[nojonareach]

Hi Twiggs
i think i have this problem with both my sliders. Do you have any clearer photos of the plastic cover you re-bonded. i have removed the lower strip from the window frame (the part removed in your picture) and can see the window channel drain just drains into this clip on trim and thus any water just runs inside the van.
any help would be greatly received as i have tried all the attempts at sorting the glazing seals but the leaks just returns after time as its now quite obvious water will always get by the seals but then the channel drains should drain outside the van whereas mine just drain into the lower clip on cover trim.

 

[nojonareach]

Hi Twiggs and others .... can anyone help me please.

Attached are photographs of the window frame with slider channel and drain hole on my van along with the underside cover for this. i cannot see where its meant to be sealed but can clearly see n0w why the water that gets by the glazing seal runs into the channel, down the drain hole then runs down the inside of the door as its not sealed at all.

In order to seal it does anyone know what the answer is please? thank you

 

[nojonareach]

Try a forum search - there have been lots of threads about this and a number of different solutions suggested (my favourite being to have the window cut out and an aftermarket replacement put in - which is what we had done).

What you see is not unusual. Our 2005 Kombi is exactly the same as yours - it never had anything installed from the factory to stop water from draining straight through and down the inside of the door.

Thanks Triffic. What aftermarket windows did you have fitted, how much did they cost and who fitted them please?

The fact that the drains have nothing attached to them is utter rubbish. I too have tried the cleaning of the seals, frames etc, additional bead of sikaflex behind the seal in the channel to push the seal forward, re-alignment of the pin but all to no avail. This has gone on for several years and its only now that i have realised that the drains are intentional and that they should have had drain pipes attached as the design of the window would never ever create a perfect seal so they were intended to leak slightly under different stresses and thus water had to go into the channels and then drain somewhere, its just that the lazy gits at the factory never fitted the drains!

 

[nojonareach]

someone else have suggested if windows are leaking, the locking mechanism/pins are worn out and replacement from ebay should sort this out. his pictures suggested that pind have become "D" shaped instead of "O" profile hence it does not push against the seals properly.
someone else has fitted a little hose and brought leak down to tthe bottom of the door drainage hole.

from your pictures however i can see the plastic and window itself being quite dirty, it is well known that few of us here we proper clean them with tooth brushes to assure proper uniform seal.

thanks mjojom, as you can see in my reply to triffic, we have been down the road of meticulous cleaning and pin adjustment etc. there is actually virtually no wear on my pins as the windows have hardly been used. however, after years of trying they still blooming leak!

 

[nojonareach]

I've got to agree with triffic. After tying every solution known to man I have had aftermarket windows fitted. 200 quid a side. Far neater inside the van, better locks and superior in every way to the p*sspoticle things that VW thought up.
Roger.

rogd, thanks for your reply. Please can you let me know what make of windows and who fitted them please. Any pictures would be great too please as i can see we are probably going to have to bite the bullet on this one and do it.
Were just getting to the end of a re-fit of our van with new cupboards we have made ourselves and we are about to cut and router the corian top and fit a Wallas XC Duo hob/heater so now would be the time to fit the windows rather than after! cheers

 

[nojonareach]

Gents thank you so much for your advice. I have started another thread 'Replacement sliding windows choice?' as i feel i have been a bit out of order hijacking Twiggs396 original thread ...sorry Twiggs!

Your input on replacement windows would be greatly received please!

 

[nojonareach]

Great. Finally found pictures of the bottom of the slider/drain being taken off. Is that hard. Do you break the clips. Do you have to use sealant to get it back?
i have the same problem of although having a clean drain hole, after air blowing out with a 12v tyre compressor pump to clean, water overflows out of it and also down the inside of the door with a little going outside, if you fill with water from syringe or water bottle.
10 yr old Bilbo 2.5 so no heavy use or excessive dirt.
now I see in the pics that there doesn`t seem to be a direct channel for the water but it is just directed to the bottom of the window. I must assume there is meant to be sealant around it to stop it flowing into the van, but this must have failed.
more pics and replies needed please. Am waiting for a dry day to prise the lower channel off to have a looksee.

Having now spoken with an auto glass specialist i understand the problem better. The early windows ...ours is 2006 kombi ...had drain holes in the slider channel but it doesn't go anywhere. The later models had drains that directed to the outside. The latter are hit n miss on whether they work or not. The windows remain fairly unchanged in design to this day on the t6.1 and they continue to leak on some and not others, so really a hit n miss game. The specialist i have spoken to (Andy at AAW - vehicle window fitting specialists || T4 side window - van window conversion || Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset ) said he often replaces genuine VW ones with dealer supplied new VW ones for the local dealer when they have warranty claims.
Our t5 2006 t30 kombi likewise has only been in private ownership with little use and abuse of the windows. the dirt you see in my photos is what's accumulated over the last 6 months. i have in the past however had the windows and catches dismantled fully, cleaned and lubricated and plumped the seals with specialist lubricant and re-adjusted the pin catches although they weren't worn. Although this worked for a short while the dam leaks would re-appear again at some point.
I have therefore today bitten the bullet and booked our van in with AAW to fit replacement sliders so we will now have a nice dry van!!. Were going with the recessed slider made by BTO as not only is it cheaper but its also more reliable than the flush fitting aftermarket slider. Andy reckons he has only had 2 in 1000 replacements that has leaked which is a pretty good track record.

 

[nojonareach]

N. Thanks for coming back so quick. But please can you answer my first bit. The removal and replacement of the lower part of the slider/drain part. Hard? Easy? Sealant required?

just so I can be prepared.

lots of info on how to remove them on the tech parts of the forum and all over the net. here's a video ;