"03 E85 Trunk Water Ingress

[ann.nonco]

Hi all, Merry Christmas and hope all is well.

I'm flabbergasted at after so much troubleshooting that I still have a leak.
I have checked all the usual (air vents/third brake light/rubber gromet/etc) areas and they seem fine and today I have found the possibly final leak entry point in my z4's trunk.

Entry point
View attachment 4

Rivet leak point
View attachment 3

Rivet leaking trail
View attachment 2
View attachment 1

Pooling area
View attachment 3

As we can see from the photos above I think there possibly may be a leak from the area where the top meets the frame of the vehicle.

I highly suspect that it may be from this area, so I have touched around and it seems that the area where the top (fabric) meets the panel of the car is the leak point.

Would perhaps anyone have any experience in regards to this issue?

I am currently suspecting that the non-removeable rubber that's a part of the top as a whole has perished and now requires replacement.

Thank you!

 

[enuff_zed]

If it’s coming up through that plastic rivet are you sure it’s not from the hinge wells being full? Are the drains completely clear? Even with the bungs out they could be blocked at the top. With the roof down you should be able to see in with a torch.

 

[ann.nonco]

If it’s coming up through that plastic rivet are you sure it’s not from the hinge wells being full? Are the drains completely clear? Even with the bungs out they could be blocked at the top. With the roof down you should be able to see in with a torch.

Hi @enuff_zed, thank you for the reply.

The drains are completely clear as during my recent service I did tell them about the leaking roof issue that may have pooled some fluid but the drains were clear and checked with a borescope.

I'll keep this post updated if I find something but for now I've put paper towels there to block any further water from negatively affecting the negative grounds.

 

[enuff_zed]

If it’s coming up through that plastic rivet are you sure it’s not from the hinge wells being full? Are the drains completely clear? Even with the bungs out they could be blocked at the top. With the roof down you should be able to see in with a torch.

Hi @enuff_zed, thank you for the reply.

The drains are completely clear as during my recent service I did tell them about the leaking roof issue that may have pooled some fluid but the drains were clear and checked with a borescope.

I'll keep this post updated if I find something but for now I've put paper towels there to block any further water from negatively affecting the negative grounds.

Honestly, just lower the roof and look down past the hinges, just in case.

 

[ann.nonco]

Updating this post just for anyone to reference and to myself,


View attachment 1

I've found that the water is intruding via the sides where the rubber sits so I've applied a fine bead of clear silicone to make a seal to prevent water from intruding in.

It seems fine for now, I'll update this post if I have any improvements or changes.

It also helps that you part the car at a level surface instead of a situation where you are pointing upwards or slanted to one direction as looking there is a design issue where the water can't escape if it intrudes the interior of the car.