Imagine spending 100k on this beemer and getting all kind of wonky electronic problems over years until the module finally completely swims and shits itself. And the worst part being that the dealer apparently cannot find the fault and this chicken farmer figures out whats wrong. Legendary steal.
@@troyfall6573 thats a bit extreme, this seems to be a problem at assembly, surely the kink is nort part of the design :P Could it be routed or harnessed differently to make it less likely to wrong, maybe. But I wouldnt rule out an entire brand based on this. Where humans work, mistakes happen. But I think BMW should have the competence to diagnose it.
Ive had a 5 series hybrid in the shop for hslf a year. They literally don't know what they're doing. I had to tell them what to fix every step of the way until the car was fixed. We got away with 50k in repairs and labor for free. Free rental too. Know your shit guys
@@Lucaat I am not referring to this one video. I am referring to past experience working on these compared to working on Acura. Acura designs things logically so that a person can repair things easily. They also rarely need repair. My friends that own BMW have their cars constantly in the shop and they are extremely expensive to do anything small. There is a reason that 5 year old BMW's on the used market sell for 40% of their original price. It is because the person buying that has to know they are going to be pouring money into it. Only worse brand to own I have found is Land Rover. Poorly engineered to the point where you have to remove the exhaust to change the transmission fluid and then buy a new transmission pan each time for $150. Samcrac is glutton for punishment because he keeps thinking he is getting a deal buying a used BMW. :)
Hey@@Samcrac! Have you ever considered taking a roadie to the ATL to have a go at the Vin Wiki big chair and share your car stories with @Ed Bolian❓🤔 I think it would be an awesome time.
I just want to say "THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO" - my son's 2010 Mini Clubman S had a massive puddle on the driver's side floor (which was obscured by the mat) - just like in this video. The water intrusion actually fried the FRM. Anyway, thanks to your diagnostics and recording of this video, we were able to find the issue - a blocked sunroof drain. In his case, a 12" zip tie cleared the blockage, however, he may actually have a damaged drain tube as he's still getting water seepage down the pillar onto the floor. So, he'll have to go the through process of taking down the headliner, etc., to finally resolve the issue. Your video really helped as it was almost exactly the same problem! So, THANKS!
You mean BMW Clubman S don't you?? You do realize they are made by BMW right?? I mean they are not the classic 60's John Cooper British built Minis which were better in every way minus the speed part of a modern BMW one.
That "kink" in the drain was a factory problem-not something that developed over time. I guarantee it had intermittent electrical problems from day one (at least every time it rained), but because it was under warranty, various components were replaced over and over until it reached 90k. At that point it was out of warranty, and the owner had had enough. So the dealer buckled and agreed to buy it back under lemon law because in the years the dealer was replacing parts, they never found the issue. And the dealer fudged the blue smoke issue so as not to point out that the problem was their inability to diagnose the random electrical problems which I am sure made the SUV look like a lemon to everyone involved. And to the dealer's credit, it really was a lemon because that kink came from the factory. What's amazing is how a little kink from the factory didn't just ruin the electrical system but the entire SUV. smh
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH There is no way under heaven a BMW dealer (or any dealer for that matter) would ever buy back a vehicle with 90k miles because of blue smoke. They would overhaul the engine or replace it, but buy it back under lemon laws? Get outta here with that logic. Dealers are in the biz to make money, not lose it. That's why I am calling bull on the blue smoke. It was a smoke screen.
Most states lemon laws only require a vehicle to be in for the same repair 3 times to qualify for lemon law - even if the dealer finds nothing wrong, and each state is different. Some sates require the buy back price be 2-3 times what the vehicle is worth at the time. And dealers don't have any say to a buyback, the customer has to hire a lawyer and take the manufacturer to court. Some states are very buy-back friendly to the point that the same customer has multiple vehicles bought back by the same or multiple manufacturers. The court is who makes the decision on whether it gets bought back or not.
Thanks Sam! I just opened up my sunroof earlier and cleaned out all the muck in the rails and away from the drain holes. Your previous episode really woke me up to this issue! 👍
I don't know if a sunroof drain counts as a flood car =) When you have the window down and you're eating Jack in the Box at 2 am and it's raining as you hand them a was of cash, is your vehicle now a flood car? 😜
@@spencermaiers8322 Well, I've seen a E39 so bad, every floor compartment was flooded, the spare tire place was a footbath and you could hear the water sloshing around there. The car flooded itself internally. :D
When getting different wheels, the X5M and X6M came with specific wheel set options only available to the versions with the S63 engine . They actually used a smaller center bore on the rear axle, I guess to prevent people from mounting the M wheels on the non-M version of the same car.
This is totally BS 😂 every x6 has smaller bore on the rear and bigger on the front. Thats because its just x5 which has bigger bore - 74.1mm… with widened rear with standard bmw bore - 72.5mm.
The sunroof drain issue is a common BMW problem. It has been talked about a lot on various BMW forums. I have had it on my 2 E70's and now my F15. Luckily they were not so severely blocked and I was able to clear them with gentle bursts of compressed air. Congratulations on solving this electrical issue !!
I have owned 7 BMW's and they all suffered water intrusion and electrical and mold issues from it. They like to put the electronics in harms way and they are very consistent in everything they do it seems.
Bmw has safety feature that put gearbox to park, if you don't have seatbelt attached, reverse gear and door is open. Maybe that doesn't work properly when driver seat module is broken.
with every module being tied into the CAN network, it only takes one going on the fritz to mess up the WHOLE system. International uses multiplexed wiring with all their modules. its a TOTAL pain to diag. one wire pinched? now NO exterior lights work and the trans won't shift. been there done that.
Sam, as a convertible owner since 1965, I've had my share of waterlogged vehicles. One thing I have done to avoid having to pull the carpet is after vacuuming or sopping as much of the standing water that I can, dehydration ASAP is the key. You can leave the car closed up and the A/C running on MAX Recirc, with the temp control all the way down. Saved a rent car that way in Florida one time. They never knew there had been 3 inches of water in the footwells. Left the car running for 2 days and it came out dry as a skeleton's ass. Other times, Iput a household portable dehydrator in the car, closed it up and let it run for as much as a week. I put a small pond pump in the bucket to empty it periodically, and a couple of fans to make sure the air moves around as much as possible. If you get a little musty smell, run an ozone generator in it for a couple of days. Beats the crap out of pulling the carpets, etc. Main takeaway - ASAP getting PLENTY of forced air circulation and dehydration.
My dad always hated buying cars with sunroofs. More things can break, the leak issues portrayed in this video and the body flexes more. I guess he was right...
@@amgnaciri5937 Any kind of cutout in the roof skin will facilitate more flex. Nothing compared to convertibles, but the roof skin is an essential part of the body's rigidity.
