BMW 4 Series F33 - Water Sloshing Sound Potential Fix - Save your Amp Before it Blows Like Mine!!

In this video, I show you how I drained the water that had accumulated in my BMW 4 Series Convertible. This really is not a video I would have thought I'd have been making, but I hope that it can help someone out there fix this terrible design flaw... Problem shared is a problem halved as they say!
Naturally, I tried to include a bit of 3D printing in this video, to show the versatility of this fantastic technology.
Hex Key Download (for 3D Printing): www.thingivers...
#BMW #WaterSloshing #Drainage

[@tiptopchap]

This should be shared with every 4 series convertible owner - I’m driving around with my headphones after the amp went pop on a 5 yr old M4 that BMW want to charge me over a grand to fix. Seeking an amp repair person however thanks for sharing, it really should be a factory recall yet we will be waiting a long time on that from BM

[@CallumColes]

Yep completely agree! Just a ticking time bomb waiting to cost a load of money, poor form from BMW

[@kennethwise7108]

Thanks, got rid of mine immediately afterwards

[@mandlazooloo9733]

JUST HAD MY AMP BLOWN TOO ... bummer

[@paultthelekky4763]

appreciate the amp issue, but how does draining the side skirt fix the issue where the water pools under the amp? surely the issue with the amp is coming from above not below?

[@jameshickam1787]

@@paultthelekky4763 great question.. looking for answers

[@davenelson1538]

Outstanding! I had just bought my 2018 4-series convertible, and after a rain ... no radio. AND: BTW - you *may* be able to fix your amp if it's been underwater. Try this: Remove the amp. Disassemble it down to the circuit board. Clean the board carefully with isopropyl alcohol (or contact cleaner). Then, put the board in your oven, and set it for about 175 degrees (F). Let it bake all the water away for a good 7-8 hours. Reassemble, and test. Fixed mine! I'm a retired EE, did major stuff with PCBs & circuit board mfg. 175 F will not hurt anything. And, what do you have to loose! Good luck - and THANK YOU for the video!

[@TonyJvideos]

You've shown what's involved very well, Well done! Inspired use of the 3D printer! Bit of a bodge on the nut and bolts with the tape but it worked so all good. Using a bolt and a couple of (the right size) nuts locked up together I found easiest to "make" the 13mm allen key. For the viewers benefit, it only has to turn that little plug about an eigth of a turn to release the plug and it isn't hard to turn. I wouldn't advise drilling the hole after you screwed the panel back up, you could potentially mangle the plug (allen key won't be much good if someone drills in too far and rounds the hexagonal insert off), it's easier to do while you have the panel down. Easiest way to cut the plastic panels is with a dremel-type tool, goes through them like butter. I didn't even pull off the side skirts, just bent them down underneath by a couple of inches, and wedged them to maintain the gap while I made the cut-out in the plastic with the dremel. The advantage of making cut-outs over drilling is that you can make the hole large enough that you can remove the drain plugs in future (should you ever need to if they get gunked up again) without having to release any trim screws for the side skirts or under-tray. A little explanation of the theory. The side skirts and under-tray don't have gaps for the drain holes because BMW have used the same ones as for the coupe, which doesn't have opening rear windows, they're sealed, water can't get into that section so doesn't need a drain plug. BMW should have designed specific side skirts and under-tray for the convertible with cut-outs for the drain plugs either side but they didn't. Purely a design oversight (mistake). The last thing to mention, which none of the videos show (I can't talk, I didn't even make one, lol) but what people will be asking is how does it fill with water? Essentially over time the rubber seals on the rear windows (which open on a convertible) don't seal properly and let water in. Obviously heavy rain at the wrong angle will penetrate, and something people should be aware of when they wash their cars, particularly if using a jet wash. They're essentially filling up their own quarter panels with water without realising. Car doors always have drains at the bottom in case water ingresses past the window rubbers, the rear panels on convertibles same applies. To keep water out people should replace the rear window sealing rubbers when they get old / hard / brittle enough that they no longer prevent the ingress of water. Dirt and gunk gets lodged down the gap accelerating deterioration and just as windscreen wipers deteriorate, they won't provide a good seal against the glass forever. Apologies for the long comment, but hope that fills in the gaps.

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment! Yep bolt and tape was definitely a bodge lol, but impatience got the better of me, at least I have the printed version for if I need to re-clean at some point in the future. Agree that it probably would be best to do the side skirt while separated, that's why I kept the drilled holes quite a bit smaller than the size of the plug opening. But realistically, it would be best for the hole to be the same size, if not bigger. Very interesting to know about the reason for this issue, expensive design oversight though!

[@TonyJvideos]

@@CallumColes Body styling designers missed talking to the engineers about that point. "Oh it's the same shape as the coupe, we can use the same sills and undertrays"...

[@cagman101]

Use a pair of channel lock pliers, its not that hard to remove

[@darrenaxe8036]

Had mine from new. Today notice sloshing sound (Music off for some reason today) 😂. Checked out your video. Exactly the same outcome. Mod done, slightly different, same result. Easy access now to the drains. What I don’t understand is why BMW didn’t make them easy to get at. Thanks for the video. Been a great help. 👏👏👏

[@CallumColes]

Yes design flaw / oversight! Glad the video helped:)

[@motorbiking18650]

Great video, I've had this problem for a while and yours was the only video that showed the drain plug fix

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment, much appreciated:)

[@florintucan566]

@@CallumColes 9 9v. 9vj

[@chriswalsh3768]

Just heard the sloshing on my way home from work tonight, first video I found was yours! Spot on mate!! It’s a good ‘how to…. ‘ Cheers 👍🏻😉

[@user-ce3sy8hm8w]

This is a brilliant video - thank-you. How on earth have BMW got away without doing a recall? Amp and roof retraction seems to be damaged!

[@guysmets1559]

I noticed this a while ago, that after it rained, there was water under the car until the day after. So very near to being blocked. Thanks for the great tip. At least I could fix it before it got too bad...

[@brianlloyd3762]

I've had this problem for about 2/3 years, tried with a few KZbin videos myself and always had to take to a garage. Youre video was great and feeling very proud of myself that I've drained it myself this afternoon! My problem was that I wasnt pulling that side skirt towards me before! Thanks for the video!

[@CallumColes]

Really glad it gave you the confidence to have a crack at it yourself! Can save some money now:)

[@simonhobson2923]

Really valuable and informative video! My F33 convertible has been dripping for weeks and this explains why. The dealer conversation was not useful - this video was! I shall be following your example of unblocking and then adding a drain hole. Many thanks.

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment, was certainly not what I wanted to discover, but figured if videoing the process could help a few other people it would be worth sharing the experience:)

[@dave262b]

My 2015 F33 has lost 1 amp and also over time flooded on the battery side which corroded the main cable terminal to the front of the car and one day it just wouldn't start. Both expensive to rectify by dealer. Interestingly at some point they also drilled the holes (as per BMW Service Information Bulletin SI B51 33 16 V2) but that did not stop the problem - maybe the holes were in the wrong place or the drain plugs just got blocked anyway. Also they never even bothered to tell me they'd done this - I only knew when I found the holes. Anyway, a few months ago I removed the plugs and on both sides got as much water out as in the video. I haven't put them back in - as far as I can see they could just get blocked again with gunk even with a hole beneath and can't see how any water off the road could go upwards and cause a problem. So far so good. Note that another tell tale sign I had was the rear window coming up with drops of water on it even when it had not rained for a while.

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for sharing your experience, crazy that they still managed to get blocked even with the holes drilled below. Nightmare design!

[@macmad6959]

This brings back memories, I had same issue on my F33 last year, full of water, drilled through the valve and gallons of water came out, unfortunately it causes my window regulator cable to snap, so had issues getting the roof up, all got sorted in the end, required a new window regulator, and was installed.

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for sharing your version of events! Problem shared is a problem halved as they say, glad it all got sorted.

[@jeanmarc_nkb]

How much did all that come out to in the end? If i may ask

[@markbrill8944]

Holly sh1t!! My rear window stopped working. Was looking for causes and fuse number to check and found this! I also heard some water slosh but thought it was just a water bottle in the back. Now I know! Warranty claim on its way ..

[@CallumColes]

Good luck! Let us know how you get on with the claim...

[@Stuff58979]

Thanks for the information, we just drained about 10gal from the back. New holes made it drain much better, the sludge buildup will happen so make this a maintenance item with your oil changes and clean that plastic part

[@richardwood8485]

A brilliant video. We heard sloshing water noise in my wife's 2015 420d convertible a few days ago. I accessed as per the video and did the offside first and gallons of water escaped. I then did the nearside and it seeped but no gush. I then prodded up with a screwdriver and saw a plug of debris slowly lower itself before the torrent. Obviously the debris had been accumulating more on that side blocking off access to the drain hole totally. I agree - an abysmal design by BMW - and I have always been a BMW fan...

[@CallumColes]

Thanks! Hopefully it was in time to save your Amp from blowing?

[@richardwood8485]

@@CallumColes Yes it was. Just heard the sloshing sound after the recent storms and so no damage luckily...

[@ColinMcEvoy]

This is exactly what was going on with my e70 x5. Could not find the course of the water sloshing and finally took it to a shop and they did something similar to this and drained almost the same amount of water

[@peteslojay592]

Your instruction was spot on, although I had to borrow a 13mm Allen key from my local very friendly ATS Euromaster as it is not standard size. I drained litres of water from both sides of my car and removed the plastic plugs completely. Unfortunately I found your video after the water had sloshed over and drowned my boot and blown my amp :-( so still a costly repair.

[@PrinceVidz]

This problem just happend to me, water slosh sound in back panel. Exact same problem you are having. The reason the water gets in there is because of the back window rubber has gotten bad. Its deformed to the point where water slides in to the back. I tested it with a bottle of water on the bad side and the water gushes in to the car. On the other side where the rubber stil is good the water glides of off it. So i would imagine the long fix is to replace the back window rubber. After fixing the drain plug of course. Excellent video. (m4 f83)

[@CallumColes]

Cheers for the comment! Yeah the window seals are considered are maintainable part, I think they have a 5 year advised lifetime or something like that. But if the drainage has been properly designed, water should still always be able to get back out if it gets in!

[@kevindixon8706]

Just uploaded a short vid of my wife’s 430i convert. Thanks for your vid so I knew how to fix. I found that a bolt with a 9/16” head fits in the drain plug so I used the bolt with a stop nut as a wrench. Thanks again.

[@CallumColes]

Glad it helped, thanks for the comment

[@jaman2366]

This is absolutely ridiculous. Im having this issue now im very surprised this issue is not big enough for bmw to cover the issue. Water can get into the trunk where the amplifier is and cost $1500 to fix. This is crazy to me

[@CallumColes]

It is crazy, should have been a recall. Shocking from BMW

[@CarinMik]

This is crazy and exactly what is happening with the 2020 440i convertible we just purchased. I heard water slashing around a few days ago and have found puddles on our garage floor. Thankful we're under warranty so no fees.

[@salesmindestandbusiness1678]

This is great thank k you for sharing. I thought that they had forgot to add a baffle on the fuel tank but it would appear it’s a water ingress/drainage issue. My entertainment system stops every time I hit the breaks

[@mukinfagic69]

Great video, such a simple job that a MUST for any F33 owner. Only thing I would add is to try and flush a bit of water through with the plug out, I cleaned the plug but had a ‘slug’ of dirt stuck further up the drain hole waiting to immediately re-block the plug…..Terrible design from BMW

[@christaunton]

Perfect - thanks for a great video! Thought I could hear sloshing in the passenger side sill of my 440 convertible and was on my way to the garage to let them investigate (but it was closed this weekend) when I had multiple electrical failures/warnings on my dash as well as losing my iDrive display completely, most button controls, audio - and my boot wouldn’t open at all (had to manually release it from inside the car). Boot carpet fairly damp, & lots of condensation in the car. Hope I haven’t killed the amp & it’s just fuses. Meanwhile, I’m running a dehumidifier overnight to try and remove most water vapour. We’ll see!!

[@CallumColes]

You're welcome, cheers for the comment. Let me know how you get on, hopefully the amp survived!!

[@ndaveis8208]

Having heard the same water sloshing about and seeing dripping its clear i will need to complete this fix.. very helpful Callum

[@bails1310fcjq]

Thanks a lot for the video. I’ve been on the edge of pulling the trigger on a 4 series cab and so pleased I saw this. I believe error from BMW, great fix though. Thank you.

[@CallumColes]

No worries, thanks for the comment:)

[@Satrolkof]

Thanks brother! God bless you! I made it today, same thing! Unbelievable!

