Sunroof drains - again!*XX! (1 Viewer)

[Jim_Phillips]

Hugh

I have to confess that I've never actually seen the front drain tubes at the point they exit/drain from the vehicle. I do recall seeing them run down the front pillar when I had the lining removed. Perhaps you could take a close look and deduce where they go. I can't say for sure where they end up - maybe someone else can? Have you looked in the FSM?

Good luck, Jim

 

[cruiserdan]

Jim,
The book doesnt have Jack** on that. My understanding is that they terminate in the rocker cavity. NOT SUBSTANTIATED.

Dan.....At periscope depth

 

[CDN_Cruiser]

Jim and C-Dan:

Yes, as far as I can tell, they do terminate within a panel (that is quite open - ie there are lots of holes to let water out, but hard to access the tube)

Cheers, Hugh

 

[tenncrusher]

If you want to find where the tubes exit vehicle, assuming they are working, pur water in and look underneath. You cannot miss them....you will get water in the face and they will be obvious.

 

[Jim_Phillips]

Most unsatisfactory. An unexplained mystery ....

Jim

How come no one ever uses this smiley: :-* ??

 

[semlin]

Aha, the millionth thread in the past two months on sunroof drain problems. As a long time contributor to these threads, I am deeply hurt that my name has not come up yet as an esteemed source of wisdom. I spent a little while this weekend fiddling with this problem since currently both my ds and ps floor pans and carpets are wet.. After various experiments I can report as follows:

1. Both the d-s and p-s front drains are in the panels forward of the door. Pull the kick panel, pull the harnesses out of the access hole near the floor and reach forward inside. The drain hose is 1 inch black plastic and it hangs vertically just forward of the access hole against the inner panel wall. Neither of mine are crimped in the 4-5 inches or so I can reach (Tenn, props that you managed to get a hose clamp around the d-s hose in there – you are a left handed miracle worker).

2. Short of dropping the headliner or removing the dash, it looks impossible to access any other part of the drain hoses.

3. What do the hoses drain into? Good question. Does anyone have one of those fibreoptic cameras that doctors use to film your insides? The p-s hose feels quite loose and I think it just hangs loose and drains into the rocker, maybe through a hole in the floor pan. I suspect that the d-s feels more fixed in place because there are more harnesses and wires to hold it in place?

4. My front sunroof drains do work. The water comes out of the rocker panel drains. If I pull the front rubber plug in the rockers they both drain profusely at roughly the same rate.

5. Unfortunately, the front drains don’t work well enough. If I park facing downhill then 6 ounces of water poured steadily into the sunroof gutters at one time without overflowing the gutter results in some water pouring through the headliner at the A pillar on both sides. Either the hoses are loose inside somewhere or water is getting over the sunroof seal.

7. I am much more suspicious of the sunroof tub seal. When water pools in the sunroof gutters it could clear the tub lip if the seal is loose. My seal looks loose in several spots.

8. When I park normally I am on a gentle uphill slope. In this position the sunroof gutters seem to hold a lot of water before they drain out the back drains. Almost as soon as I pull away in the morning I have to go down a steep hill. I think this causes the pooled water in the sunroof gutters to rush to the front drains. This is where I think the problem lies for me.

9. Using wires to check or clear the drains requires a wire gauge I don’t own. I tried everything from 10 to 18 and can’t get past the top of the A pillar on either side. Maybe I am partly blocked after all. I am going to try some compressed air.

 

[tenncrusher]

After I "unkinked" my front ds hose, I place one-half gallon of water in the ft left corner of sunroof and it drained it off. A properly functioning drain system can handle a remarkable amt of water.

 

[CDN_Cruiser]

Semlin and Tenn:

Semlin - sorry no offense , I know that you are on the 'wet' coast and must be a real expert - but I figured you were busy fixing you CV

I found the DS drain pipe eventually, and mine also feels loose - it feels like it isn't attached at the roof. I was hoping that by eventually opening the roof, I would be able to see the drain hose, it sounds like this isn't the case. Tenn, I agree, HOW did you get a hose pipe around that thing - you must have ET fingers.

If you do remove the head liner, can you properly access the tops of the drain hose? I removed the A pillar 'garnish' (I love the FSM translation - garnish? Please pass the parsley) and no access along this path.

Cheers, Hugh

 

[tenncrusher]

Yanked the sucker pulling it up from the bottom, which I figured I could re route if needed. Made sure I did not pull from the top.

 

[tenncrusher]

It has rained yet, again, and no problems with damp floors in the cruiser. It is as dry as a Pheonix summer inside my Tenncrusher.....

 

[Riley]

So I guess it goes without saying to test for sunroof leaks before buying an 80....

Funny I never thought of that but boy does this sound like a troublesome area...

Ben

 

[semlin]

yup,

actually what you need to do is check the carpet in the front floor pans to see if they are damp. Unfortunately it is the wrong time of year to do that even in Vancouver. You could pop the first drain plug in both rockers under the front doors, open the sunroof, pour a glass of water into each side gutter and compare the rate the water flows out the rocker. They should be the same and the flow should be copious.

 

[Eduardo96FZJ80]

-B-
The hallmonitor's infinite wisdom I am getting used to.... but the terminology still has me somewhat ??? ???

and I'm sorry I missed the SOR post !!

must of been a good one?

 

[TLCObsession]

I have pulled the grommetts out of the rockers since the pinch/drain always clogs.

I am planning on drilling a reral hole at each of the pinch drains when I do some PM on the Cruiser next week. Then I can replace the grommetts.

Jim (in the midst of teh dry season here!)

 

[Junk]

OK - y'all created problems for me. Who has SOLVED this issue? I see everyone has it and thinks they have a fix, but can actually claim MAKING IT GO BYE BYE.

Me havum wet footum.

 

[landtank]

It would seeem you have 2 choices:

1. start to look around for possible obstructions in the drains by pouring water into them and check for issues with the seal especially if you have the wind deflector.

2. grab tight and order a $75.00 part


couldn't resist

 

[Riley]

Sounds like the wind deflector is one source of leaks in the sun roof. Is this correct?

I have the deflector and thinking about removing it. Is this possible?

I see just 2 brackets holding it in but haven't investigated what would happen if I removed the brackets. Anybody know?

I can hear a small wind noise from the sun roof at highway speeds and I think it's the deflector causing it.

 

[Junk]

Landtank - that's a great idea. Never thought of installing a VSV for my drains. Dang, now I know.

Turtledude - take off the deflector. Took mine off a while back and never miss it.

Me got a damp one though - foot that is :-[ :'(

 

[Jim_Phillips]

I took off my deflector and had no problems. To my mind the whole idea of having a hole in the roof was to let some air blow in - take of the deflector and you get a nice draft.

I remember my blocked drain tube problem. I found it difficult to find the right guage wire to push down the hole. A thick wire won't go round the bends and a thin wire won't push through the blockage. In the end I solved it with a home made solution. I cut a length of 'plastic wire' from the garden strimmer and tightened one end to an electric drill. You then fill the drains with water, then put the end of the strimmer cord down the drain hole and slowly rotate it. The rotation seems to help it get round the bends in the line. When you reach the blockage give it some revs - you know the problem is cured when you see water dripping on your driveway.

Give it a try

Jim

 

[cruiserdan]

Jim,

Cool idea. Now pray tell us, was that right or left-handed revs?


Dan.