Sunroof Drains Tube Leak Solved

[Brabus]

Great thread.A job I must do to my tourer now when I get back from my hols.This would make a great how to.

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by EugeneM

Well was reading this with interest last week and had it down on my to-do list.
Come Sunday (08/07/12), after another night of incessant rain, got into the V8 to go shopping, and my wife noticed the squelch underfoot. Passenger side completely water-logged! Think it must've been happening for a while as since I've owned the ZT-T, (about six months), have noticed that the windows steam up far more readily than my 75 in wet weather.

Just a couple of questions;

Arctic did you cut off the ends of the one way valves at the end of the wheel well drain tubes?
Has anyone got away with not stripping the interior?

I don't mind having a go at the tube union mod, but don't have the space under cover to dry out the carpets and store the seats, console, Sat-Nav etc, etc.
If it's a negative to the later, then I'll have to hand the job of stripping and drying out over to my trusted garage as they have the space and time to do this.

Finally, thanks Arctic for a really explicit and in-depth post, these things make a lot of difference to us types who are keen to do, but unsure of how to.

Eugene.

Hi Eugene.
Sorry to hear you have the sunroof woes, but you can bet that this as been leaking over a long period of time as i stated this would not just happen over a few days or overnight, it will only show once the underfoam on the carpet can no longer take or soak up any more water, i am also sorry to say if you just peel back the carpet edge running parallel with the passenger front and rear sill you will see the water and i would say when am suggesting you take out the carpet mine as been out for week now and still not dry i ended up buying a gazibo to store the seats and carpet in etc and taking them out out when the sun came out to dry a garage may well have an heater to dry the carpet out, again i can not reiterate enough if your carpets are dry and you do not have a leak yet and have a sunroof do this mod asap but do not just rely on feeling the carpet to see if it is dry peel it back for your own piece of mind Arctic.

PS i have as yet not cut of the ducks bil ends of the one way valves at the end of the wheel well drain tubes as i think pushing the connectors through more than the 10mm/15mm which rover had done with the tube it may have opened the end i yet to take a look if not i will more than likely cut the end off.

[Reebs]

Steve, that is a fantastic piece of work, and illustrates perfectly what needs to be done. I have copied all four sections into a new thread in the 'How To - Car Interior' section for future reference. Many thanks for all the work you put into this

How To - Sunroof Drain Tubes Leak Solved

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by Reebs

Steve, that is a fantastic piece of work, and illustrates perfectly what needs to be done. I have copied all four sections into a new thread in the 'How To - Car Interior' section for future reference. Many thanks for all the work you put into this

How To - Sunroof Drain Tubes Leak Solved

Hi Paul.
Great my pleasure but not one i really needed but at least we now know and it could save other all the work of stripping the interior out if it is caught in good time, as this does not happen over night i personally think it is an accumulation of leaking over a long period could be years months depending how blocked the outlet tube is and for how long it's been blocked. Arctic.

[Reebs]

I actually spent the day today emptying out about 2 kettle fulls of water from under the carpets of my new tourer. They too were soaking I don't have a sunroof however, so the water must be getting in elsewhere.

It was only on the drivers side front and rear, and as I don't have a torx screwdriver big enough to remove the seats, had to keep the carpets in, and vacuum up the water underneath. But you are right about how much liquid the foam backing holds.

Now the car is dry, and the carpets have been given a good airing in situ. I've got her tucked up in the garage with the windows down and that's where she'll stay until her MOT on Monday when they are going to investigate the leak and check the plenums.

I did give both sides a good rodding when I bought the car about 2 months ago, but I don't know how long the water had been accumiliating. It might just have been all this rain, or it might have been the pressure washer used to clean her a couple of weeks ago

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by Reebs

I actually spent the day today emptying out about 2 kettle fulls of water from under the carpets of my new tourer. They too were soaking I don't have a sunroof however, so the water must be getting in elsewhere.

It was only on the drivers side front and rear, and as I don't have a torx screwdriver big enough to remove the seats, had to keep the carpets in, and vacuum up the water underneath. But you are right about how much liquid the foam backing holds.

Now the car is dry, and the carpets have been given a good airing in situ. I've got her tucked up in the garage with the windows down and that's where she'll stay until her MOT on Monday when they are going to investigate the leak and check the plenums.

I did give both sides a good rodding when I bought the car about 2 months ago, but I don't know how long the water had been accumiliating. It might just have been all this rain, or it might have been the pressure washer used to clean her a couple of weeks ago

Hi Paul.
Ask them to check the scuttle fixings which the scuttle clips fit into under the front window scuttle its self, silicon them if need be with 151 roof & gutter sealant will be doing both my cars as soon as its a dry day, or as always check the rear vents but i would have thought you would have water in the spare wheel well if they were leaking and as you state only drivers side please let us know if you find out the cause cheers Arctic.

[Reebs]

Yes will do Steve. The spare wheel well is dry as a bone (my first port of call with the video module and radio tuner being there), I did notice that the rear drivers side door mounted rubber seal has come adrift around door handle height, it just needs sticking back to the body of the door in that section, but judging by the lack of water around the door itself, I had kind of ruled that out.

The wettest areas of all were at the base of the seatbelt anchoring bolt and the section directly behind the under seat heater vent. Thankfully none of the seat electrics, or airbag wiring have been affected in any way

[Dominic22]

I am not sure if this is V8 specific or Mk2 Specific. But my Carpets at the front are split into 2 (see below, others attached). Not sure the connectors I have are correct but will give it a go. Not even close to as much water as Steve's but very wet in there..... Easier to let dry though as 2 torx bolts so carpet can slip off the front then keep up to (hopefully dry)

[Jules]

As far as I'm aware, the 75 V8 has separate front and rear carpet with a 1 inch overlap .
The 260's are all in one piece.
WHY is anybody's guess. (something to do with Auto box I suspect)?

[Arctic]

Hi Dominic.
if you have water in the front foot well itwill most certainly be in the rear foot well, as it runs that way naturally due to how the floor pan is made it as took me 10 solid days to dry mine out because of the bad weather, if the sun had been out more i think it would or could still have taken a least 5 days using the natural way sun and wind etc but with your still in situ i think it will take longer and you will have to mop up the water as it drains from the carpet.

The connectors you need are 5/8 or 16mm either from halfords or the bay but if you can get to mine i have some Arctic.