As above really,

I have an A6 2.8 Quattro Avant with around 97K. We have had some heavy rain recently and the rear RHS of the floor behind the drivers seat (right hand drive) is under at least 2" of water.

The first thing I wanted to know is if there are any drain plugs like on other cars that I can remove to get rid of the water? I have looked but can't seem to find any.

Secondly, I have looked under the bonnet round the battery and it all seems to look very dry, the battery cover isn't exactly a tight fit, but it's still dry. Could someone please tell me where else i could look for water coming in? The rest of the car is dry but the back floor on the right side only is like a pond and the car now stinks

There are no marks on the headlining to indicate a leaking sunroof, but I wonder how the hell that volume of water can get into the car!?!?! Even when there is only average rainfall here in the UK I am still able to wring out 5-6 towels worth of water and the floor still isn't anywhere near dry. I have looked under the door and there are 2 drain holes, one at each end which are clear and there is a gap where the 2 skins of the door are folded together, but as this is the same on the other door, I assume it's normal. If the water is coming in through the door, I can only assume it has to be coming in somewhere that overhangs the actual interior floor ie: under / between the door card, but surely the door would have to 'fill up' first - and with the drain holes being clear this shouldn't happen.

If anyone can help I would be really grateful as if I can't get this sorted the only thing I can think to do is drill a couple of holes in the floor and get shot of the car...

Also if anyone has any pictures to help explain it would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance guys,

Stewart

 

common water entry points are under the battery, look for and clean the drains, the sunroof drains and the a/c lines going through the firewall.

That's all I can think of. But when the battery drains are plugged your front seat foot wells get wet not the rear, same with the A/C lines. I'm leaning towards sunroof drains. Try blowing compressed air through them and see what happens.

 

Thanks Jeffla,

Could you tell me where I can find the sunroof drains please? Is there anywhere I can find pictures to see? Also, if it is the sunroof drains and I sit in the car with a hose on the roof, where would you think I would see water coming in?

I assume that it can't be a door seal?

Thanks again.

Stewart

 

try this"
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=c...8uaJY9CVHPZ0Ww

http://img101.imageshack.us/i/sunroofdrain.jpg/

I really don't know how water is getting into your back seat. Is the front seat area wet at all? Maybe the front is getting wet, but you park at an incline so it all pools in the rear? The battery drains are the most common source of water in our cars.

 

Thanks again Jeffla,

The image was a big help.

What I don't get though, is if the tubes are blocked, wouldn't the water pool and leak around the sunroof? Or are you thinking the pipe might have split somewhere leaking water into a cavity in the bodywork around the C-pillar?

I know that there are vents in the floor for heating, so I suppose water might be passing from the bulkhead area into these and then out onto the rear floor? Do you know if these vents are separate for left and right? I assume that they would be central and then split into 2 (L&R) which should mean that both rear sides should be soaking?

If it is a split or block in the sunroof drain tubes, is it a DIY replacement?

Thanks again for all the help on this, in the cold weather I really don't want the baby being driven around in a car that leaks and is full of stagnant water, so if I can get this sorted it will be a huge help.

Cheers,

Stewart

 

My guess on the sunroof is I have read in the past about people having water pool on the floor from plugged sunroof drains.

I really doubt it's the sunroof though. I still think it's coming from the battery drains being plugged.

I'm not sure about the heating ducts, I know they do separate, but do they start as one, I have no idea.

Have you checked the battery drains, you have to remove the battery to check it.

 

Most likely cause is a blocked or cracked sunroof drain. Second most likely cause is a bad door seal. Start your engine, put your defroster on HIGH, close all the windows and doors and wash your car. Use lots of soap. Look for bubbles. Bubbles are potential sources of leaks. The bigger/more the bubbles, the more likely the leak. Let us know what you find.

And, you get a clean car to boot!

Bob

 

cheers Bob,

Also, does anyone know if there is a guide online that could help me to remove the rear bumper cover? I have looked and can't seem to find one. Jeffla posted a link to show me where the sunroof drains are, but it says to clean the rears the rear bumper cover has to come off, but the link doesn't work.

Thanks again for all the help guys,

Stewart

 

I don;t know what year your car is, but this may help you, or at least give you a general idea of what you're looking for (although I highly doubt you get water pooled in that rear footwell b/c of a clogged drain; a cut tube might give the likelihood of a slow sip under the plastic cover of the C-Pillar, but you'll not get that much water filtering in between the sunroof weatherstrip and edge of the roof - no matter how torrentially it rains):
Unclogging Sunroof Drains.
Good luck

P.S. I would rather check the door's weatherstripping/rubbers on that wet side, or perform the experiment Bob eluded to.

 

get a house and drench your front windshield. then check the air filter. see if its wet ... water might be entering through there ..... i had/have this problem also .... i covered the filter with a piece of plastic and it seemed to stop ... (might not be a repair ... but it helped for now)

also check and see if the front pass. gets damp