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D3 - Common Faults Quick links to all known common faults and their solutions

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Old 15th August 2009, 11:30 AM
PsYcHe PsYcHe is offline
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Default Blocked Drains

Yes... The D3 suffers from them as much as the D2. And they're in a similar place.

Although the electronics units are mostly in sealed boxes under the carpet, some are vulnerable to water ingress, one of which being the ingition/lock module which controls the keyless entry and start, along with the ignition barrel.

Check the drains regularly, or this module (amongst others) may be killed off.

You'll also see water coming in down the passenger side centre console as it gets into the pollen filter and through that way. You could be looking at 2 weeks in the garage drying out the carpets.
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Old 9th March 2012, 02:41 AM
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Is there an official or otherwise documented procedure to clean and check them? Drano? H2SO4? C4?
TIA,
Tom

Last edited by aTOMic; 19th March 2012 at 09:59 PM.
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Old 9th March 2012, 07:57 AM
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Cleaning is usually just a matter of making sure that nothing has obviously blocked them and sending water through at mains pressure (or air if you have a compressor).
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Old 22nd September 2012, 08:15 PM
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Following my conversation today with Richard regarding the drains I decided to check the condition of mine. I knew they weren't completely blocked as water did run through but I never realised they were as bad as they were.

This is the bulkhead drains

The good news is you can access them from below the vehicle if you can raise the vehicle high enough, the bad news is you will need a ramp, the good news is I have a ramp



I'm sure next you take your car in for an MOT and speak nicely to the examiner they will clean the pipes for you as it only takes a couple of minutes with a long screwdriver or similar tool to prod the crud out.

The good news is nothing needs to be removed to do this from underneath the vehicle. With the vehicle raised locate the gearbox mountings, then looking slightly towards the front of the vehicle on the transmission tunnel you should be able to see the pipes

This is the off-side




The near side looks easier to gain access, but the exhaust gets in the way so a long screwdriver was used to clear the rubbish out.
I then stuck the vacuum cleaner into the end of the pipes and sucked through any crap that was remaining.


A couple of pictures of my illuminations




On another forum someone was asking how I got the electricity into the garage, I replied it was connected to the street lighting. Next day he sent me a pm asking if I could supply him with the details of how to connect a cable to the street lights
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Old 22nd September 2012, 08:17 PM
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What I would like to know now is if anyone can tell me where the D3 air-con drains exit and if they are the same orange colour of the D2?

Also where do the D3 sunroof pipes exit?
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Last edited by 47p2; 22nd September 2012 at 09:03 PM.
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Old 22nd September 2012, 08:43 PM
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How big are those drains? They look more like the bulkhead ones to me, though I only know D2 not D3.
On D2 the aircon (condenser tray) drains are not at all large - maybe 1cm - and happen to be bright orange.
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Old 22nd September 2012, 09:05 PM
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I was out looking again HP and had already decided they were indeed the bulkhead drains, you beat me to it I can't for the life of me see where the air-con drains exit so I will take the car a run tomorrow then have a look
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Old 22nd September 2012, 09:32 PM
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The air on drains exit on the transmission tunnel behind the sound deadening foam under the heat shield. Getting at the pipe work from the tunnel is a gearbox out job!
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Old 22nd September 2012, 09:35 PM
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Thanks CtL, found them now


The air-con evaporator drains are accessed from behind the carpet at the gearbox tunnel. You will have to remove the foot rest on the driver side by removing the bolt cover and 8mm bolt, the footrest then slides upwards to disengage it from its fixing




Then just pull the carpet down a few inches to gain access to the drain tubes


The passenger side is even easier as there is no footrest. Access is however hampered slightly with some wiring so rather than risk snagging a cable I refitted the drain tube with a jubilee clip as access with the Clic-R clamp pliers was rather limited



The tubes were clear but I now have piece of mind


Just my sunroof drains to check now
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Last edited by 47p2; 22nd September 2012 at 11:13 PM.
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  #10  
Old 10th November 2012, 08:42 PM
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had a look in my drain pipes, found couple leaves in it, but dont understand why to check air con drain pipe, aircon system is sort of sealed, from that drain pipe o get only couple drops of water, but its only condensation from gas system
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