Sunroof Leak Seal - DO IT
 

So had a sunroof leak the other day and was pretty sure it was not the sunroof drains.

From another thread tried this solution - YouTube

Start the video at 32:20

This seam on the front of my roof was the source of the leak. If you have a 3rd Gen with a sunroof I recommend you seal this spot even if its not currently leaking.

I sealed my few at that seam point mine one was seeping there.

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Thank you for pointing out that point in the video! I never made it that far looking for my leak that’s definitely going to be fixed by sealing that seam


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So what is the failure point? Cause?

Just curious before mine starts....

Yup had the same leak on mine, sealed it up with some black rtv.

Many times in life, patience pays off. Even though the video is 38 minutes long, there's nothing stopping you from skimming forward to see if there's anything else interesting to watch and learn from a video. Same goes for long write-ups or long forum threads. Skim through and seek out the information you're looking for.

I think it's sun and time. I bet people who park outside are more likely to have this occur. The plastic trim around the sunroof shrinks from the heat of the sun over time. That's my guess.

Yup it's sun damage. The crack runs deep and you can also see it from the inside.

I finally figured out my sunroof leak and the fix wasn't too hard.

First, many people don't realize the seals on the glass are NOT designed to keep water out. This is why there are 4 drains - one per corner. I flushed my drains, and had good flow, but still was getting leaks at the front drains. So I bought a tool to clean the tubing (brush on a cable), thinking the flow was just impeded with filth. In so doing, I was a little too aggressive, and knocked the tubing completely off of the drain. Ugh. Small leak to HUGE leak!

I had feared the headliner removal scenario, tried and failed the impact driver removal of the A-pillar hand grip. So out of frustration, I just removed my visors and carefully pulled the trim away above the doors (did not have to remove) and pulled the corner of the headliner away from the roof. My headliner was water stained/damaged so was far from pristine anyway. I damaged (bent/wrinkled) the headliner a little, but was able to access the front drain. All looked well, and as I suspected, the Tygon tubing was stiff and the cheap wire clamp wimpy, so it was TOO LOOSE on the drain fitting, and would weep every time water went down the drain. Most water would drain, but some always leaked out. So, working through the small corner of the headliner, I cut about 3/4" off of the end of the tubing to achieve a smaller ID, then used a manly hose clamp to reattach the tubing. Then replaced the headliner. The only permanent damage was a wrinkle or two. Fine with me.

Repeat on passenger side, but had to remove the grab handle on the roof which was easy. Same scenario and fix on the passenger side.

LEAK FIXED!!!

I would start a new thread with this fix, but am not worthy yet - not enough posts.