wet carpet on driver's side floor

[workingonit]

The hole had headliner material inside it, so I had to dig it out to get the allen wrench in. Once in, I turned it a couple of turns in one direction, with no apparent movement of the glass, then three turns the other way, causing the rear of the glass to lift.

I tried turning it a little more, but the allen wrench seemed stuck, not turning easily (and I feared that I was forcing it to move in the wrong direction, or I would wallow out the hex fitting, and would never be able to use the wrench again), so I did what I said I wouldn't, and put the fuse back in and tried the controls (for the first time ever).

I tried the "reset" procedure I saw on a couple of YouTube videos, where you press the button in the center, and hold it there for 30 seconds. The glass moved back and forth a few inches, but never closed. Left with no choice, I used the buttons to open/close and got better results. I was able to open it far enough to examine the mechanism and drain holes.

I cleaned and lubricated the tracks on both sides, and the sunroof worked great after that, so I opened it again and went to work on the drain holes. I checked the rear ones with a can of compressed air, and saw bubbles in the water I had poured in the sunroof...then the water came out as it should (they weren't plugged).

The left front (suspected-to-be-plugged) didn't respond to the canned air, so I tried inserting my .155" trimmer line (first downward, but it was too stiff to go in more than an inch), then upwards from the drain exit (only two feet of line went in, before jamming). I didn't have any other flexible line to try, so I pulled out my air compressor.

I set the pressure to 30 psi, and had no luck, so I raised it to 75 psi and tried it...I saw a stream of water exit the bottom outlet, success. Poured in some more water to see it flow straight out. Great! Then, I tried the other drain by pouring some more water in, and I showed no stoppage at all, so I was good to go.

Following the successful servicing of the sunroof, I used the power to close it, and I pulled the fuse. I'm going to use 3M Clear Paint Protection Vinyl film to seal the sunroof forevermore. My HHR Panel came with that film on its' rear fenders (on the leading edge), and it has protected them now for 13 years. I expect at least half that life on the roof of the X5, but will probably replace it in 2-3. No more leaks.

I also watched water flow off the roof & windshield down to where I patched the gaps in the body seals (shown in previous photos). All the water goes into the hood channels, and none disappears into the firewall "hole" on both sides. It may have been unnecessary, but why not try everything I can to keep water out?

P.S. I had to remove my home-built "roof rack" to work on the sunroof, and to clean the sunroof and rooftop itself. Sitting under oak tress sure makes a mess of the paint, IMO. I'll need to make removal/reinstallation of the rack simpler, after I apply the protective film.

[Effduration]

that much pressure can easily blow the hose off the drain pan connector...It's a pain to re-attach, possibly requiring the dropping of the headliner...Glad it worked out

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by workingonit

...I'm going to use 3M Clear Paint Protection Vinyl film to seal the sunroof forevermore. My HHR Panel came with that film on its' rear fenders (on the leading edge), and it has protected them now for 13 years. I expect at least half that life on the roof of the X5, but will probably replace it in 2-3. No more leaks....

I sealed the sunroof around the perimeter, starting with with 36" of film on front and back edges, then 23" on the sides (actually 23" on the driver's side, and only 20" on the right). I should've ordered a longer roll, and cut the strips before I applied them...and found out I was shorted 3".

Anyway, the 6" wide strips cover 3" of glass and 3" of roof, so every edge and corner has plenty of coverage. The shorted side still gives me full coverage as-is, so I'm not too unsatisfied (I might not have stretched it as much as I could've).

I'm letting it sit under two layers of mover's blankets, while it cures, for at least 48 hours, shielded from sun, wind, and of course oak tree debris. I expect it to be just fine in two days, and then I'll re-mount my home-built roof rack.

Another item to fabricate, for further roof top protection (first was the roof rack, second was clearing sunroof drains/sealing the sunroof) will be to modify/attach a 6'x8' reflective tarp to the rack, while sitting in the sun and subject to oak tree debris and T-storms. The rack is 48"W x 54"L (with 8" upraised front and side rails), so a 6'x8' tarp should fill the bill nicely.

[workingonit]

from another thread:
dated 8-17-2026
Well, I jinxed myself by boasting about my "fix". I was outside, cleaning my HHR Panel, and two trucks, as well, because they had lotsa sand and dust, but the X, having been unused since fall, had the most. My house is on top of a hill of sand, my backyard and rear driveway are unfettered by grass, so with zero rain for at least 1.5 months, all needed at least a quick shower (the X5's windows were opaque).

