ATTN: MK3 Astra Owners

[Terry81]

Just a little heads up as we've been getting a lot of rain lately.

Be sure to check your plastic scuttle seal (the one the wipers go through to the motor) which presses up against the windscreen. I've just drained literally 10 liters of water out of the foam sound deadening on both sides of the front foot wells.

The carpet appears to be bone dry to touch, but underneath the rubber sound deadening it was absolutely saturated.

It comes in through the pollen filter, straight into the car on both sides. Be sure to check your seal, and also make sure none has already come in, because if its left alone it will be an absolute rust fest.

I've got the carpets & deadening out with a fan heater in the car to dry it all up.

[RobJenko]

yep noticed that my drivers foot well was damp under the mats (dry on the surface but soaked when pushed down and water rose up)

[Terry81]

yep noticed that my drivers foot well was damp under the mats (dry on the surface but soaked when pushed down and water rose up)

I'm gonna get a plastic cover to go over the pollen filter. It will still be able to ventilate the cabin, but won't let water in.

[Kev_G]

i have no pollen filter at all - ditched that the day i got the car

[Astra Dan]

There should be two parts to the plastic cover which cover the pollen filter already. Make sure they're clipped togther properly.

[Violet]

My scuttle panel has a big gap against the windscreen. Does anyone's fit flush? Given up trying to get it right.
Pollen filter is a waste of time as well. You can get ones with a charcoal filter that removes fumes from the engine.

[Terry81]

There should be two parts to the plastic cover which cover the pollen filter already. Make sure they're clipped togther properly.

Really? Didn't know they had a cover! Never seen one with......maybe when the monkeys down the garage do the filter change they don't put it back on.

Will have to source one.

Station, you should check your carpets mate. Not through the top because ti will appear dry, I mean lift it & put your hand underneath towards the pedals underneath the rubber coated foam (the bit that rides up the bulkhead right up under the dash).

Mines nearly dried out now, the moldy smell has gone too which is a bonus. Got a bin bag covering the pollen filter at the moment

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3985/cimg4975xr7.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4145/cimg4976jm9.jpg

[Astra Dan]

The design is pretty poo TBH. The Mk2's design is miles better, the heater fan is actually shielded by the bottom of the windscreen, it's never going to leak. The Mk3s relies on that outer seal pressing tightly against the screen, and they seem to warp easily. The cover, the one I mentioned, is then the only thing left to prevent the fan getting a soaking. Not the best design.

[Terry81]

The design is pretty poo TBH. The Mk2's design is miles better, the heater fan is actually shielded by the bottom of the windscreen, it's never going to leak. The Mk3s relies on that outer seal pressing tightly against the screen, and they seem to warp easily. The cover, the one I mentioned, is then the only thing left to prevent the fan getting a soaking. Not the best design.

Makes you wonder why they don't carry on a design if it works instead of starting a fresh & inventing something which fails.

I'm glad I caught it early on. I got my mum to pour a glass of water down the middle of the screen, then low & behold, it ALL trickled behind the warped plastic trim and straight into the ventilation inside the car.

[Astra Dan]

Yeah. I first noticed it on No-Spec. With no dash or heater fan, I literally saw it pour in! Luckily when I checked my old Mk3 it was OK, so I found a good condition scuttle from a scrappy.

[Beenie]

did wonder why mine was damp the other day.

[Terry81]

did wonder why mine was damp the other day.

Deffo have a deeper look. You don't have to rip loads of panels off to check. Just remove the sill/kick plate plastic cover, and slide your hand down the side towards the bulkhead.

Squeeze a bit of the foam as well, mine was pouring out

[Violet]

The cover, the one I mentioned, is then the only thing left to prevent the fan getting a soaking. Not the best design.

Which is why the fan resistor always goes rusty and breaks. And you get misted windows.

[KillBill]

Yep, had this with my Mk3 a few years ago. Luckily it was summer when I noticed it, and wondered where the **** all the water was getting in. The foam deadening under the drivers seat was soaking. I only discovered it because I took the kick panel off to do some wiring for an alarm.

Eventually traced it to a missing pollen filter, and the cover not being clipped on right. Daft design, but I guess they never envisaged that the covers would become loose / not be put back properly.

Unfortunate thing is is may have been going on for a long time before I discovered it. That said, I still see the car on the road and its 14 years old now, so it can't have been that bad

[Violet]

Anyone got a pic of the cover?

[Astra Dan]

It clips to the bottom of the bit that you can see round the wipers, and should sit on the lip of the top of the bulkhead under the rubber sealing strip that selas the back end of the bonnet.

[Terry81]

It clips to the bottom of the bit that you can see round the wipers, and should sit on the lip of the top of the bulkhead under the rubber sealing strip that selas the back end of the bonnet.

Nah...that thing you're on about is to drain water from the perforated holes all along it. that drains to each side into the metal scuttle, goes straight out two square holes, and drips down the innar pillars behind the wings....the water comes out by the bolt which holds the bracket of the wing to the sill. Trust me, I been round the car pouring water all up the place to see where it goes lmao

We're talking about water going in through here:

[Kev_G]

ill be sorting mine tomorrow i think - bloody water leaks

any more pics at all?

[Terry81]

Here's a better pic with all the bits on.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/5421/leak2ug1.jpg

[Astra Dan]

We're talking about the same thing, the pollen filter does have the plastic cover, but it relies on the previous bit, i.e the bit that seals to to screen, working properly.
I assume you know that deepish channel at the base of the windscreen should have a foan strip gasket in it. I've seen some missing, or lying in the bottom of the scuttle there where it's dropped out. Water isn't supposed to get past your light blue arrow but as we sais the panel warps and the gasket is often missing.

It's amazing such a simple area has been designed so badly, yet they got so much of the rest of the car right!

[Violet]

I think if you even take it off, it's buggered.
It relies on the position of the wiper unit to sit right. I've bought three different scuttle panels to see if there is any difference, and there isn't. The phase 1 has a 'gasket' behind it, and the phase 2 has a visible rubber seal that clips into the back, and has three screws instead of one.
So I think they did try and redesign it, but it's still crappy.
The tray underneath (the long one), does have a foam gasket on it, but it needs to be inserted into the cavity in the panel above.