[@Drops913]

Thanks for sharing! Worked perfectly. What an insane construction… Many thanks!

[@CallumColes]

Yep, truly awful! Glad the video helped =]

[@markdavison965]

Thanks for the video. Just had my 435 drains cleared by a local BMW / Mercedes garage. The car had the water swashing noise and your video put me onto the problem. Cost £106 and they did the mod so the drains shouldn't get blocked again. Fortunately the amp and surrounding area was dry, although they reckoned the got 2lts of water out of the drain. Thanks again!

[@CallumColes]

You’re welcome! £106 much cheaper than if the amp had gone👌🏼

[@that_kouki_26]

That's mad, I've just bought an F83, gonna get it up on the ramp tomorrow and get this done!

[@CallumColes]

How’d it go?

[@that_kouki_26]

@@CallumColes Turns out it had already had the fix done on mine mate!

[@greggles612]

Just happened to mine. Radio on and off and then poof gone. :/ Wish I had seen this first but at least will be able to fix now. Thanks!

[@phily-ue6et]

This is obviously a design fault and, as some have pointed out, is a possible electrical hazard caused by modules in the boot shorting out, directly above the petrol tank. This problem should be a BMW recall as it's potententially dangerous.

[@maus_drummer]

Dude thanks so much for this video… i already lost my amp… my roof has a missing piece on each side now… just broke and came off the roof… 🤬…. If rains … i have a pool in my car!! Insane… If you have any suggestions.. i take them all! Thanks so much

[@CZ-57]

Bro same fuck this car is an hassle with higher mileage. The roof parts have to be replaced. Mines broke too and small piece fell off. Shits so frustrating and my amp is blown.

[@maus_drummer]

@@CZ-57 damn… same here bro

[@CallumColes]

Nightmare of a car🙈 at least it has a good resale value because it’s one of the very few four seater hard top convertibles models

[@desgatt6]

After umdion the tory bolts will the side skirt still come off if you have carbon fibre side skirts attached? Great vid BTW 👌

[@umairmkhalid]

Thanks, a lot.. u saved me a hefty bill .... 530 gt 2012 has no drain plug, For some reason BMW decided to seal the opening coz i could see the plastic bit but no screw..... so I had to drill a hole to get the water out... but my Rear Passenger carpet was getting soaking wet .... leaving it to dry now.

[@CallumColes]

You’re welcome! Yes seems the BMW engineers like to forget about the drainage… 🙈

[@umairmkhalid]

@@CallumColes Absolutely.... why would u do that i mean they designed a Frameless door car and think water will never get in btw I am still unsure how water got in :D... do you know how u got water under the floor Thanks

[@felixacosta]

Thank you so much, finally fixed that sloshing sound!!

[@CallumColes]

Glad it helped! Cheers for the comment

[@paulcosgrave6878]

Thank you so much for your very helpful video. I had that whooshing sound behind me and water onto my shoulder rear window well full of water. And simply un blocking hidden drain water poured out. Problem solved.

[@CallumColes]

Ayy, that's what I like to hear, thanks for the comment :)

[@alexpetrie6190]

Just sorted on my 420d soft top. Crazy design flaw! Thanks!

[@CallumColes]

Nice one, glad it helped:)

[@Shabbe02]

Soft top? So you have the latest gen? I dont think that they have the same issue

[@mohammedbayasi8354]

Thank you so much. My car collected so much water the sound system went out. The dealership quoted me $3700. Did this like you showed in the video and worked just fine.

[@CallumColes]

You're welcome, glad to have saved you some money:)

[@CZ-57]

They quoted me the same amount i told them they smoking crack

[@davym2678]

Finally someone who shows how it's done. I just did it on my cabrio as well. My back windows mechanism was completely rusted and had to pay 1000€ to have it replaced... Also thinking to blame this on BMW but I'm lacking the time and emotion to start it. PS. I think you need a 14mm hex key as the 13mm seemed slightly too small

[@CallumColes]

Crazy that such a design flaw can exist, it will be the engineers not checking things properly when they made the convertible version from the coupe... Yep you're right about the 14mm hex, that is a better fit, the comment I had read online had said 13mm, so that is what I originally tried.

