BMW Water Leak E46 3 Series Convertible: Diagnosis and Repair Procedure With Battery Replacement DIY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 พ.ย. 2019
- This video is about water leaks. Specifically on a BMW 3 series Convertible. Water can get into the trunk and even into the cabin due to this problem. This vehicle has convertible top drains under the brace that holds the top in place and if clogged it can cause major damage due to water intrusion. I show you how to check and fix this issue with tips and tricks to help get the job done right. I also show you how to replace the battery and remove the battery box in a convertible which is slightly different than a regular E46 3 series. I hope you will find my video helpful. Please remember to SUBSCRIBE! Thank you!
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Super video ! Just take notice there are 2 body plugs at the bottom of battery tray so you can push them out to empty very quickly
Hi Nicolas, The body plugs on this vehicle did not feel great so I didn't want to mess with them. Thanks for the tip though! I am sure it will help others!
@@AskTheCarExperts hi, as regards the water drains on the top today I did exactly like you dedcribed, thank you !
Just experienced this for the first time. Very relieved to find a video on how resolve the issue. Thank you for your efforts.
Hi Dean! Your welcome and I hope the repair goes smoothly. Let me know how you make out.
I found it helpful to park facing down a hill so that the water can flow down the drain rather than overfill that compartment and pour into trunk.
That is an excellent idea when cleaning the drains to move the water in the right direction.
Really helpful! I did everything you showed myself before watching this. Yet had no idea the location of drainage holes under softtop area. I’ll be investigating those today! Also had no idea what the tube was for! ( Battery vent) Brilliant video you helped me join the dots and hopefully the beast will be dry from now on. And will add this drainage trick to my service check list! Topman Thank you!
Hi Marco! Thanks for posting. Great to hear my video was helpful!
Just what I needed i just found water in my trunk tonight. A++ for the added trunk water removal procedure.
Thanks for this. The battery in my e46 3 series convertible died and it's good to see how to remove the battery as it is different from the non-convertible e46. Also a very interesting point about the drains becoming blocked. I'll check mine next time it rains.
Seriously, THANK you for this video, it's amazing and was exactly what I needed to see
Great to hear Alan! Let me know how you make out.
@@AskTheCarExperts I put some plumbing agent on both sides but only one worked, so I needed something extra. This vid helped, now both sides are free and clear. Now I know why sometimes I would have water in the trunk vs in the cabin
@@iamalanavery I never thought to use plumbing agent :)
Great video! I have exactly this problem, and also had a Kbus issue for the past 3 months, it was exactly as mentioned in the video, I had bypassed all my stereo stuff due to an install so I have been able to just unplug the whole infotainment loom from the behind the stereo.
Hello, Thank you! Glad to hear my video was helpful! Sorry to hear you have had this water leak issue. Thankfully with some effort you can get those drains clear and hopefully no major damage from the water leak.
Wow you’re repair was very helpful I’m having this problem with my BMW 325ci Convertible I will follow your instructions.
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
Best regards,
Robert Amaro
Hi Robert, Glad to hear you liked the video. If you need a scope there are some inexpensive ones on Amazon that work over WiFi. Let me know how you make out. Best Regards, Roger
Great video, thanks I just discovered a fish thank in the back of my E46 Convertible! Haha 👍👍👍
Hi James! Great you found my video! I hope it helps! Thanks for posting!
AskTheCarExperts , yeah thanks mate
I thought theres was actually a leak going into where the roof sits when it’s down ? And I didn’t realise there were drain holes under the roof hinges , I did the same as you and unblocked them with an old coat hanger . Thanks again 😁👍😁
Thanks, for the video, today I found water in tre trunk, and tre problem is the same like yours, I found a lot of water in the roof compartment, Tomorrow I will try to do like you
This is a useful video. Thank you. Problem though in uk is that it never seems to stop raining!!!!
