Sunroof Leaked into TV During Heavy Rain

[Michael William]

I’ve cleared the drain in the front left that was blocked and pulled down the headliner on the right side to gain access to the right rear tube, but have a few concerns. After inserting a funnel into the tube and pouring roughly a gallon of water down the tube, water began to pool in the second row footwell. I’m just a bit confused with how the water could’ve ended up there because I can’t figure out where the tube goes after the elbow above the headliner and then down the inside of the pillar. Is it just a single tube or are there connectors might’ve blown off with the compressor? If anyone has the schematics or experience with this issue I’d appreciate any help. Thank you

 

[Bain64]

I think there is a connector in the A-pillar. You can remove the grab-handle and pull the trim fairly easily to check. The drain tube exits the vehicle in the sub-frame just behind the front wheel, basically behind (inside?) the forward-most part of the rocker panels.

However, i wouldn't start pulling interior panels until you've tried weed-eater string & a tiny bit of water down the drain line. Shove the string down starting from the moon roof drains, push and spin until it drains or you can see the string poking out of the drain tube. You might start on the drivers side (that's already clear) so you can locate where the tube exits the vehicle and drains.

 

[Michael William]

I think there is a connector in the A-pillar. You can remove the grab-handle and pull the trim fairly easily to check. The drain tube exits the vehicle in the sub-frame just behind the front wheel, basically behind (inside?) the forward-most part of the rocker panels.

However, i wouldn't start pulling interior panels until you've tried weed-eater string & a tiny bit of water down the drain line. Shove the string down starting from the moon roof drains, push and spin until it drains or you can see the string poking out of the drain tube. You might start on the drivers side (that's already clear) so you can locate where the tube exits the vehicle and drains.

Thank you, but the issue I am having is with a rear drain tube. It seems to terminate near the rocker as well, but even after removing the rocker I still can’t get a line of sight on the tube or figure out how to access it to replace it as I believe it is behind the metal the rocker screws in to. When I removed the backmost interior panel I could see where the tube runs down (pillar c?) to, but there’s no way of replacing it from there. That’s also where water is pooling when it enters the hose from the sunroof.

I did have someone pour water down the tube on the good side to try to figure out where the tube is supposed to terminate, but even though I could see the water dripping down behind the metal the rocker panel screws into, I’d never be able to get in there through the tiny holes in it to fix the tube on the other side

 

[Bain64]

I missed that you were looking at the rear... The shop manual diagnosis chart is below, the helpful bits say to pull the headliner and check the hoses and that it does route through the C pillar as you guessed.. I still can't locate where the rear drain tubes exit though, if someone else knows offhand please chime in. I'll look some more for a diagram later this weekend if you don't have an answer by then.


Edit: Have you pulled the c-pillar trim? With the headliner pulled back, it sounds like you're close to being able to trace the line all the way down.


B5 CHECK THE DRAIN HOSES

• 
  NOTE: Drain hoses can be viewed with a flashlight by removing the headliner lace around the inside opening and gently pulling down on the headliner. (On some vehicles, Velcro style attachments have been installed in place of the trim lace.)
• Make sure the drain hoses are all connected and not cracked, slit, pinched or obstructed.
• Are all the drain hoses present and attached correctly?

Yes
GO to B6 .

No
REPAIR or INSTALL a new drain hose(s). TEST the system for normal operation.
B6 CHECK THE DRAIN HOSES FOR CORRECT FLOW

• 
  NOTE: Drain hoses must flow downhill and cannot be pinched or restricted by headliner or any other trim components.
• With the panel in the open position, slowly pour water into the water trough area and make sure that the same amount of water exits the vehicle at the bottom of the A- and C-pillars.
• Check the drain hoses for obstructions by blowing compressed air through the drain spouts in the water trough area, then retest the water.
• Are the drain hoses operating correctly?

Yes
INSPECT other areas of the vehicle that may cause water to enter the roof area, such as, the windshield or luggage rack if equipped. If no concerns are found, GO to B7 .

No
Lower the headliner and INSPECT the drain hoses for correct routing. REPAIR or INSTALL a new drain hose(s). TEST the system for normal operation.

 

[Michael William]

If anyone else runs into this issue:

I fixed it by removing the middle and back row column upper trim and then the entire rear panel. Then I removed the exterior trim from above the wheel well, put an inspection scope down the access hole near the rear door, and used long shish kabob sticks and a wire hanger to remove the obstruction at the end of my tube.