Water getting in !

[Spearo]

Okay - I’m foxed by this, I seem to have wet sound damping material in the back of an avant!
It’s not in the boot itself but in the left hand side compartment where, rather worryingly, a pile of fuses and cables live !
My initial thought was that it’s come in through the baffle that’s in there - but I’d be surprised- I though that was to drain water.
My wheel arch liner is intact, I don’t have a sunroof so no blocked drains, but somethings clearly wrong here!
Anyone with any ideas or experience of a similar problem ...

 

[pagenotfound]

The baffle is to equalise air pressure, I can hear the one on mine open and close when I shut the doors. If it has stuck open maybe water could get in, otherwise maybe it's coming in around the light cluster or the hose for the rear washer jet has split.

 

[Spearo]

Got a feeling having looked at it this avo that water might have been tracking into the boot along the wiring for the tow hitch !!! Going to silicone that grommet up and maybe route the wire differently .... fingers crossed !

 

[rasA4]

Any particular pattern for e.g when it rains
Have you checked around the light?

 

[Spearo]

Can’t tell -
Don’t know how familiar you are with that compartment of the car - the lights only really have two or three three bolt holes - there isn’t much scope for water ingress.
Also - The only bit of insulation that is wet I’d the floor piece - under the cables relays etc. So wherever it’s coming from is either low down or the water is tracking down the inside of a panel to only wet the floor insulation.
My sealing up of grommets that bring in the tow bar electrics wasn’t a fix - it’s still making its way in there !
Next step is to install beneath every possible hole or grommet using , lots of strips of paper with felt pen marks - so hopefully I can identify where it’s creeping in then !

 

[gregpot2000]

Give it a sniff.....if it smells like screenwash it's the typical rear screen wash leak that has affected Audi Avants since the beginning of time.. if it smells like water probably rain related.

 

[Spearo]

It’s definitely not screenwash, it doesn’t smell of cherries !

 

[WOLF]

More than likely the rear light cluster,I’ve had two avants suffer the same!

 

[jds_sg]

...or the water is tracking down the inside of a panel to only wet the floor insulation.

My experience recently of tracking a water leak albeit in a different vehicle is that where the water is now is almost irrelevant as it will always end up in the lowest place, usually the spare wheel well, wetting absorbent stuff en route.

My advice would be, if you haven't already done it, is to remove as much trim as possible in the rear area, along with carpet on the boot sides, and try and see into the void between the outer panels and inner components that are all welded together to make a strong structure. There are usually loads of tooling holes, lightning holes etc in these inner panels. Try to see under the roof lining too at the rear. Prepare to get your knuckles scraped and use a powerful led torch.

Then try to make it leak. Start by applying water from a low level and keep checking, working your way to the top. If you can force it to leak then you have a chance of finding where it is coming from. If possible get someone on the inside (rear seats down, crouching in the boot) while you hose it outside.

Finally, don't ignore areas where you think it won't leak, like welded seams around the top of the hatch, where it joins the roof and hatch hinges. On modern vehicles these are common fault areas. On a newer vehicle, where there isn't any corrosion or crash damage, it usually a more unlikely source, not an obvious one like a grommet, or boot seal, but of course check everything!

Good luck, I know exactly how frustrating it is doing this.