Sunroof Drain tube leaking under dash, Help

[thegimpster]

I noticed water in my glovebox and passenger floor yesterday. So I started searching and reading for causes, and determined it was my sunroof drain tube on the passenger side. There ias a little wind noise coming from that side of the sunroof too. So after reading a few tutorials i decided to try it in my friends garage last night while drying my carpet out. It took me a while with a piece of wire and compressed air to get about 2 to 2.5ft of wire down the drain tube. I decided to pour a little water down it to check it out. Immediately i noticed water pouring from under the glovebox. I crawled under there and noticed that there is a white cloth looking tube that goes between the cable and the dash and it looks like the water is either leaking from there or collecting there and falling down. I looked in the engine bay to try to find out where the drain came out, but figured i would have to take off a bunch of plastic trim to get at it.

So here is what I'm asking I guess: 1 how do I access the outlet of the drain, what do I have to take off to get to it to try to clean it from that side? 2 How likely is it that the white cloth thing is the culprit, and how do i replace it? 3 Why do Germans mak things so complexy simple?

[Kiyoskia]

You may have disconnected the drainage tube from the sunroof when you fished a wire down it.

[Edwin NL]

as far as i know there are no drain plug there?!

Did you have a windshield replacement?

[Kiyoskia]

If your floaters are floating properly, your drains aren't draining properly.

If you've cleaned out your tubes but still leak, your tubes aren't connected to the top drainage hole.

[thegimpster]

i figure they are plugged up, i just wanted to know where the other end came out at. I know the water enters the tube at the sunroof...but where does it exit the drain out? I want to see if i can clean crap from that end and see if it helps.

[DenisMcG]

The drain exits at the top of the windshield, approx 3 inches from the corner. The water then flows down the side of the windshield and out through the fender. I was having problems with my draintube on the passenger side. I couldn't get anything in from the sunroof side, so I used a heat gun (on low) and heated the rubber around the top of the windshield, then used plastic tools to gently pull the rubber up till I could see the hole. The drain hole is just to the outside of the square rubber spacer in the upper molding. I was able to run a whipper snipper type wire from the outside up to the sunroof. There are pics over at bimmerboard.com, but I can't seem to get on their site right now.

[Edwin NL]

^^^that is why I asked if his window has been replaced

[Smedley]

You said you poured a "little" water down the drain, that would not flood the glove box.

Please close the sunroof, measure the top of the front of the sunroof against the roof of the car. If more that 2mm your sunroof drains are being over loaded resulting in water in the box (so to speak). rear height should be 1mm.

If the sunroof gasket is good then you should have NO water to worry about.
drain of no drain, the sunroof is adjustable, see e38.org. Lots of luck

[thegimpster]

Well I took part of the headliner down and stuck my big ole hands up in there and pushed the drain tube back on the drain all the way and put a zip tie on it to make sure it had a good seal. I closed the sunroof and dumped some water on it. It seemed to be ok so I gave it some time and tried it again. Still seemed ok so I put everything back together. I guess time will tell if I really fixed it or just got really tired and said screw it its good enough.

[Beast740I]

HI there

Please help i have the same problem that you have where water leaks from the sunroof under the dash ,however I have a RHD e38 so i have the leak on the drivers side ,did you manage to find the leak if so how did you Solve it

This is a huge problem for me cause the water leaks directly onto my LCM

any advice will be greatly appreciated

Thank you

[GSXRliterbikz]

HI there

Please help i have the same problem that you have where water leaks from the sunroof under the dash ,however I have a RHD e38 so i have the leak on the drivers side ,did you manage to find the leak if so how did you Solve it

This is a huge problem for me cause the water leaks directly onto my LCM

any advice will be greatly appreciated

Thank you

There is a 4" long tube that goes from the corner of the sunroof to the top of the windshield. Most often you have problems after a windshield replacement. If they clog it up. To see the tube, you need to pull the headliner down. There is 4 drains. 2 short ones on the front corners, and 2 long ones on the rear corners.

[Cangelo629]

Thanks! I will replacing my windshield soon so I will be sure to remind the installer............

[ebida3]

I know it's an old thread but all my drains are clear and hoses all connected.
The left front doesn't tie into the right side where my leak is does it?
Kinda at a loss. The gasket looks good no cracks and pliable.
I'm stumped.

Check engine light (CEL) means 'Cost Estimate Large'

[Frankie]

Your track end caps are leaking: Sunroof Water Leaks

[ebida3]

Frankie, your right. When I went to pull down the headlights I took those end caps off and I noticed that was a slight amount of silicone on that and I said to myself G that's not a lot of silicone on here to be able to seal anything and I bet that's exactly what's going on because the way it looks it looks like there's no way you could keep water out of there without it.

Check engine light (CEL) means 'Cost Estimate Large'

[ebida3]

Frankie My sunroof drains at the upper windshield approximately four inches from the side on the passenger side. Is it the drivers side that water exits at the lower corner as your website shows?

Check engine light (CEL) means 'Cost Estimate Large'

[Frankie]

...Is it the drivers side that water exits at the lower corner as your website shows?

The water initially exits at the top of the windshield (as you note). Then, the water runs around both sides of the windshield and down both A-pillars, along the front fender channels (underneath the hood) and drains over the top of the headlights.

[ebida3]

I thought it drained towards the tear of the front tire.

Check engine light (CEL) means 'Cost Estimate Large'

[ebida3]

Anyway I created a problem. After siliconing the end caps the roof wouldn't close so I removed them and moved the roof forward to see if that was the problem.
The cables are now grinding and the sunroof is stuck.
Those end caps act like an anchor to hold down the Bowden cables.
Now I have to remove the sunroof to reinstall the caps.
The Bowden cables ends have moved back and won't come forward. I removed the motor so at least I can close it.

Anyone removed it before? Or have a trick to get the anchors back to the front of the rails?

Check engine light (CEL) means 'Cost Estimate Large'