So, I have read every thread I can find and have seen it come down to this, what are the odds of each one occurring? Can someone rank them? Typical, but not all my symptoms are battery box full of water, water on edges of back window, soaked boot carpet, wet foam in rear car wall, water in storage cubbys :

* 3rd Brake Light (Seal can not be bought separately, order replacement light for $150+ or aftermarket for $60 such as the one at mossmini)

- Stock spoiler can stay in place (R50 has to have it removed or loosened)

- Some of the lights may be soldered on.

- Possibly tightening of bolts 3 hex bolts can solve problem inside (no trim removal required?) be careful not to crack it!

* Gasket around wiper arm (can be purchased seperately, part no?)

* Regular brake light(s) leak.
- Fixes?

* Hatch glass leaks - re-seal and mount rear hatch, ouch!

* Wire harness in hatch leaks. Fixes?

* sunroof drains leak (two holes exiting in hatch frame area from roof)
- Peel roof liner back and repair.

* Antenna leaks. Fixes?

So I have two things I can see on my 2002 R53, water in the battery box and slight drops (like less than 10) in passenger (us) side cubby box where the CD changer cable goes. The droplets are above the brake light housing and dripped a little on the wheel well up high and on what looks like a metal shelf on the inside of the cubby above the brake light.

Since I had about 1/4 inch of water in the battery box after 36 hours of steady rain, I was assuming it was the 3rd brake light, but I don't see how that could get water into the passenger cubby.

Any wise sage advice for people that have seen or heard of the cubby location specifically?

Far as I can tell everything else is dry.

if it were me I'd probably be most suspicious of the sunroof drains

I'd probably blow some air thru and ensure they were not clogged altho the more serous problem would be one came dislodged

I'd dry everything then try to duplicate the leak with a hose and or pres' washer and if I could I'd then tape the entire sunroof seal and try it again this would limit the possibilities - then move on to each other possible problem area

used the same technique when I had a wind noise problem on a Honda after a windshied repair. Above 60 I got a whistle and altho the glass was replaced twice more at no cost the sound kept coming back and I was not sure where it was really coming from. So I started applying masking tape and taking test rides. Eventually I was able to pinpoint the source and the company paid extra attention to that area solving the problem.

Good luck
It's a little ugly to run around with tape for a day or so, but it worked for me.

I think it is the Brake Light and since it is a 10 minute job I would start there. That was the problem with mine. I doubt you'll need a new gasket. A little silicone works nice and you might find that it simply is loose and requires a quick tightening.

Rich

Thanks Guys, after poking around a bit this morning, and having freezing temps, I was able to see the right side of the gasket on the bottom of the hatch sill would crunch when pushed (ice in there!) as well as ice behind the plastic trim crunching on the hatch it self in the bottom.

So I am 99% sure at least one source is the 3rd brake light. Anyone ever find a gasket for that?

So you mean one of the regular brake lights on the left and right? How do you tighten those. I did look this morning and the top of the light bumps out a little on the same side as the cubby.

Thanks!

No. I meant the high brake light in the middle. The rear lights are not hard to take out but when I did it I had mirrors and small screwdrivers. It is probably not those.

Rich

So I call moss mini, they said there 3rd light doesn't come with a gasket :(

The "GASKET" is like a foam rubber doubler attached to the back of the unit...if you clean the dirt off the one you have now, and maybe brush some liquid "form a gasket" on the old one to build it up, I bet you can make it water tight. You may also be able to simply cut a new gasket from some thin gasket material, or even order a new one from MINI.
I know when I cleaned and re-attached the boot handle, the foam gasket was spent...it was flattened...I used the above technique, and it has been fine so far. I also had to replace my 3rd brake light when the lens popped off...but the used one I got still had a good foam gasket.

Thanks, turns out I have the same problem, lens popped off about 70%. So I am just gonna caulk it with clear outdoor caulk and order the aftermarket mossmini one.

Hopefully this will fix the major leak!

Put in the black Mossmini one, looks better than I thought on the white roof line. Fits tighter too it seems.

I pulled off the hatch handle, lets see, it had less than 1 inch of foam gasket left. I got some door weather seal from home depot and cut it down the middle and then made a gasket that I stuck to the hatch, then screwed the handle back on. Far as I can tell it is water tight now.

I can post pics if anyone wants!

Yes, pics would be nice, thanks!

I had a similar problem with the battery box filling up. . .the drain holes in the bottom lip of my hatch were plugged up with grime (and thus my boot lid was full of water and it was sloshing over the top when i was driving around .) Cleaned out the holes with a q-tip, almost a gallon of water drained out drained out and I haven't had problems since.

ElPolloDiablo - Sorry for raising an old thread, but which drain holes do you mean? Are there drainholes in the battery box? I am unsure what you mean when you write *lip*. Thanks for any and all help since I too have water in my battery box.

Best Regards / Alex

He is talking about the HATCH...the lip of the hatch....the lower edges of it, towards both ends...near where The outer and inner meet has drain holes to let water drip out if it gets in.... Can bet plugged with gunk...lets the water drip out when the hatch is closed (say the boot handle is letting a drip in)..... Onto the bottom bumper area, outside of the gasket....

Thanks for the clarification

Best Regards / Alex

where is the drainholes? pic

My leak turned out to be a bad rear hatch handle. As for the drain holes, are you talking about the ones in the batterybox?

"He is talking about the HATCH...the lip of the hatch....the lower edges of it, towards both ends...near where The outer and inner meet has drain holes to let water drip out if it gets in.... Can bet plugged with gunk...lets the water drip out when the hatch is closed (say the boot handle is letting a drip in)..... Onto the bottom bumper area, outside of the gasket...." that one.

i removed the panel in my trunk and can see water dripping on the clips/screw of the rear handle. i just put silicone there but my carpet still get wet

My experience is that it is typically the third brake light. Silicone fixes it right up.

///Rich