Water Leaks = Fix
Water leaks in the rear floorboard
[ Ron Milliet :: 01 Jan 2000 ]
I know EXACTLY what causes the "soaked floorboard carpet phenomenon" and how to fix it.
This question has come several times recently and many times over the year. I **think** it is common to E30s and should be put in a FAQ.
I spent HOURS and many gray hairs tracking down this DAMN problem. I COMPLETELY removed the interior of my car including the carpet.
Problem Description:
After a rain, the carpet in the rear floorboard gets TOTALLY soaked...usually visible, standing water. Close inspection reveals that the water is coming from UNDER the carpet and rising up to the top. This is different than the...dripping down from the sunroof leak, taillight lens gasket trunk leak, and the ever annoying under the dash from fresh air vent leak.
Problem FIX:
It was both passenger and driver floor boards. I wrestled this PITA problem for about one year, before I finally resorted to tearing the car apart.
I finally pin pointed the rocker drains were not draining. They had been crushed closed by something. The sunroof would drain into the rocker and eventually fill up enough to spill over into the floor pan via holes for the wiring harness.
This is very easy to test (details for an E30):
Start with car on level ground and fill the forward sunroof tube slowly with water, it should immediately start streaming out as fast as you pour it in via the "fore" drain. The rear sunroof tube does not drain into the rocker.
Next point the front of your car up a steep hill and again fill the front tube, the water should stream out of the "aft" drain.
My car had two drains per side. These were merely indentions in the sheet metal seam. All 4 of my drains were crushed closed.
I used a screwdriver to open them and was greeted with a rush of water held in the rocker.
BTW, My car took on water once more after this. It happened when my car was parked with the front down a VERY steep hill. The problem was the "fore" drain is located about 8 to 10 inches from the end of the rocker. This allows water to pool up and spill over before it reaches the drain.
This phenomenon was immediately remedied with a 1/4 drill bit!!
Some more details on the "LEAK from hell"...
Where does the rear sunroof tube drain?
This should not be the problem **hopefully** and is VERY easy to test. The rear tubes run (of all places) into the trunk and drain out by the side marker lights.
Just use a water bottle and with the car pointed up hill, pour the water into sunroof track so it runs AWAY from the front drain hole. It will look like the water just goes under your roof...I don't think you can see the rear drain hole.
You should then see a stream of water coming out near the rear side marker. If it does not drain or drains some other place... this is a problem.
Where exactly are these drains? Are these drains underneath the car?
The rocker drains are hard to see...get a good light and crawl under there...remember...mine were CRUSHED so I actually saw them a DOZEN times and did not know it... you are looking for a "perforation" in the sheet metal right were the rocker "seams" with the floor pan.
The "fore" drain is approx 6 inches behind the door/fender seam, then the "aft" drain is approx 6 inches in from the end of the rocker.
These drains are SMALL, and are hard to describe... they are essentially indentions in the sheet metal.
Pour the water with the car level first...and check where the water exits.
Ron Milliet
1. elephant trunk- Along with what this guy said, i cleaned out the "Elephant trunk" in the front of the car.
the elephant trunk is located between the firewall, and the ignition wires. which should be located ontop of the cylinder head.
2-trunk - also the drain in the trunk can cause trunk flooding if the peices are loose or not connecting.
i first pushed fishing wire to see how far it would go. then did the coaxil route, along with small puffs of air
i didnt use a compressor..i paid a kid in my neighborhood 10 bux to blow up the rubber tube. :twisted evil:
then i silicone them to the black drainage peice.
i also Re-sealed everything. taillights, sunroof, doors (i got a coupe), windows(side rear).
i also reinforced the trunk pockets (under batter, and jack holder area) i sprayed that trunk liner from autozone. about 3 layers. USe tape so it looks professional.
sorry no pics camera fell in the water. :hitler::hitler::hitler:(fucking dumb ass kid who got paid 15 dollors)
[ Ron Milliet :: 01 Jan 2000 ]
I know EXACTLY what causes the "soaked floorboard carpet phenomenon" and how to fix it.
This question has come several times recently and many times over the year. I **think** it is common to E30s and should be put in a FAQ.
I spent HOURS and many gray hairs tracking down this DAMN problem. I COMPLETELY removed the interior of my car including the carpet.
Problem Description:
After a rain, the carpet in the rear floorboard gets TOTALLY soaked...usually visible, standing water. Close inspection reveals that the water is coming from UNDER the carpet and rising up to the top. This is different than the...dripping down from the sunroof leak, taillight lens gasket trunk leak, and the ever annoying under the dash from fresh air vent leak.
Problem FIX:
It was both passenger and driver floor boards. I wrestled this PITA problem for about one year, before I finally resorted to tearing the car apart.
I finally pin pointed the rocker drains were not draining. They had been crushed closed by something. The sunroof would drain into the rocker and eventually fill up enough to spill over into the floor pan via holes for the wiring harness.
This is very easy to test (details for an E30):
Start with car on level ground and fill the forward sunroof tube slowly with water, it should immediately start streaming out as fast as you pour it in via the "fore" drain. The rear sunroof tube does not drain into the rocker.
Next point the front of your car up a steep hill and again fill the front tube, the water should stream out of the "aft" drain.
My car had two drains per side. These were merely indentions in the sheet metal seam. All 4 of my drains were crushed closed.
I used a screwdriver to open them and was greeted with a rush of water held in the rocker.
BTW, My car took on water once more after this. It happened when my car was parked with the front down a VERY steep hill. The problem was the "fore" drain is located about 8 to 10 inches from the end of the rocker. This allows water to pool up and spill over before it reaches the drain.
This phenomenon was immediately remedied with a 1/4 drill bit!!
Some more details on the "LEAK from hell"...
Where does the rear sunroof tube drain?
This should not be the problem **hopefully** and is VERY easy to test. The rear tubes run (of all places) into the trunk and drain out by the side marker lights.
Just use a water bottle and with the car pointed up hill, pour the water into sunroof track so it runs AWAY from the front drain hole. It will look like the water just goes under your roof...I don't think you can see the rear drain hole.
You should then see a stream of water coming out near the rear side marker. If it does not drain or drains some other place... this is a problem.
Where exactly are these drains? Are these drains underneath the car?
The rocker drains are hard to see...get a good light and crawl under there...remember...mine were CRUSHED so I actually saw them a DOZEN times and did not know it... you are looking for a "perforation" in the sheet metal right were the rocker "seams" with the floor pan.
The "fore" drain is approx 6 inches behind the door/fender seam, then the "aft" drain is approx 6 inches in from the end of the rocker.
These drains are SMALL, and are hard to describe... they are essentially indentions in the sheet metal.
Pour the water with the car level first...and check where the water exits.
Ron Milliet
1. elephant trunk- Along with what this guy said, i cleaned out the "Elephant trunk" in the front of the car.
the elephant trunk is located between the firewall, and the ignition wires. which should be located ontop of the cylinder head.
2-trunk - also the drain in the trunk can cause trunk flooding if the peices are loose or not connecting.
i first pushed fishing wire to see how far it would go. then did the coaxil route, along with small puffs of air
i didnt use a compressor..i paid a kid in my neighborhood 10 bux to blow up the rubber tube. :twisted evil:
then i silicone them to the black drainage peice.
i also Re-sealed everything. taillights, sunroof, doors (i got a coupe), windows(side rear).
i also reinforced the trunk pockets (under batter, and jack holder area) i sprayed that trunk liner from autozone. about 3 layers. USe tape so it looks professional.
sorry no pics camera fell in the water. :hitler::hitler::hitler:(fucking dumb ass kid who got paid 15 dollors)
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