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Cleaning elephant nose drains on a Z3

20K views 38 replies 13 participants last post by  PaulScottKam 
#1 · (Edited)
See below
 
#2 ·
Cleaning the elephant nose drains on a Z3

Cleaning the elephant nose drains on Z3
The Z3 cowl is held in place by 8 push type rivets. Image 1
To remove these you first need to us a tool the pry up the center of the plastic rivet. Image 2
Now you can pry out the rest of the plastic rivet. Image 3
You'll need to remove the wiper arms. 1st remove the plastic covers and remove the nut. 16mm
Mark the position wiper arms. Place a wiper arm puller under the arm and remove. I used one I pick up at a local auto parts store. Image 4
Remove the weather stripping. Image 5
The cowl can now be removed.
Clean out all the debris from around the blower motor and behind the fire wall. Below the blower there are two holes these are the elephant nose. I used a piece of left over romax (house electrical wire) to clean out the holes. It needs to be something flexible to bend slightly around a curve in the nose yet ridged enough to push out any debris in the nose. Image 6
Reassembly is reverse of removal.
 

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#8 ·
Cleaning the elephant nose drains on Z3
The Z3 cowl is held in place by 8 push type rivets. Image 1
To remove these you first need to us a tool the pry up the center of the plastic rivet. Image 2
Now you can pry out the rest of the plastic rivet. Image 3
You'll need to remove the wiper arms. 1st remove the plastic covers and remove the nut. 16mm
Mark the position wiper arms. Place a wiper arm puller under the arm and remove. I used one I pick up at a local auto parts store. Image 4
Remove the weather stripping. Image 5
The cowl can now be removed.
Clean out all the debris from around the blower motor and behind the fire wall. Below the blower there are two holes these are the elephant nose. I used a piece of left over romax (house electrical wire) to clean out the holes. It needs to be something flexible to bend slightly around a curve in the nose yet ridged enough to push out any debris in the nose. Image 6
Reassembly is reverse of removal.
I am in the home stretch of this job. Are the elephant nose the two spaces in the lower center, about an inch wide? They seem to have some type of plastic cap over them. Do I remove this? I cannot really tell from the photo. Thanks very much. -Scotty
 
#10 · (Edited)
... The only things below the blower are the two one inch wide spaces. Again, they seem to have plastic or rubber caps over them.... Any info on locating elephant nose would be huge...
You might be looking at the tops of the drain tubes, which are flat with flanges. The opening into the tubes might be squeezed into slits which you are not seeing.
The sixth photo in Post #2 shows a white electric cable being fed down one of the drains. That should help locate it.
This photo taken from below shows the size and spacing of the flat drain tubes.
 

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#11 ·
Vintage,

Thank you. Kind of a helpless feeling when you cannot locate the correct spot.

I am looking at it again right now. Are the hoses found BELOW the blower assembly? I do not see them there. Maybe they are tucked inside?? Are they to the right or left of the blower??

Scotty
 
#13 · (Edited)
... Are the hoses found BELOW the blower assembly? I do not see them there. Maybe they are tucked inside?? Are they to the right or left of the blower??
I only know what's in these forums. The photo from below the car indicates that the drains are centered in the cowl over the clutch, about 6 inches apart. The drawing below (which was attached in an earlier post) indicates they are at the front end of the cowl, below and forward of the blower. What happens when you poke around those two "caps" you see? Do they come off?
 

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#15 ·
I may have figured this out.

The two holes below the blower (with flanges?) must lead to the elephant nose drains. I'm guessing that I need to pull off those plastic/rubber flanges and clean them out (they appear to be coated with blackish gunk).

My only worries involve re-seating the flanges once they have been cleaned. Going to give this a shot on Friday.

***If anyone thinks this is a BAD idea, pls let me know ! ;)

As always, thanks for all of your assistance.:)
 
#16 ·
... The two holes below the blower (with flanges?) must lead to the elephant nose drains. I'm guessing that I need to pull off those plastic/rubber flanges and clean them out (they appear to be coated with blackish gunk). My only worries involve re-seating the flanges once they have been cleaned...
If you are seeing holes, and the flanges of the flat drain tubes, I don't think you want to pull the tubes out unless you can get them back in. If you see holes, why not just use a wire or tool to clean them out? In the cleaning of the tubes, nobody has mentioned pulling anything off.
 
#17 ·
True. No one mentioned pulling out the flanges.

Thing is, I am back working on car now. The drain holes are clearly filled with that black gunk material. I have been clearing as much as I can, but cannot seem to break thru. I will stop by the store an pick up 4 feet of wire/ROMAX, and try to force it down there.

I have been thinking that pulling the flanges might make it easier to clear the tube. The concern would be putting them back on, though it should not be too difficult.

Wondering if pouring a bit of warm water down there might make things easier. Also, wondering if trying to feed line in from BOTTOM of hose might work to clear it.

