|
I'm back again to reiterate the same thing for my F83 now.
Its cold outside lately, probably freezing at night FYI if you are reading this in the far future.
STORY:
I recently carried out a brake fluid change and decided to do a final test on the brakes by doing an emergency stop. I don't think I went any faster than accelerating to 20mph before slamming the brakes.
....a wave of water washed over my right shoulder and thigh covering the driver side window, door panel and part of the dash and carpet all the way to the accelerator pedal!
I immediately knew what it was but I was surprised because that would mean the water level in the rear quarter would have had to have been up to the very top of the window frame.
I got under the car, removed the side sill and gained access to the drainage plug.
[Bear in mind that this plug is covered by two separate panels so I am unsure how it is meant to drain effectively. Water would have to fall on one panel, either flow back and forth
within that panel until it escapes or overflow on that same side until it falls on the next panel to then find another escape route again.
I had to use a screw driver to dig out the plug which wasn't that hard.
Out came a popsicle!
Take a look at the photos to see how what came out compared to how it is meant to look.
By this time it was 3pm and the sun had been out for 5 hours. A trickle of water came out, so I stabbed at the inside of the hole breaking the ice to allow the rest of the water to come out.
I think about 3-4 litres poured out of that side of the car.
I made a decision to not re-insert the plug this time around. I may put it back in in a couple of months, made easy by the fact that I have cut out an opening in both panels to allow the water to just fall straight out.
I think the low location of the plug results in it being the last part of the body work to receive some warmth which doesn't help when water and dirty accumulates and freezes very easily there.
My next task is to spray some lubricant up the hole and hope for the best.
TLDR:
Remove the drain plug from underneath your rear quarter panel. It is retaining rain water that is mucking up your fuel economy and destroying the metal mechanisms back there.
Also when water freezes it expands right? Imagine what that is doing to micro holes and tears in the body work.
|