Skoda Fabia - how to remove front passenger mat

usignuolo

I recently bought a second hand Skoda Fabia and am very pleased with it apart from one problem - which seems to be a common one with them - condensation inside the windscreen. The passenger front mat is wet and I want to get it up to look underneath to check for blockages and water ingress but it seems to be completely fitted in and not removable. Can anyone advise about this?

mvteng

try the briskoda forum. Its pretty friendly

Foxy-Stoat_3

If your floor is wet it will make your screen seriously condensate overnight, the mat just lifts out, if your on about the carpet, you will need to unbolt stuff, seat, maybe center console etc. Carpets are normally one piece, so the whole interior may need to come out, unless you can just pull the passenger side bit back....the underlay will probably be wet too.

If your taking out seats with then you may need to disconnect the battery first as there may be air bags or seat belt tensioners on the seat and will cause the air bag light to come on.

Best to find the cause, water may be coming in through the window/door/screen rubbers or worst case your heat matrix is leaking.

What colour is the water on the floor?

usignuolo

There is no actual pool of water on the floor, just the carpet feels damp - it is dark grey. It is not a mat it seems to be built in. Door rubbers around the sills look fine, although the outer strip at bottom of window on passenger side seems to have come a bit loose, but it was like that on my last car (a Clio) and did not cause any condensation problems.

Just to add windscreen was clear a few days ago and I have not been out in it since last week but now it is covered in condensation. So it cannot be hot air cooling down. Or water picked up from driving about somehow getting into the car in last few days.

Foxy-Stoat_3

Doesn't need to be hot air....if the carpet is soaking then it will cause water to sit on the windscreen.

If the mat is DAMP then the underlay will normally be WET. The carpet will be difficult to lift with the seat in place, unless you can peel it back and take a look/feel at the underlay.

You could leave the windows open a little, if its undercover or not raining. This will help with the condensation.

redux

See if there might be any bundles of wires coming through a hole in the bulkhead in that area, around the front of the footwell or up behind the dashboard

It's fine having a rubber grommet around the edge of the hole, but there are also lots of tiny gaps between each of the wires.

Some Volkswagens and Audis used to have water come in that manner, and it wasn't unknown for an ECU somewhere at the back of the engine bay to be in a box with an inch of water around the bottom of the circuit board, and windows and central locking playing up.

Sealing with silicone rubber sorted it out. I could be completely wrong guessing this, but I wonder if this could still be missed once in a while

Or it might be leaking down past that window sealing rubber inside a door and not draining out where intended. Or windscreen sealing ...

funkycoldribena

Common problem on Fabias,needs rear door cards removing and sealing behind.Plenty of guides on how to do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Km9Hi6P1bU

keith1950

Hi, how old is the car,I second the possibility that it could be the heater matrix, I know someone with a Polo and with genuine vw parts it cost nearly £600 to repair.

Fingers crossed it's not that !!

gilbert_and_sullivan

Hope its not the heater matrix, should be able to tell coolant as the smell is quite obviously pungent.

Had to fit new heater rad to a Seat, interior including seats had to come out to allow removal of the whole dashboard, many hours labour involved.
Heater rad must have been the first item fitted to shell at manufacture, not expensive part but a whole weekend for two of us.

If you peel off the rubber door seal and possibly the sill kick plate then the carpet should be liftable enough to examine the underfelt.

Sponge and mop up what you can then prop carpet up and carefully site a fan heater for several hours should see it all dry.
No good till you've found the leak though.

funkycoldribena

Its not the matrix! Its the seals in the doors! Ive got a Fabia,as said before its a very common problem.

Foxy-Stoat_3

funkycoldribena wrote: »

Its not the matrix! Its the seals in the doors! Ive got a Fabia,as said before its a very common problem.

You must have very good eyes from behind your PC screen !!! :rotfl: