Reply With QuoteLeak in the heater matrix or piping is a common cause of this.
Hi,
I am hoping for some advice or insight into this. Last week the footwell behind the co-driver seat had water. The car in a 2005 BMW 5 series (E60).
The car is parked in a decline and was reverse parked during the lockdown. Last year, the front passenger footwell had water as the car was parked nose first.
The garage looked into the issue and their diagnosis was the sunroof water channels were blocked, so these were cleaned (headliner removed etc). The roof nor any other interior part was not wet except the front passenger footwell.
Now the same issue has occurred on the rear side, which makes me think the sunroof channels were not the issue?
Any BMW owners/enthusiasts/mechanics - please chime in and share your advice. Is this a common issue and what could most likely be the cause?
Thanks
Leak in the heater matrix or piping is a common cause of this.
Check the drainage plastic bit ( think they all have it) at the front drivers side window ( inside the bonnet. Should be filled with leaves and dirt.
As the previous poster said, drain holes around the window and scuttle panel can become blocked up with leaf debris, had a 5 series in last year with the brake servo sat in a goldfish bowl full of water caused by this. Of course loads of other potential issues but it’s worth a check
Blocked plenum drains beneath the windscreen wipers is common. The area and drains get clogged with tree and other debris which becomes a mush that blocks the drains, the water then tracks to the lowest point of the car which is often the rear footwell
I had a similar problem on a 3 series. Turned out to be a detached plastic membrane in the door. Reasonably easy fix after finding a youtube video on how to do it
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Was about to post exactly the same. Most internet searches always tend to suggest blocked drains in the A pillar but I found my footwell puddle was caused by the door membrane. If this is split, water just ends up draining into the footwell.Originally Posted by ALindsay
I've also had this problem that turned out to be the heater matrix but this was in an MGF.
On a BMW I'd do a quick check on the drains in the A-pillar then investigate the door membranes.
Does it have a sunroof, not unknown for the drainage pipe from these to leak into the passenger footwell rather than take the water out.
Did you read the OP?
It was a common problem on the MK1 Skoda Superb. That was the plenum chamber getting blocked and you’d never know until it was too late and your CU electrics were fried in a pool of water.
It was usually indicated by interior lights suddenly not working, or random doors and windows not working.
The carpets were so thick it took ages to soak through, by which time you were looking at a huge bill.
Last edited by Onelasttime; 28th July 2020 at 08:08.
Thank you.
Will ask the garage to check the scuttle drains and the door.
I suspected it was probably the door membrane having read some post online.
Now need the garage to take this on board and investigate.
Clearly I didn't read it properly. Thank you sir for pointing this out and for the very childish way you pointed it out
Take care of your log first...
Second the door plastic membrane., had the same issue on a SAAB 93.
The plenum tray drain hole clogging with leaves etc was a major problem for Passats and Golfs. VW denied there was any design fault even though their dealers called it that. Given the expensive electrical circuitry on the passenger footwell you were considered lucky if the problem was spotted early as I heard tales of costs of up to £2k and that that was years ago....
My old three series used to have a grate that you could pull out and empty of solid objects. I'd assumed this would have been the cause of my wet footwell but it turned out to be the door membrane.
My Passat just had a hole underneath the battery holder. Once you knew where it was you could reach into it from under the engine and ensure the hole was clear; handy as removing the battery required removal of the windscreen wipers (and the scuttle tray or whatever it's called).
Last edited by deepreddave; 29th July 2020 at 15:29.
My Saab 9-5 had a water on the floor and it was clogged aircon radiator drain.
When my old MG TF pissed water into the passenger footwell it was a well-known problem with the condensation drain for the AC unit not being connected correctly.
It’s that common.
My LHD Fiat 128 used to gather water in the passenger foot well. I couldn’t find where the water was coming from so just drilled some holes in the floor. This was 42 years ago so may be of limited use to you!
This was the actual recommended fix by Scimitar on the GTE,
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I've had 3 of them and they have all had water ingress problems from numerous sources. I usually take the carpets out drill a few holes in the floor and paint the floor black.
Years ago my then gaffer (an ex Reliant GM) told me about Scimitars, according to him they all leaked, sort of took the edge off a car I'd always coveted.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I had a 1980 Capri which always had a wet passenger footwell when it rained spent 6 months trying to fix it never found were it came from though
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