Getting tired of water leaks!!!

Is it too much to ask for a vehicle that's water proof?! This is the third leak I've had with this car & it might spell the end for my X3!

Water is pooling in the passenger trunk corner. That inset storage compartment was flooded and I can feel pooled water underneath the floor when I stick my hand down into that triangular space in the right of the picture. I removed the water from the storage space but have no idea how to get to the water underneath & it's not draining out the bottom of the car.

Any suggestions/ideas on what the problem is or more immediately how to remove the water would be appreciated.

This is ridiculous.

Of course, there's rain forecasted for all this week...

Well for the short term, until you find out what it is, put a cover on it.

I was going to write something funny like "hold on Skipper, it's not a submarine!" but since I had my first leak with my vapor barrier I feel you pain.

That location could be rear hatch seal. I would do a quick visual. It might be cracked/broken. Maybe just trapped dirt/debris on seal or door surface.

I don't think a leaky sunroof drain would end up there.

Originally Posted by madurodave

I was going to write something funny like "hold on Skipper, it's not a submarine!" but since I had my first leak with my vapor barrier I feel you pain.

That location could be rear hatch seal. I would do a quick visual. It might be cracked/broken. Maybe just trapped dirt/debris on seal or door surface.

I don't think a leaky sunroof drain would end up there.

Ha! I actually would have appreciated something funny. I was pretty irate until I calmed down a bit.

I had someone hose down the car with me in the trunk & the only time water started pouring in was when they sprayed the sunroof. This would lead me to believe that the rear drain is indeed the problem.

I attached some pics to show where the water was coming through.

Any ideas on how to get to where the problem might be? I'm going to a friend's house tonight so he can help me diagnose it better.

If it is something wrong with the drain (clog, etc.) how can I remedy it w/o a trip to the dealership?

There are tubes running down each side from the rear drains. I don't know if your tube is cracked or just plugged.

I have not done it yet, but if you read about it you should be able to see where the top part is and where it empties underneath. I am surprised it got into that storage area, but then it probably means the drain(s) are plugged.

Originally Posted by madurodave

There are tubes running down each side from the rear drains. I don't know if your tube is cracked or just plugged.

I have not done it yet, but if you read about it you should be able to see where the top part is and where it empties underneath. I am surprised it got into that storage area, but then it probably means the drain(s) are plugged.

I am almost positive it's clogged. When I poured water on the sunroof tonight, nothing leaked. Thought it was weird but I was loosing sunlight so I just let it go. As soon as I pulled away, though, all that water came leaking in.

My theory: water goes down drain, hits a clog, backs up, & leaks into cabin. I found a thread that talks about cleaning the drain but I'll still have to pull the headliner off.

Here's the thread if you're curious. I'm concentrating on what waXrules says toward the bottom.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...ighlight=drain

Working on it tomorrow & will hopefully get it solved before the rain comes again this weekend!

Actually I think if the line is clogged it overflows the channel in the sunroof cassette and then leaks in.

I thought you could clear it with something like trimmer line or wire.

So I just took off the loading sill cover and side interior moldings to get to the rear drains. The upper part of the drain was clear. When I tried feeding the weed whacker chord down toward the bumper it hit a kink somewhere. I still don't feel like I've tackled the clog.

Here's what my simple mind is confused about***********: even if I can feed the chord all the way down the drain, how do I push the debris out if I can't get to the plug?

Unless I can figure it out tonight, I'm going to tape the sunroof for the weekend storms & pray that it doesn't leak.

I thought the plugs were one way valves and located at the end of the tube?

I have not had to work on mine yet, just from what I have read in anticipation of the inevitable!

If you can get to the rear drains with the sunroof wide open, then have someone use a turkey baster to put some water down the rear drain that isn't clogged while you lie under the back of the vehicle and look for where the water exits. This might help you better locate where the rear drain exits are. If you can find the rear drain exits it's quite easy to clean them out. But no one to my knowlegde on this forum has ever found the rear drain exits.

However, if the water issue happened over the winter and you burst a drain tube - then it gets way more complicated.

Also, if you search this forum - I attached pictures of the front drains/valves about a year ago - so you can see what they look like.

Originally Posted by shendrick

If you can get to the rear drains with the sunroof wide open, then have someone use a turkey baster to put some water down the rear drain that isn't clogged while you lie under the back of the vehicle and look for where the water exits. This might help you better locate where the rear drain exits are. If you can find the rear drain exits it's quite easy to clean them out. But no one to my knowlegde on this forum has ever found the rear drain exits.

However, if the water issue happened over the winter and you burst a drain tube - then it gets way more complicated.

Also, if you search this forum - I attached pictures of the front drains/valves about a year ago - so you can see what they look like.

Thanks! Unfortunately its going to be raining for the next 2 days so I had to use packing tape to seal the sunroof. Once the rains end, I'll give your idea a try.

And you're right, the rear ones are tricky but the front are easy. We had such a mild winter & I never had a problem until very recently, so I think it's just a clog. Fingers crossed!

How about getting a pressurized can of air like they use for cleaning computers and making a nozzle to get a tight fit on the drain hose.

If there is a one way valve try it from both sides to knock it free with the pressurized air?

Then try the weed whacker line.

Originally Posted by Evlengr

How about getting a pressurized can of air like they use for cleaning computers and making a nozzle to get a tight fit on the drain hose.

If there is a one way valve try it from both sides to knock it free with the pressurized air?

Then try the weed whacker line.

I actually ended up using a combination of both. I started with the weed whacker line & went down as far as I could before hitting a kink I just couldn't maneuver around. I called a local BMW dealer who suggested I use an air compressor under 100 psi to see if I could clear it. I did, and took it successfully through the car wash without leaks in the same place. My only concern is that since I never accessed the end of the drain underneath the bumper I can't know for certain that the clog was remedied.

To add insult to injury, I noticed the rear driver's side door is leaking water. It seems to be the exact same issue with the vapor barrier I spent over $600 to have fixed a year ago. I've scheduled an appointment w/ the previous dealer who apparently will fix it for free UNLESS it is something else.

It's safe to say that I don't understand how a car so expensive can fail to be water proof.

Originally Posted by AndyX3

To add insult to injury, I noticed the rear driver's side door is leaking water. It seems to be the exact same issue with the vapor barrier I spent over $600 to have fixed a year ago.

Hmmm - same door/side mine leaked from! Of course the response was "we never see vapor barrier leaks in BMWs". Never indeed!

"Luckily", mine was $300 to fix...

Andy, Did you happen to find the rear drain hoses if so can you please tell me where they are how you cleaned them as your picture portrays the likes of nightmares i am having..

Thanks

Originally Posted by AndyX3

Ha! I actually would have appreciated something funny. I was pretty irate until I calmed down a bit.

I had someone hose down the car with me in the trunk & the only time water started pouring in was when they sprayed the sunroof. This would lead me to believe that the rear drain is indeed the problem.

I attached some pics to show where the water was coming through.

Any ideas on how to get to where the problem might be? I'm going to a friend's house tonight so he can help me diagnose it better.

If it is something wrong with the drain (clog, etc.) how can I remedy it w/o a trip to the dealership?