Research Done, Help Needed - RAIN WATER!

[ericbendler]

Well, I have searched the forum long enough.

Rain gets under my hood and into my spark plug wells. It happened once before and ruined 2 (5&6) of my spark plug boots.

Well it happened again, and I dried out 5 & 6. Instead of returning to normal, when I start it up I get a weak stumbling shudder. Well, after taking a spray bottle to my exhaust manifold, I realized that cylinder 1 wasn't firing.

Guess why.......There was a little bit of water down in the plug well.

I replaced the spark plug, rubber boot, and dried out the well. Still isn't firing properly. When I spray water on the exhaust manifold there just isn't the heat there should be making the water evaporate.

I am assuming that it could be the ignition coil? So my question is 2 fold.

Does anyone have any experience with this rain water thing? If so, does it just take a new rubber hood seal? Anyone know how to test the ignition coil? A DMM at 1.8k ohms right?

I looked and looked for something on rain water playing havoc with e34's and couldn't find anything substantial.

I hope someone can help with some experience and advice. THANKS!!

[Ross]

Rain water? Are you sure it isn't coolant?
Between the lower shield and the engine cover I can't conceive how rain water could get in.

[Omega]

I am with Ross on this one. Check for coolant leaks. Also, may be a dumb question but are you sure it's water and not oil? As the rocker cover gasket ages it can shrink, letting oil down the plug bores.

I would expect a 1991 525 to have the M50 (24v) engine? This comes with the plastic cover over the coil packs. I fail to see how rain is getting from outside, through the hood, through the plastic cover, past the coil packs, down the plug boots and onto the plugs.

Hope you find the cause, and if you do post it!

[KenB]

This may be wrong but maybe worth a look see...

I seem to remember someone witht this type of problem finally finding out that his windshield washer system was leaking water into the engine compartment and somehow getting into the sparkplug wells. Check underneath the hood and see if there is any moisture on the insulation that may indicate a leak.

[632 Regal]

the boots and plugs should make a positive seal and should not be affected by water at all. If the seal is gone seal the boots wirh petrolium jelly if the boots are pliable still.

[whiskychaser]

Well, I have searched the forum long enough.

Rain gets under my hood and into my spark plug wells. It happened once before and ruined 2 (5&6) of my spark plug boots.

Well it happened again, and I dried out 5 & 6. Instead of returning to normal, when I start it up I get a weak stumbling shudder. Well, after taking a spray bottle to my exhaust manifold, I realized that cylinder 1 wasn't firing.

Guess why.......There was a little bit of water down in the plug well.

I replaced the spark plug, rubber boot, and dried out the well. Still isn't firing properly. When I spray water on the exhaust manifold there just isn't the heat there should be making the water evaporate.

I am assuming that it could be the ignition coil? So my question is 2 fold.

Does anyone have any experience with this rain water thing? If so, does it just take a new rubber hood seal? Anyone know how to test the ignition coil? A DMM at 1.8k ohms right?

I looked and looked for something on rain water playing havoc with e34's and couldn't find anything substantial.

I hope someone can help with some experience and advice. THANKS!!
Honestly dont think rainwater is your problem. I live near Manchester and should have it if anyone does:-) Dont want to insult your intelligence but are you sure its water? You dont say what you are testing with the DMM but 1.8K ohms sounds very high. Which terminals?

[Dave M]

[QUOTE=ericbendler

Does anyone have any experience with this rain water thing? If so, does it just take a new rubber hood seal?

/QUOTE]


Had this happen recently. Yes, water will short out a plug. For the doubters, make sure its water. I assumed the liquid was oil (bad valve cover gasket), but quickly realized it was H2O. Coolant is not your problem.

My issue was a poor hood seal AND driving around without the plastic cover. I had a good pool of water in #6 and a seroius miss (read, no # 6).

I have a spare hood seal (in Canada)

Dave

[ericbendler]

Well there are two reasons that I think its water.

1.) Just replaced the valve cover gasket less than 4k ago. Second time I have replaced it over the last 40k.

2.) It is the second time this has happened IMMEDIATLY after a hard rain when the car was not at a flat angle.

I am really glad someone is believing me about the rainwater. I know it seems the faulty VCG woud be to blame but I don't count out my rainwater explanation yet.

[ryan roopnarine]

i live in the same city as the OP, it is water. i have the same problem as well. perhaps i need new plug boots, but if i leave the car parked for more than 3 months (here in florida), the water never burns off, and needs to be dried out manually. generally, under normal use, i only have to clear it out once every 6 months or so. i don't know if it is because i don't have a hood mat installed, but jon k also has the same problem.

[94_e34_525i]

Replace the rubber hood seals and see if it still is giving you a problem if it is then it cant be water, unless your driving over puddles your not are you? Then in that case its coming from under and going under your engine cover which is concievable because its not designed to seal from under does that make sense? In any case avoid big puddles!!

[g7syw]

Rain water? Are you sure it isn't coolant?
Between the lower shield and the engine cover I can't conceive how rain water could get in.

Not to insult your intelligence, and as it happens after a heavy rainfall, I really can't see where rainwater would get in - I use a pressure washer to clean my engine down and this doesn't get into the spark plag wells, I have had oil in them caused by the gasket failure though... ;)

[ericbendler]

Nice triple black. I'll keep the puddles in mind. I am looking for the new hood seal right now.

I agree with your comment about replacing the hood seal, and you know....I checked my washer hose, and it might actually be faulty. That might explain how the fluid got into cylinder 1.

Last time it rained and most of the water was in 5 & 6. I am assuming that you guys who had problems with the rain like me dealt with it by getting new plugs/boots?

Either of you have to get a new ignition coil? I don't think it has made my DME go bad. That cylinder just won't fire though.

[Herb]

New plug boots, while a good idea, will not solve the problem because the spark will still follow the path of least resistance. I got lucky and had a "sun shower", a hard one, and imedately pulled over once it started to miss. I do not have the under cover for the hood and my sprayers are not hooked up, I found that water was splattered in a diagonal direction from the left side of the hood crease ('92 525i, narrow hood) to the back right of the motor hitting the bottom of the nosel inlet and spraying water directly between #5 and #6, I too had no cover and had caps where the studs for the cover would be. I figured the flow of air was pushing all of the water in to #6.

I replace my valve cover gasket (the rain told me that wasn't the problem) and put my plastic cover from my s52 on the the m50, haven't had the problem since.
Herbert

Unfortunately I still have a small stumble in the idle and while cruising, have yet to pin that one down, new hoses (everywhere), plugs, coilpacks are good, icv is good, fuel is good, afm/maf is good, air filter is good. But I also have disapearing coolent (every two weeks I need to fill from the bottom of the resevoir to he cold line, I usually put alittle in every 3-4 days) , no puddles or "white" anywhere in the engine bay or underneith, but when I turn on the heat the smell is almost sufficating, for about 20-30 minutes depending on how hot I have the temp set to, the hotter the longer/stronger the smell.