jaycal3

Thankfully I get an email notification on these threads since I have been off the E60 board for quite some time now... I have moved on to (IMHO) bigger better and greener pastures, jumping ship into an Audi S5 - a dream to own and drive so far. I forgot what it was like to drive a car without some type of electrical issue or check engine problem! Anyway, back to the drain issue... If I recall correctly the drains are under the cabin microfilter boxes and go down into the wheel wells... you have to look above for a semi description of how to access it or you can look up my old thread entitles something like "...the worst day in my short BMW life..." or something like that. Sounds dramatic I know, but honestly it turned into the worst 2-3 yrs with 3-4 floods and a car that ended up being totalled out by my insurance after clearing ALL the drains and replacing all the vapor barriers in the doors... water testing, new interior(s) and all new sensors and modules on numerous occasions... Take it for what its worth, but water + electronics = disaster... I would find a way to sell now.

H F

If anyone has had damage due to sunroof drain issues . A class action has been filed to force a recall, and possible refunds for those without a warranty that had to pay out of pocket for repairs. Here is the thread over at bimmerfest. Sunroof Drain Clog - Flood - Page 14 - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

tonyb635

You know it's one thing when there is a leak due to failed or defective system, but when the drains are clogged because of debri dirt etc I think that might be a little different. It almost like never washing your car then complaining after a few years that the paint is no longer shinny. I would be interested in hearing if those who had their car since new and know the facts about how it was cared for etc. I've never had a leak but car is always in my garage. If a seal needs replacing I replace it. I saw a rear window seal replacement thread a while back and was shocked how someone could even let that seal get to the situation it was in. Absolutely amazing... At the end of the day I see those that join the CALS maybe receiving just a few bucks and the sharks laughing all the way to the bank.

jaycal3

Tony,
While I agree with you to some extent, and certainly do not think the CALS will go anywhere, I can tell you that my car was always garaged, meticulously maintained, and even after clearing all the drains in the car it continued to leak/flood... BMW water tested the vehicle for over a week and could only say they could not figure out where the water was coming in from. Design flaw for sure... When a car is designed with such precision and care only to have drains back up into the exact side of the passenger compartment all the sensors and electronics are on is just plain ludicrous. My flood incident(s) all occurred while parked at work or during normal driving... hence the totalling by my insurance company. This is a huge problem with BMW's as you can see by the number of threads like this. I loved that car and almost got back into one.... I just couldnt do it and I am glad I eneded up where I am... but I should have gotten rid of the 545i way sooner and saved myself the agravation. Once electronics are wet, Gremlins will appear weeks, month, years down the road... period.

H F

In my opinion I believe its a design flaw in the rear sunroof drain . The engineers put a stupid rubber piece at the end of the drain hose. That 2 cent rubber piece is the culprit for thousands of dollars worth of repairs to bmw owners. Bmw has no documentation on the owner manuels that informs e60 owners of such drains need to be cleaned out and maintained.
We as e60 owners have no idea that the drains need cleaning and no way of knowing until the drains clog and fry the electronics in the trunk.. There is nothing that indicates this on any maintenance schedule. Or have they disclosed a procedure on how to . So if BMW has failed to inform e60 owners of drain cleaning ,did not include it as part of the scheduled maintenance, how are we supposed to know this. So I really think this is legit. If BMW would of left out that rubber piece on the end of the rear hose like they left it out on the front drains ,people would of never had these problems of fried modules. This is a total brain fart of BMW engineers that has caused the problems.

I also garage my car and sits in there all week and rarely is parked out side over nite.. After seeing water stains on my head liner. I got proactive moved my modules , and then found and cleaned out my rear drains. At the bottom of the drain hose the rubber piece was clogged with small leaf pieces mixed with dirt and grime.The only way to get to it is by removing the rear wheels and taking out the fender well covers. BMW should have included this as part of their maintenance program. This is the culprit of the problem and where BMW has made a mistake that has caused problems for some e60 owners.

tonyb635

Well that was kinda my point, if its a design problem then we all would have the issue. Now you ARE scaring me when you say your car is also garaged etc. Like I mentioned, I don't have the problem and at the moment I'm seriously looking for wood to knock on! Some of the threads I;ve read talk about trash in these drains and lines. I am curious how and where it comes from if the cars are being kept in the garage. If my wife drives mine to her office, there is always leaves and bird shit all over it when she returns. I am sure she never opens the SF, so I can't imagine how it could get in there. HF, this is why I am also curious about those who have this problem and purchased the car second hand. Some might keep it in the garage now, but perhaps the damage has already started. I bought mine with 19K and I can't say anything about it's life and the care it had prior to me taking it. So now an 08 with 80K and no leaks. I have cleaned (or I guess I have) the drains with water and compressed air. Everything seems to work ok. Now I am sure if there was a deteriorated transfer hose or something not connected that would be an ugly problem. I did have a 330 many years ago and the passenger floor was always wet. It turned out to be something in the AC system where the water is collected before it is discharged in the drain hose. There was a crack in the tank or what ever it was.

H F

Actually I was surprised that my drains were getting clogged. If u have cleaned out your drains u should be okay. Just make it a routine to check 'em regularly. Another thing I would suggest is to relocate the modules under the spare tire is the best thing u can do to avoid them getting fried, even if something spills in the trunk it can cause damage. so its better to be safe and move them out from there.I heard some of the later models,, bmw no longer installed that rubber piece that clogs but not sure which year that was. That piece needs to be removed or cut back and make a bigger hole , that's what I did. I suggest u check the rear drains in your car and either take that rubber piece off or cut it bigger like I did. That will solve the issue.. I suggest everyone do this to avoid all the problems it can cause ,