Water Leak in Vauxhall Tigra?

Hi every body Tigra owners yes water leaks are problem on this car which certainly spoils it which other wise is a nice car. I have over the last 40 years been repairing car body’s re accident damage so I have learned a number of manufacturing faults that I have redisined and just recently the Tigra comes to my attention so the problem in this case was water in the boot and traveling to the foot well soaking the carpets no leaks from the front in this case. I inspected the soft rubber drain pipes on either side and to my horror found the were not fixed to a bottom drain point therefore water could actually drain into the car. I have therefore redesigned this stupid idea of free drainage in the following way.
Drilling a 10mm hole in the boot floor in line with the soft rubber pipe as it hangs free
at a 20 to30 degree angle towards the outside of the floor through to the cill cavity and out of the bottom of the cill, you do need a long drill to do this around 8 to 10 inches long. Next get a length of plastic pipe 8 mm od and feed it into the boot floor hole and push it through use some guidance wire to exit through the cill to help vision remove the large plastic grommet in the rear inner wheel arch looking into the end of the cill. Now clean any under seal from around the hole in the cill next fit a rubber seal onto the pipe slide it up to the cill and use a water proof adhesive to fix and seal the pipe in place. Now to the inside boot cut the plastic pipe leaving around 6 to 7 inches length to join onto the soft rubber drain pipe also cutting it to length to push over the new plastic pipe now again use adhesive to seal around pipe in boot floor and fix it in place.
We now have a proper drainage pipe in place that will certainly drain out of the car and will prevent leaking into the car from the rear not an easy fix but it will work and be permanent remedy so hope this will help you I have some pictures if you need them.

Roy rdb
May 2018

yep had the same problem with our 54 plate tigra on the drivers side not the roof and not the window seals it comes from the seal around the servo failing - easy and cheap solution get out the wipers, water bottle etc and you will see the black sealer around the servo plate will have cracks and splits in it, pick it out and seal generously with sylko flex (a marine waterproof sealant you can buy from screwfix) job done!

Deborah Cowler
March 2017

just want to say thank you had water sloshing around for about 3 weeks now pulled out the grommets from the sills and must be at least 10 pints of water came rushing out

tanya
March 2017

Suggested Solution

Hi know this is an old post but will answer it for other people with the same proble who drive a corsa c combo van or tigra. The most common problem on water entering the drivers side is nominally caused because of breaks in the sealer on the brake servo plate. The best way to repair this is to remove the servo to allow you to get proper access to the plate so the sealer can be removed and the plate can be cleaned. I use a primer and a polyurethane sealer to repair the ones I do. The servo it's self has a gasket we do always do away this gasket and use a soft sealer that never drys so should you need to remove the servo again it can be removed easily. We have also found water entering via the bonnet release cable geometry on the servo plate. Other places to check is water entering the sills on the car via the door seals best way to fix this is to remove one of the grommets in the sill. If you have side skirts the grommets are locate behind the skirts. For more information on other places to check you can lookup betta windscreens on google or visit www.bettawindscreens.co.uk they offer a repair service for this problem in the U.K.

Bettabob
February 2017

The door sills get full of water, unblock these and remove grommets to release water. Also check window seals are tight.
if not you can buy spline material and push up under rubber seals to bulge them them out so the window fits more tightly and stops leaks.
Also buy Nextzett Gummi Pflege Car Rubber Stick Door Restorer. Its from Germany and is amazing to stop all rubber seals from leaking. I've done loads of research and tried it for myself. May do a You Tube video to show just how amazing it all works.

maria spain
June 2016

All the suggestions are very welcome, I didn't realise there was so many with the same problem. Before my husband starts fiddling, I am buying a car cover for when not in use and only driving after watching the weather forecast. I am not pleased only bought it three months ago and the garage where I bought it is not interested - " what do you expect its a convertible " was the reply.

Barb
January 2016

Further to my earlier answer I now have another. The WD40 around the seals did not work. Vauxhall wanted £1500 to replace all the seals, top and bottom. No way was I going to pay that, the mechanic advised me to check the sills as they fill with water like they do on the corsa. If you look under your car the sill is the bit that is the main part of the car under the door. The Tigra has rubber grommet seals underneath. There are about four of them on each side. I pulled one out and a load of water gushed out, did the same on the other side and same thing, load of water rushing out. I haven't put the rubber seals back in and intend to leave them off so that if water gets in the water will just drain out. It seems that when it rained the sills filled up further until they overflowed via the door seals into the footwell. Hopefully problem now solved!

Chris McBride
March 2015

First open the bonnet and ensure that under the sill there are no leaves or muck, if there is get the end of a Hoover down there and suck them out. On the passenger side under the sill there is a square box flap, open that by flipping up and check it is not blocked with leaves. Finally check your door rubber seals and spray them with WD40 and leave the doors open for a couple of hours. That softens the rubber when it has hardened over time and reforms a soft seal preventing water draining down the rubber seal to the bottom of the door and leaking into the car. To check after rain if this is the problem open door and pull rubber seal at the bottom of the door, if it is wet then you have found your leak. Ensure all parts of the rubber seals on the door get a good coating of WD40.

