Drenched rear seat!!!

[elshiftos]

Welcome to the forum. Glad you figured it out. I've never seen another car brand so prone to leaking in so many places. This has to be the second most common problem right behind the thermostat leaking.

Thanks Jim!

In the process I managed to pop the drain plug out but was unable to find it on the ground under the car. Does anyone know if it's ok to leave the plug out, or should the hole be closed off to prevent ingress?
Thanks

 

[elshiftos]

The fact that the vent assembly had come unmoored is troubling. Was it snug when you fitted it back on? Some people experience the leak from a loose vent and apply a bead of silicone caulk around the frame. You might want to remove the bumper skin and do that.

Exactly....and the fact that the vent had come to rest on the inside of the body is even more troubling! Has someone been there before and fitted it on the wrong side?...who knows.
Initially, the vent wouldn't stay in place, so I prized the clip parts out so they bite onto the body and that seems to have done the job.

 

[Leonardp]

If for ANY reason you have to dislodge the plastic housings for the tail light wires (upper part of the rear hatch) either replace them or coat them with silicone sealant. I finally figured out water was getting in through them and collecting at the back of my headliner. Headliner was wet to the touch and water stained afterward. Occasionally I would also see water on the trunk liner. Dealer could not figure it out, insisted it was clogged sunroof drains. I told them what I thought it was, they didn’t believe me. When I suggested they put silicone around the wiring housings, the service advisor was like, “I don’t even know if we have that in the shop”!!! I am about as non-mechanical as any human being could be and I figured that out. No one wants to take the time to assess problems anymore. People are just fucking lazy!!!

 

[krissjw]

Thanks Jim!

In the process I managed to pop the drain plug out but was unable to find it on the ground under the car. Does anyone know if it's ok to leave the plug out, or should the hole be closed off to prevent ingress?
Thanks

Would be good to know, i pulled loads of trim off to get the the passenger side and just pushed the rubber seal out to let the water drain away. On the driver side i just reached under rear and pulled the rubber plug out. Saved having to pull the trim away but fancy just leaving the plugs out to ensure don't get any more water building up but likewise wonder if this swapping one issue for another.

 

[MC92]

Like most here I've just gone through the process of sealing around the vents, purchased my gtd in jan last year, not long into owning the car found the spare wheel well filling up with water, rear vw badge drainpipe was broken which was replaced under dealer warranty. Yesterday was giving the car a quick vacuum and sure enough more water ingress. Took off the rear bumper to find the fitment of the rear vents was shocking, extremely loose not a fear of keeping water out and both trays filled with water. I removed the vents and resealed with some tec 7 sealant and bored a small drain hole in the rubber bung. Hoping this is the answer to the issue.

 

[SIRBOYCHUK]

I’ve had the exact same issue with my 2015 GTI. A month or two ago found my spare tire well filled with water. Used a Shop Vac and got all the water out, dried out the liner etc. , but didn’t have much time to look into it. A couple weeks ago noticed the back back seat was damp, so I lifted it up and squeezed the cushion from the bottom and it was absolutely drenched with water, and so was the spare tire well. (It had rained pretty hard and almost everyday for about a week-week and a half) I used the Shop Vac and sucked as much water out of the cushion as I could while squeezing it (wringing it out) and dried everything back up again, and kept everything out of the hatch. Did some research and came across this. Two days ago I vacuumed everything out and sprinkled a bit of baby powder in the whole area and then washed the car. Found water coming from the rear right Vent. Pocket behind vent filled with water, bottom vent flap out of the four was also wet, so I checked the other side and it was damp, but not like the right side. I dried everything up, cleaned everything up with isopropyl alcohol and was gonna seal the vents with RTV silicone or PRC sealant, and someone suggested “Flex Seal” from the infomercia’s. I watched the flex seal videos again on YouTube and decided to give it a shot... I got the liquid stuff which is decently thick (viscous) in black so I could see exactly where I was putting it. I used a small 3/4” paint brush and put that shit all around the edges of the vent, the bottom of the four vents, the bottom of the compartment behind the vent, the welds in the corner, and alone the rear aft wall at the bottom along to the other side, and did the left side as well, but not as much. I applied a second coat the next day (today), removed the tail lights and ran a small thin bead of silicone around the foam seal on each tail light and re-installed the tail lights, then replaced the broken POS drain line coming from the symbol on the hatch. Gonna let everything dry for a day or two, then go wash the car again and see if I can find water anywhere. If it’s not any of those things then I’ll be at a loss for what it could be. I have a question : Does anybody know if I should drill a couple holes in the floor part of the hatch, or beneath those vents, or anywhere like that? I sealed over all of those useless “drains or drain plugs” that apparently didn’t work in the first place.

