I have an R reg Renault Scenic and since I bought the car 4 years ago I noticed a strange sloshing sound near the front passenger side - never thought much of it until recently when the floor on both front seats is absolutely saturated and there are puddles underneath the seats too.
The compartments in the floor in the back are also filled with water - I have read on countless sites that this appears commonplace and it is rain water coming from drainpipes from the sunroof
I tried one suggested remedy which was to remove the drivers seat door seal and underneath the roof covering there was a drainpipe attached to the sunroof which should be removed and 'blown' through to remove any blockage. When I tried to remove it it wouldn't come off and I was worried that if I forced it off it wouldn't go back on.
I am desperate to get this sorted out, being a single mum I can't possible afford the £500 other forums have said it would be to fix and woujld really appreciate any suggestions?

Thank you!
Maggie

Margaret Dawson, March 2007

I followed the advice from these posts and it stopped the water leak into the footwell of my 02 Scenic. Just turn the wheel inwards so you can get at it and remove the two screws from the bottom of the plastic wheel arch cover. You can get your hand in then and clear it out in 10 minutes. Unfortunately I had already spent £100 or so at the garage to no avail. Thanks people here.

Martin Goddard, February 2017

Water in megane gt line 2012 footwell dried out by garage but still damp will the inside of my car rust ? Please advise

marie, February 2016

I had the same problem with my scenic, the drains on the renaults go into the sills.
The sill drains block up and fill up the sills, you will find you have a sloshing noise when braking,that's the water moving about in them..
The water as know where else to go other than in the car.
The sills have plastic grommets at the lower back edge, pop a small drill through them and this will cure it.

Mechanic trevor, January 2016

hi you could try a metal coat hanger i have done this in the past and solved the problem you just have to make sure all the kinks are straight,much cheaper than any garage .

michae, March 2015

I prepare good video for cleaning drainage in Renault Scenic 2:
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVNStlZLqts

Konstantin, August 2014

It will most likely be the drains under the scuttle panel blocked. Just remove the wipers and plastic trim and unblock them. Just looked at 2 .mk3 scenics (10 reg) both had floor storage bins full of water. I walked away from both, if traders can't be bothered to prepare their cars properly I can't be bothered to buy it! Imagine the damage that has caused and all the future problems it will bring.

Karl, March 2014

8 years ago I bought a 1999 scenic drove it home from the garage when I braked hard water flooded my feet took back to garage they drained it. After months of leaking water into the car decided to investigate cleaned drain pipes still same took rear sunroof out found that the channels from front to back were joined but not sealed so I poured super glue into joints 7 years later still no leaks.

cliff jeffs, March 2014

Have just had problem with water in the footwell of my Renault Scenic tom tom 2010 model.I got in touch with Renault and they have known about the problem for some years, even though it was 3 months out of warranty they did not want to now they told me it was rain incress from the roof and that the scuttle drains would have to be unblocked.They would need the car for a day to do the job to unblock the drains,(they would not dry any of the carpets) at a cost of £154.00.
I went to my local garage they did the the job for £58.00 and it only took an hour.If that is not a rip off by Renualt then I don't know what is.I will not be buying another Scenic.

Stimpy BP, February 2014

On the 04/05 scenics the water problem is due to the drain tubes being blocked by dirt underneath the scuttle boards, remove them and the wipers. You will find 2 long black verticle tubes get a curtain wire and clear them and pour water down them and watch for the water to exit behind the wheels. It would be better to remove the bottom part of the inner slash gaurd and clear the ingress of mud as well . Worked for me no more wet storage compartments..

tony anglesey, February 2014

I'm stuck I have an 03 sport alize. I know the sunroof drains are blocked but I don't know how to unblock them. I don't know where the drains end up, what they look like or even where they are, my car is full of water and all the garages where I live say they don't do sunroofs or windows? I do know though that if you put newspaper down and leave it overnight you will be amazed at how much water it soaks up.

Amy B, January 2014

My scenic (03). Water in foot wells , traced it to the left passenger pillar lower on next to front window, seems to be far higher up than you guys and no I've no sun roof, are they drains in the pillars as well ?????