Chris McBride
March 2015

hi i have a tigra w reg but mine has a leak in the back i think as my back seat passenger footwell gets wet , any ideas would be a great help :)

suzanne
May 2014

The Tigra suffers the same front bulkhead leak as the Corsa, remove the wipers, scuttle panel, washer bottle, wiper motor, battery and pollen filter housing, (held on with 4 torx screws on passenger side behind battery).
Now look at the caulking sealant around the black plate behind the servo, you will see gaps in it where it's shrunk, get a small screw driver and dig out the sealant, difficult to get to towards the bottom, unclip the plastic bulkhead drain housing and access through the hole, an air gun is useful for cleaning off and drying out.
Have a good clean up with white spirit, now get a tube of black Sikaflex and reseal the panel, at the bottom where you can't get to with the sealant gun use a 1/2 inch brush with the bristles cut down and squeeze out some sealant onto some card then brush it on using the drain hole for access.
Wear rubber gloves when using Sikaflex as it's a pig to get off your hands and keep the white spirit handy for cleaning up, also put some sealant around the pollen filter housing where it seals to the bulkhead and the torx screws washers before you refit it.
Do not use silicone sealant it doesn't last.
Get a leather hole punch and put 4 holes into each of the door seals spread along the bottom as far in as you can to let any water that gets past the seal to drain out.

Steve
February 2014

http://www.tigraclub.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2240&sid=0f3bf462e95365bd88022728b064a2aa

DD
February 2014

Hi, (cheers Tom)

two quick notes

a) you should do regular under bonnet checks on any car and THE most important check is the brake fluid reservoir, is the fluid up to about the correct level and is it fairly clean looking - easy with modern see-through plastic reservoirs

b) now most viewers are going to the Vauxhall Tigra Owners Club and introducing themselves in the ‘New Members’ forum before posting elsewhere on that site - Ive just about stopping checking here and this will be the last time I do so please see previous posts

thanks and bye

Nigel
March 2013

Might be of use to some people with this issue, the Tigra B shares many components with the Corsa C model. The Cors and tigra have drain flaps under the bonnet these are designed to let out water that collects above the front bulkhead (between cabin and engine bay) these get full of leaves and dirt and this muck holds water that then rots the seals worth regularly checking the flaps are clear when you all do your weekly Oil level/coolant level/fluid checks! (ha ha like you do that every week!) worth clearing the gutters when you wash the car. Unfortunately still getting puddles in the boot after heavy rain so not perfect. There are many helpful guides on the issue with the corsa C footwell getting wet and apart from roof seal issues its the same for the trigra convertible

TomS
March 2013

Hi All,

can I please ask that anyone who joins the Vauxhall Tigra Owners Club introduces themselves in the ‘New Members’ forum before posting elsewhere on that site

cheers

Nigel
January 2013

Hi All,

can I please ask that anyone who joins the Vauxhall Tigra Owners Club introduces themselves in the ‘New Members’ forum before posting elsewhere, then please look for or use the site Search for the type of water leak you have (front footwell, boot etc.,) rather than starting another new thread on a subject that is already well covered on the site

the site also has separate forums for Tigra A - 1994 to 2001 and Tigra B (Convertible) - 2004 to 2009 as the cars are quite different and so are the resolution to any water leaks

Tigra B (convertible) – boot water leak
my text and photos on water in the boot of a Tigra B (convertible) on the Vauxhall Tigra Owners Club web site is at - http://www.tigraclub.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2240

cheers

Nigel
January 2013

Hi Sandra,
have a look at Kevin’s posts again as the only thing I’ve actually dealt with is water in the boot the rest of the information I’ve just copied and pasted

see my text and photos on water in the boot of a Tigra B (convertible) on the Vauxhall Tigra Owners Club web site - http://www.tigraclub.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2240

I suggested clearing out all the cill drain holes with a cable tie (wrap) (20 mm X 5 mm) or something similar, it's others that have put removing the cill plugs, if the cill plugs are left out then I’d have thought water and road debris could get into the cills which isn’t what you want

the boot soft drain pipes go inside the cavity of the boot side body panel structures and through a pressed holding piece formed on the back of the panel into a drainage area but are not secured at the bottom, the drain exit for these are awkward to find tucked at the rear bottom edge at the back (inboard) of the cills,

these drain holes are shown in the photos with yellow tie-wrap sticking out, they can easily get covered over and/or blocked by muck, these need to be open to drain those soft drain pipes and the other cill drain holes (not plugs) need to be open to drain the cills

note what Kevin put – ‘the water comes in from three places the steering column aperture in the footwell, where the brake pedal etc. is attached to the bulkhead and also the drain hoses in the rear’

HTH, note I don’t check this page often as I divert all to the Vauxhall Tigra Owners Club web site

cheers

Nigel
January 2013

Hi Nigel , My husband has taken up the sound sponge ha might have that wrong we have poured water with a hose and cant see any water entering into the steering column and yes when we emptied the cill plugs underneath the car the water came out cant believe the drainage tubes from the back go nowhere ,where thinking its coming in from the back even though i do understsnd what your saying about the front steering column ,do we just leave the plugs of so the car can drain ,do you have an answere thankyou for your time .

