Leaking Sunroof - Major Frustration

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MrOffshore

MrOffshore

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Threads
32
Messages
261
Location
Indiana
Website
www.intechrv.com
OK, starting point, I've done the "search" and not found exactly what I think might be causing my issue, hoping someone has experienced something similar...I HATE a leaking car.

I have attached a few images of where my leaks are coming in...I have my headliner out (not hard but not super quick...but makes a lot of things convenient). I have tried to silicone the bottoms of these screws where water is entering (see images) but no luck. Mind you, it's not raining here...just a VERY little bit of snow that was on my roof melted (trace amounts) and when I got in the truck the water was seeping in and dripping in on me.

I've seen the plastic pieces (show on the exterior image...I borrowed that image from someone on here as it was dark outside and that image was readily available...hope you don't mind!) and I don't believe mine are warped enough to create and issue...I think even new ones don't exactly sit flat.

My thoughts...weld a piece of steel 360 degrees around the edge and cover this poorly designed sunroof over entirely (not kidding).

or

Replace the gasket around the glass...mine is a bit worn, particularly where it comes up against the metal retaining clip that holds sunroof viser in place. Is this difficult? Doesn't even feel like it would come off easily...and to the other point, it won't seal completely, it's evident that water will enter and the design is somewhat poor at channeling water down the drains (mine are completely clear...they weren't but they are now...not when working on these drains, if you choose to pull them off of the nipples be careful...the plastic is somewhat whittled down and not very strong...I think you could break a nipple [LOL, I said nipple again!!] completely off and have a real problem).

or

REALLY silicone the crap out of this thing, but that's more of a bandaid than anything...at least the steel plate is a permanent fix...ugly but permanent. My thought is that it will actually just divert water into another area, moving my problem. Why do these things always happen in the middle of the winter...never in the summer when you can really work on them and have light beyond 5:30!!

or

listen to suggestions on what you think

or

drive this leaking freaking truck into Lake Erie!!!

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
sunroof.webp
image leak points.webp
 
I'm wondering if that's where mine is leaking from. I had a downpour inside the cabin while going through an auto car wash in an attempt to remove the nasty Ohio cancer inducing salt. When I got home, I checked the drains with the water bottle test and they were clear.

My only other guess is that the drains were overloaded by the gush of water in the car wash and they overflowed.

Did you run across the inner tube trick? I remember reading that someone placed an inner tube around the glass and it decreased wind noise and I would assume water leakage as well.

I hope you find the solution, but if you don't, please PM me before you drive the beast into lake Erie and I'll drop by and offer you a severance package. I can be there within an hour's notice.:popcorn::cheers:
 
I've seen the plastic pieces (show on the exterior image...I borrowed that image from someone on here as it was dark outside and that image was readily available...hope you don't mind!) and I don't believe mine are warped enough to create and issue...I think even new ones don't exactly sit flat.

The one with the screw circled on the right in the picture is the one that holds down the sorta L-shaped plastic ramp and is in the front corner of the opening. This piece of plastic should indeed not "exactly sit flat." If it does, then maybe it's broke or overtightened from what I remember of that thread, because it's supposed to have a ramp effect to help seal things up correctly at that location.

I'm not sure about anything with the other screw. GL there.

As for the floods you are having, I can only offer one thing that I did with my moonroof at first. I usually closed mine by eye when the truck was in park and was careful not to overdrive the motor. This resulted in my keeping the moonroof flat in the track.:whoops:

That looks good but is in fact not sealed unless you keep pushing the button in order to fully close the moonroof. In that position, it visually looks like the back of the glass is higher than the front. This is actually the leak-proof position.

You probably already know this:cheers:, but in case someone who doesn't happens to come along to read this thread later, they might find this useful and can stop right here with an ah-ha moment.:beer:

This does tend to cure the "big leak" problem in some cases. It did for me.:D
 
Mine leaks there to.

Two causes of this:

1. The sunroof seal is letting too much water in and the drains(even clean) cant keep up with the water and it fills up the area around the roof and flows over into the sunroof track(my case).

2. The drains are not clear and its causing the sunroof tray to fill with water and allowing it to into the sunroof track.

Hope this helps.
 
I have checked all four of the drain lines, they are all clear...initially they were not, but now they're completely clear and flowing water like the Nile River. The biggest concern of mine is that there was very little (I'm talking not much at all) snow that melted on the roof and created this problem.

I've heard some people discuss their headliner not being wet...if it's leaking onto the headliner, the water will travel to the lowest possible point...usually down the A pillar and onto the floor. The headliner will not necessarily show signs of being wet...in some instances it will, but not all...so a dry headliner will not exactly mean it isn't coming in on the poorly designed sunroof.

