Another leak!

E

edd_jedi

Active member
Well this is annoying. Having just fixed the door membrane which was definitely letting in water, today I took out the kick panel to check my EWS module, and found that the top of my nice new carpet is damp. Not soaked like the old one was, but there is definitely water getting in, as this has just happened over the last 2 weeks since I put a 100% dry carpet in.

So water seems to be getting in roughly at the base of the windscreen. I found this thread which suggested it may be blocked drain holes:

http://zroadster.org/forum/threads/water-in-footwells-e85-z4-seat-removal.2669/

But I also noticed on my car that the plastic along the bottom of the window doesn't sit flush in some places. It's not as exaggerated as this photo suggests, it's only a couple of mm, but should this be perfectly flush? And even if not, surely it's not so badly designed that water just pours in to the cabin!!

screen.jpg

If this should sit flush all the way along, what may be wrong with my trim? Also other than the potential blocked drains and the door membranes that have already been sorted, where else can water get in to a coupe? Do they have the same drians that seem common to block on the roadster?

I know we've had particularly bad weather the last few weeks, but one of the reasons I didn't get a roadster is the annoyance of water getting in, so slightly pissed off to find coupes are so vulnerable too.
 
Has the windscreen been replaced at anytime do you know.

Could be its not sealed properly. The plastic part you list is just for asthetics.
 
srhutch said:
Has the windscreen been replaced at anytime do you know.

Could be its not sealed properly. The plastic part you list is just for asthetics.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it hasn't been replaced as it is definitely BMW glass and has lots of small stone chips in it. Certainly not in the last 50k miles anyway.
 
You do not have roof drains like the roadsters, but you do have windscreen cowl drains. If these are blocked water can get into the frame below the door sills. Beyond that I'm not sure where else water could go, but you definitely want these drains clear, especially the hard to reach one behind the engine head because it drains the tub that contains the wiper motor. It's a variation of the issue roadsters have with roof motors.
 
I sorted this out today, and it revealed yet another bodge job. The wiper motor cover has been removed at some point in the past, and in doing so whoever did it broke all of the 4 clips along the front, and 2 of the ones along the top. Plus most of the 8 top ones would not pop back in due to wear, which is why there was a gap along the bottom of the window.

I glued the 2 broken clips back on and went to the dealer to buy 4 new front clips and 8 top ones, and now it fits absolutely perfectly, completely flush. You can see here what SHOULD happen - water is not supposed to get past the plastic cover, it should drain down in to this hole which is funnelled out by the wheel arch on to the floor. There are holes below the motor in case any water does get in, but it's clear that it's not supposed to. So if your window trim doesn't sit flush, I can highly recommend doing this.

leak2.jpg
 
Good that it is fixed.

It is one of the reasons I could just not cope with second hand cars, you never know what happened to them pre your ownership.
 
Fixing the panel on is a good job and they often get broken accessing the wipers or fitting a screen, but as posted above that panel is asthetic only and does NOT cause or prevent leaks. Water is getting in either past an unsealed screen or through overflowing front air intake.

Check the 2 front drains. Looking from the from of the car the RHS on is deep down at the bottom near the undertray/bulkhead.
The other to the left is to the top of the bulkhead and underneath a moulding. Bet they are full of leaves and crud.

The next fix is the door seal. Look at the lower part fitted to the sill. Water flows down that seal then drips over to the inside instead of outside. It can be fixed by drilling a 2mm hole in the seal so water gets outside not over the sill and onto the carpet.
 
Thanks for the tips. I don't suppose you know of any guides with photos to finding the drain holes? I can't see them.
 
edd_jedi said:
Thanks for the tips. I don't suppose you know of any guides with photos to finding the drain holes? I can't see them.
Click to expand...

I'd take photos but it peeing down and cold outside.

They are easy to find and rather large.
 
Do you mean this one on the right hand side?

Untitled-1.jpg


This one is clear. The drivers side one is too, when I pour water over the windscreen the water goes down these pipes and out in the wheel arch, which is what I assume is supposed to happen.
 
Yes - that's one and as predicted enough in it to replant a small house plant...
Now fiind the drivers side one - more by feel than sight :)
 
cj10jeeper said:
Fixing the panel on is a good job and they often get broken accessing the wipers or fitting a screen, but as posted above that panel is asthetic only and does NOT cause or prevent leaks. Water is getting in either past an unsealed screen or through overflowing front air intake.

Check the 2 front drains. Looking from the from of the car the RHS on is deep down at the bottom near the undertray/bulkhead.
The other to the left is to the top of the bulkhead and underneath a moulding. Bet they are full of leaves and crud.

The next fix is the door seal. Look at the lower part fitted to the sill. Water flows down that seal then drips over to the inside instead of outside. It can be fixed by drilling a 2mm hole in the seal so water gets outside not over the sill and onto the carpet.
Click to expand...
Im not too sure where to drill this hole, any chance of a photo?
 
Nope. Sorry, I'm out of the uk.

Find the lowest point of the rubber door seal, about 2" from the front iirc.
Note it has an inner part that clips over the sill frame and outer that forms the seal to the door. Make a neat vertical hole between the 2 so any water on the seal drops through and outside. Any doubts and don't do it.
 
cj10jeeper said:
Nope. Sorry, I'm out of the uk.

Find the lowest point of the rubber door seal, about 2" from the front iirc.
Note it has an inner part that clips over the sill frame and outer that forms the seal to the door. Make a neat vertical hole between the 2 so any water on the seal drops through and outside. Any doubts and don't do it.
Click to expand...
My seal already has two holes roughly where you're describing, or are they just standard?
 
Hey Edd , you are getting good with the raining in diagnostic,s , our very own Z4 WIPG / (water ingress problem guru ) :thumbsup:

I parked my Astravan up on the 18th Dec & didn,t use it until the 6th Jan , off i went as usual to work only to find i had what i can only describe as a fish tank sloshing around kind of noise behind my right side :cry:
Rear wheel off tomorrow to clear arch drain hole , that should cure it :)
 
supermondo said:
cj10jeeper said:
Nope. Sorry, I'm out of the uk.

Find the lowest point of the rubber door seal, about 2" from the front iirc.
Note it has an inner part that clips over the sill frame and outer that forms the seal to the door. Make a neat vertical hole between the 2 so any water on the seal drops through and outside. Any doubts and don't do it.
Click to expand...
My seal already has two holes roughly where you're describing, or are they just standard?
Click to expand...

Not standard on mine, so either they are on others (later models) or someone else did the mod.
 
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