Ronnie, December 2013

I have a scenic megan alize 1999 with two sunroofs. I had water coming into the two front foot wells, water into the rear foot well compartments and water into the spare tyre compartment. I have followed the advice of removing the plastic wheel arches as much as I could, and did in fact find the drains pipes as others have said. They were clear plastic with black rubber bungs on the end, all in inches of mud. The pipes are lower down that I expected and came out of the bulk head from the direction of the drivers side. As soon as I removed the bungs (which just slid off the pipes) a lot of water came out. I then removed all the mud by hand. I now await for it to rain again to see if this has solved the problem, but the logic seems right. Note, that I only needed to removed the one screw (top most) which holds the inner plastic wheel arch in place. I then got a screw driver and put it under the plastic cover approaching from the other end of the plastic and scooped it around the wheel arch lifting the plastic cover off up to the screw I never took off. The drainage pipe was immediately visible and the problem obvious. Good luck everyone - it can be sorted!

Peter Hodgetts, November 2013

Cleared my drain hoses but has anyone got any idea about drying out the carpet and slab of foam underneath

Grant Spooner, October 2013

This has bugged me I have cleaned the drain pipes under the front wheel arches now waiting for rain to see if this works

malc, August 2013

I have a Y reg Scenic sports Alize and had water in the footwell last year 2012. I looked on the forum for people with the same problem and one chap suggested the water was getting in through the air intake under the front window. The air intake can cope with the rain,if the drain holes are clear of leaves and crud.BUT IF YOU PUT THE JET WASH onto the air intake it cannot cope with that amount of water. No problem with mine now.Hope this helps,good luck.

Alan Theyer, January 2013

Yes i had same problem scenic 54 plate mk2' both foot wells soaking and storage boxes wet took wipers and front scuttle off to see both drains blocked Lh Rh tubes under scuttle these are suppose to drain through wheel arches they were blocked leaves dirt'etc even pollen filter was wet and blower motor stopped working due to this block cleaned and dryed carpets all OK leave salt in a bowl over night to take wetness out. easy to do...

Kenbos, December 2012

I have same problem on 59 plate. Tried taking off plastic panels near wipers but trouble getting wipers off so had to abandon (in the rain). Will try the wheel arch technique that other posts have on here regarding the rubber tube that apparently can get clogged.

Frustrated Scenic owner, November 2012

Hi I have a 59 plate grand scenic m drivers foot well n pocket are filling up with water rain water I suspect due to he amount my heater fn has also stopped running! Can anyone Help before I take t Renault and get slapped with a big bill.

Craig, November 2012

I am a trained technician who specialises in french car leaks. I would just like to add that the information is pretty good for people with no fitting abilities to have found out nand done theirselves. There can be other areas leaks are caused on these models also like through the glass seals and under the sunroof frames like the clio issues. I do offer a fully mobile service for anyone who has had a go at it themselves and its not sorted out the problem. All work is guaranteed and probably alot cheaper than you would expect. I do this on a fully mobile basis all over the U.K.
You can call me on 07908443913 if you want any advice or further help.
Keep up the good work guys, a very factual forum indeed.

SCT, September 2012

I too have had lots of water in the foot wells of my v reg scenic i have took the plastic gaurd off under the wipers cleaned the flaps in the wells at either end of the car which now allows water to drain out. Also i removed the splash gaurds (two screws) from behind the front wheels cleaned it out, found the drainage pipe (covered in mud) which i also cleaned i then poured hot water over the sunroof (when closed) and checked to see if it flows through the pipe it did this has now resolved the problem of water in the foot well

Kev, July 2012

could anybody tell me where i locate the rear drain pipes on a 1998 renault megane scenic please?????

dave p, June 2012

if you seal up the sun-roof completely no water can get in to drain away.Anyway here in England it's never that hot that you need that sieve in your roof.I've got water here,there and everywhere in my '99 Clio.1st in the spare wheel well...fixed,now in the drivers side footwell...have sealed up the sun-roof so fingers crossed no water'll get in,so there'll be none to drain away

Tio Noi, May 2012

Have managed to discover all the problems with water in foot wells of Scenic. If the drains from the sunroof are blocked, which they frequently are, the water backs up in the sunroof track assembly and overflows onto the headlining and works its way down the 'A, pillars via the door seal and exits into the footwell.Also as mentioned by several other people, if the drains into the inside of the wings under the wiper grills are blocked, this also backs up and enters the fan assembly via the air intake which is on the passenger side