Sandra
January 2013

Thankyou to everybody who has gave there stories about the dreaded water problems with the Vauxall Tigra , The frustration and anger i have over this car is just so sad , i always loved the shape of this car and it was a dream when i was able to get money together to buy one , i paid £3.500 second hand for my Tigra 1.4 55 plate in january 2012 and not long afterwards the problems with the drivers footwell started , my husband at this moment is trying to resolve it but he knows nothing about cars and i think its not such a good thing to have a go at trying to fix am scared , I think we have to get a rally going, Vauxall is a big dealership company and while there choosing to ignore this problem its saying they have a right to get away with it and while its our hard earned money paying for there cars we can not give up , please please write in to watchdog and Vauxall ,untill they admit the cars need to be recalled back ,and this can be a safety problem when your foot slips of the peddle because of the water that leaves your shoes wet , sorry for going on its just paying for a fault on your car when its not normal ware and tear and your skint is not ha ha funny.

Sandra.
January 2013

the following is an alternative to Kevin’s method for leaks to the front footwell which is detailed further down the thread so please also see that

from Johnny5 (referring to the Tigra B, two-seater convertible) -

‘see the stuff about the water coming in the steering column , rubbish !! , I have stripped the car down to metel , took everything out , including the foam , that i cut out with a stanley knife , the steering column goes through the floor ! down the way , the only place water runs up hill is on the moon lol.

and see when your stripping the inside , put the roof down , then there is plenty of room to work lol , and yes , i never done this till i was putting it back in !!!!. next part , how to fix the leak for £ 1.50

strip the front scuttle at the bottom of the window , take off the window wiper arms , if they are stuck , long bar or screwdriver under the bit that bolts to the mechanism , fold a towel and put it on the wing , block of wood on the folded towel and long bar levered under wiper arm , loosen bold on arm till last thread , then prise up arm and tap middle with small hammer , and should pop right off :-) .

window wiper mechanism is held on to body my 2 torx bolts , take them out and the whole thing should come out , after you unplug it of course !! lol .

oh I , take out the washer bottle as well , pulls straight up , turn the wee nozzle up the way and the fluid wont run out lol.

go to asda , morrisons , or BnQ , and buy a roll of heavy duty pastic bags .

cut a plastic bag into a sheet size that will fit up under the scuttle panner over the servo and down to were the water runs out ,

now glue , silicon , jam , or what ever you want to do with the top of the plastic sheet onto the top part of the scuttle panel , and down over the servo and down to the water exit hole , so any water runs down the window onto the plastic sheet down the sheet over the servo , or round , but never behind it , into the hunner and one leaking holes that are back there lol :-).

been on the car for about 6 weeks , so with all this sunny weather the last month , its been well tested lol , the reason I done it this way was after I read about the plastic liner in the door to keep the water out , and had a brain wave lol , and when I had a look at getting behind the servo , fooook me it looks tuff , and thats after I had stripped the interior , lol , so this is an easy way out.

its worked for me , carpet in the car is still dry’

note, also see Kevin’s method below

Nigel Atkins
January 2013

thanks for all the info about tigra footwell leaks, thought i was the only one with the footwell water problem, will try all the advice offered.
many thanks to the people and web page.

ninna
December 2012

Jim,
I hope you've got it sorted now but just in case there's any confusion for you or others

as per full details and photos at -
http://www.tigraclub.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2237
- the soft boot drain hoses do just hang inside the cavity of the open side panels in the boot, those soft drain hoses are not fixed or held at the bottom (AFAIK) but they do need to be held by the locating pressings just out of sight inside the open side panels

Note: those soft drain hoses do not go through the holes in the (black) boot lid brackets even though they fit through and look like they may go there as they will kink and fill your boot with water :)

as I put before whilst cleaning out those drain holes in the cills you might as well check all the other drain holes in the cills

cheers,

Nigel
December 2012

Nigel
Finally got a good look at it today.
I have discovered the hole at the bottom is some sort of vent through to the cabin area, and would explain when water run down here it would soak drivers carpet.
I have discovered when i put water from hose down small hole in side of boot the water runs out bottom of car via the cills, cabin area remains dry. The previous owner at some point must have removed these hoses and just left them dangling into bottom of boot area which appears to be wrong.
Time will tell if this is a cure.
Cheers Jim.

