How to fix a sunroof water leak in your BMW (full details) - step by step

[@ejmatthews9718]

GOOD JOB MATE well done this is Exactly what I ask my BMW dealer to FIX on my 2008 750li. I even told them to watch the Video and do it. They called me a day later and said we need to take your roof liner down and all sorts of BULL SHIT and cost was going to be $550 just to start the job. They then said I may need a new Sunroof Casing. I TOLD THEM TO GO POUND SALT. This is a Simple Fix and I will prob Jack up my car tomorrow and fix it my self in 1 hour.

[@RomboutVersluijs]

I would have told you can find a different customer to screw over and walk straight out

[@cliveanderson6988]

I've been scratching my head for weeks with frustration. I've been drying the seat and sitting on plastic daily (not pleasent at all), but this video points to the exact problem and how to resolve. Seems like a lot of work to resolve a silly thing, but obviously necessary if I want to 'Stay Dry'. ... Can't thank you enough for your knowledge and creating this video. Guess what I'll be doing today!!!

[@ecologicaltime]

thank you

[@octaviasunderland2677]

Thank you for this! I got a BMW and this has happened to me several times. Told the guy who sold it to me and he said some stupid excuse like "DiD yOu ClOsE tHe SuNrOoF?" 😒 I'm gonna fix it my damn self now.

[@ReaIisticDad]

You are an absolute gem I just got to work right now(work at autozone) and never knew this was a diy problem I’m gonna go back home and fix this same exact problem thank you

[@damienmackenna469]

Yes good advice in video but try this first. On older cars the rubber seal around the glass sunroof can perish slightly allowing water to seep in and collect in the drain basin sitting underneath the perimeter of the sunroof housing. I had an internal floor saturation problem and brought car to main dealer. All they wanted was to charge me big bucks to have a look. They gave me the impression they had fixed the issue but recently in heavy rain the carpeting became saturated again. I discovered that the front left drainage duct of the sunroof basin was blocked because there was pooling when the car was parked on a slope in that direction when the leak occurred. Normally the car is parked outside house with slope in direction of right side duct and so it is not usually a problem. The front ducts have a right angle bend and it's difficult to feed a flexy wire into the openings. Having thought about how to clear the blockage an idea came to me to use air pressure to release it. I bought a bicycle tube with a compatible car tube valve and cut the valve off leaving a rubber margin circle of about an inch diameter. I went to the local service station and used the tyre inflator pump to push air through the duct using the compatible bicycle tube valve as a facing against the duct entrance hole to allow air to flow through it. I tested the process by pouring water into the sunroof basin and water flowed down the duct with the evidence of water on the ground underneath the car. This is the best way to ensure these ducts are serviceable and can be done so easily without any significant cost. It's no harm to push air through all 4 corner ducts to avoid potential blockage on an annual basis particularly if prone to debris collection while sunroof open.

[@Terriwestcarter]

Thanks for this! I’m not in a position to take wheels off or afford a mechanic so this is great 👍🏻. Thanks 🙏🏻

[@jbabi82]

You just saved me $175 for this repair!! Thank you!!!

[@goncaloferreira3295]

Great video! But you should say what model we are talking about. After a long time removing front wheel cover (I don't have a jack to take out the wheel) I didn't find the drain exit on my E90. After some more search on BMW forum E90post I found its behind the side under cover. It's actually an easier job then in your car. According to comments on that forum E91 is equal to E90, and E92 is behind fenden liner like yours. Please put version on title and description next time. Still, thanks for all the work on sharing your findings.

[@ecologicaltime]

sorry i added the model. My mistake. e65 7 series

[@goncaloferreira3295]

@@ecologicaltime Thanks! I know it was all in good intention. Nice car :)

[@J27M]

I love the strong South African accent from a strong new Zealand accent

[@usurper762]

Jah me too my broo

[@kensmith2021]

I can’t find your video explaining how to replace /adjust the sunroof strip seal. Also do you have a video regarding rear sunroof drains

[@LaynesAddiction]

Hey do you know if there are any other drains for the sunroof? Are there rear drains? If so where are they and are they able to be cleaned and accessed without taking it in?

[@antonio.derosas]

Another methodical problem solving tutorial. Cheers

[@PaulDrummer1]

Do you have a video of the first repair where it leaks through the column?

[@kiro1990122]

Your videos are always very helpful. Thank you!

[@PigeonF16]

Excellent video; best on the topic that I've seen. How many total weep drains in the BMW 3-series? I see four for the sunroof and two in the engine compartment that you cleaned out. Any others? Thanks again for a great video.

[@fabiensachy3425]

You just saved me 80euro for this repair!! Thank you!!!

[@johng.4434]

Gonna try this today, my carpet on the driver side is wet. Thanks for the video.

[@someguy2312]

How did it work bro? What was the exact issue

[@Bloom0to9]

thanks mate. why does the plugs/filters need to be back on? They look like they would help to clog the system up

[@ecologicaltime]

good point. not sure

[@WeBeeJamming]

Because if you leave them on, you will never get to see your friends at the dealership.....

