BMW X3 Water Leak Fix Front and Rear Door Panel Removal DIY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ต.ค. 2024
- A common problem I have seen on many BMW's is a water leak due to a failing vapor barrier (also known as sound insulation). This is often misdiagnosed as a door seal or sunroof drain problem. It is normal for water to enter the outer door skin and drain out. When the vapor barrier separates from the sealer water runs over or under the lower door sill and fills the footwell with water. This video covers a lot of topics including tips and tricks to not damage the wood trim during removal. If you need to remove or replace the door panel, wood trim, window switches or access the window regulator this video will help.
AskTheCarExperts:
Your advice and video are awesome! I had this problem with our 2007 X3 and originally thought that it was the drain holes in the sunroof not draining properly out of the drains behind the front wheels. I removed the rubber grommets from these holes, yet the rain water kept coming back into the cabin.
A local body shop quoted me $625 to do all 4 doors. I ended up buying the supplies for less than $50 at Autozone and did it myself. The One thing I did not do was disconnect the battery before I started. I connected all of the airbag sensors back correctly, but the airbag warning light came on after I finished. I drove it around for a couple of weeks hoping that it would reset on its own. It didn't. A trip to one of the local independent BMW repair shops and $65 was what it took to clear that light.
So the total cost ended up being a little over $100.
To others reading this, I would recommend disconnecting the battery before you start... It is worth noting that I had to use more than one ribbon sealer because a couple of the vapor barriers were so screwed up that I had to reseal the whole things.
Also, I used a different brand of ribbon sealer (other than 3M) and it seemed to work good.
BMW should be ashamed to have had their cars leave the factory this way.
Where is Ralph Nader when you need him?
:-)
Hi, mine is a 2011 3 series E90, same principle. This has to be the single most informative tutorial I have seen on this topic. Just wish the weather was better in the UK to let me do this methodically.
Thank you Shakeel! Great to hear you found it informative! I appreciate taking the time to leave me a comment. :)
@@AskTheCarExperts How do you normally dry the car out? And how long does it normally take?
I have a great method for dying carpets with out removing them completely from the vehicle. First remove as much water as you can. You may be able to remove the sills and vacuum water out by lifting up the carpet in some places. Then (with a full tank of gas) run the heat on max heat toward the floor. I then only crack the windows to retain as much heat as possible and it also allows venting of the moisture. You may need to run the vehicle for 5-6 hours and then recheck. I have had great success and super dry carpets. I hope this helps!
AskTheCarExperts Thanks for the advice. The top of my carpet feel dry. Mine seems to have crept under the plastic sills and onto the floor underneath by the looks of it.
exceedingly helpful especially the little subtleties of this job like bowden cable attachment points! The thorough vapor barrier tutorial is excellent. Thank You!
Thanks a lot for this very helpfull video! And Christy Curtis thank you for discribing your experiences on this job!
Thaaaank you very much for this video!! It really helps me a lot!
Great video very helpful. I've checked the sunroof drains over and over and not the fix. I have wet carpet in the rear driver side and front passenger side, you would recommend checking all 4 seals?
i'm doing it myself this time. the dealer fixed a few months ago, but the problem came back again this morning.
+phillip eskridge I am sure you will do a better job with the help of my video! Let me know how you make out :)
make sure you check the sunroof drain plugs first ..lol
How the hell can that be a proper fix all you are doing is sealing the water inside the door, additional drain holes need to be made into the door bottom on the outer edge!
Hi Steve, Thanks for posting. BMW doors have built in drain slots. It is normal for water to be inside the door panel. This barrier is actually called a vapor barrier. Hopefully this helps to clarify for you.
I thought bmws do not have this problem like common cars cauz they are special ...
+bbogdanmircea LOL! The more complex the machine the more problems they tend to have! But when they run well they are a pleasure to drive!
Could you possibly invest in a better camera? Or financially impossible right now?