Jim
December 2012

James,
I hope you were able to see those photos as for me it's a lot easier job to do than explain

let us know how you get on

cheers, Nigel

Nigel Atkins
December 2012

Thanks Nigel,
I will get in about it tomorrow and investigate the drain holes, it seems a bit of poor engineering by the sounds of it.
cheers James.

james
November 2012

James,
as regards the drains on a convertible Tigra -
it is very important that the soft pipe goes inside the cavity of the body panel structure - and it should also go through a pressed holding piece formed on the back of the panel, or be held by a clip (you should just be able to feel pressed holding piece with your fingers behind the panel)

it does seem to just hang there then but this should empty through a drain hole that's awkward to find tucked at the rear bottom edge at the back of the cill

drain holes can easily get covered over and/or blocked by muck these need to be open to drain those soft drain pipes - there are also a number of cill drain holes in each cill that need to be clear - I find the easiest way to clear them out is to use a plastic cable tie (wrap) as these wont scratch the paint and have a pointed end so you're not pushing too much muck inward instead of pulling it out

as I can't post photos here for full details and photos go to - http://www.tigraclub.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2237

Nigel Atkins
November 2012

Hi there, I too have problem with wet floors in my 2005 Tigra. particularly in the boot area. Could somebody please tell me exactly where the two soft rubber tubes are meant to terminate . I cant believe they are meant to simply drip in to void below carpet. I tried pouring water in to this area with a slow running garden hose. it just ran straight through in to drivers front footwell and soaked the front carpet. I looked below the car and not a drop ran out from below the car. Is it likely its a blocked drain hole? or should the hoses be connected to somewhere in particular? please help!!!!

James
November 2012

hi folks, my girlfriend also has the dreaded drivers wet footwell syndrome! After trying many things i think i may have fixed it. Please note i believe from much research and hours and hours of fiddling around there are actually 3 areas the car leaks from. The biggest one is in underneath the window wiper motor, first step pull up the carpet and remove sound deadening , you will see a cut out where the steering column goes through if you get someone to pour water by the window wiper motor you will actualy see the water coming through under the brake pedal (well there about) it doesn't take long to see the water come through! you will have to remove scuttle panel and wiper motor to see and seal the area. i used a lot of silicon here and tested it after few days seems to have done the trick the second was a lesser leak is on the cill if you pop out the grommets you will see the water come out i believe this comes into the cill under the wing various holes there again just silicon them up, i think the main culprit here is where the wing joins the cill , and lastly the boot drains (i didn't have this one but a lot of folks do)... Just a side note the holes i sealed were tiny but the floor was like a pool after heavy rain. i hope this helps as i know its incredibly frustrating good luck

ste
November 2012

Kevin,
thanks for your reply to me, only just seen it sorry

cheers, Nigel
October 2012

Oh, glad I found this post!

I have this problem, having just found my drivers side compartment completely saturated with water. I have some newspaper and bits drying it out on the surface at the moment.

It has smelt for a while now as I have had it for a year or so, but has only recently started this. I noticed that when it had rained if I open the door then the water through the door seals would fall out and into my footwell but to no great concern as it was just a small amount when opening the door.

However now it is as wet as a Fire Service training yard, and as smelly as jabba the hut's under-tit!

I am not really one to be able to identify different problems with cars and to investigate into them. I would see myself as more of a demolition man, rather than a reconstruction. I don't really get the whole putting back together side of things. How would I be able to investigate such problems that have been noted without tearing my car apart and possibly not being able to put it back together in the same way? I could end up with the bonnet and the windscreen the wrong way round, which could create a few more problems.... Anyway, I digress slightly into my terrible knowledge of cars.

Any help or information would be great. I havent been to Vauxhall yet, but very tempted. Just worried about paying and it not sorting the problem!

Thanks everyone!

Ryan
July 2012

Hi Sorry I have been away for a while just to answer some more of your questions Vauxhall will never repair these cars as they know there is a real big problem with them and they all should be recalled, the water comes in from three places the steering column aperture in the footwell, where the brake pedal etc is attached to the bulkhead and also the drain hoses in the rear, to answer nigels question the hoses hang lose, I have stripped my own 2006 Tigra carpets out removed the scuttle panel and tested it with water, and seen the water entering via the above places, and I mean it really does enter, you can see it coming through the seals this area is really difficult to get at and seal correctly that is why Vauxhall will not recall them, and your right it is dangerous my foot has slipped off the brake pedal many times almost causing an accident do as suggested write to watch dog everybody with a Tigra because you all have this problem its the only way.

Kevin
July 2012

Kevin’s put these posts below (sorry I’ve no idea why I put 'and Andrew')

they seem to offer a solution (to one leak at least)

if you fix the problem then provided you've kept the evidence of the problem you can still complain but with dry feet in a sweeter smelling car

A) The water leak is from the aperture where the steering column goes through the floor its a bad seal you can repair it with a flexible mastic sealer Vauxhall should recall these cars and admit this is a design fault send an email reporting it.

B) It is not the door seal yes the seal does collect water but this is not the problem it is the aperture where the steering column goes through the floor I have tested and checked and repaired many of these faults, please do not jump to conclusions it is as I have said.

