Water into the boot again - ideas please

M

Max

Member
Hi,
The heavy rain has come again..........and I have water coming into the boot again!! It is collecting in the O/S well, over an inch deep and overflowing into the battery box. I assume this is because I park on a small slope with a lean to the right. Thus I assume the water will flow that way.

1- I believe the drains to be clear. My test was to poor water some water into the "well" where thee drains are, prior to cleaning the car last weekend. The water drained immediately, assume the drains are clear.
2- the boot seal looks ok
3- no water appears to be coming from the lights etc.

The water seems to be coming from above the wheelarch (foam backing on the arch soaking) This has now happened twice, both after extremely heavy rain. No problems when I wash the car

Any thoughts?
 
Years ago I owned a BMW 320is. I started getting water in the trunk and checked everything. It all "looked" normal. Then I climbed into the trunk and had my wife take a hose and run water all along the edges. Using a flashlight I found there was a pinhead size hole in the rubber seal which was allowing water to enter. I sealed it with a rubber seal product and it fixed the problem . . . as you can tell by this note . . . my wife let me out. Wheeww.
 
Z4 Pilot said:
Years ago I owned a BMW 320is. I started getting water in the trunk and checked everything. It all "looked" normal. Then I climbed into the trunk and had my wife take a hose and run water all along the edges. Using a flashlight I found there was a pinhead size hole in the rubber seal which was allowing water to enter. I sealed it with a rubber seal product and it fixed the problem . . . as you can tell by this note . . . my wife let me out. Wheeww.
Click to expand...
:rofl:
 
Z4 Pilot said:
Years ago I owned a BMW 320is. I started getting water in the trunk and checked everything. It all "looked" normal. Then I climbed into the trunk and had my wife take a hose and run water all along the edges. Using a flashlight I found there was a pinhead size hole in the rubber seal which was allowing water to enter. I sealed it with a rubber seal product and it fixed the problem . . . as you can tell by this note . . . my wife let me out. Wheeww.
Click to expand...
:rofl: :rofl: Glad Mrs Z4 Pilot was in a good mood and let you out :) .

Max - an alternative way to try and check where the water is coming in, if it's because of the boot seals, could be to apply a light dusting of talcum powder to the boot seals before a heavy downpour/using hosepipe on car? Mentioned in another post about the door seals in the past.
 
Z4 Pilot said:
Years ago I owned a BMW 320is. I started getting water in the trunk and checked everything. It all "looked" normal. Then I climbed into the trunk and had my wife take a hose and run water all along the edges. Using a flashlight I found there was a pinhead size hole in the rubber seal which was allowing water to enter. I sealed it with a rubber seal product and it fixed the problem . . . as you can tell by this note . . . my wife let me out. Wheeww.
Click to expand...

would not try this with my girlfriend :!:
 
Getting into the boot of a 320is is one thing, getting into the boot of a Z4 is something else entirely :lol:

Do you have children? :poke:
 
dont know if you've tried this. open the boot and pour water along the top of it where the seals are. the water should wash down and straight out the bottom of the car. mine was leaking water through one of the rear lights which wasnt secured properly and letting water into the nearside well, quite a lot so i was able to spot it easily
 
Hi, Another 3/4 inch of water in the rear well again this morning. Thanks for all your suggestions some useful tips. However, the water is definitely coming in from above the wheelarch. The noise deadening foam on the arch is soaked and wet at the top. Whether this is a drain issue, partially blocked? I do not know.

There is no way I can get in the boot, same for my kids, both over 6ft!. but if I take out the adjustable shelf, I may be able to see something.

Any other thoughts, would be helpful.

If the drain is partially blocked may explain the problem in heavy rain. Can clean these with a wire from the bottom, but HOW the hell can you do it from the top, especially if putting an air hose on it.
 
water still getting in. Checked the drains again, all OK. BMW think it could be the boot seal. does not seem feasable to me as the top of the wing and under the seal appear dry.
 
envy said:
dont know if you've tried this. open the boot and pour water along the top of it where the seals are. the water should wash down and straight out the bottom of the car. mine was leaking water through one of the rear lights which wasnt secured properly and letting water into the nearside well, quite a lot so i was able to spot it easily
Click to expand...

Second that, had same problem after previous owner had another issue with water ingress which transpired to be a softtop seal which had become trapped, creased and leaky. After BMS sorted, picked the car up from him, had more water in the boot after rain fall, n/s well, carpet soaking all the way to rear suspension mount (soaked up like a sponge). Did the same, ran water between the seal and wing, low and behold it was one of the Torx screws which retains trim and the rear ligh cluster - tightened - job done!

Deffo worth a look, even just double check the screws and underside retainers are tight.
 
Zed, thanks.if it stops raining Il have a go. I have placed another post on how to remove the parcel shelf. I want to get the carpet out and dry it out
 
I had a water ingress problem (water getting into the two compartments on the left and right of the boot area.

The water was coming in at the light area, draining to the metal and then being taken up by the carpet and the foam. It was hard to find the cause of the leak because the wet foam gave the impression the water was coming from the hood area. I found the problem before it became so bad to drain into the batter compartment - that would have been a very bad thing as the sound system amplifier is also in the batter compartment and the water would have trashed it.

I resolved this by tightening the nuts that hold the rear light clusters in place. There is a BMW mod to the light/fastenings seal but I haven't needed that yet.
 
Max, It may be worthwhile getting a cheap carcover until you resolve the water problemm , maybe cost around £15 .
 
hi all update on progress.

Managed to get the carpet and sound deadening out this morning, not any easy job, need to take out the parcel shelf and the raising mechanism on the driver side. The sound deadening was soaking. Carpet and deadening drying off now, while I try to find the leak.

The water is definitely coming from the top of the car. the water is dripping onto the top of the wheelarch. I thought I had found it coming in from the seam of the wheelarch but a red herring.

I think the water is coming in and running along the inside of the top of the wing. Where I do not know! It then drips onto the wheelarch and runs into the well behind the arch. Although I have removed the parcel shelf and support, carpets etc I still cant see where the water is coming in, I am now assuming it is somehow getting in near somewhere behind the door,.

Any thoughts or previous experience.
 
It just gets worse!!!

I thought is check the seals as suggested, BUT NOW THE ROOF WON@T MOVE!!!!!!!. check the fuses they aree ok. It was working last week, no problems
 
The roof is OK. Any thread identified the microswitch that is operated by the shelf. As the shelf is out, the roof would not work.

Still got the leak though!. It is getting in somewhere and running along the inside of the top of the wing? Then dripping onto the front of the wheelarch
 
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