Sunroof leak with a twist

[CreeperSleeper]

A few days ago I realized the sunroof was leaking on my newly aquired 2000 LX470. I cleaned the front sunroof drains with compressed air and checked to make sure all 4 were draining the way they should. I also made sure the sunroof operated correctly. Well, it didn't work. I got in this morning and noticed the passenger seat was wet. It's not soak, maybe 2 dozen drops. The weird thing is, this is where it is leaking from:

That is also the only place that it is leaking, not through a dome light or anything like that. Another issue that I'm having (that may or may not be related) is I have a wind whistle while driving. I also have an aftermarket windshield but it hasn't been dry enough for me to tape seams and see where the noise is coming from.

Any ideas you have would be great! My wife doesn't prefer to get dripped on...

 

[Griffin]

no idea but i have a slight leak from that general area, from what i can tell. nothing leaks while i'm sitting still, but i get a random drip drop here and there while driving in the rain.

 

[Yukon LX]

i had the same leak. I just sealed the sunroof with Rightstuff and no more leaks. I never opened it up any way. Also, be careful cleaning with compressed air. You can blow the drainage tubes off much further down, and they can be very hard to reach and reattach. using a pip cleaner is a safer bet.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

no idea but i have a slight leak from that general area, from what i can tell. nothing leaks while i'm sitting still, but i get a random drip drop here and there while driving in the rain.

Mine is apparently bad enough to drip while sitting still. It's just worse when you are driving!

i had the same leak. I just sealed the sunroof with Rightstuff and no more leaks. I never opened it up any way. Also, be careful cleaning with compressed air. You can blow the drainage tubes off much further down, and they can be very hard to reach and reattach. using a pip cleaner is a safer bet.

As much as I would love to seal up the sunroof, I won't. I would rather have it fixed. As for the compressed air, I am aware of the possiblity of blowing off the sunroof drain tubes from my 80 series. The air was regulated down and I tested them afterwards to make sure I didn't mess them up.

I just don't get why it would leak from that black trim and not the tray.

 

[Gottagetone]

I used silicone spray on the rubber gasket and it sealed my small leak up....for now.

 

[smm3]

I am having a leak somewhere as well. I can't get the screws off of the grab handles on either side out. they have 2 screws that are in so tight that I am starting to strip them. How did you get them out to lower the headliner to access the rear drain holes?

 

[CreeperSleeper]

I used silicone spray on the rubber gasket and it sealed my small leak up....for now.

did you use silicone adhesive spray? Which gasket?

I am having a leak somewhere as well. I can't get the screws off of the grab handles on either side out. they have 2 screws that are in so tight that I am starting to strip them. How did you get them out to lower the headliner to access the rear drain holes?

Sorry, I never bothered. The rears were flowing so well I didn't take the time.

 

[ajcruiser100]

I had a similar leak that originated at the rear of the sunroof and ran around the side like that before it dripped off into the passenger seat area. I was able to solve it (I think I found this solution on another sunroof leak thread) by removing the connectors from the ends of a flat phone cord and cutting a slit in one end of the rubber sunroof gasket and threading the the cord into the gasket. In my case this filled the gap at the gasket to frame interface enough to stop the leak.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Hmmm.... I can't quite visualize what you are trying to say. I may have to go poke around a bit.

 

[Gottagetone]

I used this stuff

Sprayed it on a paper towel and wiped all the rubber down. It says it waterproofs parts on the can, I also use it to lube the window tracks.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Sweet! Thank you Cottagetone!

 

[re_guderian]

I am having a leak somewhere as well. I can't get the screws off of the grab handles on either side out. they have 2 screws that are in so tight that I am starting to strip them. How did you get them out to lower the headliner to access the rear drain holes?

I had to drill out the B-pillar handle screws.

 

[Yukon LX]

Watch out. Liquid Wrench smells terrible. It does not have that Shop Cologne smell that PB Blaster offers. I have used both too, and find PB is more effective.

Edit: oops just notices that was Liquid Wrench silicone, not the reg. my bad.

 

[smm3]

I had to drill out the B-pillar handle screws.

Thanks. I was afraid of that. I was just hoping not to make a big mess in there. Why wouldn't they just put a 10mm bolt in there?? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[BamaHeel]

I have seen on other sites where these lines have been cleared with weed eater line instead of compressed air

 

[smm3]

The Sears in my town was going out of business. I bought a 12V impact drill and was able to remove the stripped screws. I will be replacing them with 10mm heX bolts for easier removal next time.

I have removed all the trim allowing me to drop the headliner some. I can see where the clear tubing starts but can't tell if it is clogged or not. What has to be removed to see the channel??

It rained hard last night. I went and got in the truck to see where the water was coming in. The water is soaking the rear compartment from under the PS side power window. There is a gap between how the window is attached and the outer sheet metal. I can feel the water coming in where the 2 pieces of metal attach. I have taken pics of the area. You can see where a metal bracket is rusting from the water that has been leaking down.

I am at a loss at this point. I don't think the water is coming from the sunroof drains. Help!!!

 

[2000UZJ]

I may as well ask here, but does anybody know which pin disables to tilt function on the harness, or which wire/pin to remove?

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Yep, still leaking. I still need to find out what rubber gasket you guys are referring to. Do you mean the one around the glass?

 

[4daX4]

Here’s what I’ve done to fix the leak. Peel the rubber gasket off and bend the plastic surrounding the glass back and forth. You’re listening for cracking sounds which is good. The plastic is very tough so you can use some force. It’s held with some brittle glue that cracks and leaks over time. The corners are the hardest part but I used a box cutter to slide between the glass and plastic. once it’s free just clean and use silicone then clamp until dry. You don’t need to add sealant to the rubber seal.