When the sunroof leaks in some older cars it can be that the glass has separated from the metal frame that it's adhered to from either hidden rust or adhesive failure. Then the water gets between the glass and seal and drips in where the drip tray won't catch it. The real risk with that type of leak is that the glass can become completely unbonded and fly off the car and hit something or someone behind you. So watch for that. The easiest way to check that is to open the sunroof and press up on the glass and see if it moves away from the frame at all. The sunroof on my 2000 volvo failed this way.
Thank you for sharing this! I have a '98 Chrysler Sebring LXi (coupe- Diamond Star Motors car- mostly Mitsubishi parts) - anyway- I believe this is what happened to it. What a bogus design. Never happens on Lexus cars.
Little ole lady needs to know if those drain holes are easily visible on my '01, Mazda Tribute? How far will I have to dig around up there to locate the drain holes? Your video is very clear and easy to understand and I will be doing this myself.
Hi Ben, thanks for your comment. The way in which silicon sealant is best used to make a water tight seal is if it is sandwiched between two mating surfaces like a gaskit. If you just use it to fill a gap there is more of a change of it coming lose and bringing you back to square one. The moving glass part is not designed to seal to the car body. Have you consider the leak coming from someware in the mechanism or the actual drain tubes. A tip: take it to a automated car wash and have a investigate. Hope that's of any help.
Nut Job, thanks for the video.. thing is the issue here though isn't a water leak (thank God) but around 50+ MPH i can hear the wind.. is there an easy way to drain out the wind noise? its still under warranty but i hate going to the dealership and waiting/leaving the car there.. is there an easy fix for the wind noise? Thanks in advance for your response.
The front drains clear easy enough with a compressor, but the rears are a different story. Gotta get under the headliner, etc. Not to mention, if the drain lines come off, it's real trouble for the electronics in the dash and doors. I'm sealing mine and being done with it after repeated attempts to clear my drains, lol.
So is it normal to see dripping inside the exterior of the sunroof? Not into the car, but a steady drip around the corners. My solution to the problem has to never get a vehicle with a sunroof, but recent vehicle issues called for me to get a cheap, used, vehicle with a sunroof. I've never owned a vehicle with a sunroof before and honestly, it freaks me out having one. I'm not sure what to expect with a sunroof. I would prefer to just seal it for good.
I have a Chevy Cruze with aftermarket sunroof someone installed before I purchased the car it’s leaking I guess from it somewhere. A local shop said the drain tube was to short so I added to the clear hose and tested it and it’s draining fine. Well it rained yesterday and of course I pulled the passenger seat out and there is water underneath the carpet again. I again tested the drain tubes and they work fine. Where in the world might it be coming from? It’s wet from the passenger front to the passenger rear
Yeah I wouldn't use silicone without checking the sunroof drains, however if the sunroof drains are completely operational and it is in fact the sunroof seal that is damaged, would using silicone to seal the sunroof permanently be a good solution instead of paying the 1000 dollars to completely replace the sunroof? Are there any other methods you would recommend?
other youtube videos showed resealing the tubes These videos dealt with VW Tiguan. This involves a whole lot of work taking off the trim, fishing out the tubes, pulling off the little connectors and then sealing the connectors onto the tubes. that's a whole lot of work. This seems much simpler
The videos that you mention are because the tubes leak around the fixings under the headliner. VW cars are notorious for leaking sunroofs, I have a 2001 New beetle and yes the 4 drain holes were blocked but it still leaks after me clearing them, I use a cover sheet when the car is parked. Like you I don’t fancy removing the headliner.
Hmm. I'm at a loss with my Nissan. When I initially saw some water stains near on the side back fabric, headliner. I popped that open to see that the the passenger sunroof water tray may have been clogged (theres a cheap clear'ish plastic "tray" that connects from the metal sunroof gutter to the tube. Tube looked fine, tray looked ok. It was able to handle water...but TOO much water, then I saw the leak, almost overflowed that "gutter" I used an air gun, blew out everything, even shot it directly into the tube. (Took care of the other 3 drains as well) Seemed fine for a month, water flowed perfectly out that back tube near the rear tire..but it's started again in the past 2 weeks, noticed the water stains again. No rhyme or reason. Air gunned it again, blew out little dirt, tube was draining fine...but still it became wet in the same spot. No leak in my back window seal...so yeah I'm at a loss. We had TORRENTIAL rain this past week, what a mess. Thurs before the severe storms/rain, asa precaution I just duck taped all around the sunroof seam, that did prevent a wet soaked mess. Now since I'm heading into cold, frigid months..I'll have no need to open the sunroof. I am seriously considering sealing this up for now until Spring to prevent a bigger mess. (A moon roof will be just fine) I also just picture snow accumulating on that roof, melting into the seam and...eh. I'll remove it when it gets warmer, and when I can get this leak checked out. I dont have a garage so messing with this in brutal cold weather will not be fun.
i did this with my car...but still getting leaks....Im guessing the seal is not actually sealing tight, so not sure what else I can do....Right now when my car sits and its raining, and I am home, I just putt a rubber mat over the sunroof.
Sounds like troff going around the edge mite be leaking of the tube going connected to it mite not be fitting correctly. Best way to investigate is to sit in the car while it's raining or have someone squrt water over the car. Track where the leak is and investigate that area. Good luck.