It would be better to use a thin wire spring around the drain hose where it has collapsed. With the zip tie it will probably bend again over time. The spring would keep it flexible, but with an exoskeleton preventing the collapse
Almost every BMW with sunroof has drain issues. My E61 needs good drain cleaning every year. In your case it`s not that bad - just footwell module and seat module. In E61 water goes through D pillar straight to the trunk. Water is dripping straight on the navigation and logic7 amp, then goes to the spare wheel space, where is located (depending on the specs) up to 8 different modules and around 400-500 wires which loves corrosion. It`s good to check the end of the drain pipe. They used to put wierd rubber thingies which restricts the water flow and collects dirt
Same thing on the Cayenne and Tuareg (at least the ones before 2010). Passenger footwell turns into a swimming pool and drowns nav unit, car phone module, transaxle control unit, transmission control unit, and if you are lucky the seat module. Oh and a fat harness runs under the foam right there, along with a ton of ground points and splices. All because of some rubber hoses and grommits that fill the channel under the windshield or sunroof. Ask me how I know... Took a week to fully dry the carpet in summer, while having the seat, plastic panels, seat console and all of the modules out.
I learned that sunroof drain issue first hand on my Mercedes ML. I had a O2 sensor code on bank 2 sensor 2 the connector was located under the front drivers side carpet both ground and O2connector were destroyed and I had to replace both. The dripping carpet you showed brought back unpleasant memories of removing and drying the carpet. I'm glad you got it fixed.
Sam this was a winner. Good job mate. The blue smoke is the valves seals, big issue in those engines, but that was repaired so will have upgraded seals and very low chances of that happening again :)
@@andrewmattera6205 imagine you’re going down the highway at 70 mph with your pregnant wife and kids, and your x6m throws itself into park due to a water intrusion defect, which causes you to get rear ended by a semi. you are the only survivor. you wouldn’t call that a safety concern afterwards?
@@yungtooli afterwards sure, but BMW doesn't legally have to recall anything unless it's directly related to the loss of control, either through steering or suspension failure, or for airbag defects, like the takata recall
@@andrewmattera6205 Not true. If it was proven that this problem was responsible for the electrical issues causing an accident..then a recall would be required.
Great bit of troubleshooting. Had a blocked drain on my son's MK6 VW GTI and it flooded the passenger floor and filled the spare tire well with about 3-4" of water during a big storm. Fortunately we caught and corrected it before causing any electrical damage. Biggest problem was damage to the headliner. Keep up the good work!
Sunroofs are the worst. A few years back I was having issues with my E60 BMW where it was always humid inside and I started to fog up on the windshield. Turned out the drains were clogged, I lifted up the back seat and there was a pool of water under it with black mold everywhere. I got a ML63 last year that started having tons of crazy electric issues when it rained. Turned out there was tons of leaves blocking the drains and causing them to overfill. It got all into the rear SAM electronics and I had to take the whole headliner out and take apart the computers and clean all the components.
Great series on the x6m. Y Typical bmw defective engineering that a stupid drain tube essentially destroys a car. Without your effort to find the problem this x6 would have been parted out. Too bad the wheels were sold before you bought the x6.
2018 civic, passenger foot well was getting wet. Clogged sunroof drain as well 👍 luckily no electrical faults though. If i can, going to avoid sunroofs in the future car purchases
Electric bass guitar strings worked for me to push out the dirt. Also had similar flooding but from the sunroof gap not being tight enough and letting in too much water for the drain to handle. Another great vid...thanks
Happened to me like that. Had the main seal in trans changed and got truck back with more lights than a Christmas tree on dash. After 3 days and a few new parts, found out the shop pinched the wore harness in the bellhousing. Took taking fender well cover off lol
OMG!! I literally went through the same exact repair on my 2010 X5 today!!! Also tried weed string, bike brake line etc and none worked. Finally I found the bulletin of this problem for all X5, X6 models from 2007 to 2012. Mine problem was on the passenger side, slightly easier. My hose was twisted. I used a pair of long nose pillar to twist it back a bit and it sorted of worked. These damn hoses are so soft that they literally collapse on themselves on any turns. My problem started in the beginning of 2021. After a heavy rain storm carpet got moist. Some times the car throw a lot of random errors and wouldn't start. So I ended up replacing the battery thinking that it was really old anyways. The windshield was replaced not too long ago. So I thought it could be that the seal wasn't done properly. I applied some clear caulking in some areas, making the car super ugly. Then we went into California summer and not a drop of rain in 8 months. The rain came back and my problem came back. After a lot of research I ended up here today. I probably won't bother taking the seat out. Tomorrow I will hook up a blower to dry the carpets. I didn't expect that much water in the foot well tub. The foam under the carpet is super absorbant as well. So I think it will take a long time to dry up. I am almost certainly that there is a lot of water on the driver side too. I will open it up tomorrow to check. Luckily, I don't have serious electrical problems (yet). After soaking in water for so long, I wonder how the connections will hold up over time. I think it might be a nightmare waiting to happen when some connections rust and lose connectivity. We will see. This car is current pushing 160K miles. It's a great car for ski trips tho as it just plows through snow without issues. Hopefully I will get a few more years out of it. I am slowly losing confidence on these German engineers. How on Earth can this design be so stupid! And also that electric water pump will fail every 50K miles or so. The engine will leak oil from multiple places, at different times. The coolant hose from top of engine to water pump has a idiotic plastic head. Hot engine and plastic don't mix! Mine failed at probably 80K miles. A total failure sending coolant everywhere while driving and completely disable the car. The rest of the damn hose is practically new. There is after market metal head that cost about $10. Well, besides these issues, an X5 surely is a lot more fun to drive than a Lexus tho :)
That they didn’t get it fixed does not mean they couldn’t 😂🥱shit is cake something happened they rather not fix it … you people really think bmw can’t fix it lmaoo
I have an older X5 E53 with the standard wheels and a later E70 35D with the 20 inch wheels (because it has the factory towbar kit that makes them come with that package). What is really obvious to me is the much harsher ride in the E70 because of those big low profile tyres, which are also run flats. The E53 rides much, much better with the standard tyre size. Maybe that is why yours is so comfortable. You may find that fitting the larger low profile wheels might change the ride to be much harsher.
Congrats on fixing this stupid error on the BMW! I was so happy for you :D Can't wait to learn more on that new Corvette, I'm a Corvette fan since Need for Speed III.
Brilliantly solved and a pleasure to watch ! I know a man who bought one of these brand new and on his hundred mile drive home suddenly felt so car sick he threw up as he drove and I'm afraid the contents of his stomach went into the air vents ! He exchanged it back to his preferred Maserati and I have NO idea whether the next owner was aware of a rotten smell or not but that would have been one for you to solve !!!!
Congrats on this fix! Getting a deal like this with a cheap simple fix followed to completion is why I watch this channel. I would really really really like to see one 100% complete and sold for profit. Not "I just need to put new wheels" or "all it needs is the interior put back together". Take one all the way to sale ready, then sale, then summary of profit/loss. Or if not sold, updates with how it's driving, what other issues you are having, etc. Make sense?
I purchased a Mini Cooper that wouldn’t run because of water damage from the sunroof. The videos of the BMW were awesome. This is one of my favorite cars that you have done. Great job on it.
Being of age and how to manage the sequence of returns in those early periods is what seems quite scary in the current market. The market is never a loser in a twenty year cycle, but the 2000s decade scenario scares me and could really disrupt my retirement. When you are no longer accumulating but withdrawing its hard to be anything but cautious.