LOL I have heard that about the UK :)
I have done the procedure for draining water out of 2000 323CI E46. It's a bit of a pain finding the drain hole. BMW put these drains in a foolish place where access is near zero. I have found that if you pour a couple gallons of hot water in that area, about 1 gallon at a time, it eventually breaks free. Typically, dirt, small debris from inside convertible top area is usually the cause. It take about 3-8 minutes to break free. The more water you put in there, without flooding the back, the more the weight of the water pushes the drain free. Coat hanger was used but, not positive if I actually hit the drain hole. I'll use my scope next time.
This was an excellent video! Great info and pretty clearly laid out. Thank you! I Subscribed but, I really don't know what that means because I have subscribed to various videos in the past and never hear from the posters.
Hi StandTall, I always try to respond and help. If you want notifications of new videos youtube has you select the allow all videos. I appreciate your input as I am sure it will help others!
@@AskTheCarExperts Thank you, for such a quick response. I'm only interested it videos that pertain to 2000 BMW 323ci E46( or close in years, as yours is).
Does this limit it to your videos only?
@@standtall7646 I do a lot of different videos mostly about BMW. I will be doing a full series on my Z3 with M54 engine teardown, head repair, that would be the same engine as your E46.
@@AskTheCarExperts Good to know. I look forward to seeing those. Thank you, again.
@@standtall7646 Awesome!
im going through this nightmare right now with my e46 vert. I thought it was bad rubber seals or a misaligned trunk lid as it had been removed previously for repainting. but this makes a lot more sense. this video was very helpful. looks like i got some drainage to do. i had no idea the battery cavity would fill up like that
Hello Jcue, Water leaks are a nightmare! I am glad you found my video. Let me know what you find. I plan on doing a short live feed on Wednesday around 6 pm EST if you would like to join and comment.
@@AskTheCarExperts will do.
i did exactly as you did here (minus the borascope) and then i heard that sweet guzzling sound when the water drained. flushed it with plenty of water after. also my battery compartment had about 3 inches of water in it. all sorted now though. Thanks again!
A similar way to clear it, is to get some brake pipe and thread it with strimmer line. Make a lump on one end by melting the line, then bend the pipe at about 45 degrees. Using the same method as in this video, hook the pipe into the drain, then feed the line through and it clear the whole drain line. Fiddly, but worth the efffort.
@@jcue That is great! Thank you for posting this :)
Just came across this video. My e46 vert has been stinking lately in the cab. I eventually after 3 weeks of air freshmen’s lifted my rear carpets to find the floor soaking wet with water coming up through the mat holes.
Il be doing this exact thing tomorrow. I’m praying no damage has been done ! It’s been 3-5 weeks water sitting there
Great you found my video! I hope it did not cause any damage to the electronics. Let me know how it goes.
@@AskTheCarExperts
All Electronics currently fine touch wood il give it a go tomo with the coat hanger technique.
Looks quite a fiddly job. I’ve bought a siphon pump to siphon the water out too so il give that a go. Water is underneath my battery the exact same way as yours.
I had to do that so many times once a year no matter what. every time I service the car I do it. I recommend it to everyone.
Great to be pro active! Water leaks can cause a lot of damage. Thanks for posting! :)
It helps! Thanks!
Good vid helpful advic thx
Glad it helped
Legend
It's really too bad that there aren't any body drains in these cavities, like some older German cars used to have. In the event of a drain blockage and subsequent spillage - the body drains would keep water from accumulating in these cavities and prevent damage. I recently worked on a BMW E61 that had plugged sunroof drains which caused water to build up. Thankfully several modules that got wet were OK after being thoroughly dried out - most don't get this lucky. The only hint the owner had that something was wrong was that the battery would drain in a matter of a long weekend if the car wasn't driven, and the constantly fogging up of the windows. The water caused the modules to remain active and refused to go to sleep, hence the draw.
