Ultimate 'water in the interior' thread

[BMWBergy]

Folks,

This past Saturday, I fortuitously found that a Friday rainstorm (no, wait... deluge) had helped fill my beloved coupe's passenger footwell with close to a gallon and a half of water. I've managed to extract it, and am now drying out the carpet - out of the car.

In order to help others, I'd like this thread to serve as a comprehensive water intrusion thread (I'll let others decide on its utility to determine 'sticky-worthiness'), so here's what I intend to do:
A) Load it up with words that will help return it in searches (things like water leak, leaking, wet interior, inside, passenger floor, driver footwell, damp smell, elephant nose, drain, etc.)
B) Load it up with as many links as I can describing the common sources of water intrusion in both Coupes and Roadies, as pulled from this and possibly other boards (I may eventually need some help with this one... but not yet)
C) Post a metric butt-tonne ('ton' spelling is different since 'metric butt-tonne' is a metric measurement) of pictures from my experience.

So, starting this afternoon, and throughout the weekend, I will be editing this thread with the aforementioned information. It will not all appear at once, so please be patient. I'm trying to work on this while fixing both of my cars and finding a place to live when we move to Monterey in a few weeks, so this is only medium-low priority.

If you'd like to contribute to this thread, thanks in advance. If you have any suggestions or would like to counter anything I state, please do so in a constructive manner.

The Problem:
As our Coupes and Roadsters start to age, many of them may begin to experience leaking into the passenger compartment. It can happen to anyone, and you shouldn't be ashamed. The problems can originate in a number of places, with different symptoms and all with different solutions. Suffice to say, water intrusion can come from MANY different sources, so it's important to methodically (and patiently, in case that wasn't implied in 'methodically') evaluate each of the distinct possibilities.

The so-called 'elephant trunk' drains were likely the culprit in my case.

The Symptoms:
Wet or damp floormats
Wet or damp carpets
Damp or musty smell (hopefully you catch it before then)
Water on seats/armrests
Visible leaks

Some Facts:
Regardless of the cause of the water leak or intrusion, or the type of Z3 or MZ3 (Coupe/Roadster), our floors are pretty much all the same. The floorpan of our cars is contoured, and there are a few cable conduits/channels underneath, so in order to level off the passenger compartment floor, BMW used a combination of soft foam and styrofoam attached to the underside of the carpet. This means that even if the surface of the carpet is dry to the touch, the soft foam (which is SUPER ABSORBENT) can still be holding a considerable amount of water/moisture. In addition to this, in some places the soft foam doesn't actually touch the floorpan, so you may even have standing water under your carpet. This can affect/damage things like your side airbag sensors in the long-term.

Common Causes:
1. Plugged 'elephant nose' drains. These help drain water/moisture/condensation from the area around your A/C fan under the plastic cowl cover at the base of the windshield. They can get plugged up with dirt/debris and fail to drain (fast enough, or completely), which will in-turn allow water to build up, spill over the small barrier around the A/C blower motor, and enter your vent system.
2. A-pillar leak (Roadie). See here (reserved for link) for discussion/solution
3. Plugged door drains
4. Leaking heater core - check for coloration and/or sweet or fishy smells - those could be signs of coolant, indicating a leaking heater core.

Pictures (coming soon):
Removing wiper arms
Removing cowl
Elephant Nose
A/C Blower motor
New cover for blower
Reinstalling cowl

[yuriah]

i just bought my z from a guy who stored it for 5 years with the top down... now there is a gap between my window and the top. do i need to replace the top ?

[gmushial]

i just bought my z from a guy who stored it for 5 years with the top down... now there is a gap between my window and the top. do i need to replace the top ?

No. If I'm reading your post correctly, and the gap is btwn the side window(s) and the top: replace the rubber seals attached to the top which seal against the window(s). Or, if it is like my case, where the rubber seals developed gaps: I simply plugged the gaps with 1/8" sheet neoprene, vulcanized on one side.

[nitrosnowpunk]

Anyone have a link to the third brake light fix on roadies?

[gmushial]

Following up on my previous post: this water leak cost me two seat motors ($100ish per - the water over the years had rusted the seatrails to the point of seizing and burned out the motors trying to move immovable seats) and seems to have been a problem even for the previous owner. The problem was that the rubber pieces attached to the top [we're talking a '99 Z3 Roady softtop] had developed gaps btwn the three pieces, ie, two gaps, which would allow water to pour in in a downpour. My solution, instead of spending the $160 per three piece rubber set (x2 since this was the case on both sides), was to vulcanize 1/8" neoprene sheet cut in the exact cross-section of the forementioned seals on the end of each. The gaps were probably 80 thou so the 125 thou neoprene is slightly compressed in each gap. I was very careful to shave the added pieces so that they were conformal to the existing rubber, ie, not providing a route in for the water. These picture are from before I took out my marker pen and made the neoprene pieces black to match the bimmer rubber. Now that they're black one, unless they very carefully look, will have trouble noticing/seeing them. [of note: these pictures are quite close in - the neoprene stripes are in fact only 0.080-0.090" wide and not several inches as they may look.] And just a followup: I did a 3k mile road trip two weeks ago, where maybe 2k were in the rain, some in the desert southwest downpour type "rain", and not a drop made it inside the Z.

