Condensation

[theirishman2018]

Hi

Considering buying a Z4 but bit converned about condensation levels might be water increasing.

Has a anybody has any experience of this?

Many thanks!

 

[Jembo]

Do you have your air con on all year round & have checked it’s not on recirculation.

All cars suffer from it this time of year - best cure is air con & leaving it on all year will ensure you won’t have an issue with the seals drying out

 

[brillomaster]

well my roadster isn't the best sealed, keeps water out but the inside can get quite steamy. However, always having the a/c on can help quite a lot, I wouldn't let that stop you buying one!

 

[patriot66]

That does seem excessive to me Is this a Coupe you are thinking of buying ? Has it been valeted recently ? The carpets/headlining may be damp and causing the condensation.
If the carpets are wet in the footwells then it could be rainwater getting through the weatherseal behind the doorcard and running down over the door seals and on to the carpet.
I believe water can also get in from the heater area if the scuttle drains under the wipers are blocked with leaves etc.

 

[theirishman2018]

Yeah it's a coupe

I doubt it's been valeted recently

It is worrying....

 

[theirishman2018]

That does seem excessive to me Is this a Coupe you are thinking of buying ? Has it been valeted recently ? The carpets/headlining may be damp and causing the condensation.
If the carpets are wet in the footwells then it could be rainwater getting through the weatherseal behind the doorcard and running down over the door seals and on to the carpet.
I believe water can also get in from the heater area if the scuttle drains under the wipers are blocked with leaves etc.

Yeah it's a coupe

I doubt it's been valeted recently

It is worrying....

 

[biojo]

i use my coupe all year round n its never that bad, mainly windscreen n rear, both clear in few minutes of pressing the window button

 

[theirishman2018]

i use my coupe all year round n its never that bad, mainly windscreen n rear, both clear in few minutes of pressing the window button

i use my coupe all year round n its never that bad, mainly windscreen n rear, both clear in few minutes of pressing the window button

Would you stay clear then?

 

[GAZA62]

That would worry me with a Coupe my Roadster will suffer after a drive with heating and heated seats on if I lock the car and walk away but 5 mins with doors open on the drive clears it

 

[oldgitdave]

Aircon on all year round will sort it. Amazing how many folk don't use it. Lack of use & this amount of condensation could mean it's not working at all & the refrigerant has leaked away. A/C needs to be used regularly to avoid seals within the system drying out as Jembo says. If carpets are wet then water is getting in somewhere & A/C won't cure it. In that case I'd look elsewhere.

 

[biojo]

i use my coupe all year round n its never that bad, mainly windscreen n rear, both clear in few minutes of pressing the window button

Would you stay clear then?

I would check carpets see if they feel wet, make sure theres no leaks from usual door cards. Same with check boot, where battery is.

Providing u have no leaks, leave air con on hot full wack, heatered window, seats etc on too, with windows open a inch.

I leave aircon on auto all year, never had any issues

 

[Mr Tidy]

Mine both lived outside, and as they weren't dailies they could sit for a couple of weeks when the weather got bad. But I've never had condensation like that!

I'd definitely be concerned that water was getting in somewhere - and if the temperature plummets you could end up with ice on the inside of the windows which is a real PITA.

If you are still interested despite that, I'd check what has already been mentioned and expect to get it cheaper!

 

[Iggy]

Looks like it rained shortly before those photos were taken. It might have a leak. I'd open the boot and check the inner sides just behind the rear lights. Touch the carpeting to make sure its not wet. I'd also recommend to lift the boot floor panel and check in the battery compartment to make sure there's no water in there. My coupe has a leak under the passenger-side rear arch and i currently use a tupperware container to catch the water until i can get it fixed. Having said that, I've never had that much condensation - even on the wettest days. I'd also check the footwells as apparently that's another common place to find water ingress.

 

[Jembo]

So, if it’s possible to negotiate a bargain price because of this, suggest you check the following if the carpet’s are not wet

- has front windscroon been replaced (badly)
- in the engine bay (as mentioned before) near the back there’s a rain flap that can become blocked, so check there
- window rubbers, check these haven’t worn
- plastic door liners, check if there’s any water ingress there
- seal around the hatchback glass

 

[z4pilot]

If it's leaking into the boot, the common culprits are the rear light seals or the ventilation flaps that sit beneath the lights behind the bumper cover. You can access them from inside the boot, but the easiest way is to take the bumper off. The seals perish eventually so replacement is usually required at some point.

 

[road warrior]

simple question.. has the car been used recently..

 

[kis]

Wouldn’t worry me unless there is actually an underlying water ingress issue. Like said about carpets and seals, etc. check them all out.

You’ll also get more condensation inside if it’s not used often (Compared to a daily).

You’ll also get a lot of water inside if it’s pissing it down and you only take it on a short journey... lots of water is brought into the vehicle by shoes and coats etc. So all stuff to bear in mind.