Sunroof drains...FIXED, WITH PICS!!!

[r_9ore]

Now , I have got quite a lot of water inside my car, it cant be rust holes in wheels wells spraying the water off the road, a, because the car isnt on the road (it doesnt move...yet) and b, the water is perfectly clean.

1-boot pockets(first aid,jack pockets)both sides, located this when i poured water over the rear window and down the "boomerang" strips that go round the rear window, i could visibly see water running down the inside panel and also the washer bottle is leaking. that was easily sourced, i filled it with blue washer fluid and the puddle in the pocket turned blue.

Question 1- How the hell do you remove that bottle? it looks tighter than a nuns chuff!

2-my back seats and under them are soaking wet. i tried the water pouring test on the rear sunroof drains, some water poured out at the back bumper but some, surprisingly (NOT) spilled onto the back seat from the headlining. i pulled it back and can see the pipe, it disapears into the metal roof. no visible problems.

Question 2- is each of the drain hoses, 1 big hose? ie, for the rear drain, will it go from sunroof all the way to the back bumper area? if not does it spill from the first hose into a channel then its collected into another hose? if it is the later then maybe a very long cleaning rod is required, if its not...well then im going to cry cos it means the hose is bust and i will need to remove the headlining.

im hoping the same sunroof drain problem is causing the water in both rear footwells, ie running from seat to floor. my drivers front footwell is the only dry carpet (apart from the main boot area) i havent tested the front sunroof drains as the front of the car is up on ramps the now, so all water will run to the back anyway.

Question 3- can the sunroof be made water tight so then people wouldnt have to worry about fricken leaks?

Question 4- why did BMW not think the sunroof drain idea through a bit more carefully? surely a water tight sunroof is easier to make than fannying about with drain pipes!

[MONSPORT42]

The E30 sunroof has 4 drains - one on each corner of the tray. They can be cleaned by 'gently' pushing some wire down them if they are blocked or just flushed out with some hot water for general maintenance. Be gentle because the pipes are just a push fit and almost impossible to put back without dismantling the whole roof! The rear ones, which sound like your problem, have pipes that exit into a tray on the side of each bootwell behind the carpet. The pipes can get disconnected here and you end up with matching swimming pools. The water exits past a flap in the tray which also lowers air pressure so we can shut the boot. Sunroof panels rust easily on welds and can spread rapidly backwards under the roof lining. If yours has been as bad as it sounds for a long while and you intend to keep the car, it may be as well to get the headliniing off and clean up any rust and Waxoyl everything.
You can make the roof water tight with a new seal still availble from the dealers

[r_9ore]

i think i will try a new seal on the sunroof.

the water is spilling over just at the 'c' pillar, above where the rear seatbelt top mounting point is, its where the hose dissapears into a metal channel. im hoping its not 1 continuos hose from sunroof to that tray thing in the boots rear pockets. ill try some cleaning rods 1st.

[irish320i]

did you get the head cloth down fully my rubber line from the tray to the boot was prefect but the tray was rusted near the front of the tray and the water was getting down through that and down the back pillar

[Brianmoooore]

i think i will try a new seal on the sunroof.

the water is spilling over just at the 'c' pillar, above where the rear seatbelt top mounting point is, its where the hose dissapears into a metal channel. im hoping its not 1 continuos hose from sunroof to that tray thing in the boots rear pockets. ill try some cleaning rods 1st.

There was a recent thread on here about replacement seals. If you look at the ETK you will find a two piece seal and a single piece seal listed, which are completely interchangeable.
All E30s that I have checked have the two piece seal, which is a lot more expensive than the one piece seal.

[r_9ore]

well i tried cleaning the drians, they seemed clear, so i ripped the headcloth down. i was greated with this on the drivers side...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-5/1 ... unroof.JPG

and this on the passenger side...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-5/1 ... nroof2.JPG

uh oh...i thought, so i did this to save anymore hassle...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-5/1 ... akfix1.JPG

and the leak in the boot wells from the window, washer bottle and probably water running down the outside of the sunroof drain pipes i fixed by 1-removed window seals and silconed round the fixings and bottom edge of glass and 2- decided to do this...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-5/1 ... akfix2.JPG

cheap and easy fixes, fair do's the sunroof doesnt look great but f*@k it ill get it opened again in summer!!!!!

[oze30]

Interesting fix.. Not my Ideal.. but yeah.. You could always silicone the hoses to the drain again?

[r_9ore]

not ideal i know, but atleast i wont have a wet interior anymore. i doubt silicone would hold the hose in position let alone leave a nice smooth flow for the water into the hose from the channel, remember any backed up water would just spill over into the car anyway.

Shame they dont do white duck tape...if they do can someone let me know.

BTW just plugged the rear wiper hole with a blanking rubber plug. didnt see the point in having a rear wiper without a washer bottle!

the car is planned for a run around come drift toy anyway.

[MONSPORT42]

Bought some white Duck tape in Robert Dyas the other day.

[telski789]

i put duck tape over my ariel hole until i got a new one,a) it pulls the paint off and b) its leaves an outline and bits you cant get off!

Tel

[irish320i]

you think thats bad my full tray rotted omn both sides cut one out of a scrapper and welded it in massive amount of work for such a small problem

[r_9ore]

exactly why i went the duck tape route!