C) All you people having this problem listen, if you park your vehicle in the rain and it is on a slight incline if the front is pointing down over the water will gather in the front, if you park it the opposite way it will gather in the rear, it is coming in from the aperture where the steering column goes through the floor it runs down from the roof / windows through the scuttle panel down the bulkhead and in through the steering column aperture then gathers in the drivers footwell should anyone wish to email me, the water you see dripping from the sill holes is because it eventually finds its way into the sills

Nigel
July 2012

I too have a soggy tigra ('56) & have also been fobbed off by robbing Vauxhall dealerships. I have to take a bath towel to work with me in the mornings to soak up the water and am constantly worried that my foot will slip off the pedal and cause me to do myself or someone else some serious damage. I refuse to pay Vauxhall hundreds of pounds for work they say is not guaranteed to fix the fault, so im resigned to taking a towel to work with me for the forseeable future. I have wrote to watchdog & trading standards expressing my concerns especially the safety aspect of this problem.

Mandy Markey
July 2012

Hi Katy,
are you perhaps talking about the four-seater Tigra rather than the two seater my wife has, either way have you read Kevin and Andrew's replies

having had old and old-ish British sports cars for 20 years I’m used to leaks and the need to dry out car cabins and boots – basically it’s the soundproofing beneath the carpets that hold an unbelievable amount of water, you can remove them from the car and leave them hanging to drain and 24 hours later they can still be dripping or very wet

in fact you need to remove the soundproofing to dry it out or your car will remain damp and smelly and nasties could grow

even when we get a week of very hot weather the drying out will cause condensation inside the car so you have to remove the soundproofing to full dry it out

and of course if you don’t remove the soundproofing the carpets will remain damp for longer and you can’t mop out the water below the soundproofing

until you resolve the leak(s) you are best to run with rubber mats rather than carpet and certainly soundproofing

beneath the carpets and soundproofing you could also of course cause rust, depends how well the metal is painted and seams filled

it could be water runs to different parts of the cabin when the car is parked at different angles or different origins of leaks but it sounds a bit like you car could be filling up

apart from the boot drain holes there are several other drain holes along each sill (well there are on my wife’s model) these need to be kept clear

sorry but that’s about as much as I can help you

best of luck

Nigel
July 2012

Hi Nigel,

I did have an issue which resulted in a big puddle in the boot, but i have cleared those drains and that is now fine.

The problem i have is sopping wet floors in the car, it seemed to start drivers side but is now throughout the car - passenger side, behind seats etc. Resulting in a mouldy, stinky car :(

I took it Vauxhall who quoted me £150 to investigate but they wouldn't guarantee to find the problem, and if they did, fixing it would be an extra cost.

Katy
July 2012

Katy are we talking about the same problem, drains in boot at very front sides of boot with rubber seal/funnel unseen under roof seal - if so check they are routed to the inside of the painted body panel there's a form on the inside of the panel that the soft hose can fit through to hold it's position (don't drop and lose the soft hose in that panel cavity)

also on the very rear edge of the sills are drain holes these obviously need to be clear

pity I only deleted the photos last night but I can easily take more for you

I contacted Vauxhall for the drainage routing but all they could tell me was that they are clipped, I could see no evidence of clips but without a light, mirror and another pair of hands I couldn't see or feel inside the body panel

IF we are talking about the same thing I'm happy to show you what I've done, I can't say if it's 100% correct as I can't get the information from Vauxhall but my wife hasn't mentioned about water in the boot since

nigel atkins (one word) at bt internet (one word) dot and com

in the last 10 years I've wasted enough of my time and energy on car companies, dealers and parts suppliers so wont be joining your campaign

Nigel
July 2012

I also have the same problem with my 54 plate and have put up with it for a couple of years as kept thinking I'd solved it, cleared drains etc. but no joy.

After reading how many other people are experiencing the same problem it is obviously a fault with the build of the vehicle.

Today I have written to Vauxhall to complain and I have also logged it on BBC's Watchdog site.

The more we shout about it hopefully they will actually take note and be forced to fix the problem.

Please ALL do something... write to complain, log it on Watchdog, or both! We shouldn't have pay to get this fixed ourselves!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/gotastory/

Katy
July 2012

Kevin, do you know about route for soft drain pipe in boot of 2008 Tigra, does the pipe hang lose of fix where it terminates please?

For others,
I've just got a 100ml of silicone oil off eBay (candle maker) to put on all the seals - roof, boot and doors, I used to use silcone spray but this is supposed to be easier to apply with a cloth, should really be done about once a year

Nigel Atkins
June 2012

hi.water seems to be comming into my tigra from passenger side roof seal and dripping onto door card.any advise

ANDREW
June 2012

I have had this problem my drivers footwell is flooded with water, the seal in the engine appears to have gone which allows water in and coming through the bolt in the car above the accelerater and brake, this is easy to test by running a hose in the top left under the bonnet and checking the bolt in the car you will see water running straight into the car if this is the same problem, not easy to tell as my carpet and the top is bone dry was told its all to do with my door seals but this is not true. Hope this helps :)

H
June 2012

All you people having this problem listen, if you park your vehicle in the rain and it is on a slight incline if the front is pointing down over the water will gather in the front, if you park it the opeersite way it will gather in the rear, it is coming in from the aperture where the steering column goes through the floor it runs down from the roof / windows through the scuttle panel down the bulkhead and in through the steering column aperture then gathers in the drivers footwell should anyone wish to email me, the water you see dripping from the sill holes is because it eventually finds its way into the sills

Kevin
June 2012

It is not the door seal yes the seal does collect water but this is not the problem it is the aperture where the steering column goes through the floor I have tested and checked and repaired many of these faults, please do not jump to conclusions it is as I have said.

