cr4x4cruiser
Observer
1998 Montero SR
We have had the problem associated with the sunroof leaking... passenger-side carpet filling up with water.
We led ourselves to believe the water was coming in through top, then believed there was a problem with the drain tube.
Well, we are in the midst of trying to get the sunroof back in operating condition, and decided to check out the drain tubes.
After discovering the situation we had, I can assure most of you that the drain tubes are NOT the problem.
The true cause of a "leaking" sunroof or "clogged" drain tubes is MUCK!
Muck created by dirt/ leaves/ debris finding its way into the bottom of your front fenders - immediately in front of the doors.
You will likely never have any issue with the rear drain tubes, because there is no place for debris to settle - and block the drain tubes.
You can actually see the bottom of the rear drain tubes, as they are exposed.
The front drain tubes drain into the bottom of the front fenders.
We found the drain tubes to be in perfect repair, but kept finding mud when we inserted a "fish tape" through the top of the drain tubes [at the sunroof].
So, we investigated further, wanting to see where the fish tape ended up exiting.
Which led us to remove screws from the [plastic] inner fender on each side of the vehicle.
You only need to remove two [2] - plastic / phillips head - screws, along with any mudflaps that are in place, to gain access inside of the fender bottoms.
Manually pull back the plastic inner fender from the steel fender, to expose the area requiring cleaning.
Once access has been accomplished you will likely find years of debris that has collected.
Years of muck filling up the cavity, and blocking the effective draining of the water exiting from the sunroof.
This situation, in turn, served as a dam for any water needing an exit... the least path of resistance was to the interior of the vehicle.
We collected - literally - pounds of debris... enough from both fenders to fill a large coffee can!
The easiest way to remove the debris is with water... lots of high-pressure water from your garden hose.
Wear dirty clothes, and expect to get wet [with errant water bouncing off at weird angles].
Less than 10 minutes of flushing out the fender bottom on each side is all that is required.
The whole job should take no more than 1.5 hours.
If you want to be more thorough you could remove the front wheels/ tires... we did not find this necessary.
Note:
The headliner does not need to be removed for this procedure.
I am of the opinion that the drain tubes will not rot out, ever, since they are protected from the elements.
As well, minimal debris should find its way into the top of the sunroof... it is the fender bottoms that will likely be 90% of the problem in this scenario.
Good luck,
Wm.
p.s. [sorry about no pics... to this day we cannot fathom how to download them to this site - successfully]
We have had the problem associated with the sunroof leaking... passenger-side carpet filling up with water.
We led ourselves to believe the water was coming in through top, then believed there was a problem with the drain tube.
Well, we are in the midst of trying to get the sunroof back in operating condition, and decided to check out the drain tubes.
After discovering the situation we had, I can assure most of you that the drain tubes are NOT the problem.
The true cause of a "leaking" sunroof or "clogged" drain tubes is MUCK!
Muck created by dirt/ leaves/ debris finding its way into the bottom of your front fenders - immediately in front of the doors.
You will likely never have any issue with the rear drain tubes, because there is no place for debris to settle - and block the drain tubes.
You can actually see the bottom of the rear drain tubes, as they are exposed.
The front drain tubes drain into the bottom of the front fenders.
We found the drain tubes to be in perfect repair, but kept finding mud when we inserted a "fish tape" through the top of the drain tubes [at the sunroof].
So, we investigated further, wanting to see where the fish tape ended up exiting.
Which led us to remove screws from the [plastic] inner fender on each side of the vehicle.
You only need to remove two [2] - plastic / phillips head - screws, along with any mudflaps that are in place, to gain access inside of the fender bottoms.
Manually pull back the plastic inner fender from the steel fender, to expose the area requiring cleaning.
Once access has been accomplished you will likely find years of debris that has collected.
Years of muck filling up the cavity, and blocking the effective draining of the water exiting from the sunroof.
This situation, in turn, served as a dam for any water needing an exit... the least path of resistance was to the interior of the vehicle.
We collected - literally - pounds of debris... enough from both fenders to fill a large coffee can!
The easiest way to remove the debris is with water... lots of high-pressure water from your garden hose.
Wear dirty clothes, and expect to get wet [with errant water bouncing off at weird angles].
Less than 10 minutes of flushing out the fender bottom on each side is all that is required.
The whole job should take no more than 1.5 hours.
If you want to be more thorough you could remove the front wheels/ tires... we did not find this necessary.
Note:
The headliner does not need to be removed for this procedure.
I am of the opinion that the drain tubes will not rot out, ever, since they are protected from the elements.
As well, minimal debris should find its way into the top of the sunroof... it is the fender bottoms that will likely be 90% of the problem in this scenario.
Good luck,
Wm.
p.s. [sorry about no pics... to this day we cannot fathom how to download them to this site - successfully]
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