[Madeinoregon08]

Really need some help here PLEASE. 2009 BMW 328i XDrive. Opened my car to find the passenger side front and back floorboards completely soaked with sitting water. I can't find the source anywhere. Passenger side sunroof drain was unclogged. Drivers side took a few seconds to start seeing water come out the drain. I cleared it out and it drains properly now. Not sure I understand though why a clog on the drivers side drain would flood the passenger side floorboards? It's definitely not the vapor barriers in the doors, I checked. And I see zero water near the glove box. Where else would it be coming from?

My larger problem now is that the car won't start. It turns on, but when I apply the brake and hit the start button I get absolutely nothing. Battery has a full charge.

When I took all the carpet out, I noticed that BMW put some sort of controller on the passenger floorboard. This was drenched with water. Maybe part of the transfer case electronics? There's also 2 junction blocks(?) about half way up the kicker part of the floorboard on the right hand side. Those had moisture too. The fuse block behind the glove box looks bone dry.

Can anyone give me somewhere to start? I'm hoping that this isn't going to end in a complete nightmare. Thank you in advance!

[ctuna]

Diagnostics and basic checks. (Battery Voltage First)
Visual are parts of the car for additional water damage .
Like the battery area and the amp area behind the rear wheel wells
and under the trunk floor.

Diagnositcs BMW Standard Tools and Ista D recomended .
Requires a PC laptop , K/D can cable and down loads.

diagnostic manual ista/inpa
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...xo19teM9vkTF-C
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...7x8H3pN8h1fMuF
https://bimmerprofs.com/diagnostics-inpa-part-1/
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...lkXEhlQYy4i9Nb
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-P-actually-do
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/at...1&d=1590283589
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...kBbC27TJLX3BGe
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...WekqhcC6hsgK2c
primary links
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1681573
https://www.nathansbmwworkshop.com/b...or-dean-videos
ista problems
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1661945
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1581663

Water Drains
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...hlight=battery
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1566005
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1680103

[Madeinoregon08]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Diagnostics and basic checks. (Battery Voltage First)
Visual are parts of the car for additional water damage .
Like the battery area and the amp area behind the rear wheel wells
and under the trunk floor.

Diagnositcs BMW Standard Tools and Ista D recomended .
Requires a PC laptop , K/D can cable and down loads.

diagnostic manual ista/inpa
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...xo19teM9vkTF-C
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...7x8H3pN8h1fMuF
https://bimmerprofs.com/diagnostics-inpa-part-1/
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...lkXEhlQYy4i9Nb
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-P-actually-do
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/at...1&d=1590283589
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...kBbC27TJLX3BGe
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...WekqhcC6hsgK2c
primary links
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1681573
https://www.nathansbmwworkshop.com/b...or-dean-videos
ista problems
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1661945
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1581663

Water Drains
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...hlight=battery
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1566005
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1680103

Thank you CTuna. No water in those areas you mentioned, thankfully. I don't have a laptop, but I'll start checking as many as I can without one. Do you know anything about the module in the bottom of the passenger floorboard? It's silver and about 4" x 6" with two large white plugs. I googled it and looks like it's something to do with the transfer case. If dried out you think it will function properly?

[schwing]

Check the DME/ECU in drain area in front of windshield on passenger side. I would open the DME metal case and check the circuit board for corrosion. If so, clean with electric contact cleaner and let circuit board dry out before reassembly.

[Madeinoregon08]

Originally Posted by schwing

Check the DME/ECU in drain area in front of windshield on passenger side. I would open the DME metal case and check the circuit board for corrosion. If so, clean with electric contact cleaner and let circuit board dry out before reassembly.

Will do. I know ECU, but forgive me - what's DME stand for? And thank you!

[ctuna]

Digital Motor electronics = DME =The cpu/controller that controls the engine and other related
electronics. There are quite a few controllers in the this car devoted to specific area's
of the car . Read the training pdf in the attachments.
You are really going to need some sort of diagnostics .
For the phone base ones I would go Bimmergeeks Pro Tools .
Nothing beats ista d on a Pc though .

ECU = electronic control unit.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/index.php?

There should be a label on all boards and units identifying what they are
though you will have to google that number to make sense out of it.

[Madeinoregon08]

I think I found the source of the leak. Would this area be where a leak would show up from the sunroof drain? Or would this area be from the windshield or under the hood?

[Madeinoregon08]

Originally Posted by Madeinoregon08

I think I found the source of the leak. Would this area be where a leak would show up from the sunroof drain? Or would this area be from the windshield or under the hood?

Dangit, I guess I have to find a different way of sharing pics! The links didn't work. Passenger side side panel right under the glove box. But on the side. Like opposite the outside fender. There's like a padding piece that's soaked.

[Madeinoregon08]

Originally Posted by TerminatorStout

when you reply go advanced, or scroll down, (make sure you got the smiley faces on the side of the screen and scroll down)

hit the manage attachments button and then choose a file then I think it will auto upload, it will take a few for it to show up in the little box there and then when your done adding the pic or 4 hit upload. The actual picture should show up right on the post then.

DO NOT POWER YOUR CAR UP ANYMORE UNTIL YOU DRY EVERYTHING OUT!! - Keep battery disconnected!

