Is this the definitive solution to a leaking Mk2 door membrane/skin??

Hi,

Read this somewhere on here before, but couldn't find the post and thought i'd post my own version cos i've just tried it and it's the best solution i've found in 12 years of owning Mk2's...

1. Get your bog standard polythene type stuff, and instead of sticking it on the outside of the door, place it down the inside of the door from the top, between the metal and the window.

2. Undo the two top bolts holding the centre window guide, and slide it between that and the metal. This was the only vaguely tricky bit, but a little fiddling about will do it. Having the window up lets you push the guide away from the car a little bit.

3. Undo the three nuts holding the winder mechanism and the two nuts holding the front window guide and slide the polythene between them.

4. Manoeuvre the polythene so it's nice and square in the door and replace all the bolts/nuts through the polythene. This'll pretty much clamp it into place.

5. Undo the bottom two window centre guide bolts and slide the polythene through, and replace the bolts.

6. Finally, fold the polythene back towards you and over where the traditional membrane goes, trim whatever excess you want so it looks neat and doesn't interfere with the window opening/closing, and either clip the black plastic trim from the top of your door card over the top of the metal and polythene to hold it in or gaffa tape it down and THEN put the plastic trim over the top.

Piece of p*ss really!!

I found it to be a lot quicker then sticking it to the inward facing side of the door, there's absolutely no glue/adhesive needed, the membrane stays INSIDE the door in it's entirity so if it splits at the bottom like a regular skin, it still won't leak, and any incoming water doesn't go on the inside facing side of the metalwork to be then drained back through it into the bottom of the door, unlike the traditional type membranes.

If the normal type stops working, usually the only way you know it's b*ggered is when either your door cards or carpets start getting wet, and usually it's a stupid 1mm thin line that's come away and then requires a whole new skin! This fix doesn't have that problem

Hope this helps, I've found it to be bloody fantastic! Sorry, if it's a bit long-winded, just wanted to make sure all the points were covered.

 

Yeh, sounds like a good method - i do something similar I guess - run the membrane glued on the outside as per normal, but tuck the bottom inside the door, then place a second sheet running from the bottom, halfway up the door to seal it - that way the water runs off the bottom of the tucked-in inner sheet straight into the door and doesn't rely on the integrity of the glued seal. Sounds like more effort than that way you suggesed though

 

have you got any pics?

 

Possibly, My way is pretty straightforward and doesn't require any second bits stuck on like the original method.

To be honest, I was toying with tucking it in cos that seems to be what most people do, but it always seemed fallible because the membrane will always only be as wide as the gap in the metal where it gets tucked in and I thought it's a point where water can get round and inside. My way means that the bit at the bottom inside the door is wider than the metal edging where you're talking about tucking it in, so the water can't physically get round it... if that makes sense

And sorry dude, i'm a bit of a biff with pictures and technology so I've got nothing to show, but trust me, if you follow what I said, it's unbelievably easy. To give you an image, picture the door when the skin's been taken off and you're ready to go, then just imagine a plastic skin in the middle of the door where the window goes up and down.

That's all it is, nothing special.

The worst that can happen is that you disagree with me and take it back out. At least if that's the case, there's no glue or adhesive to remove.

Have fun kids!

 

Just realised that i've got a 3 door and have only spoken about fitting them to that, but I'm assuming from memory that the rears would be the same in principal.

 

Sounds like a good idea, I've used the same method as Funkbaron in the past, but your way sounds good.

Cheers

 

Trust me, it's what VW should have done in the first place.

Bodgers!

 

Done this a few times myself and it does indeed work a treat..... loses a wee bit of soundproofing though, and you get a draft through the gaps round the door cards sometimes.
I still prefer to use Marley/Aquaseal flashing tape - it gives better soundproofing, and it won't leak either! Bit of a bugger when you need access to the inside of the door, though.....

 

They post I saw this on said they'd just covered the whole door with duck tape and it improved the soundproofing, but I couldn't be bothered. I wanted to get to the insides, just in case.