Michael Jones, May 2012

I have an R reg scenic with this water problem which we are going to try to fix using the suggested remedies. Just wondered as i have twin sunroofs if there is extra drainage pipes other than the ones in front wheel arches....thanx

Trace, April 2012

I too have a grand scenic 05 reg! its drivin me bonkers. the 2 front storage boxes r soaked,but the 2 rear ones r fine! Im a mum of 4,and unclear how to repair this. dont fancy takin it to renault to be repaired as they charge the earth to repair. Does anyone know and reliable mechanics in the merseyside area???? or would like to put it in simple form for me to try and repair?

kath :(, January 2012

If your scenic is wet in the footwell AND making sloshing noises as you drive off then it may well be that the blockage has allowed water to overflow into the aircon which will need to be drained from the housing unit under the car.
A quick test to see if this is part of the problem is to run the car on a dry flat surface and switch the aircon on full.
If water starts to dribble out around the middle ish of the car then all is well with the aircon. No water? then this is part of your problem and needs sorting.Only really possible with an inspection pit.

T, November 2011

I also have a v reg scenic 16v alize sport which i have had since new and have suffered with the same problem for three years. I even took it into a dealer who blew air through the pipes but to no avail. Finally tonight having followed John's advice about removing the splash guards behind the front wheels and clearing the six inches of mud that the drain pipe from the sunroof was buried in. There was an inch of mud in the pipe and sure enough water came out once it was cleared. Just to check, i ran a water hose over the sun roof and water thankfully came down the pipe. I am just so chuffed and wanted to thank John for his advice.

Johnantuk, October 2011

I have a 1999 V Reg Scenic 16v Alize sport.

You must remove the plastic splash shield over the front wheels (a couple of torx Bolts or x head metal screws hold it in place, then pull it away from the wheel arch)

You will now see the end of the plastic drain pipe (mine was white) running down from the sun roof.

work out the gunge in the end of the drain pipe and the water should come rushing out - do this on both right and left sides, clean around the drain pipe and straighten out any knikls in it - this is what usually causes the pipe to block.

Mine has not leaked in to the footwells since I cleaned out the pipes.

john, September 2011

I have the same similar problem with my 2000 X scenic RT... initially it was the drivers footwell.I removed both wiper arms. 13mm spanner then took off the plastic flash covering. comes away in 2 easy bits. in each corner plugged into the side of the inner wing this is a rubber bung/flap that is held in by a pin plug.This is meant to allow water to escape but they stick closed. there was a pool of water that covered the pedal box cover, Pull both rubber bungs away and that cleared it.. or so i thought. parked for a fornight on holiday and then came back to pools of water in both front footwells..so sunroof channels next to be cleared out..

mad scenic man, September 2011

Solved! via another website. You have to remove the two screws from the front inner plastic wheel arches, (put the steering on full lock, no need to remove the wheels) then pull the inner wheel arch away at the bottom where it joins to the sill. You will see that the cavity is full of mud, yes mud, right up to the tubes that hang down to drain the water. The water will be drained into the car if you have mud blocked in this area. I got a gallon of water from the back of my car! Good Luck with yours.

Johnny Sausage, December 2010

This seems to be a common complaint for the Scienic. I have a left hand drive 2005 which I purchased in June of this year and the drivers well is full of water. Recently started getting problems with electricals and it has turned out that the wiring loom runs beneath the floor at this point which in turn has corroded and to replace a cost of £3.500 so remember you have been warned.

Jennifer Rigby, October 2010

its definatly the bungs under the wipers on the later scenics. takes a mechanic longer to take wipers off than to clear drains. my 05 scenic was sloshing about ,took wipers and trim off unblocked rubber tubes and it dropped lots of water . its been a near monsoon today and all ok

tonyleeds, October 2010

Had the problem in my old r reg scenic and solved it by taking out the bungs in the sills--now more water in footwells
Bought a t reg scenic and forgot to take out bungs in sills and damn it footwells full of water
Now took out bungs

Tony, August 2010

Not an answer but an ongoing problem. Ever since I had the windshield replaced. Twice Renault have "drained" it. I've remove the carpet, more like formed felt and the rubber padding, it stretches across both back foot compartments, so I pulled it out through one of the holds to let it dry after shaping it. I put old towels inside the hold and removed as much water as I could. Then I placed one small fan over one opening and blasted air thru it for days. That dried it out. Replaced the felt back inside.

