I recently bought a 2002 VW Cabrio convertible. It has just started leaking and I haven't been able to figure out where it was coming from. This thread has given me ideas and immediately upon inspection, I noticed the rubber seals in the midde of the front windows on Both sides bowed out. I can't find the drain holes yet but it may be a different model. Thank you for having this thread and for all of the people contribuiting!
I do have one thing to add that hopefully is helpful. My top goes down but many times won't come back up. So I have to open the trunk and turn the metal lever as far as it will go. This drains the hydraulic fluid or something like that and then I can manually pull the top back on.
There IS supposed to be a fuse for the ABS hydraulic pump relay30, on mine, which is 2002 Cabrio. I don't know if there is one for the other years. I found the info on a site called fixya.com if anyone wants to see if it helps. Also the person I bought it from said they thought the top was broken until they found the fuse, so I know there is one. I haven't found the fuse yet because it has been raining and raining! Today I am going to go out and check the fuses out, but wanted to share this in case it helps anyone.
I recently bought a 2002 VW Cabrio convertible. It has just started leaking and I haven't been able to figure out where it was coming from. This thread has given me ideas and immediately upon inspection, I noticed the rubber seals in the midde of the front windows on Both sides bowed out. I can't find the drain holes yet but it may be a different model. Thank you for having this thread and for all of the people contribuiting!
I do have one thing to add that hopefully is helpful. My top goes down but many times won't come back up. So I have to open the trunk and turn the metal lever as far as it will go. This drains the hydraulic fluid or something like that and then I can manually pull the top back on.
There IS supposed to be a fuse for the ABS hydraulic pump relay30, on mine, which is 2002 Cabrio. I don't know if there is one for the other years. I found the info on a site called fixya.com if anyone wants to see if it helps. Also the person I bought it from said they thought the top was broken until they found the fuse, so I know there is one. I haven't found the fuse yet because it has been raining and raining! Today I am going to go out and check the fuses out, but wanted to share this in case it helps anyone.
Thanks
Hi Lauraa1: I bought a 2001 Cabrio this year too. Mine also leaks. The leak was showing itself on the rear passenger floor rug. After checking the internet, you should see if you think it might be leaking from the heat ducts that are under the front seats. The idea is that your 'dust/pollen' filter which sits under the passenger side of the windshield wiper area could be allowing water to get past it and run down the ducting to the floor of the back seat via the ducting.
In my case, that was PART of the leaking. Using your Bentley Book (buy it!) you can figure out how to get the cowling off the windshield passenger side, remove the dust filter (clean it/replace it). I think there was so much detritus from pine trees and dirt that there was a lack of proper draining going on. So consider shop-vac/vacuuming that whole dirty under-windshield area well before you put it back together.
Another contributer to my leaking was the drainage area that comes off the convertible top. There are plastic catch basin areas just behind the little rear windows that seem to have the job of collecting water from off the (closed) top when it rains. There are little tubes that drain the water from the catch basin to the metal walls of the car. There are about 5 little slits down between the front and rear wheels of the car along the rocker panel. I put a butter knife/screwdriver in those slits and cleaned out a lot of junk. I removed the little tubes and made sure they were clear to carry water. To get at the basin, lower the top. To get at the little tubes, you will have to remove the rear seat, and plastic interior panels - not hard, but you'll need an allen wrench for the seat and you'll want to buy a set of those plastic automobile trim removal tools for a couple dollars to pry safely off the plastic parts. You might just need to make sure the slits in the rocker panel are open.
Some people said that leaking was coming from the door itself (bad gaskets/seals). I didn't have this but it seems to me you could easily test whether that's your problem by closing the door on a large, spread out trash bag. If you leave the bottom of the trash bag outside any water the door directs 'in' will be caught and run out by the bag, or at least be obvious as it pools on the bag.
BTW, I replaced my top hydraulic lines as I found the sticky residue of leaking fluid under the rear seat when I removed it. After refilling the pump with the VW fluid, it works, but the pump itself seems to be leaking - perhaps I just need a new rubber o-ring between the plastic fluid reservoir and the pump itself? Anyone have ideas - anyone know which o-ring to buy. I think I heard it might be "58 x 4" (mm) best purchased from viton corp...
Comments
Try Rhino Glue for your split convt top seams,This is what the pros use.
only $14.95 @ rhinoglue.com
I do have one thing to add that hopefully is helpful. My top goes down but many times won't come back up. So I have to open the trunk and turn the metal lever as far as it will go. This drains the hydraulic fluid or something like that and then I can manually pull the top back on.
There IS supposed to be a fuse for the ABS hydraulic pump relay30, on mine, which is 2002 Cabrio. I don't know if there is one for the other years. I found the info on a site called fixya.com if anyone wants to see if it helps. Also the person I bought it from said they thought the top was broken until they found the fuse, so I know there is one.
I haven't found the fuse yet because it has been raining and raining! Today I am going to go out and check the fuses out, but wanted to share this in case it helps anyone.
Thanks
In my case, that was PART of the leaking. Using your Bentley Book (buy it!) you can figure out how to get the cowling off the windshield passenger side, remove the dust filter (clean it/replace it). I think there was so much detritus from pine trees and dirt that there was a lack of proper draining going on. So consider shop-vac/vacuuming that whole dirty under-windshield area well before you put it back together.
Another contributer to my leaking was the drainage area that comes off the convertible top. There are plastic catch basin areas just behind the little rear windows that seem to have the job of collecting water from off the (closed) top when it rains. There are little tubes that drain the water from the catch basin to the metal walls of the car. There are about 5 little slits down between the front and rear wheels of the car along the rocker panel. I put a butter knife/screwdriver in those slits and cleaned out a lot of junk. I removed the little tubes and made sure they were clear to carry water. To get at the basin, lower the top. To get at the little tubes, you will have to remove the rear seat, and plastic interior panels - not hard, but you'll need an allen wrench for the seat and you'll want to buy a set of those plastic automobile trim removal tools for a couple dollars to pry safely off the plastic parts. You might just need to make sure the slits in the rocker panel are open.
Some people said that leaking was coming from the door itself (bad gaskets/seals). I didn't have this but it seems to me you could easily test whether that's your problem by closing the door on a large, spread out trash bag. If you leave the bottom of the trash bag outside any water the door directs 'in' will be caught and run out by the bag, or at least be obvious as it pools on the bag.
BTW, I replaced my top hydraulic lines as I found the sticky residue of leaking fluid under the rear seat when I removed it. After refilling the pump with the VW fluid, it works, but the pump itself seems to be leaking - perhaps I just need a new rubber o-ring between the plastic fluid reservoir and the pump itself? Anyone have ideas - anyone know which o-ring to buy. I think I heard it might be "58 x 4" (mm) best purchased from viton corp...