This bodywork they refer to sounds pretty shabby if they can detect it. Do you know what kind of work was done or the extent of the damage? If the trunk and seal is not aligned properly this could also be a possibility along with the sunroof drains. Maybe look around for a good indy mechanic, the stealerships area over the top on price and they smile and say thank you when you pay them!

 

After the original battery went dead, I replaced it with an Interstate, myself. I highly doubt that replacement would cause the SBT cable failure. The sunroof drain is really small now. There is a crack on the trunk seal, it is on the inside, in the middle. Would that cause a drain???

 

There is a procedure on how to clean the drains. If you search I'm sure it will come up. I believe it requires compressed air and a small tip to channel the air in the tube. Then you need to put some water in the tube after you've cleaned it to check for any further blockage. You should see the water come out, I believe by the wheel well or just behind the rear tires. The crack on your seal may not be a problem at all. You could always get a tube of RTV sealant from the store and put a little in the crack.

 

It sounds like all your problems stem from the drains being plugged up in the roof resulting in having water in the trunk. I think the following information will help. I did not have a water problem in the trunk but the first indication of a leaky sun roof seal is wind noise from that area at higher speeds.

If you open the roof then hold down the wind deflector, you can see a drain hole in the front corner on each side of the opening. It is about 3/8th in diameter and most likely has gunk in each one. You will also see tracks of water running to the back of the roof opening.

IF NOT FIXED, IT COULD COST A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR WIRES AND ELECTRONICS IN THE TRUNK AREA. I would urge you to NOT attempt to seal with any RTV material. The leak is well beyond the crack

The cost of SEAL is $40.00 at your dealer parts dept.. I took me about an hour to replace the seal and initialize the roof.

Go to the following https://5series.net/forums/topic/121...1#entry1424838

 

+1, I wasn't clear. I was actually referring to the trunk sel that the OP states has a small crack. This might be able to be repaired with a sealant. The roof seal is about 40.00, I just bought one to replace mine. I would clearly not make any attempts to repair this seal!

 

+1, I wasn't clear. I was actually referring to the trunk sel that the OP states has a small crack. This might be able to be repaired with a sealant. The roof seal is about 40.00, I just bought one to replace mine. I would clearly not make any attempts to repair this seal!

 

The TSB is # SI B 61 13 06

Item 2 Inspect for Water Leaks.

d. Check: followed by a laundry list. Clogged sunroof drains lead the list, but there's a *long* list of items which can cause the trunk to leak, including the tail lights, and the vent over the battery.

Oh, and BMW directs their tech to use RTV sealant on some types of leak.

BMW continues to deny that this is a defective design, and resist paying warranty claims for the damages...

 

But the airbag indicator is still on, how can I deal with that? I'm wondering if I can find instruction to bypass the BST cable...

 

Sorry Man! I misdirected my response. It should have been a response to the original poster.

 

I guessing the light has to be turned off with a OBD cable and software. A good indy shop should have this. If the problem is not corrected, and the light is cleared, the warring will return. Back in the IBS or somewhere there is a device that will sever the battery cable in case of a roll over. If this system became wet as you described its possible that the dealer is correct and the IBS needs to be replaced.