200: Water leak (passenger door)

[VolumeX]

Check the seals on the side mirrors, check they sitting flush.... the water seems to be coming in from the front

 

[Roshi69]

Can anyone confirm if water should be entering the door? Is that normal so longs as its pouring out the drain holes at the bottom?

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[turkie172]

It will not matter if the wind deflector is on or off now the seals around the glasses guide/groove will be distorted by now take the wing mirror off and check it's seals and go to a scrap yard get a full set of strips for that side of the car door and door frame should cost very little. The door is capable of allowing some water to drip down and run out the bottom remember water runs downwards so it cant come out the bottom of the door and then go back up through the door frame through the body seal make sure you tape up the door membrane when your done. Your leak is above the speaker and the door itself the hard work is done shame its a white car I would have put chalk on the rubbers and then looked where the chalk had not rubbed off as a sign of a bad seal or a coloured liquid that leaves a trail behind and can be cleaned up after. Also water can seep between the deflector and the mirror mounting base that's up against it basically if water can sit it will penetrate.

 

[Roshi69]

@turkie172

Do you know how to remove the wing mirror?

Its so strange. the water is getting into the door (and dripping out the bottom) but no idea how it gets actually into the car.

It has to go back to charles hurst for them to look at on wednesday so i dont really want to mess about too much. but this is the 4th time it will have been up so think i needed to investigate the water source for myself and get the help from you guys.

Much appreciated btw, I would never have found it on my own lol

*sorry guys, eventually found it in the search here: http://clio197.net/threads/wing-mirror.28580/#post-345308

I will get another look tonight*

 

[turkie172]

Its dripping onto the back of the speaker housing that's how its getting inside, the inner door trim is inside the passenger door frame seal. Helpful word here don't let them keep the car over night as back in 2004 the mechanics took my work college's Clio 172 to diagnose a rattle on first start in the morning it was totally immaculate not even a stone chip anywhere they crashed it between Lisburn and Comber and drove in the rear quarter panel and sill.

 

[Roshi69]

I got the wing mirror off earlier and had a look. can you see anything obvious from the pictures? do you think that highlighted little nick in the foam could be the issue? I've only gave it a clean and put it back together cause I don't want to touch it any more or Charles Hurst will mess about.

I've had an absolute nightmare with it. 4th time going back now and there's too much to even write here but I think stuff has happened also. with them having a Charles Hurst Renault you'd think they'd replace parts they 'threw away,' with actual Renault replacements and not a make shift job! Only had the thing about a month when it started and they initially brushed me off. its costing me a fortune and inconvenience with time out of work etc, just want it sorted so I can clean it without being scared of a soaking floor!

 

[Antti O]

Pour water straight in the side glass, and take video where water is leaking out.
My friend had similar problem in E39 touring BMW, and the steam blocker foil was incorrectly glued in factory. The part which is between door / door panel.

 

[Roshi69]

Pour water straight in the side glass, and take video where water is leaking out.
My friend had similar problem in E39 touring BMW, and the steam blocker foil was incorrectly glued in factory. The part which is between door / door panel.

I created a video the other day when I had it stripped. you can see where im pointing the water and where its dripping down.

When you look inside the speaker hole you can see it runs down the very side of the glass and drops down from there.

23 seconds in shows it best

Still don't know how it gets into the car though. Because it does seem to be dripping out the bottom of the door okay. Unless when the door panel is on, it runs down the back of it then out the bottom on the inside of the door rubbers

 

[Antti O]

Mm.. that is completely normal. It is normal that when you wash car or it is raining water goes between glass and gaskets down to door. Thats why there is drain holes in the door.

 

[Roshi69]

Mm.. that is completely normal. It is normal that when you wash car or it is raining water goes between glass and gaskets down to door. Thats why there is drain holes in the door.

It is? [emoji47]

Back to the drawing board then I guess. I've no idea where the water is getting in [emoji24]

Its not consistent either which makes it worse.

Have changed weather strips (quarter panel rubber), checked and cleaned all drains and tested with pouring water in them.

First Renault and its just my luck lol. absolutely love the car otherwise too do its heartbreaking to own it just over 3 weeks then this all starts and be stuck with it 3 months later still with the same problem [emoji22]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys. much appreciated

 

[Antti O]

I am quite sure that how it should work. Because if i wash my car, there will be always water inside doors. How i know? After washing if i open doors , the water will drain out from doors. Exactly same happened in my E46 BMW. There is drain holes in the lowest part of doors.
I have had 3 Clio 3 RS models, and it has been like that every time.

 

[skny]

I'd agree with Antti O, the seals are there to stop most of the water, the drains are there to get the water that found its way in out, and water will always find its way in, if its not in the volumes that get the whole carpet soaked wet than there's nothing to worry about, if you had a real leak you would find your whole footwell filled with water - I had one like that in my previous 197 that had the factory sunroof, literally three buckets of water... seats out, carpets out and a weeks worth of drying the carpet and the sound deadening layers. So if its anything that can dry out by itself within a day or two then its ok, and the path of the water on your pictures, I think its actually the water from the door seal, it takes the water from the A pillar, some amount flows along the seal and will find its way out somewhere at the bottom.

 

[Roshi69]

I'd agree with Antti O, the seals are there to stop most of the water, the drains are there to get the water that found its way in out, and water will always find its way in, if its not in the volumes that get the whole carpet soaked wet than there's nothing to worry about, if you had a real leak you would find your whole footwell filled with water - I had one like that in my previous 197 that had the factory sunroof, literally three buckets of water... seats out, carpets out and a weeks worth of drying the carpet and the sound deadening layers. So if its anything that can dry out by itself within a day or two then its ok, and the path of the water on your pictures, I think its actually the water from the door seal, it takes the water from the A pillar, some amount flows along the seal and will find its way out somewhere at the bottom.

initially it wasn't just a little bit of water. there was a terrible smell developed after about 3 weeks of owning the car.

