My A6 2000 model 2.4 is leaking water on the passenger side after every car wash or heavy rain please assit me the vehicle has bot being involved in an accident before.

 

check the drains in the scuttle area ( lower windshield area) leaves are a common problem here

 

Usually sunroof drains leak into the upper pillars(a and c to be exact) but its also a possiblitly. Also check you fresh air intake box. If its full of water you have leakage around your pollen filter seals.

 

I am getting a lot of water on the passenger and driver's side floorboards. I thought it was due to driving through some higher standing water during a rain storm. But one week later after a light rain both floorboards were soaked. I will try to clear out some drains and see if that works. I will say one thing the Audi dealers seem to have a universal ability to not really understand a problem ? I have to think they know what is going on, but like a good politician, Deny, Deny, Deny, then Deny some more. Then if there is a vidoe tape, Deny some more.
I will call three dealers and report back what they say.

1998 A6, 2.8, non quatro, 120k miles.

 

Should the cabin air filter have a cover over it? I don't recall ever seeing it exposed and when I took off the trim piece that is about 6" wide and runs along the entire windshield, I noticed the filter exposed. I reset the tirm piece that is directly agains the window, it seemed to clip-in in a few spots. I drove through some rain last night and there did not seem to be water leaking. I looked for the drains near the firewall and could not find any. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

Here's the scoop...

The area behind the engine has drains that are known to get blocked if they are not periodically cleaned. Leaves and other debris get in there and clog the drains. When water flows down the windsheild or across the hood, it builds up in this area and can enter the passenger cabin through the clean air intake along the passenger side. Most often, people first encounter water in their cabin in the area of the passenger footwell -- exactly what's happening to you.

While not listed anywhere in a manual, it is important to consider cleaning the area as part of routine maintenance -- particularly if you park the car outdoors. To clean the area out, remove the rubber weather stripping along the leading edge of the plastic plenum cover (the large, flat piece of plastic which covers the battery). The plenum cover will then slide forward and up to be removed. If you know you've got a blockage (as you do), you'll want to remove the battery as well because one of the drains is located underneath it. If you're just doing routine maintenance, you can probably get by without removing the battery. Remove all the gunk, and then get a hose and run some water into the area to ensure that the drains are flowing properly. If the water does not flow freely out of that area, you're still clogged. If it runs freely, you're free and clear.

As I remember it, the pollen filter is exposed (but covered when you put the plenum cover on).

I think the key steps you missed here are removing the batterly to FULLY clear out that area and running water to ensure you are unclogged.

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

 

I tested the sunroof drains. Open the sunroof and both front doors. If possible park the car on a slight downgrade. The plastic wind deflector can be removed, but it is not necessary. On front corner of the sunroof slowly pour some water from a water bottle. You should see water run out of the door. I have not had any more water for now.

 

Did you check the other drains? -- The ones that are in the rear of the engine compartment, where the battery lives. If you haven't, I'd strongly suggest it.

 

If you have a water leak, attend to it immediately. It is a serious situation and causes other problems. I took my wipers off then took off the windshield trim piece. There are three clips to remove it. This may not be needed, so you might try it without this. Looking at the floorboard picture. Feel in the area above the foot rest, there is some insulation there that is from a wiring tube that runs up to the ECU. If that is wet you are getting water backing up around the ECU and then into the tube and into the floor board. I removed the cover on the ECU and found some water. Dry it out and put it back on. I took a shop vac and a paper towel tube (a piece of hose would work better) and put the tube to the vac and just fished around in the back of the ECU. I did find a lot of debris. I then took the shop vac and put it on blow and more debris came out. I did the same thing under the battery. I then put a little water under the battery, and it drained out fine, then on the windshield above the ecu, and some water around the ecu and it drained out OK.

 

I had this water issue as well...and it ended up being the battery tray drain, which was clogged by small "oraganic" debris (leaves, etc). The design of the drain hole includes a rubber grommet, which also serves to make the hole smaller and easier to clog. The rubber grommet can be best decribed as doing what downspout guards do. If you ahve those wire-crowns that fit over a downspout in the gutter of a house, it is there to prevent large debris from going down the downspout, but what it ends up doing is erstrict the flow of smaller debris as well, and over time, it just ends up clogging the downspout opening, and water will just fill up the gutter, spilling over the sides.

When this happened to me, my dealer kept the car for 3 full days. They not only removed the entire carpet to dry it out completely before reinstalling, but they removed the ruber grommet from the hole as well so it will not clog as easily.

Wet carpet is bad...lots of electrical stuff (including the tranny control unit) that can get damaged.