# Anyone had Water Leaking into front passenger floor area?



## jaisonline (Mar 24, 2002)

I have water leaking into the car again. However, this time I don't see water physically coming into the car and it's not the same area. Now water is somehow leaking into the front pass. side foot area where the floor mat is and on the side of the transmission tunnel I have no idea idea if this is a leak or vast moisture is building up. BTW, I first noticed the problem because the music CDs that I keep in the z3 net (mounted on the transmission tunnel) and my floormat kept getting wet.

Psee attached pic (not my car) to view the area that get damp/wet whenever it rains.

Any ideas or has anyone had the same problem?


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

We had water leak problems in our old 323iT... have you had any work done on your window regulators lately? The vapor barrier may not have been replaced properly, or as in our case, needed to be replaced (it had become porous somehow :dunno: )before it would prevent water intrusion... That's where I would start... Good luck! :thumbup:

Edit: Just thought of something... Does it only happen when it rains, or have you been running your AC alot? May be clogged AC drain... If it happens when it rains and the car is not driven, then most likely vapor barrier... if it happens when you use the AC, clogged drain...


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## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

Salvator said:


> We had water leak problems in our old 323iT... have you had any work done on your window regulators lately? The vapor barrier may not have been replaced properly, or as in our case, needed to be replaced (it had become porous somehow :dunno: )before it would prevent water intrusion... That's where I would start... Good luck! :thumbup:
> 
> Edit: Just thought of something... Does it only happen when it rains, or have you been running your AC alot? May be clogged AC drain... If it happens when it rains and the car is not driven, then most likely vapor barrier... if it happens when you use the AC, clogged drain...


I'd also vote for the door vapor barrier (basically a plastic sheet), or AC drain.


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## freq019 (Dec 4, 2002)

My old E34 540i had the same problem and it was determined that the A/C condensate drain was plugged with mold and other goodies, dealer blew it out for free so I'd check that. Also I work with a guy whos 04 325i never had the drain punched out of the condenser so it overflowed from the condenser to his passenger area, since your car is older I would assume that if this were the case you would have noticed it 2 years ago, but right now I would go with a clogged A/C drain. If you can find the drain and you have an air compressor you could probably blow it out yourself.


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## jaisonline (Mar 24, 2002)

robg said:


> I'd also vote for the door vapor barrier (basically a plastic sheet), or AC drain.


thanks for the reply.

however, i never had the window regulator replaced nor had the door apart so could the vapor lining still be the prob? also, if the vapor lining was the prob, how would that explain the water/dampness at the top of the carpet covering the transmission tunnel?


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## jaisonline (Mar 24, 2002)

know where is the ac drain located in the e46? maybe that could explain the dampness on the transmission carpet.


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## Salvator (Oct 14, 2003)

jaisonline said:


> thanks for the reply.
> 
> however, i never had the window regulator replaced nor had the door apart so could the vapor lining still be the prob? also, if the vapor lining was the prob, how would that explain the water/dampness at the top of the carpet covering the transmission tunnel?


If that's the case, and you have been using your AC alot, I'd say definitely try blowing out the drain... Don't know where it is exactly, but I'd guess that if you crawled under the car (use jackstands or a lift! :thumbup: ) you'll probably find a small rubber hose hanging down, in towards the center of the car, under the dashboard area... My Land Rover had this problem and got soaked exactly where you show... Rubber hose was as I just described... Good luck!


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

If you have a sunroof and the drain channels for the sunroof are blocked, you will get water in the passenger footwell. You can test this with a cup filled with a small bit of water. If it's blocked, run a few feet of single phone wire or CAT5 wire down the drain to clear the blockage.


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## jaisonline (Mar 24, 2002)

ObD said:


> If you have a sunroof and the drain channels for the sunroof are blocked, you will get water in the passenger footwell. You can test this with a cup filled with a small bit of water. If it's blocked, run a few feet of single phone wire or CAT5 wire down the drain to clear the blockage.


hi ObD.

i will follow advice. i have 2 questions.

1. do i pour the cup of water onto the moonroof w/ it closed or on the front of it where the wind block is while it's open?

2. where is the drain opening and where does it end?


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

jaisonline said:


> hi ObD.
> 
> i will follow advice. i have 2 questions.
> 
> ...


1. Open moonroof, the holes are in the front corners. May need a flashlight to see them. Pour a small amount of water in the channel near the holes. If they are blocked, it won't drain and the water will backup.

2. It ends in the wheel well or in the hood channel by the A pillar. Gently use a thin wire to push from the hole of the open sunroof above. It doesn't take much to block them. I have heard a spider web will block them.

Another option is to use a hose and run water over the closed sunroof while a friend checks for water with the sunshade open.


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## jaisonline (Mar 24, 2002)

thanks to you, i found the leak. when i pour water into the moonroof's drain, water drips into the pass. side area from the right corner of the glovebox. i see water around the piece of black plastic (looks like it can be the glovebox's hinge but it's not).

i tried pushing cat-5 network wire through the moonroof's drains but it won't go down more than an inch. ...maybe the cat-5 wire isn't strurdy enough.

however, the water leak i found doesn't explain the dampness on the transmission tunnel.


note: water isn't entirely blocked because i did see water dripping into the road from the tire wall / a-pillar area.


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

jaisonline said:


> however, the water leak i found doesn't explain the dampness on the transmission tunnel


In a rainstorm when the sunroof drain is blocked, the entire floor will be damp in the areas of your picture. Sunroofs leak. Hence the drain path.

Since you are still under warrantee, you can take it to the dealer. They usually blow it out with compressed air. If the drain is cracked, they'll fix it.


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## jaisonline (Mar 24, 2002)

Have any ideas I can follow to minimize the amount of water getting into the car? Even morning moisture build-up the car dampens the carpet.


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

jaisonline said:


> Have any ideas I can follow to minimize the amount of water getting into the car?


Fix the leak.  Use a wet configured ShopVac to vacuum up the excess water. The insulation and carpet is water logged and the mosture is from a weeping effect.


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## nzDave (May 20, 2003)

I have this same problem on my 00 323i. It seems to happen after lots of rain, even when the car hasn't been driven. Went to the dealer once, they cleared the AC drain as they said it was draining slowly. I asked that they check the sun roof drain as well, which the said they did, but a week later I have the same problem. They said they checked the vapor barrier as well. MAybe my drain is cracked...only other thing is that this has first started happening after I had the car racks mounted. The racks are off now, but I bet they use the same drain as the sunroof....might try some troubling shooting myself before I go back to the dealer.....


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## Poor Man's M3 (Jul 24, 2004)

nzDave said:


> I have this same problem on my 00 323i. It seems to happen after lots of rain, even when the car hasn't been driven. Went to the dealer once, they cleared the AC drain as they said it was draining slowly. I asked that they check the sun roof drain as well, which the said they did, but a week later I have the same problem. They said they checked the vapor barrier as well. MAybe my drain is cracked...only other thing is that this has first started happening after I had the car racks mounted. The racks are off now, but I bet they use the same drain as the sunroof....might try some troubling shooting myself before I go back to the dealer.....


Have them Check the windshield seals on the leaky side as well...


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