No one who might know has ever explained it.

Just remove the centre bung on each side and rest easy!

 

Well jbbaldwin thinks he may have identified how the water is entering the rocker panels in this thread here: http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f43/water-leak-54532.html#post269132 , but I'm having a problem with his theory because the bottom portion of the door's dust seal, covers that entire vicinity. I also somehow doubt that everybody who has experienced this leak, was due to missing fasteners to connect that black trim piece on the side of the rocker panel, but I will not insist, perhaps this is truly what the problem really is.

Noobytoogy, removing the centre bung sounds easy, but just the idea that during our peak winter months, salty water may be passing through the interior of the rocker panels, makes me shrug in fear and disgust. It also takes the magic away of treading our Touaregs in deep water, as we have seen many in the off-road section do. I would also venture to say, that water consistently passing though the rocker panels, via an unplugged rubber grommet (centre bung), would eventually wash away the anti-rust inhibitors that the factory added through those holes to begin with. Once that anti-rust coating is gone, and with salt in the picture, it is all down hill from there. I suppose that one can argue VW has a 12 year perforation warranty, so any rust starting from the inside of the rocker panel and moving outwards creating a bubble would be covered, but I somehow doubt VW will allow the body shop to order a completely brand new complete rocker panel piece, and instead, do a "patch up job", and then send you off on your merry way until the rust spreads and comes back 2+ years later.

If anyone on here has the solution to the water ingress into the rocker panel problem, out with your secret!!!!!!!

 

Seeking final answer to the thread's title question.

 

Seeking final answer to the thread's title question.




Club | Touareg | Forum

Ok...I think I figured it out on the 2006 T...later ones may be similar. This one was being worked on ( replacing struts that hold rear hatch open ) and it was during a few days of rain here...the roof rail depression for roof rack lines up with the opening into body where the hatch hinge is...so if the hatch was open during rain and rear of vehicle is down...like sticking out of a garage the channel would drain into hinge opening. I know it sounds crazy, but there are no holes in roof rack depression, so no water goes there thankfully, so on this one I think it’s how water got in. Any noise from ad blue tank is minimal compared to how this sounded. Don’t think this would happen often, but did on this one. Hope this helps for some ?

 

bump...still waiting on a plausible theory.

 

bump...still waiting on a plausible theory.




Club | Touareg | Forum

I don't have a theory but if you fill the rocker up with a hose and a rag through one of the plugs and look where it comes out that may be where it comes in.

 

I had water in my rocker too. It was after I played in water and mud all day. The front plugs are check valves. It keeps the water from entering, but if there is water in there, the plug opens to let it out. My front plug were jammed open so water got in, went in the mud and sealed the hole... I just removed the plug and cleaned it. Nerve had that trouble since 18 months.

Denis

 

Could it be condensate from the A/C? My condensate line was plugged causing water to actually spray out of the under-seat ducts into the rear seat foot wells getting the carpet wet. Does the heat run through the rockers like in the old Bugs? If so might that be the source of the water?

I took off the door sills in the front and it was all wet in there and shop vacked it out.

 

No.

 

Does anyone here no how water is entering the rocker panels to begin with?
Pulling out one or all the the plugs that are located on the bottom on each side of the vehicle sounds like an excellent band aid solution that works, but offers no peace of mind at all as to how the water is entering in those huge quantities to begin with.

I haven't experienced the problem yet, but in all the threads that I have read on here the last couple of years, I have not seen one definitive solution to the root cause of the problem.




Club | Touareg | Forum

After studying my 16 yr old Tacoma (LOVE IT) the only plausible answer is the seal around the rear window is leaking. A plumber once told me stuff runs down hill. The only other less than plausible possibility is osmotic rain between the crimped-welded skin layers from the bottom. The plumber said he (or she, sorry) never heard of no osmosis no how.