Water in front passenger foot well!

[direction88]

Since we have been blessed with all this rain lately my car has been suffering a soaked front passenger foot well. I suspect a clogged drain (in the rocker perhaps) but I cant seem to find the locations of said drains. Could anyone post pictures or diagrams of the drain locations and or give me a decent description of them? Thanks guys! Liam

[k-swiss]

Does your car have a sunroof? If it does, you have clogged sunroof drains. Time it open it up and use some weedwacker cord to clear them out.

[redhatpat]

Also have a look at the "elephant trunk" drain under the cowl (plugs into the cover over the heater motor, accessed from the engine compartment, passenger side). Mine was totally plugged up with pine needles and dirt. Water would pool up and run into the car from the heater vent area. It took me two winters to figure that one out.

[direction88]

Thanks guys! Kirin I do have a sunroof, would the water be visible dripping down into the cabin if it were a result of plugged sunroof drains? Pat I have heard of this drain but when looking under the hood I could not locate it? My car is an "is" so I have no battery up front which should make it even easier to spot but no such luck. Is it under the plastic grill on the cowl perhaps?

[TouringTy]

Originally Posted by redhatpat Also have a look at the "elephant trunk" drain under the cowl (plugs into the cover over the heater motor, accessed from the engine compartment, passenger side). Mine was totally plugged up with pine needles and dirt. Water would pool up and run into the car from the heater vent area. It took me two winters to figure that one out.

Did you ever get water in your glove box too? I get water in the passenger side floor and glove box when it is a bad rainfall, I am parked on a hill facing up... maybe that makes it worse

[k-swiss]

Nope the water would basically run up possibly from the speaker pods and parts of the rocker. Open your sunroof and look for the holes in the four corners and go from there...

[redhatpat]

No, never got water in the glove box.

The elephant trunk is #5 in this pic: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...87&hg=64&fg=99

It should be visible right next to the battery tray in the engine compartment.

[sherpa]

Ahhh, the joys of the temperate rainforest. Perfect timing on this thread. Just had this occur in my ES as well. Looks like a nice, dry weekend -- I'll look in both spots. Thanks guys.

[DS Rook]

Originally Posted by TouringTy Did you ever get water in your glove box too? I get water in the passenger side floor and glove box when it is a bad rainfall, I am parked on a hill facing up... maybe that makes it worse

Dont park like that. The water wont fill to the right level/go to the drain and will spill into your heater vents and onto the floor.

[320iCar]

how are your floor boards? if they are rusted out or have holes going through, water could just be soaked up into the carpet. but you'd need quite the rust for that one

[Black_E30]

Years ago, in my 87 325i, water in the passenger foot well was actually migrating in from the trunk. The actual leak source was worn out tail light gaskets, and was not from the vents or the sunroof drain. Credit for finding this goes to a parts guy at Park Shore Motors in North Van (Chris?), who told me to check there.

[direction88]

I cleared the elephant trunk hose (thanks Tom!) and I think I'm all good now. I will check again after work since we had some rain today. Now on to the other million things I want to do with this car!

[direction88]

Fixed!! Shes dry as a bone after today's rain! Thanks for the help guys.

[Poon]

Water in the car.... welcome to the story of my life!

Congrats on the fix! Nothing is nicer than knowing the interior of your BMW is properly sealed off from the elements, and water tight.

-Andrew