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Water Ingress...

Amg01
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Water Ingress...

Post by Amg01 » Thu Oct 11, 2018 11:11 pm

flybobbie wrote: Thu Oct 04, 2018 8:13 pm Some pics of the rear, note all the rubber bungs.
Also make sure the seals around the bulb holder part of tail lights are seated correctly.
So basically sealant around all the holes as well as the perimeter of the light itself should do the job
Silver E89 Z4 sDrive20i M Sport

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Water Ingress...

Post by flybobbie » Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:15 am

If the seals are fitted correctly, they don't (shouldn't) leak.

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Water Ingress...

Post by R60BBA » Fri Oct 12, 2018 8:01 am

flybobbie wrote: Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:15 am If the seals are fitted correctly, they don't (shouldn't) leak.
Agreed.

Sometimes wateringress in tail lights or headlights can be due to the car having had previous bodywork before, and seals not installed correctly thereafter.

Check the rear to see if you can see any signs of repair work :thumbsup:
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Amg01
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Water Ingress...

Post by Amg01 » Fri Oct 12, 2018 1:59 pm

R60BBA wrote: Fri Oct 12, 2018 8:01 am
flybobbie wrote: Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:15 am If the seals are fitted correctly, they don't (shouldn't) leak.
Agreed.

Sometimes wateringress in tail lights or headlights can be due to the car having had previous bodywork before, and seals not installed correctly thereafter.

Check the rear to see if you can see any signs of repair work :thumbsup:
No signs of repair work, weather permitting I plan to strip the lights off this weekend and just want to be sure when I put them back in I am putting sealant back in the right place, I didnt plan on replacing the seals but using sealant as an additional barrier as the water is getting in somewhere. Sounds like new sealant around the light perimeter and then double checking the seals are installed correctly should be my approach.
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Water Ingress...

Post by Amg01 » Sun Oct 14, 2018 12:58 pm

flybobbie wrote: Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:15 am If the seals are fitted correctly, they don't (shouldn't) leak.
Spent 2 hours this morning removing my left rear light, unfortunately at 2.02 on the video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHJa6z6e-a0 in my 2012 Z4 its designed differently and doesn't slid out, so an adjustable spanner and some swearing was required to get the screw off the light to get it out. Now that its out, there was a lot of dirt and crude around the seals as shown.

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I have now cleaned all the dirt and crude away and stopped for lunch. My issue is do I just put it back cleaned up, the seals themselves look fine, has all the dirt and crude stopped the seals working correctly and sending the water elsewhere, into the boot rather than draining away as it should? Or do I put sealant around the perimeter.

Having removed the lights I noticed this, I assume these are two drainage holes and is where the water is meant to drain out, the plastic isn't solid in place I am tempted to put sealant below the plastic to keep it in place, I wonder if the plastic actually covers the holes meaning it doesn't drain as it should.
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Double checking the tissues I had in the boot, the water seems to be mainly coming straight in from the back, I have removed all the clips but I cant get this bit off. Image

It seems to be held on by these screws but despite trying to get them off they won't budge, is it a special type of part to get that off?
Image
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Water Ingress...

Post by Mikopop » Tue Nov 27, 2018 3:29 pm

Hi Amg01

Quickie for you, I also have noticed a small amount of water inside the o/s rear light.
How difficult is the light removal??
Is it a few screws or something altogether more complicated.

Want to try and remove, dry out/empty the water and replace before I spring £130 for a new light.

Thanks
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Water Ingress...

Post by flybobbie » Tue Nov 27, 2018 7:26 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHJa6z6e-a0&t=8s
Take lamp apart by easy off the clips, dry out, then i sealed with Evostick spray glue, Reclip then another coat of glue around the joint and refit. Some folks used silicone sealant, but i found it would not stick to the plastic well long term and would part with time allowing water back in. Even new lamps leak because they have the same flaw.

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Water Ingress...

Post by Mikopop » Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:20 pm

Hi Flybobbie

I appreciate the good info, if we are glueing and or siliconing in does it make it difficult to change bulbs??

Many thanks
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Water Ingress...

Post by flybobbie » Wed Nov 28, 2018 12:30 am

No, but you are not sticking the unit to the car. The bulbs can be replaced with the unit in place. The turn leds are not replaceable.

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Water Ingress...

Post by Mikopop » Wed Nov 28, 2018 8:25 am

:thumbsup:

Many thanks
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