While looking for the source of the smell i noticed the back carpet was damp.
I put my hand under the passenger seat and under the carpet/foam and it was completely flooded. I mean not a but damp of wet, completely flooded (when i put my hand in it was surrounded by water all round).

This is my worry of it happening again. Thats why even a little water coming in is worrying me.

Cheers

 

[Wisenatcho]

initially it wasn't just a little bit of water. there was a terrible smell developed after about 3 weeks of owning the car.

While looking for the source of the smell i noticed the back carpet was damp.
I put my hand under the passenger seat and under the carpet/foam and it was completely flooded. I mean not a but damp of wet, completely flooded (when i put my hand in it was surrounded by water all round).

This is my worry of it happening again. Thats why even a little water coming in is worrying me.

Cheers

My experience was the same, even a little bit of water every day for a week will soon add up! I understand it may be normal for the doors to drain water, but not into the cabin...

 

[Roshi69]

Did you ever get to the bottom of your leakage? I'm running out of ideas.

It was supposed to go back to Charles Hurst today but I can't go without a car for a few days and they can't lend me one due to both parts of my license being away (updating address). Having no luck at all, Should have kept my Hyundai Coupe SIII. never had any bother with both of them over 5 years [emoji23]

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[dulevo666]

Just a thought but if the water is under/behind the seat are there any rubber grommets that are missing
in the floor pan ?

 

[sevenfourate]

Did you ever get to the bottom of your leakage? I'm running out of ideas.

Should have kept my Hyundai Coupe SIII. never had any bother with both of them over 5 years [emoji23]

All good things need a little upkeep. Take my wife for example........

 

[Roshi69]

Just a thought but if the water is under/behind the seat are there any rubber grommets that are missing
in the floor pan ?

No idea mate. I'll have to have a look.
Though there's no water whatsoever underneath the carpet now.
Though as far as in aware Charles Hurst haven't done anything to fix it as they couldn't find any water coming in.

I'm dreading just waiting until the smell comes back and would rather test and prevent! lol

 

[wozz]

Hi, I'm not trying to hijack your thread (although I'm desparate!).... Sorry this is a long rant.
I have a similar problem, Clio 3 2012, 3 door, very low mileage, no sunroof always been dry suddenly found underside of passenger seat and behind passenger seat saturated. The car doesn't have a sunroof and has been dry from new (I'm 2nd owner but I bought from someone I knew well.)
Obviously I went online to investigate hence why I'm here.
I did find build up of water in the scuttle on that side and cleared the drain, but I couldn't understand why it wasn't wet (maybe a bit damp- hard to say) forward of the passenger seat, which I would have thought would be the case if it was overflowing from the scuttle? IS THAT THE CASE? Where does scuttle water go when it can't drain?
A visual investigation shows all plugs present underneath. I was praying I'd find something amiss because I drove home one night through some very heavily wet roads, and noticed it after that, but that could be complete coincidence.
Looking at the area that was affected it seemed to be localised around the passenger door, but as has been said many times water finds the lowest point so it's very hard to find the ingress point.
The weather hasn't been suitable to strip it down, and I've now wrecked the foam under the seat trying to squeeze out all the water, used £££ paper towels, not to mention that when temp drops outside condensation on inside is unbearable (especially when it freezes!)
In the meanwhile I'm guessing it's it's coming out of the passenger door and working it's way under the perfect door seals! (They are perfect, I've examined them very carefully) That said, so far I couldn't see any evidence of water below the level of the door card on the paintwork below it, but I have to wait for drier weather and a mate who can hose while I look carefully. I would have thought that any water coming out of the door should drain onto the cills and to the outside, unless, like the OP it's coming out of the bottom of the door card, which is effectively just about on the inside of the car.

In the meanwhile to prove the point (or not) I cut a long strip of polythene and laid it over the door seal and cill (see photo), on the grounds that if it is coming from the door that will stop it going back into the car.
So far (and it's early days) it doesn't seem to be getting wetter, but since it's not completely dry yet and the foam was sodden I can't be sure if that's stopped it. This is going to take a long time to investigate/fix.
When either door is opened after rain, a lot of water pours out of the bottom of the doors, less so on the passenger side than the drivers side (maybe a clue in there as the difference could be what's ending up in the car!). There is some sort of mechanism which retains the water in the door until it's opened, but like the OP I can't understand this on 2 counts: 1. Why not just let it drain out over the sill, why retain it in the door? Does anyone know? 2. What happens if the car is stood for a long time in the rain (or if it's being washed), does the water just continue to rise in the doors??
It was suggested on another forum that there was a lot of water in the doors because of the seals on the bottom of the windows, so i cleaned them but it's made no difference to the the amount of water the doors collect, although this is an aside as it's always done this even when it was dry inside.
I'll try to report back when I know more, but any suggestions or info is welcome.

 

[-Eddie-]

The Clio has a ‘wet door’ system (as most cars do). The water runs down the window, between the window and door seal and makes its way out the bottom of the door. There is a membrane on the inside of the door card which, if damaged or detached, can let water enter the car. I’m guessing you haven’t had the door card off yet to check if he membrane is fixed as it should be? Also, have you checked the drain hole at the bottom of the door? It could be that something is blocking it causing the water to back up and enter the car that way.


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