Source of water in front passenger floorboard

[BimmerWill]

Okay so i may have located the source through which the water is making its way into my floorboard but I don't quite understand how.

This has been occurring for a little over a year now and happens whether I drive the vehicle or not. From what I can tell its coming in just below the speaker where the weather stripping at step guard meets and dripping down the carpet onto my mat. I've included a couple pictures to help illustrate where the water is coming from. That being said I don't quite understand how it's getting in as the weather stripping is still good. Anyone have any ideas?

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/09/2eed1c40756ed78fbaffbe699c3c1c25.jpg

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/09/6bca59ec1a97dcbfc72461f4eeb5c194.jpg

[Oli77]

Can you open up the door card and see if there is water pooling inside the door?

[BimmerWill]

I could I'm just not sure how it would be getting in there with the vehicle sitting still? Unless it's coming in from the window and not going back out somehow

[zYx]

From my and general experience e46's (and e39's) has problem with leaking vapor barrier (just google it). It is most likely your problem.
You'll need to remove door card (get some clips to replace broken ones) and get BMW "glue" (83 19 0 153 321 Bytil tape).
I hope that is it, because it is rather easy to fix.

[GoGators]

Concur, I have had this lovely phenomena on two E46s. the water slips past the window to door seal (as designed) and into the inner door. it then hits the vapor barrier and travels down it, if its not sealed on the lower half, the water goes down the door and into the car. alternatively, I have also had the clips that retain the card leak. again water goes down the inner door, travels on the clip, past the foam seal if its deteriorated and into the car.

once the vapor barrier is pretty old, it makes the butyl rubber (available at parts stores, used for setting windshields) difiucult to stick too.. replace the clips when you remove the door card, they are pretty cheap.

a trick I have used to locate the leak is removing the door card, lighly spray the area with Pam, wd40 or just water, then blow saw dust onto the watery/oily film. reassemble, wait for leakage from rain or hose... then see where the sawdust has been displaced...

[BimmerWill]

Good idea. Thanks fellas!

[danewilson77]

Be positive it's not coming down the a pillar.

"No flamesuit required"

[BimmerWill]

Well I'd pulled my roof trim down thinking it was coming from the sunroof rain channels but they were still secure.

[ClimRox]

Bump to find out if the OP figured out where the water was coming from, as I discovered the same issue shown in the 1st picture this morning. I haven't been into my door, but I have no idea what the PO may have done. Parts are on the way to check/replace/reseal the vapor barrier. Also, mine is a slick top so I know it's not the sunroof drains.

Side note: I understand there are 2 drains in the bottom of the door, and I imagine there are a few more drains under the hood? First thing I noticed when I got the car was leaf debris around the hood struts. Would someone care to share how to find and properly clean these areas?

[TigerTater]

This happened to me about a month ago. I initially thought it was the sunroof rails but it was not. I finally figured out it was the weatherstripping on the door down by the side mirror. It was displaced. 19074

I would check there first. Maybe try a waterhose to isolate the source?

[ClimRox]

Thanks TigerTater. I'll take a look and try the hose this weekend. I know when I opened my door this morning to check it out, the water seemed to be mainly concentrated in front of the door protector cover like in the picture. Did you simply move the weatherstripping back in place?

[Oli77]

^ is your problem when it rains irrespective of whether parked or driven?

I have had that issue but only once and it was after a solid 4 hours of moderate to heavy rain, driving at 70 MPH (+/- 10%) on the highway.

It never happens driving slower in town. So I figure with the speed, the weather strip gets moved a bit and allows water into the car (from outside or the inside of the door).

Irrespective, since you're getting the material, it would be great if you took pics to show the repairs. I may have to do that fix.

[TigerTater]

Yea just mashed into place

[ClimRox]

^ is your problem when it rains irrespective of whether parked or driven?

I only noticed it this morning, and that was after 4-6 hours of hard rain overnight. It may leak slightly while driving, although I haven't seen evidence of such yet. I expect to learn more when I take the door apart (looking at it today there are a few broken clips, so I'm sure someone has been in there).

My weatherstripping was a little out of place like TigerTater, and I was able to push it back in place (mine needed to be tucked back under the plastic moulding towards the top of the door). Not sure if that contributed or not...

It appears that the water was coming out from around the speaker area of the door panel. I feel more confident its the vapor barrier now that I see someone has been in there before.

[Oli77]

Yeah right, Take some pics.