I am growing tired of this problem, mostly because I am fighting it in the winter....one weekend of warm weather and I could most likely find and fix the issue.

I think I need to look into the seating of the sunroof as GreenTruck discussed...my initial thought would be that the sunroof should simply go up to the point where it quits closing...at full closed position...but who knows with this sunroof...nothing would surprise me at this point.

I am about to purchase new plastic caps and a sunroof glass perimeter gasket...I hate hanging parts only to find that this might not fix the problem, but at some point I think welding the steel plate over the glass is not such a bad idea...it might keep me sane!

Has anyone replaced their sunroof glass perimeter gasket...is this an easy task? It doesn't look difficult but I was hoping it could be done without removing the glass...just fiddling with it between open and tilted up.

I appreciate the input!!
 
Just beat my leak fully today. I had to replace the entire sunroof assembly as it was beyond repair and the glass that came with the used one I bought had a bad gasket on the glass. I used my original glass as the gasket was slightly better and did the 26" bicycle tire tube fix. Ran a #$%^ load of h20 on top of it and it is sealed up tight as can be. I cut the bicycle tube to about 1/2" wide, ran it between the glass and the original gasket and then used an exacto knife to trim the excess. One tip, do not double up bicycle tube. the glass will not fit back in. I originally folded over the excess width of tube into the space and it made it WAY to big. One layer of tube in there is just right. Or you can buy new glass with a nice pretty new gasket that will take care of your leak also. The felt on the edges of the glass just get worn away over the years. Nothing you can really do about it but replace the glass every 7 or so years.
 
If I'm repeating somebody, my apologies. Mine leaked like crazy but now Im dry as a bone.

1. Clean drain tubes (compressed air, pipe cleaner, long zip tie etc..)
2. Calk the forward track cover that would overflow to cab (cover as show in first post)
3. Remove glass, very easy 4 bold under plastic trim (glass is shimmed, don't loose them)
4. The imbedded gasket (this gasket can't be replaced, must buy new glass and it's $$$$$) is "U" shaped, simply put a light gauge double wire in the "U" portion of the gasket. This will expand the gasket back to factory specs sealing the body to the glass allowing very little water to pass. With clean drains and seal track covers the drains can handle the little bit of water that will pass.
5. take your time putting the glass back in. the gasket in now expanded and you don't want to roll the "U" shaped rubber back and rip it.
6. Enjoy your dry cab

FYI....Don't mistake windshield leaks for sunroof, leaks are very common from improper instalation of aftermarket windshields. Most will leak at each bottom corner..

Good Luck :flipoff2:
 
Last edited:
^ any pics of the procedure? I'm down to calling cdan for a new assembly. I'm growing f'in tired of my aquarium interior.
 
lndcruz said:
^ any pics of the procedure? I'm down to calling cdan for a new assembly. I'm growing f'in tired of my aquarium interior.
Click to expand...

I didn't take any pics but to help understand what I'm talking about just open the sunroof and take a close look at the forward edge of the gasket. You will see the "U" shaped piece of rubber. You need to insert the wire in and seat it deep in the groove. Use a very light gauge double wire (like speaker wire but much lighter), doesn't take much expansion to achieve a seal.
 
Not sure I understand what you're saying about a "light gauge double wire"

Are you meaning that the gasket is hollow...when new it would expand naturally out to the edge of the roof and create a seal, but overtime it is compressed and lifeless allowing water to pass?

I think this is what you are saying??

And then the gasket is hollow...and to get it's body back you're pushing a wire into it...sort of filling it up so that it make contact again with the metal of the truck? I did not look at the gasket very closely so I don't know if I understand where to insert a wire...I would imagine that the wire is fairly flexible and flimsy and would only insert so far before being too difficult to push through any further...kind of like feeding a drawstring through a pair of pajama pants that has come out.

I am assuming this might be the best fix...the innertube gasket seems like it might not be the best fix, but sounds like it would work. Any idea of how expensive a new moonroof glass and gasket would be? Would be nice to have an old one that I could play with and try to discover a rubber replacement gasket that we could use as an aftermarket solution to our problems.

Honestly, as much as I love this truck if I knew it leaked I would have passed on it in a heartbeat. This forum has helped me to save a bunch of money on small repairs...but this one is baffling me and bothering the living $hit out of me. I can only handle so much of the insanity of water dripping on me...AAAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Thanks for the input guys, it's a step in the right direction!!
 