 

[amsr]

My 2017 GTI appears to be doing something similar. Went to check the pressure of the spare tire and found some water in the spare tire well and some mold starting to grow on a section of the carpet. Lifted the back seat and the foam under the leather was also damp with mold starting.

I booked it into the dealer because I have some warranty left, but at this point I think I’m going to have to have the carpet in the trunk and the back seat bench replaced. I have no idea how long it’s been wet.

I have no water stains on the headliner or the carpet in the actual trunk or cabin, just the wheel well and under the back seat. I’d never have know it was leaking if I hadn’t taken a close look at the spare tire well. This is a really bad problem to have in a relatively new car.

 

[amsr]

I have to say, my rear bumper was replaced because of a dent about a year and a half ago. But this issue only showed up recently. As far as I can tell it was dry as recently as this April (the last time I was in the trunk/spare area).

I have a hard time believing that this issue is due to a faulty repair or collision, but I guess it’s possible. I live in an urban area and I think I’ve had rear bumpers replaced or refinished on every car I’ve owned due to parking lot dings or low speed collisions. I’ve never had this issue and never even heard of it. Every car has these vents. That being said I guess I’d be curious if everyone with this issue has had work done on their bumpers? Golfs are common enough that shops would seem to know about these vents, I’d think?

 

[KyACRASH]

I have to say, my rear bumper was replaced because of a dent about a year and a half ago. But this issue only showed up recently. As far as I can tell it was dry as recently as this April (the last time I was in the trunk/spare area).

I have a hard time believing that this issue is due to a faulty repair or collision, but I guess it’s possible. I live in an urban area and I think I’ve had rear bumpers replaced or refinished on every car I’ve owned due to parking lot dings or low speed collisions. I’ve never had this issue and never even heard of it. Every car has these vents. That being said I guess I’d be curious if everyone with this issue has had work done on their bumpers? Golfs are common enough that shops would seem to know about these vents, I’d think?

I have this issue, been documenting/troubleshooting in a different thread (link below), and yes, my car was rear ended last year. Didn't notice the leak until recently but I'm not entirely sure when it started. I am replacing the vent seals and will add sealant to them as well, hopefully the problem will be fixed.

https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/inde...he-spare-tire-well.386159/page-3#post-7708257

 

[TedStriker]

Guys, VW have known about this issue for over 20 years! It happened a lot on the Mk4 Golf which came out in 1998 and has an almost identical design. Only last week I siliconed up the rear vents on a 2002 Golf which were loose fitting and leaking. Why they persist with this design is completely beyond me.

 

[amsr]

What/how did you silicone them?

 

[KyACRASH]

What/how did you silicone them?

Automotive silicone. something like this:
https://www.autozone.com/sealants-g...ulti-purpose-adhesive-sealant-3-oz/526764_0_0

I just put a bead around the border before I put the new seal in, then held it in place for a minute.

 

[jonese]

The later part of this video also points out issues with the "pressure vent".

 

[amsr]

Yeah it’s a terrible design.

 

[Bugeye-Bob]

Bit of a thread revival, but after a Google search it showed me this thread,
I have discovered my estate is suffering a wet rear seat, I guess the vent check is still applicable but wondered if any other estate owners had any other tips that may help me track the problem down.
tia