@@taylorlee2147 A good broker is much more than a venue to execute trades. Look for a broker that can assist you with quality research and educational materials to aid your development as an investor and help you make winning decisions in the markets.
@@hodler8559 Wow!! I am so delighted to see a beneficiary of Lynne Ellen Rule. I thought she wasn't known. She's awesome. My wife recommended her to me after investing £10000 and he has helped us financially without even knowing since the beginning of pandemic crises.
Years ago I had a 2008 Enclave that did the same exact thing but it would drain on right side and land on the main fuse box. It would do all kinds of weird things like it wouldn't shut off with key if it just had rained. Great work and I have a feeling this is not the only one with this problem.
Hi Samcrac. I had the flooding problem with my F15. You have to remove the fenders to gain access to the drains. They have have something like a membrane valve that sticks shut after some time. I removed the membranes on both sides and have never had my car flood again. If you have the factory repair manual, look up for the instructions for replacing the wind shield washer motor. That will guide you through the removal of the fender.
Holy heck! Drain-O is very harsh on steel. Please rinse that area as much as you can for the next owner. Definitely stoked on how you do DIY trouble shooting though. I do like this project a lot. Change the brakes, wheels, and tires.... the car will feel 100% better. Just go aftermarket though.
Really cool to see stories like this. Watching this makes you wonder how many cars/trucks just rot in a junk yard because of not thinking outside the norm. Fairly minor issues that fall through the cracks by not being detected by the book so to say.
The crazy part is, a clogged sunroof drain ISN'T outside the norm. This happens all the time. What's mind boggling is that the dealer had this car 3 times and couldn't deduce that the driver's front seat didn't work at all? Sam diagnosed and fixed the issue without any special tools in a few hours. This is why people hate dealerships. This should have been $1000 fix (assuming the module, new, costs about $300 and 4 hours of labor at the dealer if it wasn't warrantied (likely not since it had almost 100K miles on it and wasn't power train related.... kind of.)
@@WhiteG60 Yeah how could all 3 miss the wet carpet?? Like seriously!! Someone puts their hand on the carpet and not wonders why it feels so wet?? Dumb dealers just dumb!! And its a good idea to replace any and all wiring that's come into contact with water so as to avoid any chance of short outs later on which in turn can lead to 🔥
Hi Sam, these sunroof episodes have taught me a lot about the potential issues that they can have. I’ve always admired sunroof cars, choosing them whenever I could and even insisted on having the option added to my wife’s new Lexus. However, after watching these episodes my views have completely changed and I won’t bother in future….Thanks buddy 👍👍👍
As long as the car has a good AC system you really don't need a sunroof. And if you can't live without the wind in your hair just buy a convertible/cabriolet
This video series on the X6M is why most mechanics can't diagnose or fix these issues. The concept that a dodgy wire on the CANBUS can cause an entire car to wig out is just totally foreign to them, and only a diagnostics technician (who knows what they're doing) know how to find it.
you need to remove the carpet COMPLETELY, drive around the car for a weeks with no carpet in the rain and make sure water is not pooling in the floor board.
@@lawnside82 It's like his business is a RUclips channel or something. Not a car dealership. Good thing anyone who buys one of his cars can see everything he did on his RUclips channel.
Happy to see you tracked down your drain problem. My 2015 X5 had the exact same defected and flooded the driver's footwell. Fortunately I caught it before it caused any electrical problems but it took 4 days for the dealer to dry out my car and fix the kinked line.
@@lizcortez3564 Yes, it was the same problem in the same area. That kinked line prevented the sunroof from draining. I don't know if dealer replaced the line or just fixed the kink. That car was still under warranty then so the dealer fixed it.
Well done! Also I can't believe it's on those wheels. One of the repos or thefts must have resulted in slapping some base X5/6 wheels on that thing, right?
My wonderful mother worked at a BMW plant until she passed, she worked in the water test area. They had to be really careful to catch all the leaks they could because just little water leaks destroy those cars. In general they were fine, well built and fun. I got to drive the ones she was leasing and it was great, But I personally am more of a vice grip garage kind of guy. I really liked your video!
Wow. I'm blown away with these videos to be completely honest. You're a guru man. Love the effort & the challenge of your videos. Keep up the good work!
I honestly don't get why we get such bad luck with BMWs you get to any other country and you see all sort of BMWs running and driving around... I think it must be the amount of money shops charge to fix them.
Nah. It's all about marketing. BMW wants to maintain their place as a premium brand. Every car is loaded to bump up the price. Lots of fragile electronics, gizmos and gadgets. Try to buy one without a sunroof is impossible. The same with an all leather interior. In Europe there's much, much more variability and the inherent engineering of the model can come through.
As Alex said, it all comes down to options. BMWs in Europe are often sold as stripped back versions with far less options and "luxury" and a manual transmission. Makes for a lot less modules and extra electronics floating around to eventually fail. I also think many European countries are far more strict on their inspections before they allow you to register a vehicle, meaning the cars are probably better maintained.
I had an E91 that had a similar problem with a ghost consumer that drained the battery overnight….checked every single module scan and parascanned it….with no result….everything was normal but still something was consuming the battery overnight….now that i’ve seen this……I belive that the problem was the leaking panoramic sunroof that made some kind of electrical damage…..anyway I ended up selling the thing….I still feel sorry for not fixing it but I was desperate at the time with that issue. Great fix Sam ! Big fan of yours, from Romania! 💪🏻🤙🏻
i have a 2012 x5 m sport, had the same issue, right side of trunk was filling with water and shorted out my trunk module, Dealer cleaned those drains for 350, all to leak again after a week. Had to go back then they warrantied the front sunroof drains to be cleaned and "modified" the fender to allow drainage. Now i can finally have an idea as to what they probably did to stop the issue. Really good video thank you.
You'd be surprised at how many fixes you can do on cars with zip ties, even BMWs. Fixing and or Reinforcing the window lifter attachment point to the lift cable is epic among late 90s-2010 models.
it seems to be common issue on BMW. I had the same problem on my 2017 BMW X5, was not so bad as yours but my headliner and floor carpet was wet. Good Job!
Sometimes I think you're lucky. I'm wrong. You are smart. Your imagination, creativity and experience make you ideally suited for what you do. Keep up the great work. Your stories and adventures are a pleasure to watch.
Another mechanical adventure by Samcrac. The mystery issue was beyond BMW techs skill but not Samcrac who is able to work through different levels of troubleshooting while trying to Keep It Simple first approach to impress us once again. I think we all learn and share a lot because of the cost and complexities of today's cars.
color combo is awesome sam another great deal you are showing the world being smart can save you tens of thousands of dollars finding cheap stupid problems
These are the types of videos I enjoy. Straight, legit fix on a great deal BMW. Still would appreciate an update on the cheap short-cut fix Ferraris, especially the Pega clutch 612. I assume it's not running yet and the grass is getting high around the tires, but please let us know! I want to see that thing go through the gears! Clutch replacements are an easy DIY on that car and Ferrari CF will set the PIS, wear index and run a full scan, grid pattern and DEIS for about $395. Let's get it on the road! I stand by my words: with Ferraris, the most expensive way always turns out to be the cheapest.
