Videos: #car-water-leak

Tom diagnoses a badly leaking Ford Fiesta with mould on the seats and multiple leak sources: a failed door membrane, perished tailgate rubber, and rear air vents pouring water. All four door membranes replaced, bumper removed to reseal the vents, three nights drying, interior clean and odour removal, then rain arch tested.

Gary's guide to the five most common places cars let water in: sunroof drains, scuttle area, door membranes, rear bumper vents, and door gaskets and rear light seals. DIY advice with honest warnings about what can go wrong.

A water leak turned into an opportunity. This Ford Focus came in leaking; it left polished, ceramic coated, and looking better than the day it rolled out of the factory.

Gary explains why we do a 28-point check: model-specific database, 30 years of experience, 90% first-time fix rate. Includes a case study of a Mitsubishi with 12 leaks where the honest advice was not to repair.

A 1985 Mercedes 280 TE estate -- water leak repaired, now in for the bodywork. 125,000 miles of swirl marks, bird etch, and dull chrome. Four-stage machine polish followed by wax. The colour transformation at the end is dramatic.

A Dodge Ram 1500 V8 belonging to an 87-year-old owner. Door sill holding water, door pillar gaskets previously fitted badly. Gary admits own sealant repair backfired -- James re-does it properly. Full graphene coating + headlight polish added.

Audi TT cabriolet with mould on the steering wheel, soaking seat belt, wet footwell, intermittent dash controls, and engine management light. Three entry points found: stuck-open rear air vents, blocked sunroof drains, and a detached roof 'sock'. Hood cleaned, wheels refurbished, 30-day monitor arranged.

Mini Cooper S 2004: door membrane leak found via hose test, boot cassette drain cleared, A-pillar gaskets checked, both door membranes resealed, Krytox rubbers, hood clean and reproof. Dents assessed; PDR carried out. Finished with rain-water demo before collection.

VW Tiguan with both front footwells wet. Sunroof drain pipes had shrunk and disconnected from their grommets -- all four replaced and modified to flow more freely. Interior dried. Scuttle cleaned.

Audi S8 2008 with drips from the headlining -- blocked front sunroof drains overflowing into the light fittings. Cassette cleaned, pipes flushed. Graphene coating, ceramic alloys and glass, leather treatment added.

Land Rover Discovery water leak traced to blocked sunroof pipes -- then pine needles blocked the replacements. James built a custom wider-pipe drainage system. Six-stage polish + Matrix Black ceramic coating completed the transformation.

Practical advice for managing a car with water in it while you wait for a repair slot. Hybrid/EV warning, how to keep water from spreading, ventilation tips, mould safety, and when not to drive at all.

It is tempting to just get rid of a car with a water leak. Gary explains why that instinct usually costs more than fixing it -- and what to do if you do decide to sell.

How New Again became one of very few workshops specialising in car water ingress -- from detailing roots to a 28-point diagnosis process over 30 years.

A Ford EcoSport with a year of water ingress from a badly-resealed replacement windscreen. Mould between the seats, saturated carpet. Dealer accepted responsibility. Gary explains what to do when screen companies and dealerships are less straightforward.

2009 Nissan Note: windscreen reseal + rear grommet + rear light gaskets preventively resealed. Then Gary's full DIY guide to drying a wet car after a leak: seat removal, wet vacuum, fan heater, antimicrobial, airbag reset, and what to do with wet electronics.

An MX5 that came in for a hood clean and left with two water leaks repaired, the interior decontaminated, and a cosmetic repair on the driver's door. James narrates. The two notorious MX5 leak points: scuttle clips and rear brake light. Five MX5s came in within two months -- three of them black.

Ford Focus with coolant (antifreeze, pink) leaked into the interior after a system failure. Garage fixed the leak; we handled the cleanup. Seats out, underlay up, foam washed, carpet shampooed, dried overnight.

BMW 1 Series water leak. Driver's rear door membrane leaking heavily; driver's front soaking underneath. Loose rear light on driver's side -- twist camera found water marks inside the box section; panel had previous bodywork history. Resealed and dried.

A 2008 VW Tiguan full of water -- front footwells, boot, both sides. A garage had already tried to fix it and failed. Four sunroof drain pipes: the front two had shrunk and were leaking through the A-pillars into the footwells; the rear two were disconnected. One just fell out when touched -- someone had been up there before. Airbag terminal sitting in water with visible corrosion.