PLEASE!!! Check your roof drains, So glad I did!
- Thread starter Paulj100
- Start date
Marlon said:A word of warning though I found that my Hoover would switch itself off after 15 mins due to overheating but once cooled down old be fine again.
Pushing your 'Henry' to the limit- thanks for the tips and pics
The hose pipe trick works very well as you can also place it underneath and into the roof drain exit hole sucking out any filament left behind. I mainly use my hover with hose attached for when cleaning the car interior as it's great for getting down the side of seats and other awkward areas that a normal Hoover can't get too.
Paul
Z4Bob said:
it's supposed to be a one-way valve allowing water out but stopping debris (and web-spinning spiders) in, but they seem to have forgotten that leaf debris gets washed down the sides of the roof or deposited when the roof lowers with crud on it and the valve stops it getting out. So it works brilliantly, but only one way!
Whilst you are at it have a check of the front scuttle drains, I had a small bag of compost in mine and it leads to a pond of water in the front that can run back through the door post in to sills and fill them up (strange but true - search the forum for 'sloshing noise'!) and the pond swamps the wiper motor/mechanism so is worth doing.
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40973&p=585592&hilit=+front#p576732
I have been putting this off for too long as well. I even bought a trolley jack last year and only used it to remove one wheel so that I could clean it properly.
My only excuse is a total lack of any capability with practical things, but I am now inspired to have a go - unless something else crops up!
My only excuse is a total lack of any capability with practical things, but I am now inspired to have a go - unless something else crops up!
jampudding
Member
Happy birthday!
I too access this without taking the wheel off.
Sadly I think the problem is not at the bung end.
I too access this without taking the wheel off.
Sadly I think the problem is not at the bung end.
The hairy angler
Member
Well tomorrow I am forking out the thick end of £800+ for new motor/pump and roof removal and replacement on my 2004 pre facelift 2.5 Z4. I have had the car for almost 2yrs and it spends all of its time outside. I was expecting trouble at some stage. My friendly independent has changed 4 motors already this summer! As an aside in the last couple of days the car has become VERY lumpy at tickover. Idle drops from about 900 RPM to 700 when hot and there is now a definite "whistle" from the nearside of the engine! Any ideas?
Good job on clearing out the bottom bungs though bear in mind that the other end under the roof motor housing is where the blockages usually form. This is due to the exit hole only being 10mm in diameter. One decent sized leaf or a collection of pine needles soon block this and before you know it the roof motor is submerged.
This is a picture looking down into the motor housing well and that hole in the middle is the top end of a shaft which ends where the bungs fit.
This is a picture looking down into the motor housing well and that hole in the middle is the top end of a shaft which ends where the bungs fit.
AlpinaRoadsterS
Member
No, because the roof motor and the motor housing is above the hole.
Georgio said:Good job on clearing out the bottom bungs though bear in mind that the other end under the roof motor housing is where the blockages usually form. This is due to the exit hole only being 10mm in diameter. One decent sized leaf or a collection of pine needles soon block this and before you know it the roof motor is submerged.
This is a picture looking down into the motor housing well and that hole in the middle is the top end of a shaft which ends where the bungs fit.
This is why I fixed a hose on my Hoover so I can push it down to this area and suck out any debris. This method works very well
Paul
Well, you inspired me to go out there and get it done... took about an hour or so to do both sides. Mine were'nt actually too bad, yes there was some water that came out and some gunk but not a huge amount so i'm guessing the previous owner must have done this some time recently before i bought the car (i've only owned her for six months...). I've now left the bungs out however, probably for the best.
The offending items....
And i thought i'd give the wheels a good going over whilst they were off.... can't get them any cleaner than that!..
The offending items....
And i thought i'd give the wheels a good going over whilst they were off.... can't get them any cleaner than that!..
and piece of mind for you knowing those drains are not blocked. 
No real reason to leave the bung in. Keep it off and let the water drain freely as the design of the bung helps collect debris then build up again.
Hers a pick of the bungs, the one on the left came from the drivers side and the one on the right came from the passenger side where the roof motor is
They clog up so easierly, there's a narrow lip inside the rubber bung where the debris starts to build up and over time block as mentioned earlier in this thread my passenger side bung was completely blocked and when pulled out of the drain channel loads of water came flooding out!
Or put it this way I would rather a spider crawled up it and made a web in the roof motor area as it may catch some of that debris than a block plug and pay ££££ for a new motor
Paul
Paul
Hers a pick of the bungs, the one on the left came from the drivers side and the one on the right came from the passenger side where the roof motor is
They clog up so easierly, there's a narrow lip inside the rubber bung where the debris starts to build up and over time block as mentioned earlier in this thread my passenger side bung was completely blocked and when pulled out of the drain channel loads of water came flooding out!
Or put it this way I would rather a spider crawled up it and made a web in the roof motor area as it may catch some of that debris than a block plug and pay ££££ for a new motor
Paul
Paul