Good catch Sam. I found a similar issue with a friends truck with a cheap moisture detector (usual used in homes) He just sealed the sunroof with silicone, dried out the floor, and moved on with his life. I'll bet you just saved a ton of BMW owners a bunch of time.
Great vidio as usual, I have a friend that also likes trouble, When watching your vidio it reminds me of him. I love how you get yourself in trouble buying these problems.
If I stumbled upon that flood I definitely recommend pulling all of the interior and carpet to find more puddles. And also to let the carpet dry it all being damp starts several corrosion points and that part of metal on the car is probably least corrosion protected. Good luck with the car brother Been watching the videos since I was in college 😂
Tip.. I made a set of test harnesses' for my X5, by going to the pick a part wrecker and cutting off cable connectors for the seat, power window motor,, door lock actuators, etc then worked out which were the power wires so now I can move a seat or window with a small 12v battery. This also means I don't need to reconnect the main battery that will throw airbag faults if I need the airbag removed to change a window reg.
Samcrac, I just discovered your videos today and I think I've been watching for like five hours straight. My uncle has been going to the auction to buy cars since before I was born. So within like The Last 5 Years he's really taken me to school on how to really maximize my statistical potential to get a great bargain, and to mitigate getting screwed bad... But you know you always got to be prepared because even the best get caught slipping. I'm not doing it anywhere near your level and it's mostly domestic cars. I love going up there to check everything out a day or two before the auction, and I get a solid list together. But I don't bid online I only bid in person. Looking right at that auctioneer I like to go head-to-head because I really feel like there's a timing and certain crowd and you can just see these little signs and you get this feeling when you know it's your time. And then winning that and hearing that SOLD! I swear it's addictive. I'm very impressed by your problem-solving skills, keep up these awesome videos.
Sam, Great job on sorting out the issue with the X6....But can you please put a proper set of wheels and tires on it. That would complete the job completely.
Had the same problem with my 2006 325xi (120K) last year on the passenger side. Floor was flooded both front and rear. Ended up taking the entire interior out, carpet to headliner. Dried the Footwell Module in a dehydrator, shampooed carpets, treated and cleaned the seats, cleaned all plastic parts, vacuumed the headliner,(entire interior is Saddle Tan) re-assembled it, and gave the car to my son.
I was very eager to see you fix this. I have the 2012 X6 M50d and its a absolute beast. If you want to keep it just add a Carplay Box to it for the full upgrade to the latest tech on the console and you can use it as a Daily driver. I personally wont sell mine. Its a really amazing car. Well done Sam
Circuit boards are surprisingly waterproof. I often wash vintage stereo receivers and then blow dry with compressed air. I bet if you let the original module dry out a few days, it will work.
Unless they stay wet. I fixed a cheapo remote for one of those power wheels cars for someone. I managed to clean most of the board, but it could have been much worse. On the indicator LEDs the pads melted, little smd parts, one pad just disintegrated. I tried to resolder it a bunch of times until I realized the pad completely dissolved and I was trying to add solder to a bare board. So you can wash boards, I've done it, I've seen videos of people wash pc motherboards in the dishwasher. Just dry it in time. Once corrosion kicks in pads and other bits can melt off, or shorts happen and then it really fries. That module was cooking in that water for a really long time, and while it may not have components that tiny, I think it's probably well done by now.
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@@Righttorepair880 just one more game. You have to win the next one
@@lesterparker1594 can you borrow me 100 bucks dude 😥
You posting your Ls is a wonderful thing man.
Imagine spending 100k on this beemer and getting all kind of wonky electronic problems over years until the module finally completely swims and shits itself. And the worst part being that the dealer apparently cannot find the fault and this chicken farmer figures out whats wrong. Legendary steal.
My takeaway from his BMW videos is that they are junk and a money pit. Poorly designed and unreliable.
@@troyfall6573 thats a bit extreme, this seems to be a problem at assembly, surely the kink is nort part of the design :P Could it be routed or harnessed differently to make it less likely to wrong, maybe. But I wouldnt rule out an entire brand based on this. Where humans work, mistakes happen. But I think BMW should have the competence to diagnose it.
@@Lucaat Or the fact that its designed like that to begin with using the cheapest hosing that isn't even braided shows their build quality standards.
Ive had a 5 series hybrid in the shop for hslf a year. They literally don't know what they're doing. I had to tell them what to fix every step of the way until the car was fixed. We got away with 50k in repairs and labor for free. Free rental too. Know your shit guys
@@Lucaat I am not referring to this one video. I am referring to past experience working on these compared to working on Acura. Acura designs things logically so that a person can repair things easily. They also rarely need repair. My friends that own BMW have their cars constantly in the shop and they are extremely expensive to do anything small. There is a reason that 5 year old BMW's on the used market sell for 40% of their original price. It is because the person buying that has to know they are going to be pouring money into it. Only worse brand to own I have found is Land Rover. Poorly engineered to the point where you have to remove the exhaust to change the transmission fluid and then buy a new transmission pan each time for $150. Samcrac is glutton for punishment because he keeps thinking he is getting a deal buying a used BMW. :)
Pro tip. Don't use compressed air to blow out sun roof drains. They can disconnect the rubber hose from where they are seated.
I have successfully used a vacuum canister used to draw out fluids. Just use a low compressed air pressure.
I do it with compressed air set at 40 psi. Of course if you throw in 130 PSI you’ll regret your life
@@jean-francoispoitras6857 especially front sunroof drains, those go through inside the A pillar, can't really be replaced.
Samcrac is the man that tries every type of broken car 🤣
I zip tries every car*
@@Samcrac 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hey@@Samcrac! Have you ever considered taking a roadie to the ATL to have a go at the Vin Wiki big chair and share your car stories with @Ed Bolian❓🤔 I think it would be an awesome time.
@@Samcrac roll the dice!
@@Samcrac I sell cars so I love watching his experimental genius fixes
I just want to say "THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO" - my son's 2010 Mini Clubman S had a massive puddle on the driver's side floor (which was obscured by the mat) - just like in this video. The water intrusion actually fried the FRM. Anyway, thanks to your diagnostics and recording of this video, we were able to find the issue - a blocked sunroof drain. In his case, a 12" zip tie cleared the blockage, however, he may actually have a damaged drain tube as he's still getting water seepage down the pillar onto the floor. So, he'll have to go the through process of taking down the headliner, etc., to finally resolve the issue.
Your video really helped as it was almost exactly the same problem! So, THANKS!
You mean BMW Clubman S don't you??
You do realize they are made by BMW right??
I mean they are not the classic 60's John Cooper British built Minis which were better in every way minus the speed part of a modern BMW one.