[@ashtonsartattic8603]

@@WeBeeJamming keeps bees from nesting

[@nounou7830]

Thanks for the great video 👍👍👍 Any ideas where the back canals are ? Got the same problem in the back 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@mannlinford2411]

Hi I need ur help desperately,like u showed in video of blocked drains of front side . I unclogged like u siad in the video , but still I'm getting water leaks on rear roof side. Is there some drain holes on the back of the roof top side ?

[@JJsAutomotive]

Thank you for a well filmed and insightful video.

[@kevinyapmk]

Very thorough.. very informative. Thks very much. Will attempt this soon..

[@TheVinnyW]

Thank you for the video. Fixed sunroof leak and clogged pipe on my 7 series today, not too difficult. Wonder what I would have been charged at a garage?

[@ecologicaltime]

1,5 hour labour plus consumables

[@djyems1021]

Which 7 series?

[@westbay5858]

Is 328i e90 same with weeping vents and location?

[@Mustang60]

Do you have a simular video about cleaning the rear sunroof drains of an F11? If these are clogged, the trunk will be under water. And at the lowest point of the trunk there is a lot of electronic equipment which does not like water. .

[@bongsmvila6284]

Where is the first video that u were referring to ? Or have u made a new one ?

[@alfredmayes5005]

Question: was the water getting in through the sunroof? Secondly, did you have to replace the seal on the sunroof?

[@giselars7705]

Thank you so much! I did not get any info anywhere else, where the drainage is. Thx

[@JuhaAaltonen]

Good video. Now i know how to fix this same problem on our BMW.

[@joeydee7377]

Please send me the link to changing the seal thank you

[@josephgraham1065]

Just wondering if there are also back drains in sunroof compartment?

[@photovideooz4084]

BMW designed a drainage system on sun roof, should it be just sealed with rubber?

[@pgprentice]

Thanks for informative video. Are you from Natal?

[@ecologicaltime]

jhb

[@timbre7999]

Excellent video, very clear

[@atomicdetailsoc]

you should really use a jack stand adapter so you don't ruin the molds under the car, everything else is well done. good job.

[@BMW750MG]

You are angel thank you so much for this gonna work on my when I get a chance def will solve my issue my entire interior got wet but now thanks to you it will be solved appreciate it soooo much all the best 🙏✊💪

[@stephenpato5524]

Dope video once again! How much is that sunroof seal, did you every replace it? On another note, love the Alpinas. Can you recommend a place in Jhb where I can get them in the correct e65 offsets?

[@ecologicaltime]

thanks, the mags are tricky, there are a lot of fakes and i eventually had to contact Alpina in Germany to get their opinion on whether the mags were original. And guess what they were not... i just stick to the OEM BMW mags now

[@chazshier]

6:07 it's just sand and dead leaves. It's basically humus. Hilarious

[@francogonzalez2043]

I think the hose thar runs through pillar A is broken. I already cleaned them and water runs freely all the way, but is still flooding my car. Is there any tutorial on how to change that hose? I couldnt find any

[@supremevikingfirshizzle120]

Currently have a similar issue on my e82 but not sure if it is the window washer bottle or the sunroof

[@AS-ig7ef]

Hi does anyone knows if the location of the down part of the drain is same for BMW X5 E70?

[@LaynesAddiction]

Definitely garage vehicles, thanks for the tutorial! Solved my issues

[@mannlinford2411]

Thank u so much this actually helped me

[@Xpress_Graphix]

Hi and thanx for the DIY, does this fix apply for X5s?

[@saidouassini8887]

same issue with x5 2014

[@cdrmanjurhossain7318]

Excellent video

[@dongreen2820]

Hey Nathan, great informative video like always! Have a quick question related to my 04 330i model. Having trouble with my AC compressor not kicking on which is brand new? I’ve changed the wire plug into the compressor, tried a different AC sensor, tried a different pressure switch, and nothing? I have found that the very top row of my fuses in the glove box not working but the bottom ones all work?? A little fed up I’m sorry to say... any ideas?? Thanks

[@ecologicaltime]

if you are missing power on a whole row of fuses you will need to trace the wiring to see what feeds that row. It maybe a relay. I think there is a relay box near the firewall of the car and sometimes it gets wet and this happens.

[@dongreen2820]

ecologicaltime Thank you so much... I’ll check out those relays and see if I can find a bad one... thx again !!

[@SeanScarbrough]

All drain holes are clear and connected well. The water seems to be dripping on my pass side visor light. Removed the front corner headliner, pored water, leak seems to be coming form the cassette or above the corner of the actual cassette. Has anyone seen this before?

[@Passionate747]

Very nice video thanks for posting it.

[@JackRR15]

My sunroof drains aren't clogged and my tube is connected to the sunroof drain hole but somehow water gets past the tube? Just a very minimal amount few drops. and wets the headliner.

