RE: 88 325is Leak

["Fadeev, Alex" <alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

George.Barrowcliff@domain.elided
[mailto:George.Barrowcliff@domain.elided] wrote:
> 
> Last year during the southern California rainy season 
> (January 16th and 24th), I noticed a bad leak on the passenger
> side of the trunk.  I had replaced the light assembly the
> previous year but not the gasket.  Soooo I bought a new gasket
> and put it on, sprayed water all around and seemed to be OK.

Was it OK only while you were testing it or all these months?

> Now this year it is better but still leaking.  I did find a 
> very small 3 corner tear in the trunk lid gasket about the 
> size of a pencil eraser but that doesn't seem to be enough to
> account for the volume of water. This weekend I noticed that 
> after a trip to the store in the rain, water was standing on
> the lid of the battery cover. Maybe I didn't put the gasket 
> on right?

Did you check the sunroof drains? They are routed through the trunk and exit
around the side rear bumper mounts on my '89 325i. I once had the passenger
side sunroof drain hose come off in the battery tray which filled the whole
trunk with rain water and killed the battery.
However, if you see the water on top of the battery tray, then it must be
coming from above the tray. Is your trunk gasket tear on the passenger side?
Perhaps it leaks more water then you thought. Either that or your rear light
gasket is not doing its job.

good luck,
alex f 

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