Hi AK, The E61 is also known for kinks in the sunroof drain and you have to cut in and add a new splice to the drains. Glad to hear you got those cleaned out and the modules where OK. It gets expensive fast with water leaks!
Be careful when filling up the cavity with water with a hose or bottle if it’s blocked up. There’s small holes on both sides that you can barely see in this video. If you aren’t careful & overfill it the water will go into the cabin of your car underneath both rear passenger seats.
Hello Miles, That is exactly why the holes need to be unclogged. Water will enter the vehicle if this cavity cannot drain. You are correct to not overfill when testing.
Next job on the list. Thanks
Let me know how you make out.
@@AskTheCarExperts I Will do. I’ve got the lot to do. Roof drains, clean all the contact points for the roof and drain the fish tank under the battery! I laughed at the comment from the guy in the UK but I live in Northern Ireland and we’re not exactly known for our drought conditions either! Who said buying a soft top was a good idea here! Only owned it a few weeks And even tho it’s 18 years old we love it
All done and dusted! I took my time, your instructions were spot on and my battery box was floating. I cleaned out the channels with wire coat hangers and flushed to test. The started on the boot. Thank you so much for your video!!
@@redno5f1masters Great to hear Colin!
I do exactly the same, but with a flexible wire, right after that , I pour Draino, it really cleans the drain and the drain tube, last longer
Except that you've allowed drain onto the outside land and, possibly, into the ocean. THAT is why I don't use poisons to have an easy fix.
Just blow air from the bottom up and clear the drain that way it's very effective and much easier
Some vehicles it can be difficult to access the drain holes or find them without looking for water trace but if you can it definitely could help. Just make sure to flush with water after to clear any debris built up.
I found a battery well full of water this weekend so dried, cleaned, ground, painted etc but need to stop it happening again.
I'll do the drain points but more interesting, is how does the water get into the compartment in the first place and get the chance to leak into the boot(trunk)
Is there a seal somewhere?
Hello Matthew, there is a seal but it only reduces water. It is normal for water to get into this area. With the drains clean water will stop getting into the interior.
Great video and very helpful! Same problem with my 04 330ci. Got the water out of all places. Now just need advice on the I/K bus harness. Having all sorts of gremlins since this happened in Dec 0f 2021. Can the relays just be changed? Or, do I need to get the whole harness/modules/relays (k-Can?) replaced? Can I just remove the relays and splice and re-pin?? HELP!!
Hi Vicki, You most likely have corrosion in one of the connections. Reach out to me via my website www.askthecarexperts.com with the contact me tab and we discuss the issue via email.
@@AskTheCarExperts You're an angel! Thanks so much!! Will do :)
@@vickigiordano1162 Thanks Vicki, I got the email and I will contact you tomorrow. Have a great night.
@@AskTheCarExperts thank you!!
@@vickigiordano1162 Why can't I see the Experts Replies here
Managed to unblock one side pretty easily but the driver’s side I still haven’t managed to unblock after hours of poking 😞
Sorry to hear that! Do you have a scope so you can see the opening?
Hi and thanks for posting this video. Had this problem two days ago. Took out and dried everything and had no electrical issues with my car until today. My seatbelt light and airbag stay on . Also turn signals not working, fog light indicator not working. Question is what can I do to fix this problem before it gets worse. Thanks in advance!
Hi Dennis, Glad you found my video to help solve the problem. However for your current symptoms your vehicle would need hands on diagnosis to determine the issues. I would consider checking your airbag module for water and corrosion.
Thanks for your response! But thanks mostly to your video cause I fixed my problem.i took off the wet Velcro strap from the connectors and sprayed the connectors with air spray and everything is working perfect again. Thanks again!
@@dennisthem3nace197 That is great news Dennis! Your K bus may have been shorted via corrosion. It had been a crazy time. Still working since automotive is an essential business. Keep safe and my best to you and your family!