Kevin
June 2012

The water leak is from the aperture where the steering column goes through the floor its a bad seal you can repair it with a flexible mastic sealer Vauxhall should recall these cars and admit this is a design fault send an email reporting it.

Kevin
June 2012

Well im very new to a 2006 Tigra 1.4 convertible and I just love it. It does fill me with dread thou when I read all the above. My car is also suffering from water in the drivers foot well. I have a rug doctor, so im lucky enough to be able to drain the water out, but its already back again after such a short space of time. I have also noticed that when I reverse off my drive and pull away I can almost hear water sloshing in the car ? has anyone else had this. I would rather fix it myself as mine has come form a used car dealer and if I was to contact Vauxhall, this could lead me down a very expensive road. Its taken the shine away from the car, especially with our typical weather. Any suggestions please ?

Kerry White
May 2012

I have a 54 plate 1.4 Tigra and I am experiencing flooding in my drivers footwell which is only getting worse. After checking everything to do with the door/speakers we have found the problem is the door seal. It runs down, but rather than going into the second part of the door seal some drips down the centre of the bottom seal, filling the bottom door seal and spilling over into the footwell. I plan on having new door seals but they arent cheap. Fingers crossed this solves the problem.

Steph
April 2012

I too have the water leak problem in the boot and footwell on both sides, Between May 11 and April 12 I have sent letters and had phone calls and eventually something was done, however the work still hasn't remided the problem, so it has gone back. Pentagon Seemed ok with this at first but now are refusing to extend courtesy car whilst vauxhall mess about deciding if they will fix the problem and suddernly I have hit a brick wall with both Vauxhall head office and the dealership! If Stephen McKenna still comes on here, please can I contact you to find out what you did as I feel I am going to have to go down the same route as you.

Chris
April 2012

I have a vauxhall corsa and the same thing is happening. My corsa is 10 years old never had it before.but it is doing it now. My husband has a corsa 5 years old and it is also doing it as well.

c kingsley
April 2012

yes we have the same problem the water gathers in the drivers foot well, we have had it looked at by several people now and we still have the problem the mechanic's at Vauxhall even re lubricated the rubber seals and the problem is still there

Frank
March 2012

well thanks to Brians info on the grommets in the sill i removed mine and it seems to have solved the problems of water in the foot well so we will see
have also replaced door seal as i had damaged it by constantly lifting to remove water!
Angela

Angela
January 2012

Yep, like everyone else, I have an 06 Tigra MK2 that has a passenger front and rear footweel that you can swim in! I have been extremely dismayed that no one seems to have found the definitive solution to this distressing issue. Me? I have removed sill drainage grommets (nothing there) etc. I have removed all the water from inside using a VAX wet/dry vacuum cleaner and then thoroughly soaked the car with a hose and the carpets seem dry (as yet!). I am MOST interested in STEPHEN McKENNA's posts re: his 'win' with Vauxhall. I cannot find any further referece/details when googled, so Stephen if you read this, PLEASE get in touch via Fb etc. or here and let me (an everyone else!) know the details. Will we get any joy now if we appraoch Vauxhall? Thanks!

Anon
January 2012

My 09 Tigra was fine until i moved to a new house with a steep drive, now the boot floods every time it rains.Evans Halshaw and Vauxhall have done three repair attempts then renewed the seals on the boot, this has made the problem MUCH worse than it originally was and they have refused to look at the car again. I've widened my drive so i can reverse park but cannot park the car uphill when out and about during rainfall.I did not expect geographical parking restrictions when i bought my car.

D Morson
October 2011

our tigra a 58 plate was 2 mths old wen started leakin ,been into vauxhall 16 times ,went to court for swearing at management,& mechanics i was found not guilty. but vauxhall trained 21 years experiance ,admitted under oath there was tech fault with tigra, vauxhall still deny there is problem due to lack of complaints,go to vauxhall web page & request ring back,quote,,mckenna v bayliss vauxhall;the more noise we make the louder we are, the veichle comes with 7yrs body warranty dontbe fobbed off the water causes damage to wireing starting to rot, soundproofing crumbling, mould & smell inside;such a shame 4 a lovely car.

s mckenna
September 2011

My wife's 54 plateTigra which she has had for two months has also had the same problems, has been back to the carsales 6 times so far:
1. the drain holes were cleared.
2. the fuse box? was sealed and scuttle panel removed & refitted - then noticed cracked windscreen next day (apparantly it is easy to crack the screen if scuttle panel not fitted correctly).
3. The latest leak is coming from the roof seal where the locking catches are - several attempts to cure it by adjusting a) the roof latch and b) the screeen pillar locking point. Leak improved, but still slight drip. just got a 2nd opinion at local garage and they reckon the 1st thing to do is change the roof seal at about £250?
Still have a door seal that seems to hold a fair amount of water and release it into the car when the door is opened?