I'm in the same boat. Tube is fine, I injected water directly into it and no leaks. I DO think it may have to do with this crap plastic looking tray that connects the drain/sunroof metal "gutter" - which connects to the tube. There are small clips that connect and it could be the issue...I dont know. But right now I have a mess, its Nov. Its cold...snow is coming and sealing it for now is personally MY best option. I can always remove the seal when it gets warmer to figure this all out.
R-A-H_- mine is leaking from the back part but it doesn’t get into the interior and it’s only about a 6 in portion that leaks so idk if I should sue silicone or not 😖
Yeah all four of my drains are 100% clear, no debris and drain well. Water is STILL making it's way in the roof via the track somehow. So I'm at that point were RTV is going to make a lot more sense in my situation. Other option would be costly removal, diag, replacing.
Haven't had to deal with a Hummer H3 myself. By the sounds of it you mite need to do some extensive repair work. Sorry I can't be much help, good luck.
Don't take this the wrong way, just want everyone to know the correct term. Your vehicle has a moon roof, not a sun roof. A sun roof only opens upward. A moon roof will open upwards and also retract into the roof. At least that's what they are called in America. Good video! I am having issues with the sunroof in my Mustang. Hope this fixes it.
the black gasket about the glass edge IS I'm afraid a seal, for water. Your drains found are if the unit is open, raining etc. and the car maker doesn't want water in ceiling finish to body top, the cavity, so it's brought back in small waterways/tubes to outside. The gasketed glass cams upward just before completely closed, to form the pressing clamp against rim of cavity ('seat' its against to water-block from same).
Thanks for pointing out the seal around the edge and yes it may do some water resistance, the drains still need to be there. Think of it like the cutter on a house, it directs the water safety away.
My grandfather used silicone to seal the top because either was leaking because we suspected the sunroof didn't work. I removed the silicone but damaged the rubber on the sunroof. How can I fix the sunroof now because it will leak more :(
Hi Wrench, as you said when removing the silicone the rubber got damaged. There is no real fix for rubber other then replacment however if it is clean and free of grease you could use super glue. It may not be a problem if the drainage tubes are cleaned out like how I demonstrated. You could test it by sitting in the car while its raining, or someone spraying a hose pipe or take it to a car wash. Hope that helps Good luck. ;)
I wouldn't Urathene it because that will cause more leaking. If it still leaks then further investigation needs to be done to find the leak. Could be perished or split rubber/drainage tubes. Cheers mate.
@@nutjob9696 thanks, I investigated all that, but it still leaks. My sunroof doesn't work anymore. I have a 98 landrover. Too bad it wasn't just a solid roof. I put a new headliner in after I thought I fixed the 2 leaks. Even used the hose with water for a long time, but not leaks then. I put in my new headliner and now it's stained..
@@kanti20.7 yes it leaking into the car, there are gutters below the sunroof inside your roof, and if they get full of crap or if the lines get plugged the drains over fill and leak in your car. 🤪🤪🤪
@@KnockOffBeingFat you’ll have to find a video somewhere or get under the car and look for some open holes. I used an air compressor with a blower tip and put it to the holes up in the gutters. Taking down the head liner made things a lot easier.
But alot of leaking sunroofs can be caused by blocked drains so best check fist. If it still is leaking then check for broken troughs and drain pipes in the A pillars. Good luck.
Hi mate, read both you comments. By the sounds of it, if my repair tip doesn't solve the problem, you may have a broken drain tube or a door seal breaching assuming the body shell is free of corrosion damage. Hope you get you car running again, good luck.
hi should I have to drain whats in the ac line before new will go in ITs fully pressurized and new coolant will not go in what should I do Thanks for your help
@@nutjob9696 I repaired the sunroof on my 2010 F150 so I know how to diagnose, this is a 2010 Lincoln MKS with panoramic sunroof that depreciation hasn't been kind to. The vehicle has a rebuilt title with less than 60K on the clock. Nobody makes offers repair parts beyond a replacement motor and it's really a shame because the car is in great condition and only occasionally pops a nuisance evap code. It's twin turbo AWD, luxurious and runs like a scalded cat with no issues. I recently installed high performance drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic pads, the tires have a lot of tread but are old and need to be replaced but aside from that I would drive it east coast to west coast and back without a care (unless rain was forecast on the way). I'm debating on fixing it (if it can be fixed without parts) or sealing it and driving the wheels off of it. Thanks for the reply and your video was good but you might want to add pouring some white vinegar down the tubes to eat up the algae that grows in them which is what causes the blockage in most cases and for God sake always blow, never suck on the tube :) :) :)
Hi Jack, if you sunroof is not opening you and you have checked the fuses. You may have a problem with a loses connection, faulty motor mechcanisem or switch gear. You will need to investigate further. In the meantime you could open the roof manually to gain access to the drain holes. Depending on you make and model, there sould be an access hole for a tool like an Allen key to wind it open and shut. Hope that helps you out.
Thanks for sharing this video you save me from buying another Tahoe I also will start sharing some of the repairs I've been doing thanks to you great job
. MAYBE this will unclog, but it will not fix a LEAK. I agree that "silicone" is not a reliable roof sealant ... because the car will vibrate and twist the silicone goop to stretch, and it will crack in the sun and freezing cold, and leak once more. However, I don't think I'll salute someone who spills water on their upholstery in an effort to prevent water from spilling on their upholstery. And don't lose the short cleaning tool down into the drain pipe! I can't imagine editing this video, it needs a complete re-do. .