[@CarlosPerez-eb9xn]

Thanks for the video. Just fixed the same problem.

[@CallumColes]

Awesome! Pleased to have been able to help

[@77and]

Great video. A job for tomorrow. Thank you for making it.

[@CallumColes]

No problem! Hope the fix went well:)

[@karlj.4798]

For a 3 year old video this is still relevant. This needs doing if you haven't already. Does anyone know if there is a drain the other side of the rear wheel arch in the boot, (underneath towards the rear of the car) as maybe water can slosh over if full enough?? Thanks again. 😊

[@NGR5BF]

Thanks for the video. I had the same problem with a Serie 4 Cabrio, when i stopped i could hear water splash on rear side, now i have no watersloshing.

[@thewjs3738]

Nice video even if a bit different than your normal content.

[@CallumColes]

Haha thank you for your continued support! Kept me busy this weekend so I didn’t have time to do another printing one. Will be back next weekend with either an Anycubic Mega 2 in 1 Update or the Elfin3 mini review:)

[@thewjs3738]

@@CallumColes You're welcome!

[@beblum007]

This video helped me out! Thanks a lot!

[@CallumColes]

You're welcome! Cheers for comment

[@thegreat8662]

The only reason I can think bmw covers it up is to prevent the dirt and debris that flies around under the car from getting in there and if that's the case they should just put a mesh filter over it similar to something like people use in the kitchen sink

[@CallumColes]

The mesh filter is built in, the cover up is design fault, BMW have acknowledged this, just never did a proper recall.

[@sundeeprai2360]

Great video, very helpful. Thank you.

[@arinibhp5254]

Excellent video. Thanks a lot

[@CallumColes]

Cheers 🙌🏼

[@NickWaine]

Brilliant, thanks Callum :-)

[@CallumColes]

You’re welcome🙌🏼

[@graemebruce2512]

The BMW dealer did something similar to mine. Drilled a 12mm hole through skirt and tray and I can stick a wire up the drain to clear it now. Shocking.

[@ostorry]

Yikes! Just bought a F33 440i... I'll be checking this as soon as it's on the driveway. Absolutely mad how much water came out of that! Is there an argument to leave those drain bungs out? They look like they could further the obstruction of water and debris

[@japsniper1980]

Sadly this is an issue BMW have had for years. E9x series drivers have this issue as well, where the drain plug is blocked by trim pieces and it cannot drain and gets clogged and then causes flooding inside the car. This can lead to flooding in and around the battery, which leads to corrosion on the power terminals, which leads to major electrical issues, and in some cases has killed cars completely.

[@user-lu6um3wq3j]

Thank you!!! Fantastic video 😊

[@jivewire2050]

Great video. How did you remove the side skirt?

[@joachimstickel8345]

Very good video, thanks! However, when I start pulling the side skirts, I get some noise that sounds like something's about to crack. Therefore, I didn't dare to pull them out. Any comments or hints about that? Thanks again!

[@minioncrash2245]

Same problem, im gona solve it tomorrow thanks

[@ryanp7219]

Why not do away with the drain plug? Seems that’s part of the issue as well, getting clogged with debris

[@CallumColes]

Well I suppose you could, but normally it’s there to prevent debris like leaves getting up and into the car. When there’s a hole above it, water will continue to drain and that helps keep it clear anyway, never too much trouble to give it an occasional clean, it’s the sort of thing BMW would/should check at service. The problem comes when BMW decide to block off the hole completely with the car bodywork🤦🏼‍♂️

[@MrSmipet]

Hi great video, easy to fix, the only problem i found was when everything was back together, went to start vehicle and battery was flat. Is there anything that could have caused this.

[@nahpimpin398]

Insane😮 I assume this is the same for the F30/F80 3 series?

[@philbaker75]

I have left the plugs out now. The skirt/side plan provides enough cover

[@shortexxx]

Would it not be better to just leave the drain plugs off so water can easily escape? Or am i missing something?

[@CallumColes]

The drain plug stops debris like leaves from getting into the body. The plug isn't the cause of the problem in this video, that would be the fact the bodywork did not account for the drainage and completely blocks it off! I know some people have suggested leaving the plug out, personally I wouldn't, but there are worse ideas to try for sure:)

[@moshazza5684]

Thanks for this. What potential damage will it cause tk electrics? Where has it all cone from rear quarter or boot?