[ClimRox]

^ will do.

[BimmerWill]

Still have not solved the problem myself. Haven't had much time to delve into it yet. I will look at mine and see if it has the same issue but I am thinking it is a door drainage issue as nothing else makes sense.

[ClimRox]

Update: I replaced the vapor barrier today. I looked over the door last night once I got the door card out and really couldn't see much evidence of water, except for one lower fastener that that was missing a sealing washer and one area of the barrier that was loose. I ran a garden hose for 15-20 minutes before install this morning, but couldn't replicate the leak.

I'm thinking I probably didn't fix the problem, but I did eliminate the vapor barrier and broken fasteners as a possible cause.

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[ClimRox]

The weatherstripping on the door looks a little pushed-up as shown in the picture, but my driver door looks the same and there are no leaks on that side. I'm curious if others with sedans have the same look...

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[ClimRox]

Mini update: Hard rain for a few hours today, and no leaks. Still too early to tell if it is fixed yet.

[ClimRox]

No leaks after rain last night. I think it may be fixed. I really feel like it may have been the door clips without the sealing washer that let a little bit of water into the car. I replaced the cowl too, but I don't think it was related to my leak.

[Oli77]

Yeah! Thanks for the pics. Looks like you found the culprit, that missing washer on the fastener. It is exactly located above the area that was letting water in my car in hard rain at highway speeds.

My sedan does not have that pump in the area of the door weather stripping.

[ClimRox]

No problem on the pics, and hopefully I solved the problem. There were a few clips with missing washers, so it was definitely worth the ~$5 to replace them.

If you take yours apart to replace the clips I'd like to hear if you had some missing too.


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[Oli77]

Well it happened to me too! Water on the carpet after car was parked outside under heavy rain on Friday.

BTW (slow answer for above), all the little washers around the clips were there, but some of them stayed behind and busted when I pulled the clips out.

Took the door panel out (did not brake a clip!), the lower 1/2 of the seal on the vapor barrier is dry (no longer sticky) and I believe that maybe the problem. I could feel wetness down around the "black caulk" in some areas.

I will let all of this dry for a bit and "re-caulk".

Should I really get the BMW butyl caulk? Have others had success with other material to reglue the vapor barrier?

[Ssparrow]

I used a heat gun and the original butyl glue to reattach my vapor barriers. I'm not too sure how long it'll last for..


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[ELCID86]

I used some butyl caulk from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Colormetrics-Gray-Putty-Butyl-Single/dp/B00FHH7CG6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

[Oli77]

So I tried this:

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Put some around each hole where the door card clips/pins were missing the little rubber washer. Also re-caulked the bottom of the vapor barrier.

Time will tell.

[ELCID86]

That should do the trick.

[Oli77]

Fail on that. Had water again (although less). I need to get back in there and see if the caulk I used even held.
I am buying that butyl caulk you used Shawn.

[ClimRox]

I bought a roll on eBay similar to what Shawn found on Amazon. I'd consider some new clips with washers just for peace of mind.

I think I remember using a plastic trim tool to scrape most of the old butyl caulk off (probably would work for removing the silicone too).

Edit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/QTY1-Butyl-Tape-BY-3M-Window-Weld-Ribbon-Sealer-08620-1-4-x15ft-tacky-adhesive-/271515501709?hash=item3f3795c48d

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[ELCID86]

Amazone has it too. Could also be clogged rain channels.

[ELCID86]

Www.zhpmafia.com/Amazon

[Oli77]

Took the door card out again to find a small leak near the speaker.

I ripped out the old sticky black stuff, acetone removed the small pieces really well.
Then did a surgical implantation of about 6 inches of that grey butyl tape at the bottom, near the speaker...

[ELCID86]

Hope that does it!

[Oli77]

Me too, I will report back.

[Oli77]

Sheeeet, still doing it. I checked my sunroof gutter and that is not the problem.

[NorCalZman]

Sheeeet, still doing it. I checked my sunroof gutter and that is not the problem.

can you get someone to just soak the car with a hose while you sit inside it with a flashlight and the door card off? Spray the front windshield where its happening and the actual door.

[Oli77]

Its the door, I will take it apart again. Bottom of vapor barrier I bet. That's where I have the problem.

[Oli77]

Win!!!! heavy rains yesterday for several hours and its dry! Butyl tape is the way to go for sure.

[ELCID86]

^awesome. My car survived about three weeks of wet weather too!


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous