Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post Reply
User avatar
JGP56
Member
Member
Posts: 427
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:59 am
Location: Argyll

water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by JGP56 » Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:30 am

Roof stopped working related to water ingress into boot affecting electrics. I got the impression this water leak is common issues quite often coming from the rear light seal. Is this a common problem with the E89 (2010)
Advised to do some research before contacting customer services.
Looking towards some help towards the repair which although I have an extended warranty, this needless to say is not covered.
Any help towards this issue would be much appreciated.
BMW Z4 3.0si (E89) sapphire black fitted stubby

flybobbie
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 4050
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:27 pm
Location: Stourbridge

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by flybobbie » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:26 pm

So where is the water, on left under the storage cupboard, the right where all the electrics are, or the centre where the battery rests.

If you get water in the battery area I would suspect the rubber seals around the boot at it's bends around to it's lowest point.
Water left or right could be the two oval seals that seal the lamp area from boot.
Image

If they are not fitted right (and as usual is a crap design) water will run from out side into the boot area. Need to take off the black trim in boot behind the lamps.
Everything above the arrow is outside the car and gets wet. Below arrow is inside the car, boot.
It's very easy to pinch the seal and not seat properly.
In fact not a big job to strip out all the boot trim.
Dry out then use plenty of kitchen towel as a witness marker to find leak.

At some point your vehicle may have had the tail lights replaced and the seals not fitted properly.

Good hunting.

User avatar
Angie4m
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3700
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 10:47 pm
Location: Edinburgh

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by Angie4m » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:57 pm

Has your car had the recall with regards to water getting into the boot? I'm not quite sure exactly what this was as I didn't have a Z'd back then. If not could this be where the water has come from?

I'm sure maniac will be able to advise.
Deep Sea Blue sDrive35is - I LOVE IT! Best car I've ever owned :) - Gone
RRS V8 Supercharged - Gone
Abarth 595 Competizione - Gone
Yas Marina Blue M4 Coupe - Gone

Current:
Protonic Blue i8
Amethyst 997
F56 JCW Challenge (19 of 52)

Still Shy and retiring

Maniac
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 8202
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by Maniac » Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:12 pm

You can check for the early boot seal 'quality enhancement' by looking inside the boot, the right hand hinge for the boot when it rises for roof movement should have a green plastic rivet instead of the usual black ones. These seals were replaced as they were letting water into the boot which of course will head for the lowest point.. Battery sump and pump.

flybobbie
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 4050
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:27 pm
Location: Stourbridge

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by flybobbie » Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:58 pm

Keep in mind the boot floor is in three compartments so water in one or other should give a clue as to which side the leak is.
I remember the service rep. on checking my key the boot vent mod had been done.
I believe that's the rubber flappy panels foul air vents in the boot, one of which is next to the electrics on the right side.
Amazing how sensitive electrics get put in essentially the bottom of a bucket!

kmorgan
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 26
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:08 pm

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by kmorgan » Tue Mar 10, 2015 11:04 pm

I had water collecting the storage bin located nearside of the boot.
The cause was water ingress in the rear tale light, the light unit was replaced curing both water collecting in the bin and water ingress. However, after just over one year the light has started to fog up and collect condensation again.
Z4 sDrive23i Roadster E89 2009

User avatar
R.E92
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1644
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2013 10:10 am

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by R.E92 » Tue Mar 10, 2015 11:23 pm

JGP56 wrote:Roof stopped working related to water ingress into boot affecting electrics. I got the impression this water leak is common issues quite often coming from the rear light seal. Is this a common problem with the E89 (2010)
Advised to do some research before contacting customer services.
Looking towards some help towards the repair which although I have an extended warranty, this needless to say is not covered.
Any help towards this issue would be much appreciated.
Why does the warranty not cover it? Which type of warranty do you have?

flybobbie
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 4050
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:27 pm
Location: Stourbridge

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by flybobbie » Wed Mar 11, 2015 12:15 am

kmorgen, if you have no warranty then take the light unit off, dry out, unclip the rear of the unit. You will find a rubber seal that's probably wet. Then dry out.
Then stick the whole lot back together with plenty of Bostick glue. This finally cured my light leaks. No condensation for nearly a year now.
In fact I think I could start a nice production line fixing these. Seeing as BMW don't seem bothered trying to fix the design.
in fact I'm wondering what they are doing with all the one's they replace.

vesprum
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2015 6:57 pm

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by vesprum » Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:25 pm

This is my finding relevant to my Z4 2004 E85.
In August 2015 in London, the battery went dead.
I called RAC for road assistance. They replaced the battery. While RAC was substituting the battery, we noticed water traces in the bottom of the battery compartment. The mechanic dried properly the compartment and put silicon around a cable passage.
When I reached destination around the end of August 2015 in Milan, I parked the car in the garage and never used it since, because the car needed to be registered in Italy first.
After clearance, on January 10, 2016, I decided to go for a ride. I found the battery dead, thus I bought a battery charger (Bosch C3) and connected it according to instructions. I left the boot open, closed the garage and left. I went back tonight January 15, 2016 to check on the battery. To my surprise I found the bottom of the battery compartment covered with water. Water / consensate / humidity was also on the fuel tank and all around the inside of the boot.
I do not think the condition is due to rain, in fact the car was closed in the garage for about 5 months. There must be another reason why the humidity in the air condensate in that proportion into the boot. Maybe, it is not the rain that burns the motor operating the roof, but condensate.
Any suggestion on how to resolve the issue is appreciated.

flybobbie
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 4050
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:27 pm
Location: Stourbridge

Re: water in boot. an inherent problem?

Post by flybobbie » Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:41 pm

Suggestion...try the E85 forum section...although perhaps someone with the E89 knows the answer.

Post Reply