Air Suspension Watery Grave

[McBegby]

I have a 2003 M57 3.0d E53 UK spec right hand drive with rear air suspension.
I’ve had the “self levelling air susp.inactivate” dash error pop up.
Any time I take a right hand bend I have a buzzer go off under the footwell near the FSR.
I’ve pulled the back apart, and found the battery well swimming pool.
I’ve drilled some holes in the plastic battery housing compartment so it doesn’t flood again.
I’ve checked the air suspension module housed in there, it looks toast.
I’ve ordered a new one as close to the year / same part number as mine.
Hoping I don’t have to code everything in/out, hoping a few days with the battery disconnect, it’ll forget about it all with a new working module plugged in.
Now to find the source of the water leak….

[Henn28]

Common causes of rear leaks are failed tail light gaskets. Not sure what sun roof you have, but they can cause leaks too from the drain lines. Maybe the pano roof can get water into the battery well, but I don't think the standard roof could (which I have).

[McBegby]

Thanks, I have the wife primed to hose the car down with my inside watching like a fish in a bowl watching for where water comes from.
I just have the standard sunroof.
We moved house recently and the E53 is parked on a steep driveway with the front higher than the rear so I think that’s how it’s come noticeable.

[McBegby]

So… it looks like it’s the sunroof drain from initial tests. I now need to research dropping the headliner to take a proper look.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Oh no!

The dreaded sunroof drain problem

[McBegby]

Right, so dropping the headliner seemed a painful job, plus I’ve never used the sunroof. So I’ve just sealed the sunroof shut with some UV & vibration resistant bond adhesive & sealant (I used a product called CT1). My motor’s black so I got away with using the black coloured version, so it looks pretty much factory finish, pretty tidy job. It’s just started raining enough to cause a problem and happy to say no more leak.
Now just to put the new air suspension module in when it arrives & cross fingers everything works. Also need to remember to pull the sunroof fuse out when I figure out which one it is.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by McBegby

... I’ve just sealed the sunroof shut with some UV & vibration resistant bond adhesive & sealant (I used a product called CT1). My motor’s black so I got away with using the black coloured version, so it looks pretty much factory finish, pretty tidy job. It’s just started raining enough to cause a problem and happy to say no more leak.
... Also need to remember to pull the sunroof fuse out when I figure out which one it is.

My sunroof drain leaked also, but my X5 pointed forward & slightly downhill, so it was the front left floor that got about an inch of standing water (driver's side, LHD version). Two links referring to the solution I used: https://xoutpost.com/1211529-post23.html and https://xoutpost.com/1214208-post3.html

I considered using similar adhesive(s) to seal my roof, but since I have never made a decent caulked seam in my life (they are inconsistently-sized, and usually have a missed gap somewhere), I decided to use VViViD 3M Clear Paint Protection Vinyl Film 6 Inch Wide, from Amazon, to seal the openings (3" on the glass, 3"on the roof steel). My use of "tape" is usually better than my caulking, and I've got an '09 Chevy HHR Panel with similar Paint Protection Vinyl Film on the rear fenders, that has lasted for 14 years (standing up to rock chips and the Texas sun).

I check my film every week to see if it has damage or lifting, but none so far, in the 1.25 years since application. And, the homemade roof rack helps shield it from debris falling on it (the only reason I made the rack was to protect the glass roof, which it has, including blocking yet another tree branch last week), so it should last a few more seasons before I proactively renew the film.

I actually had cleaned my drains, lubed the sunroof mechanism, and tested it as functional, prior to sealing it shut (pulled fuse #58, to be sure it wouldn't move, ever...never liked sunroofs or convertible tops). But, if I'd ever sell my X5 (.001% chance), it should have a good-to-go sunroof.

[McBegby]

Thanks workingonit I’ll give the film a look if my sealant work isn’t up to scratch or it fails later.
I’ll look out fuse #58 and whip that out too.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Wow that's a pretty full on solution to a leak, disable the sunroof?

Surely this is repairable (as I've read) so why disable the roof altogether?

Seems quite drastic to me

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by Homerlovesbeer

Wow that's a pretty full on solution to a leak, disable the sunroof?

Surely this is repairable (as I've read) so why disable the roof altogether?

Seems quite drastic to me

I didn't want it (would've never ordered it if bought new...swapped for the X5 when it was 20 yo), won't ever use it, so I cleaned, re-lubed & tested it, then preserved for it for posterity. It may become the last original working 2001 X5 sunroof (perhaps 10,000 years from now). Pull the film off, pop in the fuse and voila.