Leaking door seals ??!!!

southpawboston · Mar 28, 2018

golfdave said:
On the MK6...MK7 will be the same...basically the speaker has a bead of foam applied to the cage which rivets to the door..this seals the water drips in the door from coming inside & then leaking out the bottom of door card...

Over time the bead of foam rots & fails...thus leaking...& the rivets holding the speaker can leak....

Drill rivets out, remove speaker & clean of all foam...get auto black sealent & bead in place of foam & re-fit & re-rivet...then seal over the rivets...

It's quite surprising to me that:

A) VW rivets the speaker to the door frame, and does not use threaded screws. For years I was a mobile audio and alarm installation technician and never once came across this.

B) VW uses a foam seal behind the speaker frame that rots and fails within a few years. Polymer science is not rocket science. Speaker manufacturers learned 40 years ago that foam speaker cone surrounds dry-rotted from air and UV exposure, and switched to butyl. You'd think VW would have their polymer sciences down by now and not use a foam gasket behind the speaker that could fail so quickly.

FWIW, you can create your own custom-shaped foam gaskets using 9x12" sheets of 1/16" thick "foamies", sold in art supply stores, craft stores, and fabric stores. They cost practically nothing. These are closed-cell foam sheets that work amazingly well for a variety of applications, not just as gaskets. I use the adhesive-backed versions of them as foot pads for appliances or furniture that slide too easily, and between surfaces that tend to rattle. Behind the speaker would be a perfect application of this product. You can get them in different colors, too.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/4872610818890453439

golfdave · Mar 28, 2018

Marv_gti_mk7_pp said:
Dave that’s a cracking piece of information !!!

Don’t suppose you have any photos of what the foam looks like ? Of course no worries if you haven’t !

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Not for MK7 but is basically a sealant gun applied bead, zig zag of this stuff applied to the cage where it mates to the door surface....

southpawboston said:
It's quite surprising to me that:

A) VW rivets the speaker to the door frame, and does not use threaded screws. For years I was a mobile audio and alarm installation technician and never once came across this.

B) VW uses a foam seal behind the speaker frame that rots and fails within a few years. Polymer science is not rocket science. Speaker manufacturers learned 40 years ago that foam speaker cone surrounds dry-rotted from air and UV exposure, and switched to butyl. You'd think VW would have their polymer sciences down by now and not use a foam gasket behind the speaker that could fail so quickly.

VAG have been doing these for years...foam seals on speakers and the removable door carriers at least since 2000yr....MK7 doesn't have door carriers..so more waterproof....rivets again on loads of VAG over the years.....got to go back mk3 Golf & early MK4... to get screws...

Marv_gti_mk7_pp · Mar 28, 2018

golfdave said:
Not for MK7 but is basically a sealant gun applied bead, zig zag of this stuff applied to the cage where it mates to the door surface....

VAG have been doing these for years...foam seals on speakers and the removable door carriers at least since 2000yr....MK7 doesn't have door carriers..so more waterproof....rivets again on loads of VAG over the years.....got to go back mk3 Golf & early MK4... to get screws...

I got the car back from the dealers earlier .

They have replaced / sealed one of the clips which clip the door card to the door . Apparently no problem with speaker gaskets now replaced.

However I’ve not faith in dealership “technicians” ! Fully expecting it to leak again until I can get the doorcard off and check it out myself !

Do you think a clip with seal could of failed ??

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golfdave · Mar 28, 2018

Marv_gti_mk7_pp said:
I got the car back from the dealers earlier .

They have replaced / sealed one of the clips which clip the door card to the door . Apparently no problem with speaker gaskets now replaced.

However I’ve not faith in dealership “technicians” ! Fully expecting it to leak again until I can get the doorcard off and check it out myself !

Do you think a clip with seal could of failed ??

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The clips have a sealing washer built in, so unless it was damaged I don't see how it could leak...

Also just looked at the parts page & yes the MK7 speakers appears to have a foam gasket...& not as the previous gen zigzag foam bead..

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/golf+variant+4motion/golf/2016-746/0/035-35035/

Cuprar1 · Mar 30, 2018

I've just fixed both my rear doors that were leaking over the inner seal. They have gradually got worse over the last few months so that the water was now getting under the lip between the plastic door strip and into the car.

It's a bit of a job to get the door cards out. I recommend getting some trim removal tools from Amazon or local DIY store (less than a tenner). There's a few good YouTube videos on how to remove the door cards.

What I found on mine was the speaker seals had perished. I also noticed a good few cracks i the plastic speaker housing near to the four rivets. I guess the weight of the speaker and road vibration is probably the cause.

I ended up drilling out the rivets. I removed the old seal and cleaned up the surface. I used a bead of silicone sealant to create a new seal. I also glued the cracked plastic and then applied a bit more sealant over the outer edge for good measure.

I used rivets again to lock back in place although the silicone should do a good job of helping support the speaker as well.

Reading the earlier part of this thread, there was some suspicion that the door drains our via the outer seal rubber. From what I can see this is not the case. There are two drain slots I can see (one right at the front of the door and one around midway. I guess these may be restricted a bit when the door is shut and the outer seal is compressed over them.

With the speaker removed, I checked the drain slots and they seemed clear. So I think the problem I had was with water running on the inside of the door void and then onto the speaker surround eventually dripping out of the bottom.

