Battery is swimming

[-Tom-]

Taken the zed out for the first time in a couple of weeks ... Went up a hill and some of the dash lights lost power then came back on when we flattened out.

Got back to gf's parents and found the battery is swimming :shock: actually deeper than it looks and the boot is sodden.

The leak I will have to look for and I've found numerous threads. What I could do with knowing as i can't find info on the net or here is if there is a drain hole in the battery well?? I don't fancy paddling around in there and it is pouring down so could do with running outside knowing what I'm looking for.

Any pointers for the plug would be greatly appreciated.

Tom
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[-Tom-]

Drained and dry for now. When it stops raining I'll source the leak. I say when it stops ... I can't say how pissed off I am with this weather. Can't remember the last time we had a continual dry spell to be able to actually do a thing with the car.

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[Liam-O]

I had this last year, also carpet soaking in both side holes (by the light) and also a patch up the top.

I never found the leak, although shortly after my roof motor went and I cleared the drainage holes there, this winter I've had no water in the boot.

Despite drenching the car with the hose, I can't see how water can get into the boot.

Whilst looking for a culprit, I was lead to check the seal on the lights and also the join between the fabric roof and the car.

 

[andysat]

 

[Swiftly]

Wow that looks bad

 

[markeg]

Not good! Good luck with finding a plug, not sure there is a drain there?

Tapatalking...

 

[andysat]

Thats not good mate this shite UK weather is doin my head in, if it isnt pissing down with rain its f***ing snowing then you get all the salt so my car looks crusty and white, then you get a dry day so you clean and wax the Zed then next day guess what......it f***ing rains so your cars covered it dirty spray and salt where its STILL not washed away again which is ironic due to all the rain :x getting angry just talking about it lol, Rant over for now!
Wanted to wash the Zed tomoz but guess what........rain :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x

Well said mate!

 

[-Tom-]

Thats not good mate this shite UK weather is doin my head in, if it isnt pissing down with rain its f***ing snowing then you get all the salt so my car looks crusty and white, then you get a dry day so you clean and wax the Zed then next day guess what......it f***ing rains so your cars covered it dirty spray and salt where its STILL not washed away again which is ironic due to all the rain :x getting angry just talking about it lol, Rant over for now!
Wanted to wash the Zed tomoz but guess what........rain :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x

Well said mate!

Same here guys. Have needed to do the roof drains but the weather , crap gravel drive and lack of jack that fits under the car, just hoping they're not blocked and this is the result of it all over flowing. Meeeh. I'll post any findings for future reference , many a good post on here already to refer to. Just hope the electrics are OK :-(

Also I forgot to say ... No plug as far as I could see, was about 4 inches deep at least so took a while.

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[Liam-O]

With that much water, and presumably your carpets just as wet, stay on the look out for mould growing on the carpets.

 

[-Tom-]

Been out again and it is starting to pool already and the car is starting to stink. So angry, don't have a garage so there's not much a can do until this weather eases off or I'll just be making the whole car even wetter. And yes the carpet is saturated ... Gonna have to remove it all as soon as I can really.

Seems ironic but this has come along after buying an OEM tarp roof cover. Hmm.

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[andysat]

Thats not good mate this shite UK weather is doin my head in, if it isnt pissing down with rain its f***ing snowing then you get all the salt so my car looks crusty and white, then you get a dry day so you clean and wax the Zed then next day guess what......it f***ing rains so your cars covered it dirty spray and salt where its STILL not washed away again which is ironic due to all the rain :x getting angry just talking about it lol, Rant over for now!
Wanted to wash the Zed tomoz but guess what........rain :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x

Well said mate!

Same here guys. Have needed to do the roof drains but the weather , crap gravel drive and lack of jack that fits under the car, just hoping they're not blocked and this is the result of it all over flowing. Meeeh. I'll post any findings for future reference , many a good post on here already to refer to. Just hope the electrics are OK :-(

Also I forgot to say ... No plug as far as I could see, was about 4 inches deep at least so took a while.

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Tbh mate-the drains are okay to get to without removing the rear wheels-did mine a few weeks ago and left the bungs off.