@@extremedrivr”you mean bmw🤓”
That "kink" in the drain was a factory problem-not something that developed over time. I guarantee it had intermittent electrical problems from day one (at least every time it rained), but because it was under warranty, various components were replaced over and over until it reached 90k. At that point it was out of warranty, and the owner had had enough. So the dealer buckled and agreed to buy it back under lemon law because in the years the dealer was replacing parts, they never found the issue. And the dealer fudged the blue smoke issue so as not to point out that the problem was their inability to diagnose the random electrical problems which I am sure made the SUV look like a lemon to everyone involved. And to the dealer's credit, it really was a lemon because that kink came from the factory. What's amazing is how a little kink from the factory didn't just ruin the electrical system but the entire SUV. smh
That’s bmw for you
Lots of speculation in your post. Seems plausible, but my guess is that it _did_ have a blue smoke issue as well as a kinked sunroof drain.
Sure that they replaced modules under carpet and never ever noticed water 🤦♂️
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH There is no way under heaven a BMW dealer (or any dealer for that matter) would ever buy back a vehicle with 90k miles because of blue smoke. They would overhaul the engine or replace it, but buy it back under lemon laws? Get outta here with that logic. Dealers are in the biz to make money, not lose it. That's why I am calling bull on the blue smoke. It was a smoke screen.
Most states lemon laws only require a vehicle to be in for the same repair 3 times to qualify for lemon law - even if the dealer finds nothing wrong, and each state is different. Some sates require the buy back price be 2-3 times what the vehicle is worth at the time. And dealers don't have any say to a buyback, the customer has to hire a lawyer and take the manufacturer to court. Some states are very buy-back friendly to the point that the same customer has multiple vehicles bought back by the same or multiple manufacturers. The court is who makes the decision on whether it gets bought back or not.
Thanks Sam! I just opened up my sunroof earlier and cleaned out all the muck in the rails and away from the drain holes. Your previous episode really woke me up to this issue! 👍
You and Rich both have an affinity for flood cars.... glad this one didn't cost a fortune to fix!
I don't know if a sunroof drain counts as a flood car =)
When you have the window down and you're eating Jack in the Box at 2 am and it's raining as you hand them a was of cash, is your vehicle now a flood car? 😜
flood cars = cheap..noone else wants them... makes great content for youtube tho...
@@spencermaiers8322 Well, I've seen a E39 so bad, every floor compartment was flooded, the spare tire place was a footbath and you could hear the water sloshing around there. The car flooded itself internally. :D
Except this wasn't a flood car.
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH Tell that to the floorboard. LOL It was completely flooded.
This was almost enough to convince me to buy a BMW :) almost I really enjoyed this series
I’ll buy it if you ever sell it.
Lol soon the suspension is going to go, then water pump, rear main seal, o-rings..etc lol I can give you my list of replacements 🤣...
@@timothyleary2900 my 20 year old 3 series just hit 220k , with no drivetrain or electrical issues?? Whats your excuse keyboard car expert
@@andeleputo89 those were the good ones. Those days are long gone.
And by good I mean relatively, but even the e46 is so much better and simpler than newer cars.
When getting different wheels, the X5M and X6M came with specific wheel set options only available to the versions with the S63 engine . They actually used a smaller center bore on the rear axle, I guess to prevent people from mounting the M wheels on the non-M version of the same car.
thats fucking funny as hell ngl...
OOF
This is totally true, had to sand my wheels to fit the 20"
This is totally BS 😂 every x6 has smaller bore on the rear and bigger on the front. Thats because its just x5 which has bigger bore - 74.1mm… with widened rear with standard bmw bore - 72.5mm.
The sunroof drain issue is a common BMW problem. It has been talked about a lot on various BMW forums. I have had it on my 2 E70's and now my F15. Luckily they were not so severely blocked and I was able to clear them with gentle bursts of compressed air. Congratulations on solving this electrical issue !!
I have owned 7 BMW's and they all suffered water intrusion and electrical and mold issues from it. They like to put the electronics in harms way and they are very consistent in everything they do it seems.
"The car randomly shifts into park because the electric seat adjustment is broken" I hate modern cars.
"...randomly shifts into park because the drain line is too long"
Bmw has safety feature that put gearbox to park, if you don't have seatbelt attached, reverse gear and door is open. Maybe that doesn't work properly when driver seat module is broken.
with every module being tied into the CAN network, it only takes one going on the fritz to mess up the WHOLE system. International uses multiplexed wiring with all their modules. its a TOTAL pain to diag. one wire pinched? now NO exterior lights work and the trans won't shift. been there done that.
Well if you want your car to creep of a cliff…
@@Mike-kr5dn ok, I feel like I recognize this from something, someone's car was sneaking around on them.... I can't remember!
Sam, as a convertible owner since 1965, I've had my share of waterlogged vehicles. One thing I have done to avoid having to pull the carpet is after vacuuming or sopping as much of the standing water that I can, dehydration ASAP is the key. You can leave the car closed up and the A/C running on MAX Recirc, with the temp control all the way down. Saved a rent car that way in Florida one time. They never knew there had been 3 inches of water in the footwells. Left the car running for 2 days and it came out dry as a skeleton's ass. Other times, Iput a household portable dehydrator in the car, closed it up and let it run for as much as a week. I put a small pond pump in the bucket to empty it periodically, and a couple of fans to make sure the air moves around as much as possible. If you get a little musty smell, run an ozone generator in it for a couple of days.
Beats the crap out of pulling the carpets, etc. Main takeaway - ASAP getting PLENTY of forced air circulation and dehydration.
My dad always hated buying cars with sunroofs. More things can break, the leak issues portrayed in this video and the body flexes more. I guess he was right...
Body flexes?! Only in convertables
@@amgnaciri5937 Any kind of cutout in the roof skin will facilitate more flex. Nothing compared to convertibles, but the roof skin is an essential part of the body's rigidity.
Wow. He never let up looking for the source of the problem. Excellent !!!!
It would be better to use a thin wire spring around the drain hose where it has collapsed. With the zip tie it will probably bend again over time.
The spring would keep it flexible, but with an exoskeleton preventing the collapse
Or install a hard plastic bend pipe section
Angioplasty von BMW
Almost every BMW with sunroof has drain issues. My E61 needs good drain cleaning every year. In your case it`s not that bad - just footwell module and seat module. In E61 water goes through D pillar straight to the trunk. Water is dripping straight on the navigation and logic7 amp, then goes to the spare wheel space, where is located (depending on the specs) up to 8 different modules and around 400-500 wires which loves corrosion. It`s good to check the end of the drain pipe. They used to put wierd rubber thingies which restricts the water flow and collects dirt
Same thing on the Cayenne and Tuareg (at least the ones before 2010). Passenger footwell turns into a swimming pool and drowns nav unit, car phone module, transaxle control unit, transmission control unit, and if you are lucky the seat module. Oh and a fat harness runs under the foam right there, along with a ton of ground points and splices. All because of some rubber hoses and grommits that fill the channel under the windshield or sunroof. Ask me how I know...
Took a week to fully dry the carpet in summer, while having the seat, plastic panels, seat console and all of the modules out.
I learned that sunroof drain issue first hand on my Mercedes ML. I had a O2 sensor code on bank 2 sensor 2 the connector was located under the front drivers side carpet both ground and O2connector were destroyed and I had to replace both. The dripping carpet you showed brought back unpleasant memories of removing and drying the carpet. I'm glad you got it fixed.
That was a lot of water damn.
That hose has overspray on it so possibly a poor crash repair has led to the issue
You're right! Didn't even spot it initially...
