bruce_miranda

In the UK sunroofs are an expensive option which I will never take. Its just too much hassle for too little gain.

uktourer

Totally agree. I bought my E61 second hand this year and the car was right for me in too many other ways to not go for it. I do also enjoy the natural light you get in the cabin from the big sunroof.

My sunroof is currently broken though with the dreaded seazed mechanism. An independant BMW specialist reckons its the best part of ?2000 to replace after the VAT so it's going to remain broken for now. At least it's no longer leaking though

Patrick E61

I didn't have a choice, and I have no regrets. It completely changes the car, especially in the summer months.

So far, no issues whatsoever with flooding, but I do keep my E61 garaged almost 12 months a year.

I will get my rear suspension compressor hose changed in two weeks, and at the same time, I will ask that the rear drain tubes be cleaned again - just in case.

yeewiz

I didn't have a choice as I bought my car CPO. But if I never open the roof, my drains could never get plugged up, right?

bigbadbull

I the USA we don't have a choise...all come with the Sun roof and XI...

yeewiz

and so I ask again, do I still have to clean out my drains if I NEVER open the roof?

uktourer

And so I will answer

No idea! Who knows how and when dirt gets into the gutters. Presumably it is more likely when the sun roof is open but the glass doesn't make a perfect seal when closed so water still gets in and potentially dirt with it.

It's dead simple to clean them anyway so don't worry. If you want to check whether they are draining properly you can open it and poor water directly into the drains. It should wash straight out behind the rear wheels. You can also do this with the sunroof closed by pooring water on the sunroof and giving the roof pains a little bounce so the water slips more easily through the seals.

yeewiz

thanks, I was afraid you were going to say that. ok, add another maintenance item to the list

obiwan

I believe the answer is yes.

check this thread and the post by old bay

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...=259095&page=5

on the driver (ie exhaust side) you can yank the flapper valve off from below, there is no undercladding to take off

on the passenger side, you need to follow the directions to do it from the inside if you wish to leave the undercladding off

Also pour water on the outside track: VERY important

mmitev

thanks obiwan, this is an excellent thread.

I believe this is the post you are referring to, pasting it below for everyone else here. It explains how you can access and clean the lower end of the rear drain pipes inside the rear bumper and clean any clogging there. (a previous post in this thread here explains how to access the upper end of the drain pipes, for which you have to partly remove the headliner above the luggage compartment):

"DIY Drain Cleaning & other findings...

I also have a 2006 530xiT that has the sunroof leak. Mine was the right rear.

Cleaning the rear drains is an easy DIY, even if you do not remove the headliner. The rear drain tubes run behind the fuse box on the right, in the luggage compartment. There is a small access hole behind the fuse box that you can just barely get your hand into (& I have big hands). It is similarly located on the left. Once you find the drain tube you can either pull it out 1st (it is fastened in place with a rubber "leash" & has a flapper valve on the end that has to fall off, so it is hard to pull out) or go under the car, remove the under cladding, find the tube (it is hard to find) and pull of the flapper valve then. The flapper valves just restrict junk getting out and leads to clogging- at least it did in my xiT. Either way (just pull from inside, or take flapper valve off 1st from below) you can now pull drain tube out of the access hole on the inside of the car. It was clogged. I cleaned out the junk at my end, and then blew into the tube and felt the tube pop when more blockages cleared. I tucked the tube back into the access hole, and through the 1" hole that leads to the bottom of the car, and put the underbody cladding back on.

TESTING:
If the drains work properly, they will drain when water is poured IN THE OUTER CHANNEL ONLY with the sunroof open (as lokking down on an open sunroof). DO NOT pour water into the inner channel as this bypasses the drains and causes water to drain directly into the car, simulating a leak EVEN WHEN THE DRAINS WORK AS SUPPOSED TO.

I believe the design works this way:
The design is that only the outer channels are supposed to direct water. What happens is when the drains clog, the outer channel fills and overflows into the inner channel. The inner channel then drains into the inside of the roof, down the back and into the electronics! When the drains work properly, when the roof is closed, and if the sunroof seals leak, the water falls into the outer channels and drains through the 4 corner drains.

hope this helps.

This is right on the money!!! The right side one was accessible to me from inside as described. The left one was not due to electronic stuff. I just poured a few ounces in the outside track on the left rear of the sunroof and found the exit point...easily located and reachable from under the car (no lift required). This is the best advice I have found on this topic for preventative measures. I have no idea what possible purpose this flapper could serve besides clogging the end of the line and causing trouble. At least the front drain tubes don't have them."