6th Nov 2008, 12:19

2003 Jetta wagon with sunroof, puddles on driver & passenger side. We're writing letters to corporate & the dealership & will check out the class action site. We've found that activated charcoal helps with the odors.

Thanks for the info,

Jenni

Seattle.

7th Nov 2008, 20:02

If you really know what you are talking about, then you know for a fact:

MkIV Jettas (99.5-2005 varies depending on where you are from) have:

1) FOUR drains in the sunroof (one for each corner) which,

2) Drain out at each front door near the hinge and

3) Under the rear bumper on each side

So drop the lawsuit business and go clean the gutters :P.

Full instructions and pictures here:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1909676

8th Nov 2008, 15:54

This is true, I had the same problem, it is easily fixed with an air compressor. Just blow out the drains, you'll find leaves, seeds, dirt, pieces of bugs...

Sometimes you think everything is blown out but is not. Take a cup of water and pour a small amount in the drain (tablespoon at a time) then blow more air. I pulled the nipple off one time because it was sealed shut with junk, they are a real pain to put back.

1st Jan 2009, 21:24

I have a 2003 VR that floods on the passenger side. My car floods during heavy rains when I park my car facing up hill. I have taken my car to the dealer to resolve this issue, but after $300, the car still leaks. They initially thought my sun roof drains were clogged. I did some checking and found a great web site that will shed some light on how you can check you drain tubes. Check the drains yourself before you take your car to the dealer. Go to http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1909676.

I just checked my drains and they are not clogged. I suspect that water is getting into the passenger side via the pollen filter housing or filter itself. Or it may be getting into the car via the hood release mechanism that is located on the back left corner of hood (in the hinge area). I ran water along the front windshield area and let the water drain towards the passenger side. I noticed that a lot of water can get into the pollen filter area and in the area where the hood release mechanism is located. I will look at sealing these areas, and will let everyone know if this fixes my passenger side flooding.

2nd Jan 2009, 09:16

When I first purchased my 2002 Jetta GLX Wagon new, I would get a flood of water on the passenger floor whenever it rained. I took it to the dealership and they solved the problem in one visit. I believe they said that that a sheet of insulation in the front passenger door was blocking the drain and the water was backing up into the passenger floor.

Once they fixed it, I never had another problem of any kind with water leaking into the car.

2nd Jan 2009, 17:14

I just had this problem of the clogged sunroofs fixed by the dealership. It cost 450 dollars. However, the smell from my car is horrible. Also there is so much water in my car that has been sitting for weeks. The dealership didn't even remove my mats to allow them to dry and the car not to mold. I have mold on my shoes that were sitting in the back, thus I must have mold under the carpet. Mold is a serious health issue. Prolonged exposure to mold can cause serious problems. Unless you rip out the carpet and redo it mold is going to grow. Has anyone complained, or sent a complaint to NHTSA? Has anyone got money or a solution from the lemon law or the governmet. I can't even drive my car because the smell is so bad it makes me sick. This is a health hazard to all the people who have water in the car. Please let me know- I am not driving this unsafe car around anymore!

Thanks.

7th Jan 2009, 05:37

I have the same problem with my 2005 Golf GLS TDI. There is a class action suit in the works against VW for the leak problem.

8th Jan 2009, 18:07

I suffer from the wet floor syndrome in my 2005 Jetta TDI wagon.

It affects the driver side of the car after a moderate rain.

So far, I have heard it described as:

Leak around the pollen filter

Leak around the hood release mechanism

Leaky door seals

Clogged firewall drains

Clogged sunroof drains

Blocked or clogged door drains

So, I'll get out the coat hanger and ream out the drains, maybe pull the door panels and check the door drains.

Oh yeah, and join the class action lawsuit.

10th Jan 2009, 18:15

I have been involved with the VW leaking problems since I own a newer Jetta. A friend's older Jetta is leaking on the passenger side into the front seat and rear seat area. I blew out the front drains with an air hose, and in the process blew the plastic hoses off of the bottom end of the drain. The bottom rubber piece can be removed from the front door post (it's between the hinges) and with some difficulty, can be threaded back onto the plastic hose and then be popped back in the door post. Many recommend cutting off the flapper end of the rubber end, and that seems to be a good idea to prevent further plugging. With the front drains cleared, the sun roof will still leak into the back seat if the rear drains remain plugged, and the car is parked pointing uphill. On the older Jettas, the rear drains look like the front ones and exit the body behind the rear wheels. The best fix for these is to locate them and snip off the flapper, and then clear the blockage with a piece of wire or a small drill bit, being careful to not push the plastic tube off of the rubber piece.

This web site shows the location of all four drains.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1909676

16th Feb 2009, 20:11

I too have a flooding problem on my 99.5 Jetta, and I have a suggestion to help prevent mildew smells and molding. (I've done this a couple of times) First after using a shop vac (usually found at self car washes), I use an old towel to get the carpet as dry as I can. Then give it a HEAVY coat of Lysol and use another towel to blot it through out the affected area of the carpet. Repeat this every couple of days until the carpet is dry. Doing this I've manages to stab off any mold or mildew problems a lot of people seem to be reporting.

Hope this helps!

9th Mar 2009, 16:28

I have a 2002 Jetta GLS with the same problem. That must be why I got it at such a great price. At first I thought it was because the window was left open, so I thought it was an easy fix. Turns out that the gasket to the cabin filter was worn out and water was getting in through there.

So after replacing that, water was still getting in. Then I took off the windshield wiper motor and put clear RTV around the black box there with a new gasket around it. That did a good job, and now only little puddles collect in the car.

Then I checked and the moon roof seems to be either clogged or disconnected. So that's what's next on the list.

Then I had to clean out the tire wells, which were filled to the top with dirt. And then there is a tiny U shaped hollow thing along the bottom of the car, and water can collect there and get backed up, so I would recommend cleaning that out also.

After all this, water still gets in, but only in tiny puddles. And the worst part was taking out the carpet to clean it, disinfect it, dry it, and pour baking soda on it to get rid of the scent.

If you're up for the challenge, try this this and see if you can find any more places that I missed.

I am going to have my windshield glue stuff redone to make sure it's properly done.