Water under passenger footwell

[muhammedmanjoo]

Hi guys its me again and I need help again

Recently I was cleaning my car and noticed that the carpets in the rear passenger footwell were damp. Upon closer inspection, I found that there was a puddle of water under the carpet. So this morning I began looking for the cause and this is what I found.

This is on the passenger side under the glove compartment

Need a closer look ?

So I got the hose pipe and let some water run over the windscreen cow land found it streaming out from this hole behind the firewall. Also tried finding a drainage point around and couldn't so I siphoned the water and out:yuck:

I was wondering if I could drill through the other side of the firewall for drainage and weld this side closed but I'm not sure if its a good idea.

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Forgot to mention the car is an E36 M3 4 door

 

[444YYY]

Yikes, could you pin-point where on the windscreen cowling, is the point of ingress of the water?

Usually the rain water runs off the windscreen, and the cowling directs the water down on either side of the bonnet, and it exits at the headlights...

 

[Twinz]

Take my advice. Your battery is going to implode sooner or later. The earth wiring of most cars are near exactly that spot...i know. I had to take all the carpets out of my car to have it dried out for two days...then had to plug up that hole with a suitable rubber plug. Unfortunately i could not save the battery...just imploded. Fortunately, no other sensors were damaged. The older the car the higher the risk.

Water dripping from the windscreen and under the cowl...make sure your cowl rubber is nice and tight.

You will also find water on the floor of the back seats.

:nonono:

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

I've removed the cowl already and it's in pretty bad shape so perhaps I should replace it an d do the hose test again. I'm also quite puzzled as I can't seem to find where the water is getting into the car

 

[Twinz]

I am still puzzled. But car has been dry since.

The other thing i discovered was taking the car to a car wash and they use a high pressure hose to spray the in-side of the doors...with my own eyes i have seen how they spray the carpets at all 4 doors...imagine you take your car for a wash almost every weekend as in my case...its bound to collect puddles.

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

I've lifted the carpets like this and it looks like its drying out sorry for the bad pic .... Any suggestions for the rusted area

I hope my battery doesn't implode I just replaced it in December but then again it will be under waranty if it does

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Do u think this could've caused damage to the alarm as that also stopped working again

 

[Twinz]

Definitely...:thumbs:

 

[Twinz]

Sorry man...i went through that bad experience.

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

I'll go get the new cowls on Monday and do the hose test again once replaced

Thanks for the advice man

 

[444YYY]

I'll go get the new cowls on Monday and do the hose test again once replaced

Thanks for the advice man

Keep us posted.... I've tried looking for that part and part number on Realoem.com, but I have not found it.....

 

[pi328]

I believe the part numbers are:

Covering left 51 71 8 122 265
Covering right 51 71 8 122 266

Or at least, that's what they are on my E36 328i.

 

[calypso]

I think water will still get under a cowl, even if its new, they dont look water tight. Isnt there possibly a blocked drain?

 

[Ralf*]

.... Any suggestions for the rusted area


Do u think this could've caused damage to the alarm as that also stopped working again

many years ago when I was still driving a VW Kombi at Port Alfred, I got the dreaded "coastal cancer" on the body work under the windshield, then I got a spray can (dunno the name of the product) of water displacing/rust prevention, it looked like a brown liquid, that was sticky to touch for quite a while, but once it dried it stopped the rust in its tracks.

I woudn't be surprised if the alarm stopped working because of some moisture in it...
maybe the electrical experts will disagree, but this would get me going to the local hardware shop and getting some electrical switch cleaner, spray it liberally on and inside all electrical components/connectors, will displace any moisture, and will even give a light protective coating.

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

Guys I managed to find this during a google search but can't find the drain pipes Any ideas ?

"That is actually mostly a cosmetic piece. Below it is the drain area for water that runs off the windscreen/windshield. You can expect a lot of water to run through here in heavy rain. It has two pipes at the bottom which drain water out on the firewall behind the engine. The wiper and ventilation components in this area are weather sealed.

The lip on mine had totally broken away and the part was very expensive here in Australia. I decided, like you to silicone it, only for the reason that leaves and other debris that fell through the gap had a pretty good chance of blocking up the drain pipes. At this point you would run the risk of getting water in the ventilation system. It is not a fix you have to do in a desperate hurry. Although it is a fiddly job, it is a good idea to clean and flush out the drain pipes while the trim is off. You will deed to poke some wire through them and flush with a garden hose. They are pretty hard to get at. I did all of this because the air from my vents smelt a bit mouldy. It is much fresher now"

 

[Twinz]

When the carpets are removed you can inspect the floor pan and look for the trouble areas. Take your time with this and make sure the wiring is dry before you replace the carpeting.

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

So guys this has turned out to be quite a disaster. I took the car to a few auto electricians who recommended that I remove the original and fit an aftermarket system. I eventually got hold of a guy who said he will look at it for me so I dropped it off yesterday. Got a call today saying that here's real bad corrosion in the wiring and the drivers side central locking pump is burnt and the main alarm / c locking box under the cubby. Also took the opportunity to have him wire the HK amp for me bit for now I reman Car-Los ..... Lol

 

[Dippies]

:sorry:

 

[Twinz]

Sorry man. At least you identified the problem and can prevent it. All the best. :thumbs:

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

Thanks guys will keep u updated with progress

 

[muhammedmanjoo]

Hey guys me again 3 days and R4k of school fees later and I've got my car back but it really feels good

I would strongly recommend that you inspect your floorboards for moisture so a to avoid a similar situation

So here's what had to be done ...

GM IV Module replaced
Harness repaired with new plugs
Right front enteral locking pump replaced
Instrument cluster replaced
All globes interior switch / obc ext globes replaced
Damaged wiring on boot lid soldered and sleeved

I must say that I am really impressed with the work done