When I used "jet" spray setting across the X's roof, the rear edge of the PPF lifted, and tore off. I guess the 3-year estimated lifetime of the PPF had been greatly exceeded over 5 years in Texas sun. The Taylor indoor/outdoor thermometer outside my window (not touching any surface) reads 109F right now at 1730, down from 114F at 1530. I picked up the piece of PPF that tore off, and it's quite brittle.

So, tomorrow a.m., I'm removing the roof rack so I can clean the roof and sunroof glass, in preparation for PPF application #2. You never know when or if a pop-up T-storm will hit (always when you don't need nor expect a drenching rain, though we could certainly use the moisture), so a prompt repair ASAp is required.

Though this week is expected to be well over 100F (as it has been mostly, all aug & july), next week will be worse, according to forecasts. Might as well get it over with!

today, 8-19-2026
Unbolted my roof rack and had my wife help me remove it (no longer can lift it off cleanly, from one side), then washed and scrubbed nearly 5 years of stubborn dirt and peeling clear coat from roof and sunroof glass. What I thought was the edge of the PPF tearing loose wasn't it at all, but a large chunk of clear coat.

I carefully cleaned the PPF with mild soapy water and a microfiber towel (haven't been able to wash it since I built the rack over it, with only about 2" of clearance); when gently rinsing, I saw soap bubbles in the PPF directly over the rubber seal...so there is a need to remove and replace the old PPF (though the micro-crack in the PPF was enlarged/exacerbated by my cleaning, it is now toast, but the rubber seal kept today's water out).

I previously applied the '21 PPF on a pleasant October morning, in the shade (maybe 75F-80F). That's well within the conditional range spec'd by the MFG.
Now, I'm having to modify the soap formulation for hot weather (more soap/distilled water/refrigerated until use), make dual platforms to enable my wife to help this time (she's short, I'm semi-crippled), and start just after sunrise, to finish ASAP. She's got Dr's appt's tomorrow am, and a scheduled brunch with her girlfriends the next am, so it looks like Sat morning (probably 80F at start, finishing within 1.5 hours, before the roof gets to 120F).

[workingonit]

Skipped Friday, didn't feel well, so Saturday morning 8-22, I got the wife up at 7am, and we went out to the X. I had prepared both the soap and slip formulationa Friday, refrigerated all (3x16oz bottles of each: 16oz of distilled water mixed with 12-14 drops of generic baby shampoo for the Soap, and 14oz water with 2oz of 70% isopropyl alcohol for the Slip solution). I used separate spray bottles for each.

I made so much solution, fearing rapid evaporation, but ended up only using 1/3. i'm leaving the remainder in the fridge (my fridge, not the main one), so if I have to apply more PPF soon (re-seal the sunroof, or maybe on the headlights of one of our vehicles), it'll be ready to go. Maybe I should label the 16oz bottles, before the wife grabs one as a bottled water?

I had pre-cut the 60" roll into 2x30", and the 84" in half, also. I used thesee Sunroof glass dimensions

so I could have plenty of PPF on each side of the glass.

With my wife standing in the bed of her GMC (which I had backed up as close as I could to the BMW, so she could easily reach the midpoint of the sunroof), and I on a Gorilla Ladders 3-Step Pro-Grade Steel Step Stool, that I set up on the 3/4" treated plywood I use as my outdoor automotive workbase, we were able to start at 710am and finish by 750am, before the ambient temperature reached 90F. Without any shade or cover, I had to trust the heating of the roof to flash dry the liquid under the PPF, and activate the adhesive, not gradually as instructions call for, but what else could I do?

I went out every couple of hours to check for bubbles, sliding, or edge curling, but only saw a 1/4" diameter bubble under where one strip of PPF craosses over another. It wouldn't squeegee out, so it is where it is (with double PPF over it, I'm not worried).

This morning, about 10am, I had the wife assist me in lifting the roof rack back over the side-rails, and let her go inside after only 10 minutes, Meanwhile, I adjusted the rack, re-tightened fasteners that had loosened up when I removed it, and used U-bolts to secure it in place. Another 20 minutes. Now, I don't have to worry about oak tree debris, hail (ha, it never rains anymore), or my semi-feral cats getting on the PPF or damaging the glass.

I probably need to make a hinged fixture to mount the wire-shelving roof rack, so I can lift it away from the roof enabling me to clean and inspect the sealed sunroof. Previously, for five years, I've used a jet spray to just rinse the roof clean (not really), and inspect the PPF up there more closely.