MrOffshore said:
Not sure I understand what you're saying about a "light gauge double wire"

Are you meaning that the gasket is hollow...when new it would expand naturally out to the edge of the roof and create a seal, but overtime it is compressed and lifeless allowing water to pass?

I think this is what you are saying??

And then the gasket is hollow...and to get it's body back you're pushing a wire into it...sort of filling it up so that it make contact again with the metal of the truck? I did not look at the gasket very closely so I don't know if I understand where to insert a wire...I would imagine that the wire is fairly flexible and flimsy and would only insert so far before being too difficult to push through any further...kind of like feeding a drawstring through a pair of pajama pants that has come out.

I am assuming this might be the best fix...the innertube gasket seems like it might not be the best fix, but sounds like it would work. Any idea of how expensive a new moonroof glass and gasket would be? Would be nice to have an old one that I could play with and try to discover a rubber replacement gasket that we could use as an aftermarket solution to our problems.

Honestly, as much as I love this truck if I knew it leaked I would have passed on it in a heartbeat. This forum has helped me to save a bunch of money on small repairs...but this one is baffling me and bothering the living $hit out of me. I can only handle so much of the insanity of water dripping on me...AAAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Thanks for the input guys, it's a step in the right direction!!
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I'm saying, over time the gasket looses its spring and adding wire just gives it a bit more lift. Kinda like a boob job..... Adding the wire is not like a draw string. Its much more easy, you just feed the wire in the rubber gasket. The rubber is "U" shape with one side of the U bonded to the glass and the other side makes the seal to the metal. Over time the "U" shaped rubber looses spring and adding the wire picks it up forming a seal. This fix works great, just don't over do it with thick wire......

I heard a new sunroof glass was in the 500 dollar neighborhood.... $250 would be a good deal
 
The gasket wears away, literally, the felt seal just isn't there anymore on the rounded edges. I wouldn't use wire, the wire will eventually roll out from under the gasket. the bicycle tire is more work, but the rubber won't ever come out once set in. And FYI, ALL sunroofs have this issue. they have to seal and that requires a tight fit against the metal body. Eventually, all the rubbing on the body just wears it away. Any 10+ year old sunroof will start leaking. They are not lifetime parts.
 
MountainBum said:
The gasket wears away, literally, the felt seal just isn't there anymore on the rounded edges. I wouldn't use wire, the wire will eventually roll out from under the gasket. the bicycle tire is more work, but the rubber won't ever come out once set in. And FYI, ALL sunroofs have this issue. they have to seal and that requires a tight fit against the metal body. Eventually, all the rubbing on the body just wears it away. Any 10+ year old sunroof will start leaking. They are not lifetime parts.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say all sunroofs have this issue. Mine is a 96 from texas with original sunroof glass an all the rubber is still intact. Mine leaked very bad saturating the headliner, this fix work outstanding. This was not my idea, found this fix here on MUD. Guess if the rubber is gone then only a new piece of glass is the fix.
 
MHTARSTON said:
If I'm repeating somebody, my apologies. Mine leaked like crazy but now Im dry as a bone.

1. Clean drain tubes (compressed air, pipe cleaner, long zip tie etc..)
2. Calk the forward track cover that would overflow to cab (cover as show in first post)
3. Remove glass, very easy 4 bold under plastic trim (glass is shimmed, don't loose them)
4. The imbedded gasket (this gasket can't be replaced, must buy new glass and it's $$$$$) is "U" shaped, simply put a light gauge double wire in the "U" portion of the gasket. This will expand the gasket back to factory specs sealing the body to the glass allowing very little water to pass. With clean drains and seal track covers the drains can handle the little bit of water that will pass.
5. take your time putting the glass back in. the gasket in now expanded and you don't want to roll the "U" shaped rubber back and rip it.
6. Enjoy your dry cab

FYI....Don't mistake windshield leaks for sunroof, leaks are very common from improper instalation of aftermarket windshields. Most will leak at each bottom corner..

Good Luck :flipoff2:
Click to expand...


Wow, This absolutely fixed all my leaks. You would not believe how quite the inside of my lc is now.

Thank you so much for posting this!

Just don't forget to lube up the gasket with silicone while its off the car.

:beer:
 
Hi all,
I have a FJ80 that has leaks from the sunroof despite the drains being clear. It's obvious that the seal is shrunk up, and the additional clearance is allowing too much water past and overwhelming the drains. I found the post in this thread about stuffing wire in behind the seal. I had already been thinking of this as a solution. Instead of wire, I used nylon cord like brick masons use. and it works great.

I wanted to add this to this thread so that someone else may benefit.
 
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