With the door open - one can see the crease in the original rubber worn by the window over the years


with the door closed and the window up, showing the seal btwn the glass and the rubber

[cngizbleevng]

My wife's roady leaks like crazy in a downpour and the under-carpet area is soaked. The elephant noses were clear, I sealed the area around the cowl, and it still leaks. I'm left with the possibility that the front windshield isn't sealed well. That's what I'll investigate next.

Roadies also have a common leak around the rear seal of the soft-top. This results in a lot of water in the trunk. The fix here is to install the rubber channel that many cars seem to be missing, or seal the channel in place with silicone adhesive.

[Mavusblue3l0]

I get this as well on my driver side..you might have to change the top door seal.. they are inferior on the coupes and tend to go flat after the years..also the z3 door seal is twice as thick in the same area yet they still tend to leak else where
#10 (at least thats my problem)

[nitrosnowpunk]

Can u do a DIY or more in depth step by step on the neoprene? Both my window seals are shot and this looks like money!

[lokijibber]

Great idea for a thread. Huricane Lee flooded our garage last fall and I ended up with soaked carpets/pads. I'll search through some of my documentation from that to see if I can add anything relevant here -- ufortunately, the only piece I haven't resolved are the 10 different airbag codes.

[Blacklane]

My 98 Roadster has had most of those leaks, plus a hidden leak behind the door panel. When I pulled the door panel off for other maintenance, I discovered that the inner liner held in with butyl tape had come loose at the bottom. That allowed water to run behind the door panel, over the sill, and into the car.
On my car, the inner liner was kind of a plastic sheet. Later models used a formed foam liner called a sound deadening panel (which is kind of funny in a roadster). Incidentally, the newer foam panel fits in the older cars.
I bought some butyl tape from a local auto parts store, but I have found that the BMW OEM stuff (83190153321) is much softer and stickier.
I also found a tweeter dangling inside the door, but that's another thread.

[BlackjackM]

My 98 Roadster has had most of those leaks, plus a hidden leak behind the door panel. When I pulled the door panel off for other maintenance, I discovered that the inner liner held in with butyl tape had come loose at the bottom. That allowed water to run behind the door panel, over the sill, and into the car.
On my car, the inner liner was kind of a plastic sheet. Later models used a formed foam liner called a sound deadening panel (which is kind of funny in a roadster). Incidentally, the newer foam panel fits in the older cars.
I bought some butyl tape from a local auto parts store, but I have found that the BMW OEM stuff (83190153321) is much softer and stickier.
I also found a tweeter dangling inside the door, but that's another thread.

Yup, I had this leak through the door panel as well. I took some plastic sheet and gasket maker and sealed the holes in the inner door, then put the foam liner back and taped it all the way around with Gorilla tape. Then put the door card back on, all is well now.

[Wojtek79]

Digging through the threads for carpet removal I found a few links that should help your thread.

Here is a link to a picture of a removed carpet:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1856071-Roadster-Carpet-vs-Coupe-Carpet

Here is an interior swap thread
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ntire-interior

Some common leak spots
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1759354-Z3-water-in-passenger-footwell

[BMWBergy]

Digging through the threads for carpet removal I found a few links that should help your thread.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! Really appreciate it. I've often though about getting back in here and fleshing the thread out. Thanks for the nudge! I'll try to get to this in the next two weeks.

[spacecowboy]

There's a lot of leak information for roadster owners in this thread.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...86-Water-leaks

[Wojtek79]

Still working on removing my carpet. This should help too.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...hoop%20removal

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ght=roll+hoops

[ARZ3]

Convertible roof gaskets.....

At what point do I bite the bullet and replace them? I am not the original owner and the maintenance history I do have says nothing about if the gaskets were ever replaced. They are now 13 years old, I have gummi-phledged them multiple times and I am constantly moving/adjusting them to try to get an optimal fit. Yet still have minor to moderate leaks?

What do we think might be the life expectancy of the rubber gaskets?

[kornfeld]

Bump...not sure where else to post this question. I just bought a 2001 3.0 coupe, and noticed that the rubber seal that goes under the long chrome trim piece on the hatch is quite dried out and cracked. I don't detect any water leaking through it, but I'm guessing there will be.

Does anyone know what this is part is called? I've googled around for as many names as I can, and I can't find anything. Any help would be appreciated, as I'd like to stop the leak before it starts.

[JoshS]

Bump...not sure where else to post this question. I just bought a 2001 3.0 coupe, and noticed that the rubber seal that goes under the long chrome trim piece on the hatch is quite dried out and cracked. I don't detect any water leaking through it, but I'm guessing there will be.

Does anyone know what this is part is called? I've googled around for as many names as I can, and I can't find anything. Any help would be appreciated, as I'd like to stop the leak before it starts.

See diagram #11. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...79&hg=41&fg=60

[kornfeld]

Awesome, thank you. It looks like there are two part numbers:

51227026400 ( http://www.ecstuning.com/ES91111/ )

and

51228401010 ( http://www.ecstuning.com/ES91458/ )



I think the first one is correct for a 2001 Z3 Coupe...can anyone confirm or deny that? I'm going to give them a call, but I figure the more input I have, the better.

- - - Updated - - -

I called around, and it looks like the first one is correct. It also appears to be the correct shape. Part is on the way!

[BimmerBreaker]

If you ever aren't sure about part numbers, plug it back into RealOEM and it will list what cars it came on

[kornfeld]

Good to know, thanks. Unfortunately, both part numbers connect with this car, so I'm going mostly on the shape of the two gaskets. Fingers crossed....