18 Jul 2023Parking under trees can give us relief from the heat of the summer sun, however, when the leaves are falling and you own a BMW E series car, such as an E90 (like me) you may need to think twice.
On a windy day when your parked among the trees, especially in Autumn, you may find leaves have blown or falling on your car. Not to fear as you drive off, they seem to fly away to their next destination. But the hidden leaves you can’t see, fell down the top of your windscreen, under your bonnet to their final resting place, covering a very important feature, the drain.
Recently we have seen the importance of our drainage systems as there has been more than usual rainfall across the country. Our cars have also been exposed to these weather conditions. These drains we speak of can be found on either side of your E-series car under your bonnet near the windscreen, if you own this car, you may find some leaves hiding in this compartment as well. Now it may not sound like much of an issue but if we dig a little deeper, on the passenger’s side just below a black plastic cowl on the brink of the firewall you will find a most important piece of equipment. Some people know it as the heart of the car, others the engine management system but we call it the ECU (Electronic Control Unit).
Now pay close attention:
In the BMW E series range, like my E90 you MUST check your drains for leaves as once covered, water will sit and over time corrode your ECU. The only fix is to replace your ECU, which comes at a price.
Now this is a job anyone can do; we just need to remember.
So, head out to your car now (even if you don’t own a BMW, many cars have a similar layout).
Pop your bonnet and at the top on each of the sides, do you see a leaf collection? Or a drain?
This handy tip could be saving your car time in the workshop.
Just set a reminder to pop your bonnet and clear any leaves or debris that might clog your drains.