[@ecologicaltime]

hole in the tube? or leak by Windscreen?

[@texasking648]

Hey, In my 2010 528i, I have water leak from the rear passenger headliner. What would be the best place to look for the leak. Specially, after the rain my passenger side back sit and floor gets full of water. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

[@jvg988]

Hi , i have this exact same issue with 2004 e83 x3, did you manage to solve this by now?

[@jaeeaux1989]

J vG I have the exact issue on my car...same model as you. There’s also mysterious water accumulating in the boot (little container thing near the boot door...someone said it might be linked to the windscreen water thing but I’m not sure

[@jvg988]

Jae Eaux - the passenger side door I have fixed, it was the water block in the rear door - just remove the door panelling and re- attach the water stop (in my case it was torn)

[@jvg988]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ-7g6WvoLpjfac

[@Vincegould]

Awesome accent! Thanks!

[@RomboutVersluijs]

Kinda weird. That plastic cover of that roof sheep hole actually causes it to be blocked. Why did they even made a cross shapes extit and such a shape. That will block any solid part getting in there?!!

[@bonnita8034]

Is that area of the car in the right hand side? Because I just took the left(passenger) side apart and cannot find this😩😩

[@ecologicaltime]

on e65 its on both sides

[@joeyc2490]

really helpful video! Thanks

[@israelramirez9352]

Can this cause damage to your bmw ?

[@jeffreywin584]

Excellent!

[@jerrydninja]

For f30 328i with sunroof, remove oh sh*t handle,drop sun visor, and pull down door weather strip. Drop headliner a bit. Disconnect corrugated tube. Blow air through corrugated tube to force obstruction out the drain valve in door jamb. Pour water down drain to test drainage then put everything back to original condition. Pour water in rain channel to test. Use some damprid or equivalent dehumidifier for a bit if windows get fogged up. Keep these drains clean by blowing them out every oil change to prevent any future problems. Just my .10

[@mollybags455]

Great job sir!

[@josemario1606]

I have a 325i 2006, same process?

[@sunshine212]

thank you sir !

[@lenin2780]

Excelent job

[@Sebastian__Garcia]

Excelente video. Me ahorraste mucho dinero. Muchas gracias por compartir.

[@egonnagy7954]

There is water at rear wheels leading pipe

[@311superfly]

A differn't situation. Yes keeps us BMW owners .busy.

[@armenianman5826]

Thank you

[@realboi6980]

Thanks

[@cherrelleg8276]

It's easier to put weed wacker twin from the top to try to work the clog out first. If that don't help then try taking the wheel off etc

[@johnnyrosser8307]

from the top of the sun roof if so which side?

[@sladegerman]

Genius I was trying to think of wtf I could stick through the entire thing

[@pruthveshchaudhari6820]

Shall i buy a car with out sunroof or with sunroof ?

[@ansv3340]

No sunroof, its useless piece of shit )) as u never use it,

[@gtarules1]

I thought you were going to poke through the sunroof drains to clean them out lol but showed the engine compartment mostly I cleaned these already, but I'm sure I'll have to poke through the sunroof drains, because water is pouring in from the A pillar.

[@ahmeds.l9551]

good job thank you

[@danigirl22]

Where is the video where you replace the seal?

[@ecologicaltime]

that was not a good video so i took it down

[@danigirl22]

@@ecologicaltime could you make one please ❤

[@mannlinford2411]

I want that video too

[@TheodoreAndor]

Mooi man

[@johnsolo1989]

2:45 is great 😂

[@David-kv5kk]

Love it open hea!

[@YOLOnyc]

Ohhh, at 13:18 *you scared the little bug away with your finger!*

[@lsatq]

Shouldn't you vacuum first then spray. You're just getting more stuff down there.

[@ecologicaltime]

yes, also good.

[@mohammadtawhid7139]

EXCELLENT indian

[@alexandervega3750]

Is just a Jonás sense. How many little issue la bmw luxury cars. Have. Sensors not working , soft close doors , doors actuators, shades, battery drain etc….,,,,,

[@Alphamale_Formen]

Everything was perfect until you applied grease in that compartment. Always use oil. Grease after several sun burns gets to be hard and compact, making the sunroof get stuck totally, resulting to a dire problem that makes it to be an issue of pulling down the whole sunroof with its rails to clean

[@Ricardo77595]

This is why you need to put your car in a garage

[@egonnagy7954]

?

[@wonderwalls3565]

And people complain about Chinese products.

[@BonoBunBun]

Why does he moan and groan after everytime he does something

[@ecologicaltime]

cos my BMW is sexy

[@peteyesco]

ecologicaltime lol, ya sexy beast.

[@daveg-Vancouver_Island]

Why would they make the drain at the end the way they do? It’s obviously a huge problem, why’s it shaped like an X with barely any way for debris to escape!!

[@kensmith2021]

I can’t find your video explaining how to replace /adjust the sunroof strip seal. Also do you have a video regarding rear sunroof drains