Sam this was a winner. Good job mate. The blue smoke is the valves seals, big issue in those engines, but that was repaired so will have upgraded seals and very low chances of that happening again :)
Poor engine design though if you ask me.
Samcrac always gets the wrong kind of drip.
Yea Gorara Dip From Porking Alex
If it ever comes up for sale....... I'd snatch it up.
That water intrusion is a factory defect worthy of a recall.
can't be recalled unless it's a safety concern
@@andrewmattera6205 causing an electrical issue that throws that car in park randomly while driving might be a safety issues hehe 😂
@@andrewmattera6205 imagine you’re going down the highway at 70 mph with your pregnant wife and kids, and your x6m throws itself into park due to a water intrusion defect, which causes you to get rear ended by a semi. you are the only survivor. you wouldn’t call that a safety concern afterwards?
@@yungtooli afterwards sure, but BMW doesn't legally have to recall anything unless it's directly related to the loss of control, either through steering or suspension failure, or for airbag defects, like the takata recall
@@andrewmattera6205 Not true. If it was proven that this problem was responsible for the electrical issues causing an accident..then a recall would be required.
Great bit of troubleshooting. Had a blocked drain on my son's MK6 VW GTI and it flooded the passenger floor and filled the spare tire well with about 3-4" of water during a big storm. Fortunately we caught and corrected it before causing any electrical damage. Biggest problem was damage to the headliner.
Keep up the good work!
Sunroofs are the worst. A few years back I was having issues with my E60 BMW where it was always humid inside and I started to fog up on the windshield. Turned out the drains were clogged, I lifted up the back seat and there was a pool of water under it with black mold everywhere. I got a ML63 last year that started having tons of crazy electric issues when it rained. Turned out there was tons of leaves blocking the drains and causing them to overfill. It got all into the rear SAM electronics and I had to take the whole headliner out and take apart the computers and clean all the components.
That’s funny. My 2011 focus has never had a sunroof problem, and my wife’s 2005 Toyota hasn’t either. Seems like a bmw problem, not a sunroof problem
Older sunroofs
Seems like you love unreliable German cars
Great series on the x6m. Y
Typical bmw defective engineering that a stupid drain tube essentially destroys a car. Without your effort to find the problem this x6 would have been parted out. Too bad the wheels were sold before you bought the x6.
2018 civic, passenger foot well was getting wet. Clogged sunroof drain as well 👍 luckily no electrical faults though.
If i can, going to avoid sunroofs in the future car purchases
Electric bass guitar strings worked for me to push out the dirt. Also had similar flooding but from the sunroof gap not being tight enough and letting in too much water for the drain to handle. Another great vid...thanks
Finally a use for bass-playing friends!
…
jk…
Great series of videos. I love it when it turns out to be a simple fix that a little bit of imagination led you to.
Happened to me like that. Had the main seal in trans changed and got truck back with more lights than a Christmas tree on dash. After 3 days and a few new parts, found out the shop pinched the wore harness in the bellhousing. Took taking fender well cover off lol
OMG!! I literally went through the same exact repair on my 2010 X5 today!!! Also tried weed string, bike brake line etc and none worked. Finally I found the bulletin of this problem for all X5, X6 models from 2007 to 2012. Mine problem was on the passenger side, slightly easier. My hose was twisted. I used a pair of long nose pillar to twist it back a bit and it sorted of worked. These damn hoses are so soft that they literally collapse on themselves on any turns.
My problem started in the beginning of 2021. After a heavy rain storm carpet got moist. Some times the car throw a lot of random errors and wouldn't start. So I ended up replacing the battery thinking that it was really old anyways. The windshield was replaced not too long ago. So I thought it could be that the seal wasn't done properly. I applied some clear caulking in some areas, making the car super ugly. Then we went into California summer and not a drop of rain in 8 months.
The rain came back and my problem came back. After a lot of research I ended up here today. I probably won't bother taking the seat out. Tomorrow I will hook up a blower to dry the carpets. I didn't expect that much water in the foot well tub. The foam under the carpet is super absorbant as well. So I think it will take a long time to dry up. I am almost certainly that there is a lot of water on the driver side too. I will open it up tomorrow to check.
Luckily, I don't have serious electrical problems (yet). After soaking in water for so long, I wonder how the connections will hold up over time. I think it might be a nightmare waiting to happen when some connections rust and lose connectivity. We will see. This car is current pushing 160K miles. It's a great car for ski trips tho as it just plows through snow without issues. Hopefully I will get a few more years out of it.
I am slowly losing confidence on these German engineers. How on Earth can this design be so stupid! And also that electric water pump will fail every 50K miles or so. The engine will leak oil from multiple places, at different times. The coolant hose from top of engine to water pump has a idiotic plastic head. Hot engine and plastic don't mix! Mine failed at probably 80K miles. A total failure sending coolant everywhere while driving and completely disable the car. The rest of the damn hose is practically new. There is after market metal head that cost about $10. Well, besides these issues, an X5 surely is a lot more fun to drive than a Lexus tho :)
BMW themselves couldn't work out what the problem is... But Samcrac can. Speaks volumes about both. Well done Sam!
That they didn’t get it fixed does not mean they couldn’t 😂🥱shit is cake something happened they rather not fix it … you people really think bmw can’t fix it lmaoo
I have an older X5 E53 with the standard wheels and a later E70 35D with the 20 inch wheels (because it has the factory towbar kit that makes them come with that package). What is really obvious to me is the much harsher ride in the E70 because of those big low profile tyres, which are also run flats. The E53 rides much, much better with the standard tyre size. Maybe that is why yours is so comfortable. You may find that fitting the larger low profile wheels might change the ride to be much harsher.
Run flat tires are dreadful. But they're perfect BMW, they appear to give you an advantage but they actually are a huge disadvantage
Big rims/low profile tyres look good, but you get less cushioning
Nah, every BMW driver would choose looks over comfort.
@@gplusgplus2286 yes, and that's why they enjoy such a wonderful collective reputation
Congrats on fixing this stupid error on the BMW! I was so happy for you :D Can't wait to learn more on that new Corvette, I'm a Corvette fan since Need for Speed III.
I like these kind of project videos. Keep it up Sam!
Brilliantly solved and a pleasure to watch ! I know a man who bought one of these brand new and on his hundred mile drive home suddenly felt so car sick he threw up as he drove and I'm afraid the contents of his stomach went into the air vents ! He exchanged it back to his preferred Maserati and I have NO idea whether the next owner was aware of a rotten smell or not but that would have been one for you to solve !!!!
Congrats on this fix! Getting a deal like this with a cheap simple fix followed to completion is why I watch this channel. I would really really really like to see one 100% complete and sold for profit. Not "I just need to put new wheels" or "all it needs is the interior put back together". Take one all the way to sale ready, then sale, then summary of profit/loss. Or if not sold, updates with how it's driving, what other issues you are having, etc. Make sense?
I purchased a Mini Cooper that wouldn’t run because of water damage from the sunroof. The videos of the BMW were awesome. This is one of my favorite cars that you have done. Great job on it.
Usually finf that amount of water in Mini's. Glad you fixed it.