[@TheVinC1975]

Hi... can you not leave the drain plug out? Would it cause any issues if you don't put it back in?

[@MrPeterjshaw]

Heard water in my F36. Had my 13mm Allen key bought off Amazon for £6 but no release valve at that location. Pity!

[@ngtatsang]

Do we need to put the plug back in? I thought the TSB said to remove it and leave it out

[@Coolbreeze911]

thank you

[@Yigitcanakkas]

Thank you for the video and info. I have another question, when i first drove my car after the heavy rain and heard sloshing sounds, there was no water in the car anywhere but i heard sounds from the roof as well, when i forced the car with heavy braking, some water came in from the roof middle section, but that was it. Where is this water exactly filling and whats the risk of it filling inside? I opened the top and there was no water anywhere on the roof either.

[@lloydranola]

Thank you for this! I need to perform this fix in my wife’s car. QQ: was it a 13mm hex or 14mm hex? I know the 3D print was 14, but I thought I heard you say 13. Thanks!

[@CallumColes]

Thanks for the comment! Yes 14mm hex, I may well have said 13 as that’s what the original post I read suggested, but 14 works better. Be prepared to jump out of the way of water lol

[@lloydranola]

Right on… Thanks again!!

[@susanlampshire639]

Hi Callum, thanks for sharing this.ive got a 2016 420 hard top convertible and fear this might be an issue with mine. I’ve never experienced any symptoms and there aren’t any sloshing sounds even when I do an emergency stop on an upward or downward slope. I ve checked the rubber sea.s around the rear windows and they don’t seem to be slack. I don’t have any Mechanical expertise nor any tools or a Jack. I will get my local mechanic to check it when it’s next in for new tyres soon. any idea if later models than yours had a redesign/fix?

[@CallumColes]

Hey Susan, the one is the video was 2017, so yes I’d definitely recommend have your mechanic take a look and install the drainage holes. Alternatively if you take it to BMW they should do it for free, since it’s a design flaw.

[@susanlampshire639]

@@CallumColes Thanks Callum

[@Abercrombemonkey]

​@@CallumColesis that the argument at the dealer? 2015, no more warranty. Argue that the water is sloshing around and it's their fault? Lol please advise!

[@marvaluscivic]

Thanks for great video ! Is this more prone with f32 / 2 door models ? I have f36 and never had issue ever !

[@CallumColes]

Yeah as I understand, it’s where they redesigned the bodywork for the two door they forgot to leave a hole for the water drain🤦🏼‍♂️

[@Biorbboy]

Great video pal. Please can you advise whether both sides were filled with water?

[@TonyJvideos]

Can vary depending upon conditions (do you always park so one side faces the sun and one window sealing rubber deteriorates quicker than the other? etc) but typically yes, the window sealing rubbers are the same age, have undergone the same temperature changes and falling debris from trees, leaves etc so deteriorate similarly and fail to seal and prevent the ingress of water at a similar time.

[@CallumColes]

Yep, both sides had filled, but the one side far more than the other since the gunk was worse. So the water did not even drain until completely removed.

[@anthonymckay6520]

Thanks for the video mine needs doing, the main issue is the how the water gets down there in the 1st place, I believe its the rear window seals, any information on replacing the seals

[@CallumColes]

Yes, I was also under the impression that is how it gets in there. Not sure how to replace these unfortunately, I've since sold this vehicle.

[@anthonymckay6520]

@@CallumColes thank you for the reply, opened my up and it flooded, going we a quote from bmw for replacement seals, but now am the same as to if I really wanna keep the car

[@CallumColes]

I've been told that the seals last 2-3 years. Ordinarily, that wouldn't matter if the drainage worked properly... Yes, I know the feeling. I love cars, but the minute something major goes wrong, they lose their gloss and I start thinking about what to get next lol. It's a shame really, as it's a cracking car, hard top convertible really is best of both worlds and since the latest version went soft only, it will hold its value very well.

[@oguzhankalayc2394]

I’ve done same to my f33 last week and didnt put back drain plug, I just left the hole open, you guys think is it gonna be problem in the future ? 🙏

[@leekaiser]

Great video Callum. My left side boot compartment has just flooded, rendering the amp useless. No sound in the car at all. When you replaced the amp, did you go with the same one? Did you have to buy it from BMW? Or did you find elsewhere? Or would be possible to go for another make of amp? Conscious that BMW are likely to take the p*ss on this one…..