Today, 7 months later, I looked inside only to notice it is wet, not so much. I was suspicious. After my Scenic was sitting in the hot sun, and then the cooler evening cast it into shade, moisture was condensing inside the car on the windows. My right electric window just quit. I replace the driver side window motor about 4 years ago. I take good care of my car but this water thing is driving me mad! I call it a design problem but it would be nice to know how to keep water build up from happening. Mine is 1997 and double sun-roofed.

Sarah, May 2010

Certainly seems a common problem with scenics mine is a v reg i simply put a thin long piece of wire down each drainpipe these can easily be seen each side of the sunroof where the flap is and it cleared it i now do it regularly

Martin, March 2010

Thanks a lot Gav,

Followed your advice and have finally solved the mystery of how the water keeps getting into the car (V reg Scenic). Very satisfying

Still have the problem of all the water that is under the carpet - have mopped out the cavities below the matting under the floor pockets where about an inch of water had colleted but underneath the carpet, the whole floor is covered with an rubber mat with an incredibly absorbent underlayer, which continues to hold residual water. Guess we're just going to have to live with this.

Tim, August 2009

for the newer generation scenics... you have to take the plastic off where the wipers are, then take the wipers off, then the other plastic which sit over the wipers. then either side of the car behind the suspension mounts, are 2 rubber tubes around 5 inchs high, unblock the 2 holes in the centre of the tubes. and presto ! thats your problem sorted.

my problem is a 53 plate secnic new shape, that has water in the storage comparments in the front..... not a huge amount but enough to soak the carpet in there ... any help

frazer, July 2009

I too have had some water recently in the drivers footwell. Last night I opened the front sunroof, you will see a hole on either side near the front UNDER the black flap, this is where the excess water from a heavy rain fall will enter then flow down a tube, exiting behind each front wheel (behind the wheel arch). I tested the left side first pouring water carefully down the hole, this exited fine behind the left front wheel. I then tried the right side, No water exitting. I undune the two star screws on the wheel acrh, pop the wheel arch open, dont worry this is not that hard. You will then see a large amount of mud built up just inside. Pull all this out and then the water should exit fine afterwards. Double check by pouring water again down the hole, this should then exit behind the wheel arch. Ta Dah!

Gav, November 2008

this is not the answer but what i did is lift the mat out of the rear drivers side storage compartment and in the centre there is a round rubber grommit i drilled 4 x 1/4 holes in it and that now drains the water out and so far even though we have had plenty of rain it seems to be working , i put a piece of rubber mat back instead of the old one as it was smelly, hope this helps,dave

dave, September 2008

i have a 04 scenic and have water in the passenger footwell. i think water collects in a trough under the windscreen wipers and is not draining away. when it rains i can hear all the water swishing from one side to another when cornering. i dont know if a drainage chanel is blocked.i have seen water running from the top of the footwell and all the carpet and storage compartment are soaking. any ideas?

R.D. Manchester, September 2008

I have the same problem - recently bought a 2005 grand scenic, and at first thought it was excess water from the showroom having cleaned it. After painstakingly sponging out the water (through fear of it smelling), it has all came back!

I don't have a sunroof, so can't be that.

Have had the carpet up and it seems that a pipe (possibly connected to the air con?) runs around the little cubby holes, so I wonder whenther it couls be from that?

I don't think that it is the door or window seals, because there are no water marks higher up.

Any ideas anyone?

Chris, August 2008

This isn't an answer (unfortunately) but I thought it might help to say that I've had the same problem with my T reg Scenic. I had the internal leak (water collecting in the passenger footwell) cured by a garage who cleared a blocked gutter/drainage channel (not sure exactly which one), but there's still lots of water sloshing around underneath somewhere, which I can hear when I brake. Any help or answers gratefully received!

Michele, April 2007