@@dennisthem3nace197 I have the same issue right now, cluster and sat nav not working, checked the Velcro strap and wires, full of water…
@@dennisthem3nace197 Where are these wires and velcro strap located? In the trucnk?
I meant to ask: WHERE does the water get in, in the first place? Thanks, again.
Right around the back seal. I have even replaced that gasket but after looking into it further it is only to help deflect most of the water. I hope you where able to find the drain and get it clear!
I didn't see this reply. My apologies. Which Back Seal are you referring to? Can you make this easy for me and either point it out in a picture or a video. I just want to know which back seal you are referring to so, I go to that seal, first.. Thank you!@@AskTheCarExperts
How does the water get into the compartment at the first place anyway?
Good question. This area is not water tight. The seal around this area only helps reduce the amount of water allowing the water management system ie drains to handle to overflow.
@3:12 has special tool.... cut coat hanger , LOL
Hi Adrian! Thanks for the comment! Please subscribe! I make it a habit of subscribing back to you.
What do y’all think a leak for water under my back seat would be
Hello, By back seat do you mean that you see water on the floor or actually on the rear seat dripping down from higher up?
Did I miss something? You said there would be tips for PREVENTING water intrusion. Did I misunderstand your titling?
Thank you.
The tip is to keep the drains clean. The prevents water intrusion into the car. Water normally enters this area and that is why there is a drain. Hope this helps!
Jeez I have been poking around for an hour with no joy
Any tips?
Hello, It can be difficult to find the right spot. Try changing the angle of the tip on the cost hanger. Also a scope can help. The teslong scope from Amazon is very affordable.
@@AskTheCarExperts Thanks, is there a plug in the drain hole that needs moving out or am I feeling for a hole?
BMW design tech - Sir, I can strap the battery down with a bolt and a clamp, but it will cost $2 in parts.
BMW management - NO! Design a complicated box of stamped and welded metal with ball links, rods, and machined risers. We can charge an extra $2000 for it.
Me - Holy crap!!!
I've got at least a inch of water under my battery
Hi William, It's a good thing you found my video. Most likely clogged drains under the too frame. I show you how to remove the battery and the bracket in this video. I hope it helps and please subscribe :)
@@AskTheCarExperts yeh lucky...I briefly went through your videos. I like your alpina video, mines a b3.
Where you based...UK?
I've recently lost pairing on the key fob, watched a video but didn't work for me.
@@williampilling3218 Located in CT in the USA. I had assumed you had an E46 Conv. We don't have the B3 specifically in the US market. The best thing to do is a water test with interior panels removed. I have been stuffed in a few trunks hunting water leaks. Easier with a hatchback style openings. Some common spots are clogged sunroof drains and tail light assembly seals.
@9:00 I would have siphoned the water out
LOL This is a must for every DIYer and mechanic :)
Tried wire. Didn't work. Tried drain unblocker. Didn't work. Got some phat coke cola. Poured half a tin down each side. Left for a few days. Cleared.
LOL 😂 Love it!
@@AskTheCarExperts seriously, mr muscle, lime descaler, buster drain unclogger, used for a couple of weeks just did not shift it. I am wondering if the fizzing and acidity of the cola is what shifted it. I was on the point of selling the car i was so fed up with it. I followed the cola with boiling water after it had drained.
gonna try this, like you, wire, product didn't work right side, its doing my nut, soaked carpets, the lot, gonna try the coke . . yea, past life lol, thnx, I'll do it as suggested, 'hope it works
stupid idea not to have a drain hole in the battery area, in the 944, same area, has a drain hole
Yes that is something BMW has never done. E60's also can pull water into the trunk from a vacuum crated while driving and cause a lot of damage. A body plug with a small drain hole would be a good idea but they may not do it on a BMW because the vehicle can create an internal vacuum and draw water in during a rain storm depending on the path of the water. Thanks for posting Adrian!
If he removed the second plate under the battery there are 2 drain plugs , you can see them from under the car but need to remove other plate to knock them out