Sprung a leak

[jeffbebe 1559]

Passenger side windscreen pillar. Hasn't happened before but suddenly started leaking and dripping inside the car during today's downpour. Door seal seems fine and no water there and nothing on the roof that could be causing it.

Windscreen seal? Anyone had this issue before? Weird that it hasn't leaked prior to now if the windscreen seal is faulty.

[slowe30 0]

you got a sunroof? blocked drain thats finally over flowed the catch area?

other wise is it the factory windscreen, had some shoddy seal jobs that have leaked before

just some ideas to check on

[Allanw 1071]

an E39 windscreen leak can get into some expensive electronics! not so bad there, but the other side usually leak direclty onto the LCM.

I'd suggest getting it sorted ASAP!

If you have a sunroof, get the drains cleared - if you don't, get the windscreen sorted. I'd have thought it unlikely to be the door seal, unless you can see it's deformed or damaged.

Edit: Actually - If it's leaked like that, there's probably MORE water gotten in than you can see - there could be quite a lot leaked down the inside of that trim piece, and is now down the side of the dash.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Allanw

[hotwire 352]

Looks like probably the screen but strange for it to develop as they are eurothaned in.

Remove the pillar trim, ease down the ceiling & see if you can see where it's coming from.

The pillar curtain air bag is in there so not a good idea for that stayng wet.

[jeffbebe 1559]

Looks like probably the screen but strange for it to develop as they are eurothaned in.

My thoughts exactly.

Remove the pillar trim, ease down the ceiling & see if you can see where it's coming from.

I pulled out the pillar earlier and couldn't see the source of the leak but wasn't sure if easing out the ceiling was a good idea... Will take another look tomorrow.

Car has got a sunroof so I guess that's the most likely culprit - seems blocked drains are a common problem.

[jeffbebe 1559]

Weird. The heavens opened early this morning but when I checked the car it was dry. Sun roof drains aren't visibly blocked and when I pour a bit of water in they both drain. There's a steady drip rather than a flow so maybe they're partially blocked?

Might explain why it only leaked in a biblical storm and not in normal wet weather.

I guess blasting some compressed air down there would do the trick. Any better solutions gratefully received.

Edited November 17, 2012 by jeffbebe

[antil33t 90]

That's how I cleared mine, mine was 100% blocked, so if it was parked level water would spew over the sunroof..

I put a bit of tape on the nose of the air gun and fired it down SPLURRRT.

[jeffbebe 1559]

That's how I cleared mine, mine was 100% blocked, so if it was parked level water would spew over the sunroof..

I put a bit of tape on the nose of the air gun and fired it down SPLURRRT.

Now to find someone with an air gun!

[hybrid 1043]

Careful you dont blow off the pipe inside the pilar with the airgun technique.

I had this problem for a while, I used some degreaser down the drains. Broke up the dirt / muck pretty well.

Mine was when I parked on a down hill. So my front drains were the problem.

[jeffbebe 1559]

Careful you dont blow off the pipe inside the pilar with the airgun technique.

I had this problem for a while, I used some degreaser down the drains. Broke up the dirt / muck pretty well.

Mine was when I parked on a down hill. So my front drains were the problem.

Good idea. Will try that first as it seems only to be partially blocked. Can't see any rear drains on mine. Are there different types of sun roof an an E39 or am I just blind?

[jeffbebe 1559]

I cleaned out the drains and they were flowing okay but the frickin' heavens opened today in Auckland - I was on the western motorway when the storm. Suffice to say my poor old sunroof couldn't drain that amount of water away fast enough so my roof lining is munted on the front left pillar. Very bummed.

What seems to happen is that in heavy rain the water can't drain away fast enough and it leaks when it flows over the fitting for the sunroof track (particularly on braking). Not sure what to do about it and don't really want to shell out for a new roof lining.

Thinking that maybe the windscreen has been replaced at some point with too much sealant that's maybe partially blocking the drain somewhere - can't think of anything else.

Any advice?

[NZ BMW 368]

I cleaned out the drains and they were flowing okay but the frickin' heavens opened today in Auckland - I was on the western motorway when the storm. Suffice to say my poor old sunroof couldn't drain that amount of water away fast enough so my roof lining is munted on the front left pillar. Very bummed.

What seems to happen is that in heavy rain the water can't drain away fast enough and it leaks when it flows over the fitting for the sunroof track (particularly on braking). Not sure what to do about it and don't really want to shell out for a new roof lining.

Thinking that maybe the windscreen has been replaced at some point with too much sealant that's maybe partially blocking the drain somewhere - can't think of anything else.

Any advice?

Don't know how long you've had the car but wouldn't this have been noticed before? Might also be worth checking all the seals around the sun roof etc to see that water is not getting in there somehow. Pull the ruined A pillar and get someone to run a hose over the car while you sit inside, perhaps try it with the sunroof taped up too.

[jeffbebe 1559]

Don't know how long you've had the car but wouldn't this have been noticed before? Might also be worth checking all the seals around the sun roof etc to see that water is not getting in there somehow. Pull the ruined A pillar and get someone to run a hose over the car while you sit inside, perhaps try it with the sunroof taped up too.

Noticed it for the first time in the last full on downpour - doesn't seem to be an issue when it's normal rain which is why I'm thinking the drains might be partially obstructed - so they work okay until it goes biblical on us.

Took it BM workshop on my way home in the downpour today and they pilled out the pillar and roof lining - they couldn't see anything wrong and came to the same conclusion.

Guess the only way to confirm is to refit the windscreen but that's a pretty expensive job without knowing 100% if it will fix the problem.

[euroriffic 609]

Guess the only way to confirm is to refit the windscreen but that's a pretty expensive job without knowing 100% if it will fix the problem.

Just hit it with a hammer first and get a free one through insurance

[*Glenn* 854]

Just hit it with a hammer first and get a free one through insurance

That's fraud

[jeffbebe 1559]

That's fraud

So are their prices

[jeffbebe 1559]

Well, it's dry this morning - despite a lot of rain overnight. I guess a bit fiddling around with the end of the drain hose where it connects to the sunroof drain was enough?!

Hopefully it's okay now - will be happier if it stops f**$@ng raining!