Hey Ya'll.

I've been doing some research on causes of water leaks in the hatch area. Before I throw some parts and time at it, I figured Id ask you all.

Potential culprits:

-Panoramic roof drains x4 - compressed air to push through any debris and https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/MINI_R56/138-BODY-Sunroof_Drain_Repairing/138-BODY-Sunroof_Drain_Repairing.htm

-Rear lights - pull off and apply butyl tape or equivalent on aperture


-3rd brake light, pull off and seal aperture with tape
-Rubber seal around entire rear hatch opening

-integral rubber seal on rear chrome trim along bottom of window allowing water in.




Am I missing anything?

 

Window seal also on each side of those front doors. If the window is not sealed completely it can leak in on the footwell module. Sometimes it need adjusted.

Also the seal on the roof antenna can leak ( they crack really bad) and soak the headliner.

 

Thx for the tip. I need to find the part numbers for the window seals and antenna!

Appreciate you baby!

 

Window adjustment:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...and-frame.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-problems.html same for R56 pretty much.

Seals if bad: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=51_7766

Antenna

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...enna-base.html

Aftermarket options: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bremmen-...203442105~brp/

OR

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bremmen-...203456090~brp/

You have to check your antenna base and design.

 

@ECSTuning

Are you implying these two window seals? $900 each!!!

51767151384 and 51767151383

#1

 

@ECS Tuning are there seals for the rear lamps or 3rd breaklight?

 

Yep MINI jacked the price. I would gummi feldge the ones you have or try to find good shape used and gummi them to renew the seal. This is what MINI dealers use.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/gummi/




https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...t/63212751575/

No seal on that part.



its on the glass section.

 

Thanks @ECS Tuning

 

Welcome!

 

FWIW, I picked up a perfect rear hatch gasket (for the entire rear opening) for ~$17 at the local you-pull-it boneyard. There are lots of Minis in the junkyards, and lots of them have good rubber trim...

 

Yes there are....cause that's where they belong...

I dont want to waste my time with old parts.

 

So you'll be replacing your Mini with something that's not built entirely out of old parts? ;-)

FWIW, the rear rubber seal I bought is perfect - looks like a new one and will likely outlast the vehicle (kind of the only metric that really matters, IMHO).

 

I will replace it with a Toyota.

 

Ive seen some guys mention using butyl tape on the tail lights to stop rain infiltration but then how do you get lights off? I have some thin double sided tape for windows but its super sticky.




Anyone use a thin seal/gasket used for house doors (one sided) like from Home Depot?


This 1/8th inch butyl from coachworks might do the trick.


@ECSTuning you guys dont sell any such gaskets do you?

 

The chrome trim is removed with a trim tool, but be ready for "things to break". I did mine recently, and was amazed at how brittle the plastic had become and a good number (OK, "bad number") of the itty bitty little tabs broke off. Just take your time and IIRC, start at the outside edge (check videos / etc. to make sure). Once you get the chrome trim off, there are three (T30?) screws holding the lights in, and you may have to reach in the access "doors" in the hatch to push up on the lower tab that hooks on the body work to release it. I didn't have to worry about that, since both tabs were laying on the floor of the body under the lights (presumably from ham-handed prior attempts at servicing).

 

This is the tape we have. But we dont have the exact foam stuff. I know that butyl tape is used to reseal lights and lens. The JOEY MOD is the most common task.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/butyl_tape/