Im really impressed that all the electronics survived and more impressed how you diagnosed it
Sams channel logo should be a TPMS light
WOW Sam you actually completed a car build, (just gotta remove the tasteful aftermarket accessories and tidy up a few things). Proud of you
Being of age and how to manage the sequence of returns in those early periods is what seems quite scary in the current market. The market is never a loser in a twenty year cycle, but the 2000s decade scenario scares me and could really disrupt my retirement. When you are no longer accumulating but withdrawing its hard to be anything but cautious.
Been trying to get started but i end up loosing out. Do you have a professional broker?
@@taylorlee2147 A good broker is much more than a venue to execute trades. Look for a broker that can assist you with quality research and educational materials to aid your development as an investor and help you make winning decisions in the markets.
@s. stewart Google her name
@@hodler8559 Wow!! I am so delighted to see a beneficiary of Lynne Ellen Rule. I thought she wasn't known. She's awesome.
My wife recommended her to me after investing £10000 and he has helped us financially without even knowing since the beginning of pandemic crises.
Years ago I had a 2008 Enclave that did the same exact thing but it would drain on right side and land on the main fuse box. It would do all kinds of weird things like it wouldn't shut off with key if it just had rained. Great work and I have a feeling this is not the only one with this problem.
Had an 09 Acadia with the same issue
Hi Samcrac. I had the flooding problem with my F15. You have to remove the fenders to gain access to the drains. They have have something like a membrane valve that sticks shut after some time. I removed the membranes on both sides and have never had my car flood again. If you have the factory repair manual, look up for the instructions for replacing the wind shield washer motor. That will guide you through the removal of the fender.
Looks like a major score! Glad you finally finished a project. Stepmom would be proud.
Nicely done Sam. It’s about time you had an easy win! 😊
Since when do you upload so frequently?????!!!??? I’m loving it!
Holy heck! Drain-O is very harsh on steel. Please rinse that area as much as you can for the next owner. Definitely stoked on how you do DIY trouble shooting though. I do like this project a lot. Change the brakes, wheels, and tires.... the car will feel 100% better. Just go aftermarket though.
Man loving all the new content drop!!!!! My favorite RUclipsr!!!
Really cool to see stories like this. Watching this makes you wonder how many cars/trucks just rot in a junk yard because of not thinking outside the norm. Fairly minor issues that fall through the cracks by not being detected by the book so to say.
The crazy part is, a clogged sunroof drain ISN'T outside the norm. This happens all the time. What's mind boggling is that the dealer had this car 3 times and couldn't deduce that the driver's front seat didn't work at all? Sam diagnosed and fixed the issue without any special tools in a few hours. This is why people hate dealerships. This should have been $1000 fix (assuming the module, new, costs about $300 and 4 hours of labor at the dealer if it wasn't warrantied (likely not since it had almost 100K miles on it and wasn't power train related.... kind of.)
@@WhiteG60
Yeah how could all 3 miss the wet carpet??
Like seriously!! Someone puts their hand on the carpet and not wonders why it feels so wet??
Dumb dealers just dumb!!
And its a good idea to replace any and all wiring that's come into contact with water so as to avoid any chance of short outs later on which in turn can lead to 🔥
Hi Sam, these sunroof episodes have taught me a lot about the potential issues that they can have. I’ve always admired sunroof cars, choosing them whenever I could and even insisted on having the option added to my wife’s new Lexus. However, after watching these episodes my views have completely changed and I won’t bother in future….Thanks buddy 👍👍👍
As long as the car has a good AC system you really don't need a sunroof. And if you can't live without the wind in your hair just buy a convertible/cabriolet
This video series on the X6M is why most mechanics can't diagnose or fix these issues. The concept that a dodgy wire on the CANBUS can cause an entire car to wig out is just totally foreign to them, and only a diagnostics technician (who knows what they're doing) know how to find it.
that sounds like mechanic and electrical diagnosis and repair are two seperate work fields in the US, that true?
This series with this BMW was terrific and educational. Well done
you need to remove the carpet COMPLETELY, drive around the car for a weeks with no carpet in the rain and make sure water is not pooling in the floor board.
If the drains are functioning properly then there wont be any water intrusion period.
i was thinking the same thing.. but he buys these cars just for the views.. then chucks them...he dont care.
@@lawnside82 It's like his business is a RUclips channel or something. Not a car dealership. Good thing anyone who buys one of his cars can see everything he did on his RUclips channel.
Happy to see you tracked down your drain problem. My 2015 X5 had the exact same defected and flooded the driver's footwell. Fortunately I caught it before it caused any electrical problems but it took 4 days for the dealer to dry out my car and fix the kinked line.
Was it in the same area?
@@lizcortez3564 Yes, it was the same problem in the same area. That kinked line prevented the sunroof from draining. I don't know if dealer replaced the line or just fixed the kink. That car was still under warranty then so the dealer fixed it.
Well done! Also I can't believe it's on those wheels. One of the repos or thefts must have resulted in slapping some base X5/6 wheels on that thing, right?
Common thing at auctions
My wonderful mother worked at a BMW plant until she passed, she worked in the water test area. They had to be really careful to catch all the leaks they could because just little water leaks destroy those cars. In general they were fine, well built and fun. I got to drive the ones she was leasing and it was great, But I personally am more of a vice grip garage kind of guy. I really liked your video!
TPMS light is probably on because the replacement wheels dont have the sensors fitted
He needs a special tool to reset them and needs new sensors. Tire shops have them but its better to buy them
Well done Sam . I used to hate BMWs but I have 2 now . Says alot about how great they drive .
a well placed hose clamp over the kink will help it from kinking again
Great job, Sam!! Excelent reasoning and a little bit of luck helps too.
Wow. I'm blown away with these videos to be completely honest. You're a guru man. Love the effort & the challenge of your videos. Keep up the good work!
I honestly don't get why we get such bad luck with BMWs you get to any other country and you see all sort of BMWs running and driving around... I think it must be the amount of money shops charge to fix them.
Nah. It's all about marketing. BMW wants to maintain their place as a premium brand. Every car is loaded to bump up the price. Lots of fragile electronics, gizmos and gadgets. Try to buy one without a sunroof is impossible. The same with an all leather interior. In Europe there's much, much more variability and the inherent engineering of the model can come through.
As Alex said, it all comes down to options. BMWs in Europe are often sold as stripped back versions with far less options and "luxury" and a manual transmission. Makes for a lot less modules and extra electronics floating around to eventually fail. I also think many European countries are far more strict on their inspections before they allow you to register a vehicle, meaning the cars are probably better maintained.
Love your videos, they have helped me several times as I am putting my late father-in-laws 05 Magnum back into running condition.
Next Video: *"Electronic Issues BACK AGAIN on my BMW!"*
I had an E91 that had a similar problem with a ghost consumer that drained the battery overnight….checked every single module scan and parascanned it….with no result….everything was normal but still something was consuming the battery overnight….now that i’ve seen this……I belive that the problem was the leaking panoramic sunroof that made some kind of electrical damage…..anyway I ended up selling the thing….I still feel sorry for not fixing it but I was desperate at the time with that issue. Great fix Sam ! Big fan of yours, from Romania! 💪🏻🤙🏻
Sam, did we go to UF together around ~2004-2007 and take resource econ classes together? I swear I recognize you!
