Recently I’ve been noticing a water sloshing noise coming from infront of me when I first start my car and a water draining noise when I go up/down the first hill I hit when I drive. Someone previously mentioned it might be water in the sills… I had an investigate and noticed the drain holes behind the seatbelt towers were clogged solid with years worth of rotten black sludge (and a 2p coin that on cleaning was actually a corroded 10p!) These holes are now clear and working perfectly.
This however doesnt seem to be the problem, this morning I managed to get my head in the right position to hear where the water was and its sounding like its in the bulkhead infront of the driver position. Obviously I dont want water sitting around anywhere inside my car, so does anybody know where any drainage holes might be around the front end/engine bay that I can clean out and hopefully deal with this problem?
The rubber seal at the bottom of my windscreen is a bit loose on the drivers side, exposing an inch or so at the end before the plastic plate that the windscreen wipers are set in. Could this be the problem? Is that a superglue job?
After the foulness that was my seatbelt tower drainage I’d appreciate info on any drainage holes, as I’m sure they all need a good clean. Inside and underneath for the NB specifically if possible!
In the last two pics in this FAQ you will see the sill drain holes, poke a small screwdriver in to all 4 of them, and watch the water run out. AFAIK there is nowhere in the bulkhead area for water to accumulate—
When I cleared the seatbelt towers I had a look along the sill to try and find the holes underneath where the last two pictures have circled, theres certainly no open holes there which could be the problem! I’ll step out at lunch and have a poke around in those areas see if I can find any non-metal bits with a penlid. I’m assuming theyre quite small or just so clogged theyve streamlined with my sill and become difficult to spot. My sill definately looks different to the one in the picture, and does have some lining or something on the body (assuming its dampproofing or chip protection, looks factory done as colour coded and smooth to body)
The body has a layer of stone protection from the waist down and over the sills, The holes are there, may take a bit of finding, maybe a thin penknife blade. If you can’t find them, post here and I will take a pic tomorrow—
Ok I knelt down in the gravel and managed to find them, theyre actually quite easy to find cos of the little bulges infront of them so I feel a bit silly, I think I missed them because theyre behind the lip On initial prodding they seem clear, but I didnt manage to get my penlid in deep at all so I’ll shove a thin screwdriver in and jiggle it a bit when I get home tonight see if that solves the problem.
Cheers again Geoff, and Tim for the PM, very helpful… Fingers crossed it actually stops the water retention!
As for the flap of rubber on the windscreen do you guys reckon a superglue fix would be ok there? Its the first thin strip of rubber water would hit when going down off the windscreen that I’m talking about and roughly 4cm of it on the end is trying to climb the windscreen rather than sit in the gap its meant to. I just want to make sure superglue wont damage anything there really.
Right then I poked one of my girlfriends hairgrips up into the sill drainholes (quite handy those things) and theyre completely clear and dry as a bone, yet this morning once again I get loads of water sloshing around infront of me and draining out on the first hill. Where is this water?! Its got to be in the engine bay/bulkhead somewhere. I was looking in the rear view mirror to see if I could spot which side it was draining out of on the hill and it looks like the drivers side (right)… There must be something blocked on the run off from the windscreen?
Have you checked the drain holes in the doors. I know you say the noise is coming from in front of you, but noise tends to travel round a car and sometimes comes out somewhere different from where it originated. There’s a good chance that its water in the drivers door.
Hello to a fellow south devonian! I checked the door holes last night, theyre the best condition drain holes on the car. Perfectly clean and dry. Its definately coming from the engine bay somewhere, I’ll have a good root around tomorrow morning and see if I can find where its sitting before I take the car out to my mechanic mate who’s having a look at my gearbox (I have to drive into a Mercedes garage… sorry car)
It’s funny you mention this issue - I’ve heard exactly the same noises, and it only seems to happen for me when I’ve parked on a slight incline at work with the front of the car higher than the rear. To me, it sounded like the sloshing was coming from the bulkhead on the passenger side, but after braking a couple of times the water presumably sloshes out of wherever it’s been collecting so by the time I get home there’s no evidence of it…
I’ve not tried clearing the drainage holes in my sills yet, but recently I’ve not heard the sloshing sounds so it’s skipped my mind until I read this thread.
Next time it does it I’m stopping immediately and having a poke around!
Ok so on saturday morning, knowing that the water gathers where I park it overnight, I had a good nose around under the bonnet before moving the car. I found where the water is sitting, its in the section under the top of the bonnet where the rain goes when it runs off the windscreen and the plastic rain channel at the bottom of the windscreen… For me its gathering in a pool on the drivers side up against the bit where the rubber seal goes across the full length of the opening. There is a natural dip down there and it looks like it might be meant to just overflow out the side into the sill/behind the wheel somewhere. Doesnt look particularly dirty, maybe theres some gunge wedged in down there somewhere. I’ll clean it as best I can and see if its continues to sit there, perhaps its just the angle I park at? (Flat & Level)
I am assuming that the Mk2 is similar to the Mk1.The following is what I did on my Mk1:
Remove the fasteners securing the wheel arch liner to the lower, rear part of the wheel arch and front wing.
Remove the two bollts securing the bottom of the front wing to the sill.
Gently pull the bottom part of the front wing away from the sill and reach into the gap and remove all of the mud/silt and other crap that has built up.
When you think that you have cleared out all of the detritus, lift the bonnet and pour some hot soapy water into the rain channel in the gap between the firewall and the base of the windscreen. The water should drain away through a hole in the rearward part of the inner wing and drop out onto the floor through the area that you have just cleared out.
Clean and dry the area that you have just cleared out and spray with cavity wax for good measure.
Second choice would be Dinitrol cavity wax from Rejel. OC members get a 10% discount from Rejel. See page 55 of the February issue of STHT for more details.
Waxoyl only as a last resort, from Halfauds or your local friendly motor factor.
