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Please help my hood's leaking

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:21 am
by harkie
i recently bought an absolute mint 325i cab 1 owner and 39k on the clock but i have one gripe!.. the roof seems to be leaking at the top corner of the front windows (where they meet the A-windows).

Can anyone who knows their cabs come to my rescue and tell me what to do? Is it a common fault? :cry:

Sorry no pics yet car in garage for winter!

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:59 am
by keith52
Without stating the obvious ,the roof is locking correctly, could be the seal which runs the full length of the front of the roof and a quarter towards the rear, these are still available from the dealers approx Ԛ£100, ,the roof itself has become pourous (unlikely but something to check )

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:08 pm
by orangecurry
if you need a new front seal, buy an O/E BMW one from www.motormec.co.uk - same part; lots cheaper
it's a complex beastie to fit, but well worth the effort

try cleaning and sealing the roof first (if it is undamaged)
I recommend Autoglyms double cleaning/sealant spray gun pack - 20 GBP from motor factors

then get some silicone grease (not silicone spray - useless stuff) and rub this into/onto every piece of rubber you can find - a very good waterproofer (Divers use it)

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:51 pm
by harkie
yeah im sure its locking properly because the locks are really stiff to turn. It seems to be this seal which the window goes up into. (same one keith?)

Ill give a try at the silicon grease though, you seem to know what your on about. Hopefully this should work.

The hood itself is in perfect condition with no wear or scapes at all so it must be the seal.

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:52 pm
by nav786
as orangecurry says, try putting silicone grease on. the rubber dries up and creates a bad seal, the silicone will help it. its a common problem. i had the same.

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:19 pm
by orangecurry
oh... if the problem is the window meeting the seal, it *might* be that the window needs adjusting... I thought from your description the seal itself might have gone (only 39k miles but still 16 years old after all)

But try the easy stuff first as previous posts - if you are going to keep the car, buy a Bentleys; excellent info, and for us cabbies, a whole section on window AND hood adjustments

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:51 pm
by stevetigger
orangecurry wrote:oh... if the problem is the window meeting the seal, it *might* be that the window needs adjusting... I thought from your description the seal itself might have gone (only 39k miles but still 16 years old after all)

But try the easy stuff first as previous posts - if you are going to keep the car, buy a Bentleys; excellent info, and for us cabbies, a whole section on window AND hood adjustments
I keep thinking about getting a bentley too, but they cost so much money

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:04 pm
by harkie
Cheers for the info guys i think the seal needs attention and not the window because both near and offside is doing it.

it's weird, sometimes it's fine when raining but only leaks if you open the door or window for a second but other times it just pisses when im driving and ALWAYS hits my leg.

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:04 am
by blacksoul
i had this problem months ago. its now solved. 1 my window was on the pi*s sorted that. 2 i took out the rubber seal on the roof and refitted it. and then used the grease. now i just watch the rain bead away off the roof and i can honestly say i now have a dry right leg:) happy days . on another note check the big rubber seal thats in the top corner of the winscreen. as they can fill up with water and run inside. good luck mate. post back when she,s dry:) b.

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:52 am
by keith52
Ebay Item number: 4605327248y one on sale now ( nothing to do with me )
Bear in mind what they cost from the dealer though

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:18 pm
by keith52
bump ,in case its missed