If you see the type of very irresponsible decisions I make with my money you know that I never took an econ class
@@Samcrac Took or passed? Lol 😂 great vids, Go Gators 🐊
@@Samcrac 😂
i have a 2012 x5 m sport, had the same issue, right side of trunk was filling with water and shorted out my trunk module, Dealer cleaned those drains for 350, all to leak again after a week. Had to go back then they warrantied the front sunroof drains to be cleaned and "modified" the fender to allow drainage. Now i can finally have an idea as to what they probably did to stop the issue. Really good video thank you.
for future reference blowing compressed air in the sunroof drains can create a bigger headache than you're trying to fix.
You'd be surprised at how many fixes you can do on cars with zip ties, even BMWs. Fixing and or Reinforcing the window lifter attachment point to the lift cable is epic among late 90s-2010 models.
it seems to be common issue on BMW. I had the same problem on my 2017 BMW X5, was not so bad as yours but my headliner and floor carpet was wet. Good Job!
I had the same water and electrical issues on my ‘04 E60 5-series. Thank for clearing solving this puzzle.
Sometimes I think you're lucky. I'm wrong. You are smart. Your imagination, creativity and experience make you ideally suited for what you do. Keep up the great work. Your stories and adventures are a pleasure to watch.
Another mechanical adventure by Samcrac. The mystery issue was beyond BMW techs skill but not Samcrac who is able to work through different levels of troubleshooting while trying to Keep It Simple first approach to impress us once again. I think we all learn and share a lot because of the cost and complexities of today's cars.
I'm glad to see that things worked out with the X6M, Sam.
Awesome video this is the first video I watch since I subbed to him where samcrac fixes his car in 2 video congratulations Sam 🥳
Nice to see you finally getting a project finished Sam 👍👍
What a beautiful car. And that interior with the blue paint. Perfect
Sam fixed the car and completed the project for once! Great job!!!
color combo is awesome sam another great deal
you are showing the world being smart can save you tens of thousands of dollars finding cheap stupid problems
These are the types of videos I enjoy. Straight, legit fix on a great deal BMW. Still would appreciate an update on the cheap short-cut fix Ferraris, especially the Pega clutch 612. I assume it's not running yet and the grass is getting high around the tires, but please let us know! I want to see that thing go through the gears! Clutch replacements are an easy DIY on that car and Ferrari CF will set the PIS, wear index and run a full scan, grid pattern and DEIS for about $395. Let's get it on the road! I stand by my words: with Ferraris, the most expensive way always turns out to be the cheapest.
Good catch Sam. I found a similar issue with a friends truck with a cheap moisture detector (usual used in homes) He just sealed the sunroof with silicone, dried out the floor, and moved on with his life.
I'll bet you just saved a ton of BMW owners a bunch of time.
But these days a there are several inexpensive Infrared cameras that make water detection AI much easier. Blue blobs are bad.
Great vidio as usual, I have a friend that also likes trouble, When watching your vidio it reminds me of him. I love how you get yourself in trouble buying these problems.
If I stumbled upon that flood I definitely recommend pulling all of the interior and carpet to find more puddles. And also to let the carpet dry it all being damp starts several corrosion points and that part of metal on the car is probably least corrosion protected. Good luck with the car brother Been watching the videos since I was in college 😂
Yes corrosion is a big deal if not resolved completely and thoroughly with a fine tooth comb.
Tip.. I made a set of test harnesses' for my X5, by going to the pick a part wrecker and cutting off cable connectors for the seat, power window motor,, door lock actuators, etc then worked out which were the power wires so now I can move a seat or window with a small 12v battery. This also means I don't need to reconnect the main battery that will throw airbag faults if I need the airbag removed to change a window reg.
Fantastic series. Makes me glad I sold my M5 a few years ago. Thank you.
Congrats on ur new bmw I hope big blue take good care of u🙏🏾 glad u fix her
Holy cow, just good old fashioned hard work thanks for a great video.
Way to diagnose and fix this issue for low cost and your time!! Keep up the great work Samcracc
Samcrac, I just discovered your videos today and I think I've been watching for like five hours straight.
My uncle has been going to the auction to buy cars since before I was born. So within like The Last 5 Years he's really taken me to school on how to really maximize my statistical potential to get a great bargain, and to mitigate getting screwed bad...
But you know you always got to be prepared because even the best get caught slipping.
I'm not doing it anywhere near your level and it's mostly domestic cars.
I love going up there to check everything out a day or two before the auction, and I get a solid list together.
But I don't bid online I only bid in person. Looking right at that auctioneer I like to go head-to-head because I really feel like there's a timing and certain crowd and you can just see these little signs and you get this feeling when you know it's your time. And then winning that and hearing that SOLD!
I swear it's addictive. I'm very impressed by your problem-solving skills, keep up these awesome videos.
congratulations on the DIY fix! Since job Sam!
Good job buddy. Found the diagnosis and got a good deal.
Sam, Great job on sorting out the issue with the X6....But can you please put a proper set of wheels and tires on it. That would complete the job completely.
Had the same problem with my 2006 325xi (120K) last year on the passenger side. Floor was flooded both front and rear. Ended up taking the entire interior out, carpet to headliner. Dried the Footwell Module in a dehydrator, shampooed carpets, treated and cleaned the seats, cleaned all plastic parts, vacuumed the headliner,(entire interior is Saddle Tan) re-assembled it, and gave the car to my son.
Nice work! My X5 had clogged drain too. Glad you fixed it.
Nice one, it's about time you had a easy fix 👍👌
I was very eager to see you fix this. I have the 2012 X6 M50d and its a absolute beast. If you want to keep it just add a Carplay Box to it for the full upgrade to the latest tech on the console and you can use it as a Daily driver. I personally wont sell mine. Its a really amazing car. Well done Sam
Just went through the same issue with my X5, what a pain, so the problem is not only with X6.... poor design! Thanks Sam!
Circuit boards are surprisingly waterproof. I often wash vintage stereo receivers and then blow dry with compressed air. I bet if you let the original module dry out a few days, it will work.
Unless they stay wet. I fixed a cheapo remote for one of those power wheels cars for someone. I managed to clean most of the board, but it could have been much worse. On the indicator LEDs the pads melted, little smd parts, one pad just disintegrated. I tried to resolder it a bunch of times until I realized the pad completely dissolved and I was trying to add solder to a bare board. So you can wash boards, I've done it, I've seen videos of people wash pc motherboards in the dishwasher. Just dry it in time. Once corrosion kicks in pads and other bits can melt off, or shorts happen and then it really fries. That module was cooking in that water for a really long time, and while it may not have components that tiny, I think it's probably well done by now.
Not the same as sitting in water for days or weeks which results in corrosion that shorts out the board and permanently damages it.
use pure alcohol instead of water
I've learned a lot today!
Keep water out of your BMW at all cost!
All that trouble for a $40 module that costed so much havoc and headache.
Good job man. Nice to see you get a win for a change.