No, I did not leave the windows down or the sunroof open. But in the last week there has been a large puddle of water in the rear driver-side passenger footwell. I had a radio/subwoofer installed recently and suspect that somehow the weather stripping around the door is compromised because of it. I thought maybe I just left the window cracked a little when it was raining but since it has happened twice now with the windows double-checked closed, I think its something else. It is starting to cause problems for me, my door locks are going nuts, locking and unlocking themselves and the power windows and sunroof will no longer work! My drivers window is stuck in the down position (security isnt a major concern since I live on a military base but still...) Help!

Is the remote keyless control module under the driver seat and somehow got wet? Makes sense if it was, since I can open the windows with the key that they would stop working along with the door locks malfunctioning. The car will still lock and unlock its just that when going down the road they will start clacking and jumping and the windows are stuck.

1) How can I tell if the weather stripping is compromised? I inspected it visually and nothing is obviously messed up. There are no wet marks on the doors, or even on the upper sides of the footwells near the bottom seatbelt anchor.


2) How can I dry the car out, there is a lot of water underneath the padding still, and towels will only go so far. Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum?


Car is a 1998 2.8 Quattro if it makes any difference.

 

i know that its hapend befor that if the heater core went you could get water int he back seats, because the water that is leaking out goes right threw the vent on the floor for the back seats. I dunno if that will help at all but i though i would add that to give u a start to your problems.

 

I dont know. I turned the car on last night to try and close the window thinking maybe there was just a wet connection that needed to dry and there was a blast of air from the AC that fogged up the front window, the air was on its lowest setting though and there was water there before. Could the core have leaked and then given out where there was no water left? And could this be related to the car stereo install?

 

Also could be clogged cowl drains.
You need to take a day off and get that interior dry right away. Otherwise, you won't like the smell.
I had to pay Audi dlr about 800 to do it.

 

Yeah theres already that mildew smell starting. Taking it back to the sound shop today and demand their install warranty cover it.

Edit.
Tried to run the heat on highest settings. Blew hot air for about a minute and then started blowing outside-temperature air along with the mildew smell. Guess it actually is the heater.

 

This has happened to me before, its the sunroof drains, theyre clogged and they overflow and the water tends to flow thru the a pillar and end up in the passenger footwell, the comfort unit AND the transmission computer are in there, on the floor, so get that dry before water sips into the tranny module, the other one is prolly toast but it should be under 200, take the carpet off, let it dry, clean the sunroof drains, i remember reading a write up on that, but it was a long time ago, so i don remember where it was, if you dont know how, just take it where you can get sunroof maintenence, let me know how it went or if u need help.

Also check to see if its plain water (sunroof leak) or coolant (heater core)

 

Did the installers place the battery cover on Properly? I believe that that cover shields the water away from the intake for the AC blower. Check your AC filter, if its wet, water is seeping dodn through the filter and down the fan motor assembly. The only reason I know this is because I had a similiar problem.

 

I talked to a dealership they confirmed most of that info. Audio shop says they didnt do it so the battery cover issue is a big suspect. I dont know about the sunroof, it has rained several more times since and there is not much water in the car, plus there is no wet spot on the roof, if the dran was clogged wouldnt there be a dirty spot? What could clog the drain, I live in Eastern Nebraska, the car has been parked under a tree ONCE since I've owned it.

Edit


Got the car back. Battery cover was kind of cockeyed but not much. Since the control unit is out I cant roll the sunroof back, where exactly is the drain for it? There is no water damage on the roof or near the corners of the sunroof. There is some grime on the back of the interior cover but it isnt wet. Going to take it to the dealership and have them check it out. Grrr.

 

Well turns out the local Audi dealer is just a VW dealer who does Audi on the side and every review I have seen for them are terrible. I talked to a dealership in california and they most of the issues could be solved by replacing the fried 'Convenience module inside the driver door' I think they called it. I am fairly confident in my own mechanical abilities and have decided to just do it myself. I know about www.shokan.com, they seem recommended by people on this board, so the question is, what is the exact name of this thing I need to replace so I can order a replacement and get on with it?

 

Reading through this thread, I can see only a brief, passing mention of "cleaning the cowl drains." I think this point requires some elaboration because I suspect that it is the source of this problem.

The area that is covered with a plastic cowling at the rear of the engine compartment has the following things underneath it:
- Battery
- ECU
- HVAC Pollen Filter
- Drains
AND (quite often and particularly if the car is parked outdoors)
- debris (leaves, pine needles, etc.)

This debris gets in there and can clog the drains. If this happens, the whole compartment under the plastic cowling can flood until it drains out of the lowest point -- the HVAC pollen filter. This is how the water ends up in the passenger foot well. The sunroof drains can also do it, but these drains should be checked first. Here's how...

Remove the rubber weather stripping that holds the cowling in place. Slide the cowling back and out. Vacuum out the debris that's in there as thoroughly as possible. Wash out the cavity with a hose, noting if the water flows freely. If it does not, you'll need to remove the battery to get at the drain located underneat it. When you can get water to flow out of the compartment freely, you're good to go.

Reassemble. Repeat on a yearly basis.