There is a decent chance the excess water caused the battery to drain (for a multitude of reasons) and you may not have such a big problem! I will hope for you.

BUT the very first thing you should do is try to thoroughly dry all electronic components and in the mean time put your battery on a charger. Make ABSOLUTELY Sure everything is dry before you plug it in and power it up.

I have been very successful in getting completely soaked electronics to function fine again. If they havent been wet long and you havent powered them for a long time they will most likely be free of corrosion.

edit:

you can put components in bags of rice, or gently warm them with a heater vent in the house or blow a fan on them day and night, dont get them hot and be patient!

Dude, thank you so much for the advice! I just removed the entire center console, e brake, ground wire, air bag module and everything else that goes with it, and pulled the entire carpet. I have a space heater inside the car drying everything out. I'll put dialectic grease on everything when I reconnect. I'm praying drying everything out works, as i don't have a laptop to do the diagnostics. I'm still confused though as to where the leak is coming from. I'm really hoping it was just the sunroof drain. Although i think if that was the case it would have been coming in at the very bottom of the floorboard and not the side panel where I see the water still dripping. Thank you so much for the info!!

[e91n52power]

Originally Posted by Madeinoregon08

Dude, thank you so much for the advice! I just removed the entire center console, e brake, ground wire, air bag module and everything else that goes with it, and pulled the entire carpet. I have a space heater inside the car drying everything out. I'll put dialectic grease on everything when I reconnect. I'm praying drying everything out works, as i don't have a laptop to do the diagnostics. I'm still confused though as to where the leak is coming from. I'm really hoping it was just the sunroof drain. Although i think if that was the case it would have been coming in at the very bottom of the floorboard and not the side panel where I see the water still dripping. Thank you so much for the info!!

If you're keeping your car in the garage at the moment, just open the windows as well for air circulation.

[Madeinoregon08]

Update. Everything seemed to test okay. I dried everything out and reinstalled all of the interior. There's a seal that attaches to the bottom of the windshield that the upper cowl snaps into. My car did not have this seal. I bought the seal, but can't install because the current windshield is full of sealant/glue where that seal is supposed to attach to the windshield. I did replace the seal that slides onto the sheet metal flange below that. And I cleaned out the 2 engine compartment drain locations, as well as the sunroof drains.

Reconnected the battery and the car wouldn't start. After trying a number of things I decided to replace the starter. After replacing the starter, the car fired right up!

My problem now, is that the 4X4! code CC-ID 350 comes on as well as the airbag code CC-ID 97. I thought driving it would turn of the 4X4! code, but it didn't. It only got rid of the CC-ID 354 code. I am positive that all of the airbag module connectors were re-connected as well as the connections under the seats. Prior to starting the car I did unplug the transfer case control module that is under the carpet on the passengers side. I unscrewed the screws sealing the unit to inspect for water damage and it looked great, so I sealed it back up and reconnected it. Is it possible that after unplugging the airbag and transfer case control module connectors that the car needs to be reprogramed? Thank you in advance.

[mrjimyjohn]

Did you drive circles to cycle the steering wheel lock to lock? This wont help with air bag but is part of dsc reset

[Madeinoregon08]

Originally Posted by mrjimyjohn

Did you drive circles to cycle the steering wheel lock to lock? This wont help with air bag but is part of dsc reset

Thanks for the reply. I went from steering stop to stop 3 times and it didn't turn off the code. I did it while the car was running and stopped though. Do I need to do it with the engine off?

[Serf27]

It’s probably time to scan the car for codes.
If you turned the ignition on with the SRS module unplugged, it will have the error until it is reset.

Never heard of side to side steering for DSC, only for active steering initializing.

Transfer case module should not need a reset if it is in working order. Something is wrong there if the lights don’t go away after a drive around the block.

Water leakage may have been from missing cowl seal or from vapor barriers in the door panels.

[mrjimyjohn]

Originally Posted by Serf27

Never heard of side to side steering for DSC, only for active steering initializing.

Transfer case module should not need a reset if it is in working order. Something is wrong there if the lights don’t go away after a drive around the block.

My E92 w/o active steering had the 4x4 dash error after prolonged battery disconnect. Was resolved by driving lock to lock. This is all from memory of research I did at the time, but I thought it had to do with the dsc which could require a rolling car to calibrate based on abs sensors

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by Madeinoregon08

Thanks for the reply. I went from steering stop to stop 3 times and it didn't turn off the code. I did it while the car was running and stopped though. Do I need to do it with the engine off?

On an x-drive you will get the 4x4 error when removing power. Turning the steering wheel stop to stop resets it when removing power is the cause.

If that doesn’t solve it, definitely need to scan it as it can be a number of things from the SAS to the TC or possibly the DSC. None of those things are going to be fixed without a computer unfortunately.

[Serf27]

Originally Posted by mrjimyjohn

My E92 w/o active steering had the 4x4 dash error after prolonged battery disconnect. Was resolved by driving lock to lock. This is all from memory of research I did at the time, but I thought it had to do with the dsc which could require a rolling car to calibrate based on abs sensors

Good to know.

For active steering, side to side 3x didn’t work, but it worked for on the 4th or 5th time.
So OP could try it again and turn it more times if this goes for non active steering as well.