[@CallumColes]

Thanks! I did go to an official BMW service centre to fix it and it wasn’t cheap since it’s the H&K amp, £1800… however, BMW contributed £1200. I’m still somewhat tempted to take BMW to court over it to be honest, since it’s an obvious design flaw of a non consumable part that’s caused the car to fail within 6 years, so if I’m not mistaken it should be their responsibility. Let me know how you get on.

[@markperkins384]

@@CallumColes Hi Callum great video!. I also have had the amp blow and will do your fix. I have sent the amp to a company in Rochester for a fix for £235, fingers crossed. If not I will have to go back to bmw. can you let me know which dealer did yours for the reduced fee as I might have to try that if the repair doesnt work! This is clearly a design fault and think BMW should have recalled this!

[@CallumColes]

@@markperkins384 yes, my opinion was that it should have been completely covered. Every manufacturer has a duty to produce goods fit for purpose, so since this fault was there from manufacture it is their fault. I was planning to take them to court! But then managed to sell the car for more than I’d paid anyway, so just let it go. The BMW facility I took it to was Swindon, it’s quite a big centre. Good luck with your fix, fingers crossed 🤞🏼

[@richardt6220]

Hi Callum I have just purchased 68 plate 420i convertible, do U know if this has been fixed on the newer models or do I need to do this also :(

[@CallumColes]

Hi Richard, sorry for the slow reply, had a bit of time off! Is it the same model as this one or the newest version? If it is the newest version, I'm not sure tbh. You should be able to tell though if you have a look at the bottom of the side skirt, if you can see through to the water draining point then you're all good. If not, it's probable that the design flaw is still there...

[@mbut123]

I've a 2016 F32. Not a convertible and doesn't have a sunroof. I pulled the side skirts off over the weekend but couldn't find a drain hole. Presumably its only for convertibles or perhaps cars with sunroof?

[@CallumColes]

Yes think it’s just the convertible, as I understand the fault is because the convertible was designed after the coupe and the bodywork team didn’t leave the drain hole exposed🤦🏼‍♂️

[@lmh-mv3ec]

Do we have to do it on both sides? I am driving a RHD model. Do I have to unscrew the left side skirt too? Also does drilling a hole expose the car body to rusting?

[@deanheath3948]

Hi, Do is it the actual drain plug you drilled the centre out of please, if so would it be easier to do this while you have it out of the car? Brilliant help your video is as my window stopped working and now the roof, removed the rear quarter trim to find the quarter filled with water right up to the top where the window is. 😡

[@CallumColes]

The drain plug was only removed to allow the water to drain and for the plug to be cleaned, no hole was drilled in the drain plug. The holes were drilled in the skirt of the car and the underlining.

[@E9x.M3.Best.M3]

Anyone knows the part number for the drain plugs ??? Cant find it 😮

[@csiistandard]

What symptoms did you see when your amp blew?? Loss of audio from radio/speakers?

[@CallumColes]

I was on a long drive at the time in the rain, the audio started to chop in and out, then stopped completed. When I restarted the car the next day, the warning ‘no warning tones’ showed on the dash

[@davidgeorge2666]

nothing like a bath for electronics, motors, sensors, wiring & it freezes in winter depending where u live. Was all that water in the rear quarter panels & lower section of boot?

[@CallumColes]

Such clever engineering 🤦🏼‍♂️ I never saw the water from the inside of the car, but yes, from the sound of sloshing water while driving, it sounded like that’s where it was located.

[@Nimrahir]

Thanks for this video, has there been any official answers by BMW on this issue ? I am facing the same now with failing window and convertible roof due to water issue :(

[@Nalathepoochon]

I’ve had same issue with my M4, both rear window regulators failed so roof wouldn’t come down, BMW have charged a fortune to replace them. Luckily I managed to save my Amp that was covered in water!! It’s a design fault and BMW have taken no responsibility!!!!

[@henryvillate8492]

This could be a good reason for a recall… it’s a design flaw…

[@albruce10]

Where's the water come in from? Dodgy rear window seals?