Best,
Scotty
 
#18 ·
... I have been thinking that pulling the flanges might make it easier to clear the tube. The concern would be putting them back on, though it should not be too difficult. Wondering if pouring a bit of warm water down there might make things easier. Also, wondering if trying to feed line in from BOTTOM of hose might work to clear it...
Those are all new approaches. I don't think the hoses are accessible from below unless the transmission is removed as in the photo early in the thread.
 
#19 ·
Vintage and TJH, Thanks for your help. I finally get it. The schematic of the Scuttle Assembly explains it all. In the end, this is not a bad job, however, in my case, I cannot break thru the blockage with electrical cord. It does not push thru.

I used a sharp piece of plastic to cut thru to some degree. I buttoned the whole thing back up, but will revisit the issue in a week or so. I just got too tired of dealing with it

I am surprised that the drain could be so compacted with gunk that it would not clear with the cord. Eventually I will locate the right tool for the job.

Have a great weekend.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Provided that I cannot get these miserable flat hoses cleared, is there any problem with simply drilling a coupla holes in the metal well, and allowing the water to drain thru them?...
Maybe the water would not go straight down, but would run along the underside of the well into the body. There must be a reason why the hoses are flat with a 90 degree bend in them. Part #8 in the diagram.
Same might happen if you pull out the hoses and let the water drain out of their openings. But if the hoses can be pulled out, can new hoses be inserted?
http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/51738399500/ES130520/

Can you get an air hose nozzle into the hoses and blast them open. Start with a needle nozzle for inflating footballs, and then a bigger nozzle.
 

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#23 ·
Still dealing with this issue months later. Cowl hoses still clogged and water entering floor area.

I am soon having the clutch replaced (107,500 miles). Will it be easier to have my mechanic clear the flat hoses during the clutch job? Are the hoses accessible at that point?

I cannot manage to clear the hoses from above, with cowl off. This issue is beyond exasperating.:dunno: I am ready to just drill small holes in the well.

Best,
Scotty
 
#25 ·
Thanks, Blacklane.

I have a German mechanic nearby. I am purchasing the clutch parts (have to determine exactly what it is I need to order) and he will do the clutch replacement. Hoping the parts and labor are not more than $1000. Will order from Rock Auto.

I'll ask him to somehow clear those flat hoses while the clutch is apart. Maybe another hundred bucks or so to do this? We'll see.

Thnx again.

Scotty
 
#26 ·
What I hope is my last question on this issue :)

In the event that my mechanic is unable to clear the hoses, is there a downside to simply pulling out the hoses? Leaving the drain holes there to do the job alone?

Just curious, and trying to anticipate any problems once the car is on the lift.

Scotty
 
#29 ·
Before pouring drain cleaner into these, I'd try many other less corrosive solutions. If you do manage to clear them with Draino for example, that solution is going somewhere that might contact aluminum or steel, and while it may be safe on plastics ( unknown really) Draino cant be good for steel or aluminum. If you can wait a bit, I'd even take a ride out to S.I. and help you take another shot at this. Bring along my peanut probe for the elephant drain ( small attempt at humor).
 
#30 ·
Since products like draino are safe for plastics (bottled in a plastic container), they are also safe for rubber. As far as metal, most household pipes are metal. Aluminum, that, I cant say, nor painted surfaces. But I'm sure a goog hosedown would take care of any concern.
Wrench13, you are a fine example of the spirit of this forum: helping out, and in your case, going out of your way to help, even more so! Love your cars! Let us know how this ends.
 
#31 ·
Thank you, Wrench and Sportedge !!

Wrench13, I would be happy to take you up on the offer. Would insist upon covering all your costs and providing a sixer of your favorite beverage.

Before I do so, I had an epiphany on the subject. Diagrams seem to indicate that the two hoses are not bolted down into the holes. They simply slide in and are held there by the flange on the top end. I should be able to just grab the flange with my fingers, work it loose, and pull both hoses out. Then, just take them in the house for a thorough cleaning, and put them back in place. I should have realized this when I had the cowl off last time. Expecting good weather next week. Does this make sense to anyone? No point in snaking out the hoses when they simply pull out.
 
#32 ·
If you now know for sure where to look for (that was your initial problem to begin with, right?), why not give it another try? Personnaly, I would not pull it out. I would wait for Wrench13 to help since he offered, have a chat, compare cars, having the job done while having a good time.
 
#33 · (Edited)
I would not pour drain cleaner into the cowl. The drain tubes are flat and long with a sharp bend in the middle, the cleaner might not effectively contact what is plugging them, and the cleaner could damage the other materials it is poured over. If the water that is added to flush the tubes should back up into the car, the solution will then damage even more materials.
I would also not remove the tubes. It may be hard to do that and harder if not impossible to get their flanges seated back in.
I would try to poke them clear:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=717559
EDIT: I see the tubes would be removed while your transmission is out. With access from above with cowl taken apart, and from below with the transmission out, it should be possible to remove and replace the rubber drain tubes.
 
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