Martin G
August 2011

Water comes in to Tigra via the inside of the door and exits under the speakers,this swamps the door seal in heavy weather ans the water flows in.
You need to remove the door trims and isolate the speakers with plastic the water will the flow out of the drains in the lower part of the door and on to the road.
I have repaired 3 or 4 and they have never been a problem after.

Peter
August 2011

can someone help me i bought my first car only to find i have a water puddle leak on the passenger seat bottom on my right side and no where else is leaking :S helpp me asap

danny basco
August 2011

went to court 15 8 2011, bayliss vauxhall, admited there was problem with tigra!!! took us 2 years and 16 visits to get repaired! we won

stephen mckenna
August 2011

Hi,I have a 54/ 2005 tigra sport I have had all of my seals and drains checked/ cleared and still my Driverside footwell is filling with water spent hours drying it out on a sunny day and each time I stop 5 mins later is soaked again did have water in the boot but had pipes by the hinges repaired and problem solved there, really at my wits end here as I loved this car so much till this, any further suggestions would be great.

K stock
August 2011

I have a leak in my Tigra coming in through the bulkhead, dont go to dealerships they rob you blind, find a small local garage with older men who are genuine, i got quoted £450 at a bigger garage but found a smaller one who are doing it for £60!! deffo worth shopping around!! To tell where its coming in pour water from a watering can over the bulkhead with the lid up and get someone to watch where it is running in. If it aint coming in that way it'll be a door seal or roof seal, unfortunate thing with the bulkheafd is its a lot of work and labour as it hasd to be removed to be sealed, thankfully i found a good garage!

Jen
July 2011

hi someone else suggested drilling a hole so the water can run out & there is no build up of water. I'm a bit apprehensive. Has it work?

elaine
February 2011

I've got the dreaded watery footwell in a 2005 Tigra cabriolet - not solved by any suggestions i've read so far, BUT for "Cake's" benefit i have sorted out the water in the boot, which happened all the time.
In the upper corners of the boot (not under the lid but just to the side near the hinges) there is a rubber piece with a nozzle which has tubing attached which in turn takes water from rear screen area etc through a small hole in the bodywork out into the rear wing. Difficult to access, but quite possible. On mine, when I compared the 2 sides, I found the tubing was missing at one side - replaced with a piece of garden hose and an adaptor. Perfect.

peter w
February 2011

drill some holes and pray thats what iv done to my doughters

lol
February 2011

I've had nothing but problems with my tigra. It has now been in the dealership 5 times after resealing the door speaker they replaced the roof & mirror seals which only made matters worse as i then had 2 wet seats, after having the vechile for 4 weeks the seal has eventually been fitted properly however the original leak under the drivers foot well is still there and only getting worse i now have a small puddle. I'm now at my wits end as the dealership is now looking for more money for a further inspection. Any suggestions......

elaine
February 2011

Hi

I have a slightly different problem - there is no water in the footwells, but there is sometimes a puddle in boot - I'm now driving around without the boot carpets and the spare tyre, which means I can mop the puddle up more easily! There is also condensation on the boot lid. The cabin seems damp, but I've not noticed anything actually wet in the cabin (will have a good check now having read the above). The only thing I have noticed is that sometimes the seat belts feel a bit damp.

My husband has had a look (and he is quite good with cars) and is stumped. Any ideas gratefully recieved.

Cake
February 2011

Yes, I have had two now, and both of them let in water on the drivers side, the sills fill up with the water, but the dealer cannot find where its getting in. Also the windscreen takes ages to clear. Have you managed to find out what is the cause of your problem

Gill
January 2011

I've had my tigra (2004) into vauxhall 3 times with water in drivers footwell (happens every 12 months approx) this last time the footwell had pools of water you could see. Each time vauxhall have taken all door panelling off and sealed with silicone behind the speaker, then replaced it all, the last 2 times I've refused to pay as it's the same fix and only lasted 12 months. However this time they advised me that if it happens again I will have to pay, and it's probably happening because the silicone is breaking after about 12 months due to a combination of vibration from the speaker and shutting the door! Not very helpful. I think I'm going to write to Vauxhall head office next because I don't want to have to pay to have it resealed once a year!

Claire
January 2011

I too had the water leak from door seal. Vauxhall replaced the seals, new design as it is a known fault. Vauxhall had the car about 4 times. After the warranty ran out they didn't want to know but charged £80 to tell me the water was getting in from a seal and would cost about £400 to fix.
I gave up with vauxhall and refused to pay for them to service it in future, oil pump packed up(smashed into six pieces) and cost about £800 to fix. The garage had a Corsa in with the same problem, oil pump failed resulting in a wrecked engine.
It has put me off Vauxhalls, water leak did stop eventually but no thanks to vauxhall!