 

[-Tom-]

Aha that's what I was hoping Andy, Cheers! Had a little poke about under there earlier and thought that may be possible. Need to get home really so I can put some scruffs and just get wet/muddy, then at least be happy my motor isn't swimming.

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[GreyZed]

Tbh mate-the drains are okay to get to without removing the rear wheels-did mine a few weeks ago and left the bungs off.[/quote]

The 'bungs' are actually non return valves of a sort and are present to allow water to flow out but to prevent detritus from the road being deposited in the ends of your drain tubes thus causing the blockages you hope to avoid by removing them.

I think most who have posted about blocked drainage channels killing roof motors have indicated the tubes get blocked at the top end (inlet) rather than at the bottom where these rubber valves are. Enlargement of the orifice at the top of the tube would help but I don't think you are helping yourself by removing the rubber 'bungs' as you call them at the bottom end of these tubes.

 

[Ewazix]

Have a look at the underside of the boot behind the lights, the screws backwards from the light on that top deck clamp the inner liner and can leak, also there is apparently an air vent behind the carpet next to one of the rear lights that allows air to vent when you shut the lid, or the boot third brake light can spring a leak as well, good luck.

BTW I can't see how blocked roof/motor drain would do this and let water in the boot?

Blocked roof drain/motor well with roof removed.

 

[-Tom-]

That's an interesting pic! Thank you, it had only crossed my mind as doing searches people had mentioned this had happened to them so going off hearsay tbh only.

I'll strip the boot down later/tomorrow and I'll update if I find the problem so it can be searched with all the other threads if the leak is from somewhere not already mentioned on the forum.

Really didn't expect such a simple stupid problem to arise on a zed that is only just 6 years old. Never mind. Thanks for the all info guys! ;-)

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[ba3bas]

I had this and found the leak in minutes... if you open the boot, you'll see the side of the chassis that runs to the rear light, and should be tight to allow water to run off either via the back or under the overlap to a drain.

However this isn't always the case and easily fixed by some silicone sealant run around the folds where the panels meet.

I had some black silicone lying around and used that, and before you ask, I did a test before and after and have monitored since and no more leaks.

If you're still confused I can put pics up later of where im on about.

 

[-Tom-]

I had this and found the leak in minutes... if you open the boot, you'll see the side of the chassis that runs to the rear light, and should be tight to allow water to run off either via the back or under the overlap to a drain.

However this isn't always the case and easily fixed by some silicone sealant run around the folds where the panels meet.

I had some black silicone lying around and used that, and before you ask, I did a test before and after and have monitored since and no more leaks.

If you're still confused I can put pics up later of where im on about.

Thanks, I think I know which panel overlap you mean ... Where the quarter joins the boot panel and it has ripples for the water to run down between the skins?
Anyway all carpet removed ... What an absolute pain.




A few shots pointless for me but maybe useful as reference for others while mine is stripped ... The green pull tab is for the petrol cover release if the lock fails



And lastly the clips you'll come across - the push fit are a pain to remove whilst the others are threaded but the backing spins whilst you try and remove it.



End of all this ... Still no drips what so ever visible after spraying with a hose and watering can for at least ten minutes from every possible shut, seal, angle and under the arches. Something filled the swimming pool so I'll leave the carpet out for now.

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[andysat]

Good place to start!

 

[-Tom-]

Ended up going just that bit further ... Removed the parcel shelf and top mount covers and still nothing obvious after hosing down.



Cleared out the drains whilst I was at it. Someone said it was a one way valve ... I really wouldn't flatter BMW by calling it that!




Firstly can't believe what a ball ache it is to get to the top mounts, ie for a spring change! And secondly can't believe after the volume of water found I can't even get it to reproduce a drop.

So ... I'm waiting now for the rain to do its work and see if it floods again. If not .. Drive it to generate spray. And if nothing still ... I may have to hold my head in shame and put it down to possibly not closing the boot properly for the week it was sat there in the torrential rain ... Or the OEM roof tarp which has been fitted for the past 2 weeks interfered with the boot lid seals sufficiently to allow such a huge volume of water in.

I'll update if I ever find out for future reference.

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[andysat]

Mate-if you carry on like this you will have no zed left!