water leak in 2007 E53 X5

[babyblue998]

I'm desperate, I'm hoping you guys can help

I've got a major leak in the my E53 X5 2007 but I don't know where from, i do not have a sunroof of any kind, I've tried to some major research and can't find anything, Monday morning at around 4 o'clock, I was was awoke by the alarm going off and a dead battery, managed to shut the alarm up and went back to bed, did some research and was told about the hedgehog resistor that could have drained the battery and caused the alarm to go off but was told to charge battery and check the fuse first, so I opened the glove box and it was full to brim with water, I don't mean wet, literally fish could live in there!! I sucked it all out with a carpet cleaner and this morning its back again, this time, the car hadn't even moved, its parked facing down hill, this must be caused simply by rain water, anyway, this morning I got the carpet cleaner out again and was trying to dry out the carpet and decided to remove some of the trim and lift the carpet slightly in the passenger footwell and underneath was at least an inch thick of water sloshing around in the footwell, the rear and the driver side is bone dry! the inside of all doors are dry and no proof of condensation so I'm pretty confident it isn't come from any door seals or windows in the doors? the central locking on the button in the centre console and using the key no longer works either but everything else appears to working

 

any idea where this could be coming from? please help! I'm at my wits end

[Greydog]

Hi Donna

Welcome to the Forum

Have you had the windscreen replaced ? I had the screen replaced on my X5 and a few months later first heavy rain and I was in a similar state 

Windscreen refitted FOC by the same company and no further leaks, just keep your fingers crossed water hasn't got somewhere it shouldn't and caused damage in the electrics

Check the scuttle area make sure there is no build up of leaves and debris that could let water build up and get in through the pollen filter if clear I suspect the screen.

Dave

[babyblue998]

16 minutes ago, Greydog said:

Hi Donna

Welcome to the Forum

Have you had the windscreen replaced ? I had the screen replaced on my X5 and a few months later first heavy rain and I was in a similar state 

Windscreen refitted FOC by the same company and no further leaks, just keep your fingers crossed water hasn't got somewhere it shouldn't and caused damage in the electrics

Check the scuttle area make sure there is no build up of leaves and debris that could let water build up and get in through the pollen filter if clear I suspect the screen.

Dave

 

16 minutes ago, Greydog said:

Hi Donna

Welcome to the Forum

Have you had the windscreen replaced ? I had the screen replaced on my X5 and a few months later first heavy rain and I was in a similar state 

Windscreen refitted FOC by the same company and no further leaks, just keep your fingers crossed water hasn't got somewhere it shouldn't and caused damage in the electrics

Check the scuttle area make sure there is no build up of leaves and debris that could let water build up and get in through the pollen filter if clear I suspect the screen.

Dave

Hi Dave, thank you for your reply, I’m afraid I don’t know, I only bought it on Saturday! I’m getting the front seat out today, the glove box is out and the fuse boxes etc behind there are soaked 😳 I’m so upset by the whole thing, an X5 had always been my dream car and it’s quickly turning into a nightmare! I’m taking out the seat and the carpets later, I’ll get underneath and check the scuttle area but to be honest, it’s coming from above for sure, once I’ve got everything out, I’m going to let off some smoke pellets in there and see if I can see where they are coming from and tackle the situation! 

[Greydog]

Morning Donna

Did you buy private? or from a Dealer ?

The scuttle area is under the bonnet ahead of the wipers. it has the engine main fuse relay and DDE in sealed box above the inside fuse box. The plastic tray/trim that houses it should have drains in the bottom check them. Check the pollen filter housing centre of the same tray/trim that is where fresh air gets in so if drains there are clogged or the filter is clogged/soaked it could be the source. 

For what it's worth my screen leak was tiny but the amount of water that came in wasn't 

Dave

[babyblue998]

Thanks Dave, we checked all that today and pollen filter was bone dry, the scuttle areas all debri free, we think we’ve found the issue, we think it’s the roof rails, the passenger side is quite loose, we’re going to have to take the entire of the interior out as it’s completely soaked, the carpets are an inch thick and there sodden! Head liners going to come down, Pillars off and we’re going to smoke bomb and see exactly where it’s coming from

[Greydog]

Fingers crossed Donna maybe you will get to enjoy your X5 soon 😁

Dave