The devil vomits in my kettle (with a water leak)...

[S2central.net]

Water is somehow getting inside the A-pillar on drivers side - I have the most bizarre footage of it now... Where you can see droplets of water forming at the bottom ot A-pillar - just creeping out of the seam where the sill area is spot welded. Its really freaky looking. The surfaces above are dry - the water must be somehow getting inside the A-pillar and making this escape path. Its a very small amount now... But still a good size spoonful of water entering during a rain shower.

Stupid car - I hate it now. Feels like a really creaky leaky piece of old **** when chasing problems like this. Sigh

[S2central.net]

Just found this - seems worthy of investigation... Nice new look site there too BTW - makes me feel extra bad about the state of S2central.net

http://www.audi20v.net/home/index.php/problems-a-solutions/exterior/181-window-seal-leaks-coupe

[S2central.net]

Fitted these new brackets / buffers and there is a definite improvement now... Its almost watertight but it is still not perfect.

After as much testing as I could get time for today with a hose - the seal is not damaged and water is no longer creeping around the inner channel...
What seems to be happening is that any water getting onto the area of the door at the A-pillar is trickling down to the underside of the door where it manages to drip onto door seal.

I noticed that the problem reduced when I raised this corner section of the door seal - just by a small amount - I've teased it up a bit more and the last shower of rain was the next test. There are a few drips still getting in - damn car. Trying to think is it worth sticking some suitable rubber on the underside of the door just to try making it watertight. Anybody else got a BTDT on this ?

[s2avant]

Can't help on looking at a coupe but the brackets are all on back order so would be 7-10 days lead time. If the seal is intact then I'd agree that these are the likely culprit.

Ben

[S2central.net]

Its item 18 on the attached PDF... Which comes with a new door seal. Note the callout for double-sided adhesive tape on cars up to some point in MY93 - bit lousy as mines an early MY94... But maybe helps explain the issue.

About a tenner each side - so I might be lucky for once - gotta be worth a try versus 200 quid against an entirely new seal.

RIGHT = 895 837 838 B

LEFT = 895 837 837 B

[S2central.net]

I think on refitting with new brackets I'll use a bit of silicon sealer as well just to be sure (to be sure).

[S2central.net]

Pics attached of A-pillar with remnant of clip and the door seal with plastic bracket missing the end of its clip.

[S2central.net]

I stayed away from the garage a few days there - getting too depressed with the ever growing list of jobs - and little time to do them. Anyway - in with a fresh head looking for this leak in the door seal (somewhat eagerly as its ~200 quid for a new one) - looking for maybe a blocked drain in the door or anything else that would cause water to build up in the lower seal area. Found nothing...

Then at the top of the A-pillar I carefully tried to peel the door trim back and found that it came away rather easily - with some bizarre plastic inforcement part somewhat part of the seal, but it just flopped back towards the A-pillar when released and I had to look a few moments to catch onto what was wrong. I'll post up some photos to help describe this, but basically this plastic trim has an extended piece which clips into the pillar for a nice snug fit. Pity the clip has snapped off at some point. The seal simply isn't being seated tightly enough - I think so anyway.

Had a look at passenger side and strangely found the plastic bracket to be missing entirely - with remains of broken spud/clip also in the A_pillar. This side leaks the tiniest bit - but that door isn't use a tenth as often as the drivers side and I suppose the seal has managed to look after itself better.

Makes me wonder if the car has had a leak before my time - or a new windscreen maybe - though its a pukka AUdi screen -all the glass is. Best not think about it too much.

Off to check the family album and some bodywork diagrams next, but the meantime if anyone else can check their A-pillar door seals that would be great... But do this VERY carefully - if the seal doesn't come away easily then its probably clipped in just fine - pull too hard and you'll break the clip.

[S2central.net]

Aye polish - the wonder cure...

That A-pillar trim was a much harder find than the damaged cable grommet.

[Fat Audi 80]

And here's the root cause of the problem... This used to have a good dollop of factor fitted seam sealer around it - only a small portion remained and the the grommet itself was partially split. I know in the past I have cleaned out lots of leaves and other goo from that area - clearly I should have been checking it much more regularly.

I find a small amount of polish or wax behind the fuse keeps it clean and fresh too.

Glad you found the source of your troubles Paul. I am going to check my grommet now though, especially as my car lives in a garage, so I am unlikely to know about a leak until it sits outside in a down pour.

[S2central.net]

My only other worry is a wee rust patch (ohh the shame) - must have been a stone or something - at top corner of windscreen... I was wondering of water could somehow creep behind that - but you can feel the moisture on inside of upper A-pillar trim so I think maybe it is just the seal.

The seal itself isn't damaged - I guess it has just shrunk a bit after 15yrs of heat cycles... and thats enough for moisture to creep in. Can't think of way to pad it out any - haven't priced new ones yet either.

[Sonic]

Has exactley the same issue after the seal was refitted when the windscreen was replaced.

I took the seal out and replaced it again - been find since.

[S2central.net]

Bit of an update... I had hoped the 1st application of silico round that damaged grommet would have been good enough. It passed the 10 minute hose test so I deemed it alright.

The car sat in rain one night last week and I noticed water in the drivers footwell again - I couldn't see how it had come past the grommet again and all the felt directly below fusebox felt dry - so a bit perplexed.

I applied a bit more silicon just to be sure but a 2nd hose test found a 2nd leak which explains things further. Its the door seal on the A-pillar just where it meets the black triangle of trim on the door when it closes. Water is creeping in there rolling down the door jamb - where you can't see - then to the underside of the door where it manages to get inside of the seal on the sill... I'll post up some pics to explain better.

Its not coming in at a high rate - just a small drip that collects of course - I wouldn't see it with the carpets in.

Dunno how hard it is to replace the door seal - anybody BTDT ?

[S2central.net]

Some more useful parts worth noting for the carpet & underfelt refit... Firstly the underfelt on an MY94 B3 ABY Coupe is the same as listed on any old B4 of the same year - thats nice !

Wiring conduit 893 863 749 A (4-off @ 7.50)

Drivers footrest 894 863 737 01C (~6 quid)

Center underfelt = 893 863 877 (~70 quid)

Front underfelt = 8A2 863 921 A (from MY92 onwards - 200 quid - ouch - to heck with that - scrappy search starts now)

S2 Tunnel pads = 1J0 867 809 (2-off @ 6 quid - these are unique to S2 apparently.. they wrap over where the hot air ducts meet up at the tunnel

Interesting that front right wheelhousing (RHD) underfelt is listed as 894 863 930 but is NLA for LHD.

The CABRIO underfelt all seems different.

As to my car - all dried out sweet - no smell - and the silicon seal is holding up fine to the hosepipe test today so I think I'm good.
The car feels faster somehow now - probably cos I'm not carrying 50kg of water around - and cos its noisier with all the carpet and underlay out - brilliant noise of gearbox and turbo on song !

[s2driveruk]

well i guess I know what I am off to check tonight then, well found! Can't believe you had those cracks in the floorpan now :shock: