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Thread: Keep getting water in spark plug holes!

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Keep getting water in spark plug holes!

    This is the 3rd time now and I have all of the necessary gaskets around the cowel and even the plastic covering over the coils. All I did was wash the car (not the engine bay) but somehow water still was able to get into cylinder 6 spark plug hole. Reason I know this is because the car was misfiring again. I need new coil boots badly, but water still shouldn't be getting in there. Anybody have any ideas how this is happening? I pulled the cowel off to look for drain holes but all I see is a big pocket and that obviously didn't overfill with water.

  2. #2
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    Pour water over windshield/cowl, watch where it goes.


  3. #3
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    2013 135i, e46 M3
    Cover the hood gills near the base of the windshield with a chamois or mask it because it is directly above the #6 plug and most likely the cause of your frustration.

  4. #4
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    make sure the ignition coils' wire's bushings (phew) are firmly seated against the valve cover before you put the coil pack cover on.

  5. #5
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    Early on, every time I washed the race car, I got the missing you are talking about... Pissed me off every time... I finally got smart and put a sheet of plastic over the rear of the motor when I washed it...
    2000 Oxford Green M5

  6. #6
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    Do you have the coil cover on?(the valve cover's cover)
    Are you missing the seal at the front of the cowl?

    If the rubber seal that runs along the front edge of the cowel is missing, water will get into the #6 hole. Doesnt usually happen with the coil cover on though.

  7. #7
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    I have all gaskets coverings on the car. I also poured water down the cowel and it seemed to work as it should (all of the water ended up underneath the car) and I didn't see any water enter into cyl 6 plug hole. I guess ill just put something over the engine when I wash it.

  8. #8
    Def's Avatar
    Def is offline Lead Disagreement Eng PE
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    How in the world would a significant amount of water make it past the plastic coilpack cover? Doesn't that thing have a rubber gasket around it and the mounting holes to seal it up?

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    2001 325Ci, 1993 740iL
    This happens to my 740, also, but worse - happens on both sides! Yes, the coil covers have little rubber gaskets in place. It only seems to occur when I wash the car, and not when it rains. Frickin' mystery! I'm >this< close to sealing the coil covers on with RTV.

  10. #10
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    E36 IS #565, SpecE46
    What about through the windshield spray nozzle on the hood? I had the same problem on my track car, but at the time it had no nozzles in the hood and water would get right in.
    Cold Tires + Wall = Suck

  11. #11
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    I'm not familiar with the E36 but my mechanic had this posted on his web site. You might want to check the drain tube from the windshield area?

    http://www.solelybimmer.com/ServicePages/e36.htm

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