v_therussian

wow, talk about a design flaw! Good write-up, though - thanks for this! I hope you get your car back and that the dealer ends up cutting ya a break on those $700 as well - would be fair IMO, since you cannot service those drains. But hey, its still awesome that they are taking care of 2100 of it

So is there a DIY on this issue?

v_therussian

posted twice, by accident - pls del this one thanks

Patrick E61

Interesting. Good to hear that BMW helped you out.

When I had my rear bumper removed at the dealership last week, the Tech made a point of cleaning these drain "tubes" and they were in fact clogged.

I would not have even known about these tubes without the guy purposely telling me that he would clean them out.

I wonder if there are other tubes? Obviously, the E61 is different than the E60, but I would feel relieved if I could check out any other tubes that drain the sunroof.

narvselius

Anyone knowing if this "tube" has been redesigned...?

Patrick E61

On my E61, there are tubes on both sides that apparently empty somewhere under the rear bumper.

I am not sure how they would actually redesign these.

narvselius

Was thinking more of another way of getting the water out.

Patrick E61

Interesting.

---------------------------

SI B 54 06 06
Special Roofs November 2006
Technical Service

This Service Information bulletin supersedes S.I. B54 06 06 dated August 2006.
designates changes to this revision
SUBJECT
Water Leak from Panoramic Sunroof
MODEL
E53 (X5 SAV), E61 (5 Series Sport Wagon) and E83 (X3 SAV) equipped with Panoramic Sunroof (S402A)
SITUATION
Customer may complain of a water leak from the overhead console area during heavy rain or when driving/parking on a steep slope facing downhill.
CAUSE
Possible Causes:
A. Obstructed or damaged drains or drain tubes.
B. Void in the windshield urethane bead.
C. Excessive gaps between the glass panels and the perimeter seal.
D. Inadequate water management system in the sunroof cassette.
CORRECTION
In case of a customer complaint, inspect various components of the sunroof system. Perform a leak test and then perform the recommended repair based on the outcome of these inspections.
An improved sunroof cassette with an optimized water management system has been implemented in production since 10/05.
The current improved part is available as a complete color keyed cassette as opposed to the bare frame previously available.
PROCEDURE
Inspect for the following causes and perform the applicable repair.
Cause A: (Obstructed drains)
? Inspect the cassette drains and drain tubes for any obstructions or kinks in the tubes.
? If any concerns are found with these items, they should be cleaned/repaired/replaced as necessary.
Cause B: (Windshield sealant)
? Inspect the top edge of the windshield glass for any possible voids in the urethane bead.
? Using water or compressed air may help in locating a leak.
? If any voids are found, the windshield must be replaced.
Cause C: (Excessive panel gaps)
? Inspect the condition of the perimeter seal and the gap clearance between:
1. The sunroof glass and the roof panel.
2. The two glass panels.
3. Note: 5.8 plusmn; 0.3mm gap all around (without seal) is required and can be measured with the special gap tool, P/N 00 9 341, or similar.
? If any excessive gaps are found, adjust the glass panels as per RA 54 13 003.
? If any damage to the perimeter seal is found, replace this seal as per RA 54 13 055 and adjust the glass panels as per RA 54 13 003.
Cause D: (Inadequate water management)
? If no fault could be found with causes 1-3, perform the following actions:
1. If the vehicle was produced before 10/2005, replace the sunroof cassette per RA 54 13 080
If the vehicle was produced after 10/2005, do not replace the cassette but still perform the following countermeasures.
Note: The cassette available is the color-keyed updated cassette, complete with headliner and glass panels.
2. Apply light electrical contact grease on to all the electrical connectors and emergency call (SOS) switch in the front interior light console. The surface area must be cleaned as necessary.
3. Replace the perimeter seal as per RA 54 13 055.
4. Install the absorbent pad kit as per the instructions provided in the appropriate Absorbent pad kit attachment.
Note: This kit must be installed exactly as shown in the attachment for maximum effectiveness.
5. Perform additional sealing operation as described in the Cassette Sealing attachment.
6. Initialize sunroof per Repair Instruction 54 0 ...
7. Water test to ensure proper water management.
PARTS INFORMATION
Part Number Description Quantity
54 13 7 184 903 E53 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Light Grey 1
54 13 7 184 904 E53 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Light Beige 1
54 13 7 185 572 E53 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Anthracite 1
54 10 7 185 573 E53 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Pastel Green
54 10 3 436 363 E83 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Anthracite 1
54 10 3 435 213 E83 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Basalt Grey 1
54 10 3 435 217 E83 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Light Beige 1
54 10 3 436 311 E83 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Grey 1
54 13 7 184 899 E61 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Grey 1
54 13 7 184 900 E61 Panoramic Sunroof Cassette ? Beige 1
83 23 0 149 149 Electrical contact grease (NyoGel 760G) 1
52 20 3 421 311 E53 Felt Pad 5
51 48 8 211 922 E53 Roof Insulation Material 1
52 20 3 421 311 E61/E83 Felt Pad 2
54 13 7 180 747 E61/E83 Foam Pad 1
54 13 7 072 786 Perimeter Seal ? E53/E61/E83 1
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Covered under the terms of the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Defect Code Refer to KSD

Labor Operation: Refer to KSD

Labor Allowance: Refer to KSD

ATTACHMENTS
view PDF attachment B540606E53_Repair_Procedure.
view PDF attachment B540606E83_Repair_Procedure.
view PDF attachment B540606E61_Repair_Procedure.
view PDF attachment B540606Cassette_Sealing.

[ Copyright ? 2006 BMW of North America, LLC ]

Patrick E61

The E61 sunroof drain tubes were re-designed on all cars built after 10/2005.

Not good for me.

jrbmwenthusiast

You're welcome. There're a lot of helpful guys on this site that can be a real godsend. I hope it continues to work out for you.

unlimited90

just fyi, the same happened to my car about 8 months ago. but, i got it covered under my warranty. i believe its design defect like others have pointed out.