Rain Rain Go Away - BMW Forum

Neil Paz · 04-24-2006, 09:59 AM

I have an '84 325e. It is a two door. After some rain this weekend, it seems that a good amount of rain water has made it into the space under the back window (the window a person in the back seat would be looking out of, not the rear window over the trunk). I can hear the water sloshing around when I set off from a standstill. Furthermore, it seems the water is making my carpet wet in the back seat foot area.

Any suggestions? Should I make a hole under the car as a drain or something?

325eXTATIC · 04-24-2006, 01:15 PM

I don't know this for certain, but I think there are several drain holes through the bottom side of the car to prevent this very thing from happening. If your car has a moonroof, I know there are 4 drain holes which start at the corners of the moonroof, with the front ones draining just behind the front wheels, and the rears draining just in front of the rear wheels. A good test might be to park your car of some flat dry concrete and pour a pitcher of water over the top of your moonroof, and using the dry concrete as an indicator, look for the water to come out of all 4 corners of the car... If you see less than 4 separate drain puddles, you have a plugged up drain hole. That MIGHT mean that water has been backed up in the drain/body panels for a long time, causing a lot of corrosion... The only way I have tried to clean drains in the past has been with a shot of compressed air from a compressor... I would wait for a more informed opinion before jumping to any major repairs/modifications first though.

Hope this helps!

Josh W.

Starmavin · 04-24-2006, 09:17 PM

Actually that’s how I cleaned my drain out, a shot of compressed air up through the weep slots, very hard to get to from the top. However I have come across a few instances where incorrect jack and/or placement crimples these areas turning it into a bowl.

Neil Paz · 04-27-2006, 02:00 PM

Starmavin, can you describe or have a picture of these drain "weep" slots in the bottom of the car? Or maybe a detailed description of where exactly the rear ones are (that's the one that is blocked)?

Neil

Starmavin · 04-27-2006, 04:33 PM

Sure, I'll put my car up in the air at work during my lunch and take a few pics.

325eXTATIC · 04-27-2006, 09:42 PM

Do the water test through the moonroof on the opposite side from where the drain is plugged (if it's plugged on the passenger side, pour some water down the drivers side). It won't take much, just slowly pour some water from a cup into the rail area of the moonroof (with it open makes it easier) and just look for the puddle to determine where the weep spout is. Once you know where it is on one side, you'll know where it is on the other!

Hope ya' get this one figured out!
$5 bux says your next major thread will be "How the hell do I fix corrosion inside a body panel?" All i know about body work, is that it's a BITCH!!! Best of luck, and I HOPE there isn't much cancer inside that panel!!!

Josh W.

Neil Paz · 04-28-2006, 10:30 AM

Hey Josh, I'll try that at lunch...as far as corrosion, I'm not even gonna look! I bought it for $900; I have to take the good with the bad.

325eXTATIC · 04-28-2006, 11:36 AM

Gotta love the sub-grand bimmer! Mine was a flat even $1000, so like you said, take the good with the bad! Came with a new clutch, but it needs a timing belt and exhaust system... but for a grand, I can't complain. And my car is DAMN SEXY!

Best of luck Neil!

Josh W.

Neil Paz · 05-01-2006, 01:11 PM

Well, the drains you all talked about are clear, but I still had water under the rear passanger window area so I drilled a little hole at the very bottom and about 12 oz. of rain water dripped out. I guess it's a weatherstripping issue...this fix was a lot cheaper than actually trying to fix the underlying problem. Thanks for everyone's help and advice though!

325eXTATIC · 05-04-2006, 11:39 AM

Appreciate the update! So did you drill from under the car, in an invisible place? Or did you have to drill toward the bottom of the panel, like into the paint?

Just curious?

Josh W.

Neil Paz · 05-22-2006, 03:43 PM

I drilled from the "almost" bottom in the black surface (that I assume is some anti-corrosion coating, not the silver paint that covers the majority of the vehicle). It's not visible from a crouching position. I'd say it is at a 70 degree angle. It drains well after it rains. I don't know how much corrosion is on the inside, but I don't know how many miles the car has either (odometer was broken when I bought it).

mojomasterman · 02-27-2007, 07:52 PM

Mine is wet in the rear seat area as well. It is a convertible. The rest of the carpet is dry