BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

[Tommo]

Hi,

I'm new to the Board and wondered if anyone had similiar problem with water underneath the carpet in the rear passenger footwell? I'm mechanically minded but this really has me beat as there's no real logical place for water to be near this location.

There's no obvious damage or rust etc under the car for water to get in. All door seals etc look fine and it only specifically seems to affect rear passenger side. Incidentally i reverse into my drive such that if the leak was at the front (which I think it must be) water would naturally run and gather at the rear.

I lifted the carpet up and the the underside really is sodden and could see a pool of water in a channel on a plastic membrane which seems to be between the carpet/metal. tried to soak up the small pool of water but pretty much as soon as you soak it up more water runs from the front towards the back and gathers. Interestingly, there's no obvious signs of leaking in the boot area and the carpet in the front passenger footwell seems fine although I suspect this plastic membrane which is channeled runs under there as well but only affects the rear (because I reverse into my drive downward slope )
I checked the water level and I may have lost about half a litre but its as if the leak has a definite source and I'm pretty sure its more than that. I've never had to replace the heater matrix (no aircon in my model) but if this were leaking - I would have expected to see some water leakage at the front. i'll test this theory over the weekend parking the opposite way and see if the carper starts to get wet at the front.

Help!

Regards
Pete

 

[jawzsg]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Hi, if you are not parked in a wading pool, try checking out air-con condensate drain line. It may have be dis-lodge and spurt it's load within the car near the front of your transmission tunnel instead of dumbing it outside. Hope this helps.

 

[Tommo]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Hi,

thanks for your reply but unfortuanetly I'm based in the UK and the 1998 323SE model doesn't come with aircon. It definetly looks like I'm loosing a little coolant water each day as it's dropped very slightly from yesterday. At the engine bulkhead there's a flow and return hose pipes for the Heater Matrix but I've never had cause to take out centre console/glovebox etc to access it. I suppose anything containing water can leak but has anyone had problems with the heater matrix corroding or leaking?

Thanks
Pete

 

[jawzsg]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Opps, sorry, didn't know you're from UK. Hope some other bros here can be of help. Vice versa, we hardly get to touch the Heater Matrix as well here.

 

[BMW122487]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Hi, i am having the exact same problem with water with my american version 1998 BMW 328i 5 speed. i too have alot of water in my rear passenger foot well and am clueless on how to fix it either.. Have you been able to figure anything out?

 

[sszone]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

u could try e46 fanactics or bimmerforums...so of em blokes are from UK too...

 

[Tommo]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Hi Oddly enough just worked out where's its coming from last night after a torential downpour. What's happening with my car is water must somehow be getting through the external door/bodywork seal although its looks fine. In itself shouldn't be a problem because you got an internal door sel. However, what I was able to establish last night is that at the bottom of the internal door seal there's a bit hard formed plastic which clips down over the bottom of the doorseal. When I opened the door after the downpour I could visibly see a very small trail of water which must be running down the internal seal then hitting the moulded plastic then overflowing onto the top of it and then dripping down into the footwell. Right at the back seat near the door there's a very small bit of the bodywork running at approx 45 degrees which runs down into the footwell. This bit of the carpet is very wet as well but dries out becuase all the water obviously ends up in the footwell - last night I could actually see drips of water running down it.
Problem is I've not fixed it yet as I'm not 100% sure whether the problem is the internal or external seal as both look fine? Funny thing is checked the other side back door and the inrternal seal has a big tear in it and does haven't the same problem.
Should an water really be getting through the External seal at all? It's approx £25 for an internal seal so I'll probably try that first. The exteranal one is tied in with the front so I suspect more expensive

 

[BMW122487]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Thank you very much for giving me something to go by. I wil go look over my car. I live in the
United States so i am asuming that part for me is around $40.00 which is't bad. Let me know if you are sucessful in fixing the problem. Thank you for sharing you thoughts.

 

[Tommo]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Hi , Did you ever fix the problem with your water leak. Mine only seems to be a problem after torrential downpour but needs fixed - not been quite as bad since I lifted the molded plastic which goes down over the door seal. Interested to know if have you managed to fix the problem with yours?

Regards
Pete

 

[BMW122487]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

No i havn't. i talked to a friend of mine who repairs BMW's and he told me to spray water where the lower door seal is and check for water entry, He also said the sunroof could somehow be leaking and causing the problem, however with college i have been unable to look further into this, but he like you though it was a seal problem. I lined the underside of the carpet in the footwell with alluminum foil to keep my floor from becoming wet so i still have water but it is less annoying than it was as people who sit back there now are not siting in a puddle. Sorry i can't be more helpful

 

[Tommo]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

Hi,
Meant to Post a month or so ago. Problem sorted . The older E36 doesn't have water seal mounted on the door like all the newer models. Visibly absolutely nothing wrong with internal door seal (mounted in bodywork door aperture) but replaced it for £25 and all dry now. Only very slight noticeable difference when you close the door is door takes slightly more force to close as obviously the new rubber must have less give in it, so the seal between the door/rubber must be better. spoke to a BMW parts guy who worked in the workshop for 12 years and he said only ever changed internal seal and never the external seal, which on the E36 runs from the front to back between both doors. Make sense, for water to get into the car it got to breach the internal one, unless you've got a genuine internal leak etc.
Best of Luck and well worth fixing
Pete

 

[BMW122487]

Re: BMW323 E36 Internal Water Leak

I really appreciate you help, as I was clueless on how to procede, the car is my baby so its great to know i canfix it!!

With Gratitude