Another common problem on the Renault Clio is the door membrane behind the door panels which can leak due to hot weather, the age of the car causing the membranes to shrink and adhesive to dry out.
If anyone does any work in the doors, it is not uncommon for them to punch a hole through them and not make good - it seems that even some mechanics don't know they are there to keep water out and not just a dust sheet from the factory. If the membrane is broken or coming away, this will also cause water to fill up in footwells, as it should only exit through the bottom of the doors.
We should mention that this isn't a problem unique to Renault. A huge amount of cars that come to us have water leaking through the doors because the adhesive that holds the membranes in place has perished with age. Debris building up in the bottom of the doors, blocking drainage holes, or old and dry door seal rubbers can also cause leaks.
On most cars, especially older cars, the door membrane is just a sheet of clear plastic held in place by a durable sealant. Although some now have a moulded plastic barrier, on most cars it is not a sophisticated part, literally just a sheet of soft plastic. So although you can order them from the dealership, it is usually more cost-effective that we make you new ones from flexible plastic, which we have large rolls of.
If we find one door leaking, we recommend replacing all the membranes because they tend to all perish at the same rate. If one starts leaking, the others won't be far behind.
Question: "I have had my car back at the garage 4 times to find and fix the leaks, but my carpets are still wet."
Answer: The problem, especially with older cars, is that whatever is causing the leak in one place, could cause leaks all around the car. If the rubber, seal and grommets have got to that age where they are shrinking or crumbling, then you could have multiple leaks, and sometimes the only way to fix them is each in turn. And you do need to dry the car out once you have found a leak, because they generally won't dry out without help. How are you going to know if you still have a leak if the car is still wet from the last time?
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