Damnit.... there's a swamp under my driver's side carpeting

[AllanS]

SO I'm cleaning out the e34 this morning, washing the seats and panels, vacuuming the carpets, etc.- I didn't want to waste a nice day, pretty much.

I went around and felt the carpet for soft spots, just on a whim, and when I pressed down on the rear driver's side pan, the carpet got wet.

Out come the rear seat and the door trim, and the carpet is pulled back up- and there's water. A LOT of water. It's filled up the entire pan, and the foam under the carpet is basically a thick 10lb sponge now.

I moved to the front, and removed the seat, trim, kick panel, etc. and pulled that carpeting up- same deal. Water everywhere. Luckily, it's only on that side, and not the passenger's as well.

Next, I sponged all the standing water from the floor, and the squeezed as much out of the foam as I could. Total amount of water- 1 gallon! Now it's all drying and I have a couple fans pointed at the foam, but it's taking forever. It just seems to really hold onto that damned water.

To try and find out exactly how the water got there (and only there) I set about pouring water down the doors to simulate what would happen if it were to rain. No dice- the water stayed out.

So I think that the water has been there since I got the car back around November. The headliner had been falling off, and a lot of the glue on the door panels seemed to be dying. The leather also had a basketball-like feel to it, and the whole inside had a moldy smell. My guess is that the last owner probably left it out in the rain.

Yeah, so, anways... just venting I guess.

[Bill R.]

SO I'm cleaning out the e34 this morning, washing the seats and panels, vacuuming the carpets, etc.- I didn't want to waste a nice day, pretty much.

I went around and felt the carpet for soft spots, just on a whim, and when I pressed down on the rear driver's side pan, the carpet got wet.

Out come the rear seat and the door trim, and the carpet is pulled back up- and there's water. A LOT of water. It's filled up the entire pan, and the foam under the carpet is basically a thick 10lb sponge now.

I moved to the front, and removed the seat, trim, kick panel, etc. and pulled that carpeting up- same deal. Water everywhere. Luckily, it's only on that side, and not the passenger's as well.

Next, I sponged all the standing water from the floor, and the squeezed as much out of the foam as I could. Total amount of water- 1 gallon! Now it's all drying and I have a couple fans pointed at the foam, but it's taking forever. It just seems to really hold onto that damned water.

To try and find out exactly how the water got there (and only there) I set about pouring water down the doors to simulate what would happen if it were to rain. No dice- the water stayed out.

So I think that the water has been there since I got the car back around November. The headliner had been falling off, and a lot of the glue on the door panels seemed to be dying. The leather also had a basketball-like feel to it, and the whole inside had a moldy smell. My guess is that the last owner probably left it out in the rain.

Yeah, so, anways... just venting I guess.

[AllanS]

Would that tend to make it drain to the driver's side? The outer seals on the sunroof do look a little shabby, come to think of it... hmm

[Mediablitz]

Its the drains. use compressed air and blow out the tubes. I used an E string for a bass Guitar but its too tensile. My '95 525iT leaked like **** in random places until I blew out the drains now a major Southern rain doesn't touch the interior.

Great forum, I called Bruno the week that I got the car 10/2003 and have been lurking ever since. Luckily. Now I have misfiring problems....

[AllanS]

Where do the drains run?

[Mediablitz]

down the siderails, through the holes (opens up sunroof, they are in the channels at the back. The water goes to the ground in front of the front doors and behind the back doors. BTW, Lube the exterior seals of the Sunroof with Talcum Powder.

[Mediablitz]

I only had a small leak but it would move around depending on Speed or Parked. First Top left then back right on top the trunk canopy deal, then in the middle. (That was the seal I'm sure.) It drove me nuts. Once the tubes are blown out, you're set. Especially if the car already smells like mold.

[Mediablitz]

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/mainte...dy/sunroof.htm

[AllanS]

You rock! thanks