locating a water leak with smoke machine - anyone tried it?

[rosie]

Someone on the forum suggested that running a smoke machine in the car to pinpoint holes was a good way to find stubborn waterleaks. I wondered if anyone had tried it and been successful? I watched a youtube clip of Wheeler Dealers where they did it but I don't believe everything I see on telly.

I've got a Mark 2 and it has been leaking for five years. I've ruled out the windscreen seal (had it replaced) and the heater matrix. There's a small leak somewhere above the fusebox, and a big leak that appears in the passenger footwell leaking out from beneath the side of the centre console. I've stripped out as much of the plastic interior and carpets as I can to find the leak, but after five years of holding hosepipes over the windscreen I'm still no wiser.

I picked up some smoke pellets from a plumbing company today, on the basis that if I set one off inside the car having taped over all the air vents, wherever the smoke escapes will be a potential leak.

Any thoughts? I'm definitely ready for desperate measures but don't want to do anything reckless.

[bensspares]

Before you do anything...check all the rubber grommets around the wiring looms as they pass through the bulkhead.

Also, from memory, there are a few blanking grommets around that area that cover holes in the bodywork. Check that they are all present and correct and that none are perished

Check the above and also make sure the smoke wont damage the interior cloths.

I have had these kind of issues with a few of the scirocco's Ive owned over the years and it was often down to missing grommets

[Neillyboy]

I'd check the boot seal and the seals on the rear lights. It has been known for water to get in and run through the boot in under the rear seat and down soaking the floor carpets. Also check the drainage holes are clear on the bottom of the doors incase water is backing up in the doors and coming out through the polythene membrane under the door cards.
As for the smoke machine. Sorry never tried it.

[scrumpyone]

Ditto the door membrane.

[essextom]

I had a build up of leaves and muck around the boot hinges which caused the water to puddle and then leak past the boot seal.

[rosie]

I'm pretty sure it isn't coming from the doors or the boot. When it rains heavily and the car's parked I can see the water coming out from under the centre console. The water on the fusebox has left marks where it has run down it vertically from above.
There's no carpet there to soak up water from the back or the doors, so it's not travelling up or forward through the carpet.
I've had a good look at grommets and they all seem to be there and in good shape.
it's a mystery

[litlekris]

strip out the interior, and douse the inside with talc. then give the outside a wash.. it'll be the clearest way, take half a day whilst being quickest in the long term and you might make 30 penc from lost coinage..

[Aid]

does the car have a sunroof?
ive had a similar problem where ive been chasing a leak for 4 years. turns out that while the drain channels were clear, the sunroof panel under the roof had rusted through, this meant that any water that ran back down the passenger side didnt make it to the drain hole, and ran down into the headliner which is waterproof, being vinyl, so it didnt stain or anything and would just drip down from under the c pillar and then along and into the passenger footwell.

i can post a picture if anyone wants, i only discovered it when i actually committed to removing my headliner because it was torn and marked from 29 years of hard life haha

hope that helps :)