[@darrenboston342]

Why didn’t you just remove the whole side skirt, clean all the shite out & then put back🤔 This should be done as a lecture of good well at the dealers!!

[@alfiesmith5836]

Is there gonna be an issues if I just keep the drainage plug out and drill the said hole

[@JeovahLovesYou]

I have almost the same issue,but the water on mine is getting stuck above where the small window stores itself after lowering it! No Idea why

[@CallumColes]

Window door seals can go after a while, so I suspect that is what is happening here. You'll want to get that fixed asap, because it's not something that would be covered by warranty / the obvious design fault shown in my video.

[@ionutdorgo6187]

Does this affect the F31 aswell? I can hear sort of a splashing sound from the passenger side (right side in germany) when it rains

[@CallumColes]

I’m not sure but very possibly, have a look at the underside and see if you can see the drain holes. Even if present, they could be blocked so try and clear them out in this case

[@gbrand5429]

Yeah after seeing this, I've removed mine completely.

[@CallumColes]

Fair play, hope it helps!

[@chrisroberts2115]

Thanks for the vid - Sorry if asked already asked before but why not just leave that plug out completely ? Does it need to be there and keep getting clogged ?

[@CallumColes]

They are meant to be there to keep leaves and things out, the problem is with the bodywork overlapping these drain plugs rather than the drain plugs themselves.

[@chrisroberts2115]

@@CallumColes I understand, but the plug lets a lot of water out once pulled out so must be stopping the water . If I drill a hole worried something may get trapped In that . Will give your solution a go!

[@25252ben]

Isnt this only prone to the convertible models? Never had this issue with my f32 coupe but know its a big issue with the convertible

[@CallumColes]

Yes, typo! Updated the title to F33, cheers:)

[@thelastprime7290]

Do you think the F30 saloons have this same problem?

[@kevinhuggins5074]

Hey great vid! I have done the mod (removed the black bungs either side) however I can still hear water sloshing? Any ideas? Thank you

[@CallumColes]

Thanks! Did water drain out when you removed them? I suspect if this didn't do the trick it will be because water is getting trapped somewhere else, it might be worth a check of the other drain points on this specific car e.g. door. Otherwise, there could be a fault in one of the components, e.g. a/c system, etc.

[@brezdog4623]

Sorry, watching with no sound on a train. Did you drill straight through the bung?

[@christopherjgreaves8937]

Is this just an issue on the f33 convertible or on the f32 coupe as well? Seems mad that a modern has this issue!

[@CallumColes]

I believe it’s just the convertible, but yep completely crazy. Lost my trust that’s for sure, I wasn’t sold on the brand even before I bought this car…

[@ImranHussain-ue4nz]

Did you have to take off the side skirt to access the drain plug?

[@CallumColes]

Hi Imran, yes I did indeed, the side skirt completely blocks the drain plug🤦🏼‍♂️

[@markperkins384]

@@CallumColes could you drill a large hole through the side skirt to get to the plug? I think it might be easiuer than taking the whole skirt out? tempted to do that and remove the plug completely!

[@CallumColes]

@@markperkins384 theoretically you could, but you’d have a job knowing where the plug actually is! The side skirt completely covers it. I think it’s safer to take the side skirt off rather than risk drilling into the wrong part of the car… I’m not a mechanic and found it quite comfortable to take the side skirt off, I wouldn’t go as far to say easy, but certainly not difficult!

[@markperkins5400]

@@CallumColes Thanks i will give that a go first!

[@TwoSnailTom]

Hey, having this exact same issue with my F83 M4. Would you consider selling your 3d printed tool? Thanks

[@Gareth.kellyy]

Hi how does this prevent damage to the amplifier? Many thanks

[@CallumColes]

If the drain isn’t fixed, the water level can rise internally and fry the electronics for the amp

[@dairees1888]

Great video but was your carpets wet inside the car. Because mine are trying to find the problem 👍

[@CallumColes]

Carpets weren't wet no, perhaps a different drainage port has become blocked or your window door seals need replacing?

[@TonyJvideos]

How old is the car btw? I did the mod when I read about people having problems for future-proofing but I didn't have any build-up of water. Mines 2016. Most cases I've heard of seem to be slightly older. Just trying to establish the predicted longevity of the window sealing rubbers.

[@CallumColes]

2017, so not as long lasting as one might hope for!