Water Leak

Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place

Moderator: martauto

User avatar
joeadams1979
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 177
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 11:00 pm

Post Sat May 24, 2014 3:17 pm

ive ended up removing the complete carpets seats door cards. to replace them with a nice leather set and new carpet since the old one was ripped and not in good condition.Yesterday i went to take it for a quick drive with just the drivers seat bolted in as i got in ive noticed a puddle of water behind the driver seat rear passenger foot well i looked for any leaks etc couldnt see any rips in the seals on the door or sunroof letting water in and today its full of water behind the seat agein ive attached some photo if anyone could suggest what to check or see where abouts it coming from.
Ive attached the photobucket link below kind regards Joe

http://s30.photobucket.com/user/mrjoead ... t=3&page=1
User avatar
Carmo13
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 269
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: Norwich

Post Sat May 24, 2014 5:12 pm

Hi mate,
I've had water coming in before and my problem, which I found after many hours of looking, was the holes in the cills that are meant to let out the water that is fed into the cills from the front sunroof drain pipes.
The holes were blocked with mud and underbody sealent, meaning the cills filled with water and came into the car via holes on the inside.
There are 3 or 4 holes that are located on the inside of the cills under the car. They are not on the bottom of the cills, they are a 2/3 inches up.
Maybe take a look and make sure they are not blocked with a small screwdriver. You can test them by pouring water down the front sunroof drain pipe holes that are right in the front corners of the sunroof opening.
You should see the water drain out of the cills.
User avatar
Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49360
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Sat May 24, 2014 9:22 pm

Dry everything up, and sprinkle talcum powder around and up the bulkhead. Any water entering the cabin will leave streaks in the powder, pointing right to the source of the leak.
magpie
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 28035
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Consett,Durham.

Post Mon May 26, 2014 3:56 pm

Carmo13 wrote:Hi mate,
I've had water coming in before and my problem, which I found after many hours of looking, was the holes in the cills that are meant to let out the water that is fed into the cills from the front sunroof drain pipes.
The holes were blocked with mud and underbody sealent, meaning the cills filled with water and came into the car via holes on the inside.
There are 3 or 4 holes that are located on the inside of the cills under the car. They are not on the bottom of the cills, they are a 2/3 inches up.
Maybe take a look and make sure they are not blocked with a small screwdriver. You can test them by pouring water down the front sunroof drain pipe holes that are right in the front corners of the sunroof opening.
You should see the water drain out of the cills.
his problem is at the rear so pouring water down the front drain tube is pointless :?
Image
m52 b30 stroker 6-speed 318is Galvanizer
m42 touring
+ a yard full of scrap turds :)
User avatar
Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49360
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Mon May 26, 2014 6:12 pm

If all the sill drains are blocked, then water down the front sunroof tubes will flood the sills, and find its way into the car wherever it can, front or rear.
Rear drain tubes drain to the open air anyway.
Does the water come in when the car is parked up and not moved?
magpie
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 28035
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Consett,Durham.

Post Mon May 26, 2014 6:20 pm

Brianmoooore wrote:If all the sill drains are blocked, then water down the front sunroof tubes will flood the sills, and find its way into the car wherever it can, front or rear.
Rear drain tubes drain to the open air anyway.
Does the water come in when the car is parked up and not moved?
i'm getting this problem but behind the passenger seat ,water gets in when it's parked up .
Image
m52 b30 stroker 6-speed 318is Galvanizer
m42 touring
+ a yard full of scrap turds :)
User avatar
Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49360
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Mon May 26, 2014 6:48 pm

There's only really four places where water can get into an E30 cabin when it's parked up. Sunroof, scuttle vents, 'shark fin' grommets behind the rear side windows, and through a missing or damaged door card film.
magpie
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 28035
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Consett,Durham.

Post Mon May 26, 2014 7:15 pm

i need to do some investigating .
Image
m52 b30 stroker 6-speed 318is Galvanizer
m42 touring
+ a yard full of scrap turds :)
User avatar
joeadams1979
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 177
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 11:00 pm

Post Mon May 26, 2014 8:29 pm

as suggested by you guys il have to give the sunroof plugs a good clean the 2 holes in the sunroof hopefully torrow is dry fingers crossed il clean up the puddle of water . Buy a nice piece of wire give it a good clean and hope for the best the plastic on the behind the door cars is still present no tampering ive stripped the hole car inside so its my poor body getting watered driver rear . and report back asap miss my sr20 lol
User avatar
Carmo13
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 269
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: Norwich

Post Mon May 26, 2014 10:58 pm

magpie wrote:
Carmo13 wrote:Hi mate,
I've had water coming in before and my problem, which I found after many hours of looking, was the holes in the cills that are meant to let out the water that is fed into the cills from the front sunroof drain pipes.
The holes were blocked with mud and underbody sealent, meaning the cills filled with water and came into the car via holes on the inside.
There are 3 or 4 holes that are located on the inside of the cills under the car. They are not on the bottom of the cills, they are a 2/3 inches up.
Maybe take a look and make sure they are not blocked with a small screwdriver. You can test them by pouring water down the front sunroof drain pipe holes that are right in the front corners of the sunroof opening.
You should see the water drain out of the cills.
his problem is at the rear so pouring water down the front drain tube is pointless :?

Like Brian said, if the cills are filling up like mine were the water feeds through the first hole it comes to. If you have this problem though you should be able to hear water sloshing around in the cills.
magpie
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 28035
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Consett,Durham.

Post Tue May 27, 2014 11:04 am

i know it's not rot that's causing the problem ,the water seems to be running under the rear bench then down into the rear passenger floor .i lifted the rear seat bench a bit back and noticed water here :?
Image
m52 b30 stroker 6-speed 318is Galvanizer
m42 touring
+ a yard full of scrap turds :)
User avatar
Brianmoooore
E30 Zone Team Member
E30 Zone Team Member
Posts: 49360
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm

Post Tue May 27, 2014 1:30 pm

Shark fin grommets? A surprising amount of water can come in through these.
They are strictly single use, and will leak if they are reused.
User avatar
Carmo13
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 269
Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:00 pm
Location: Norwich

Post Tue May 27, 2014 3:14 pm

Have you lifted your boot carpets? I have also had water come in because of dodgy rear light gaskets and the water finds it's way to the rear bench.
User avatar
joeadams1979
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 177
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 11:00 pm

Post Wed Jun 04, 2014 9:23 pm

cleaned out the sunroof plugs all good but still water gona check the boot and rear light any suggestions ?