took the vehicle  to Skoda authorised service station - they checked and said it was due to leaves / dirt clogged under the bonnet and they have cleared it. They tried to charge me , however I didn't pay. Took the vehicle back - for a week no leakage, I took the vehicle for a pressure wash and  after the wash when I drove home water again started seeping inside. I am fed up - called the authorised service station , they are asking me to leave the vehicle again for check-up.

 

I feel these Skoda guys  are not able to establish the snag and are just beating around the bush. I cant keep wasting  my time , need help !

 

I have a local garage next to my house - today I have left the vehicle with them to check- lets see what happens!!

[Macdemon]

I have never had any water ingress issues, but offer my sympathy as its quite clearly a very distressing situation.

Hope you get it sorted once and for all. :yes:

[7029bob]

The sound proofing mats will take ages to get perfectly dry, and if it is hung up to dry somewhere hot, it might loose it's shape.. Will make the carpet look bad when put on top of it when dry. The carpet itself is thin, and shouldn't be a problem to get dry developed

Hi

I have a old lady living next door who has a o3 Fabia ,through general neglect it suffered with leaking window seals and the carpets / underfelt were soaking also very smelly with the normal white discolouration.

I took it to our local Skoda dealer explained the situation and was assured things could be dried (which I had doubts about ) and obviously seals replaced.

I was amazed on picking up the car it was dry no loss of carpet shape after refitting and had been valeted immaculately, 5 months later it is still dry so has obviously been cured.

The garage kept the car for 5 days to get this result.

As a matter of interest there is less than 7k on the clock on a car this age.

I have no doubts judging by this that your Yeti will soon be back as it should.