Steven
December 2010

Try removing one of the five rubber grommets underneath the door sill. Trapped water will run out. In my case I found water was comming in around rubber grommet which is in the wheel arch in front of the rear wheel. Suggest remove grommet and spray water hose in hole and watch under carpet and panel which has bonnet catch attached to see if water comes in, as in my case. I sealed this area and had no further problem. Replace and seal wheel arch grommet.

N. Stewart
November 2010

I had a similar water leak as yours . After an exhaustive search I discovered the water was getting in through the round rubber grommet on the wheel arch at the front of the rear wheel. This was allowing the water into the sill and accumulate thus seeping into the inside of the car at the floor joint below the bonnet pull lever. I sealed same and had no further trouble. Also underneath sill on the outside of car remove any one of the five rubber grommets and this will allow the accumulation of water to run out of the sill. Seal well around the wheel arch grommet and hopefully this may aliminate your problem

N. Stewart
November 2010

Hi Louise/Paul

Thank you very much for all your help. Louise let me know how you get on & if you finally get its fixed. Paul thanks for your advice. I will check drain channels in the boot & windscreen seal. Thanks again.

I think i will have to lift the carpet as the dampness is getting worse. I had to scrap frost from the side of the car this morning. NOT GOOD!!

ELAINE WOTHERSPOON
November 2010

Hi Elane

I have established that there are two leaks??? the whole carpet and soundproofing was removed to establish this, the 1st is when the rain hits the windscreen head on? it seems to run down and leak from somewhere in the middle (which is the bulkhead..I think?) the second is when the water hits the car door, it actually seems to pour from the seal at the bottom corner (close to the speakers and electrics)..I mean..pour?? I am assuming one of th leaks is to do with a door seal??? and the second I fear for the worse as its from where the rain runs down into the engine...(not as easy fixed as a seal maybe?) I mean my car can sit in a heavy rain and there is a puddle??

I phoned a vauxhall dealership thinking to hell with it ill pay to get it done right, I was told that it was £80 labour and they couldnt give me a quote as they didnt know how long it would take to fix?? therefore charging me goodness knows for labour and possibly without a repair????

Im still no better off, driving with no carpet or soundproof for the time being, and trying to find an honest easy to pay garage that knows what they are doing??? :-(

Louise Sabolocka
November 2010

Hi I have cured/ solved 2 separate problems with water in the foot-wells/+carpets wet on a Tigra. If the rear foot-well carpet is wet it is most likely due to the drain channels for the boot lid. Each side has a little drain hole that always blocks up. If you don't clear them , when it rains the channel fills up with water. When you open the boot the excess water pours over the boot-lid seal and runs down inside the trim all the way to the rear foot-well carpets so the carpet gets really wet but for no obvious reason.(this is why with the boot closed the leak doesn't show with a hose pipe!) Simply cleaning the drain holes regularly will prevent it. By the way it took a long time to get all the damp out of the car. I resorted to pulling the carpets up and using a portable heater!! The other leak I had was from the top of the windscreen. The water occasionally came in due to a badly fitted screen. The water ran in the roof lining and came out in different places making seats and carpets wet. The other thing that causes common leaks in cars are the sun roofs. They have drain tubes that feed the rain out of the car. When one blocks the tube fills up and the excess water drains into the car. Quite often it follows the trim and only appears in the foot wells making the carpet wet. Hope this helps.

Paul Nicholson
November 2010

Hi Louise
have you had any joy with your tigra? I had mine in the local vauxhall dealership who charged me £150 to tell me the water was coming in through the door speaker. I had the car back one day & the water was still coming in after booked it back in they now assure me its coming from the roof seal & mirror seal & now want £500 to fix it????? But i suppose on this i still have to take there word with no real gaurantee. HELP!!!!

ELAINE WOTHERSPOON
November 2010

Hi, I have exactly the sme car and exactly the same problem!!! its sooo frustrating, it has been in 3 times, the carpet has been fully removed as the foam spnge had taken in so much water, also to establish where the leak was from?? It had been presumed that it was coming from a blocked scuttle panel (means nothing to me) this was cleared and siliconed for some reason.... the car has sat a week as I have not been well, got in yesterday and you could bath a baby in the footwell?? :-( still no answer..still no further on..the water collects when the car is not moving, but on showering the car the leak cannot be found???

Louise Sabolocka
October 2010

my girlfriendhas a 2004 tigra b 1.4 sport. have had water build up under passenger footwell in the carpet and in the foam noise deadening mat. the water gets in even when the car hasnt been moved so it cant be from under the car its getting in more a case of it draining into the car. i have cleared all leave/dirt build up between the screen and engine bay. have sealed all around windscreen. cannot find any sign of water getting in from outside but still water gets in. if anyone has an answer id apprieciate it. if i find a solution i will post comment straight away.

Lewis Wallbridge
September 2010

check all the seals leading into car under the bonnet, door seal, under mats for any small holes, and all the guttering under bonnet are clear of dead leaves etc.

helpful?
September 2010