Hopefully that will be the end of the problem (well until the silicone eventually goes).

I have a 14 plate model. I did notice on Ebay that the newer speakers have a bit more of a substantial seal around the speaker, but to be honest it's still some sort of foam.

Shame after all this time Volkswagen haven't managed to design out this problem. I've had a Seat and Audi over the years and both had similar issues.

Hope that's of help to some of you DIYers.

golfdave · Mar 31, 2018

Cuprar said:
What I found on mine was the speaker seals had perished. I also noticed a good few cracks i the plastic speaker housing near to the four rivets. I ended up drilling out the rivets. I removed the old seal and cleaned up the surface. I used a bead of silicone sealant to create a new seal. I also glued the cracked plastic and then applied a bit more sealant over the outer edge for good measure.

So I think the problem I had was with water running on the inside of the door void and then onto the speaker surround eventually dripping out of the bottom.

.

As I said..exact same has been happening on MK6 Golfs & other VAG cars...the doors are supposed the drain internally...just the way the speaker attaches is good for short term...then it fails

Marv_gti_mk7_pp · Mar 31, 2018

Cuprar said:
I've just fixed both my rear doors that were leaking over the inner seal. They have gradually got worse over the last few months so that the water was now getting under the lip between the plastic door strip and into the car.

It's a bit of a job to get the door cards out. I recommend getting some trim removal tools from Amazon or local DIY store (less than a tenner). There's a few good YouTube videos on how to remove the door cards.

What I found on mine was the speaker seals had perished. I also noticed a good few cracks i the plastic speaker housing near to the four rivets. I guess the weight of the speaker and road vibration is probably the cause.

I ended up drilling out the rivets. I removed the old seal and cleaned up the surface. I used a bead of silicone sealant to create a new seal. I also glued the cracked plastic and then applied a bit more sealant over the outer edge for good measure.

I used rivets again to lock back in place although the silicone should do a good job of helping support the speaker as well.

Reading the earlier part of this thread, there was some suspicion that the door drains our via the outer seal rubber. From what I can see this is not the case. There are two drain slots I can see (one right at the front of the door and one around midway. I guess these may be restricted a bit when the door is shut and the outer seal is compressed over them.

With the speaker removed, I checked the drain slots and they seemed clear. So I think the problem I had was with water running on the inside of the door void and then onto the speaker surround eventually dripping out of the bottom.

Hopefully that will be the end of the problem (well until the silicone eventually goes).

I have a 14 plate model. I did notice on Ebay that the newer speakers have a bit more of a substantial seal around the speaker, but to be honest it's still some sort of foam.

Shame after all this time Volkswagen haven't managed to design out this problem. I've had a Seat and Audi over the years and both had similar issues.

Hope that's of help to some of you DIYers.

Great write up !!!! Thankyou !!!

Mine appears to be fixed at the moment ! Not to say won’t have to do the exact same process in future !

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DW_GolfMk7 · Dec 7, 2018

Just to confirm Marv_gti_mk7_pp and southpawboston posts, I had water leak on Golf TDI Mk7 2014 when it rained heavily. Affected both rear and front footwells. Local dealership (in Sussex UK) successfully resolved rear footwell problem by replacing door seal and speaker .. see video link. Front leak issue not yet sorted and in at dealership for 3rd time ... water comes in from behind the bonnet lever by front door. Sunroof drain holes have been cleared so not related to that.
Any suggestions ? It's outside warranty and I'm in already for £ 500 on repair fees ... VW not supportive.
https://youtu.be/6AOKEC7UyYI

VL3X · Dec 27, 2018

I have a 2017 with less than 10k miles and have noticed this issue with my rear doors only... After driving in rain, I'll pull my car in the garage and the next morning I come out and open the back doors to see water all along the painted part of the door jambs.

Thankfully it hasn't gotten to the point that my actual interior has gotten wet.

southpawboston · Dec 27, 2018

AlxMK7 said:
I have a 2017 with less than 10k miles and have noticed this issue with my rear doors only... After driving in rain, I'll pull my car in the garage and the next morning I come out and open the back doors to see water all along the painted part of the door jambs. Thankfully it hasn't gotten to the point that my actual interior has gotten wet.

Actually I think that's normal. The painted part of the jambs may get wet, because the water is just breaching the secondary seals. The primary seals that are placed closer to the interior trim pieces around the door opening are the ones that will keep out water from the interior.

VL3X · Dec 27, 2018

southpawboston said:
Actually I think that's normal. The painted part of the jambs may get wet, because the water is just breaching the secondary seals. The primary seals that are placed closer to the interior trim pieces around the door opening are the ones that will keep out water from the interior.

Really? Weird.. last time I detailed my car I ceramic coated everything, including inside the doors and fuel door. Maybe I'm just noticing the water because it's so nicely beaded up there now.

maxwell · Jul 23, 2019

AlxMK7 said:
Really? Weird.. last time I detailed my car I ceramic coated everything, including inside the doors and fuel door. Maybe I'm just noticing the water because it's so nicely beaded up there now.

Happening to me now, drivers side rear. Rest are fine. Coincidentally the same door card was recently removed for service. I live in SoCal, so infrequent rain, but I just noticed after a recent wash. Frustrating. Back to the dealer we go.

FYI, this was after a spray wash at a coin-op facility. Rear carpet is reasonably saturated.

Leaking door seals ??!!!

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