leaking sunroof
 

Hi, 1998 V70. Today I put the old girl through a car wash followed by a very wet bum. A great deal of water has leaked through the top corner of the drivers side of the electric sunroof. This is first time it has happened. Does the rubber surround need replacing on these or is it normally a blockage preventing water from running away. Should it be the latter am I looking for drain holes or guttering/channels.Many thanks jack.

Not sure where the sunroof drains exit on the 850 but it's usually 2 front and 2 rear on most cars. If fronts are like the XC90 it drains down the A-pillars. Rears usually exit around the rear wheel arches

Hi 4X4, Many thanks. A stupid question I know but with sunroof open what am I looking for, holes or gutters/channels.Will very thin wire clear any blockage.

Don't think you will see much with the roof open, you may be able to see the holes for the front drain tubes.

I'm almost certain I saw the rear drains on my 850 exiting in the wheel well behind the rear wheel arch. If you look underneath there is a small plastic cover at each side, these get clogged with much and would prevent the water from draining

The two front drain holes should be easily visible in the front corners of the sunroof aperture,the rear ones can be more awkward to see.I use curtain wire[the plastic coated stuff generally used for net curtains]you don't want to use anything "pointy" or sharp as this could puncture the drain tubes.If you can't see the rear ones from the top find where the tubes exit[usually in the rear arch so you may have to remove arch liner if fitted]and clear them from that end taking care not to get wet if/when they empty out!

Hi Dippydog, Thanks very much. I am assuming its the front drain hole on drivers side that is blocked. Roughly how far is it from front drain holes to where the water will exit from the car. I ask so I can judge how long the plastic wire needs to be. Thanks jack

Had a look at my 850 this morning and the front drain points can easily be seen with the sunroof open. I've not checked where they exit so you will have to investigate that yourself.

Be very careful if you decide to poke the drain with a piece of wire (or similar) as it is possible to dislodge the tube and would be a nightmare to refit


Can't see the rear drain at the top but as I mentioned yesterday they do exit at the rear of the wheel arches. If you lift out the spare wheel floor cover and the side floor on each side you will see a black tube which goes into a plastic box before exiting through the floor to the outside. Make sure they are connected properly and the tube is still going to the outside

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1601888306

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1601888306

If you look underneath the car behind the back wheel you will see the point where the rear water drain exits the car, make sure it is clean as they can get bunged up with mud from the back wheels

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1601888445

Sunroof Drains
 

Presume you have looked at this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cz_6yh7Spo

Posted in the other thread on similar theme.

Hi 4X4 I really appreciate all your time and trouble, everything is wonderfully clear now. I am racking my brains as to what I can use to poke down the holes, being careful not to use something sharp or pointy. Here in spain we don't have the plastic covered net wires that are so common in the uk. Something will come to mind. Again thank you so much for all your help. jack

Hi Turboboy, To be honest I had not seen that link so very many thanks to you. jack

No problem. Happy to help.

Hi Jack I used Strimmer Tough Nylon Cord Garden Hedge Grass Trimmer
it works a treat, & wont damage any pipe work, hope this helps m8

Cheers Vol.

Hi Vol, Many thanks m8 that's sounds ideal for the job, I shall get myself a length. regards jack.

I use a syringe with a plastic tube

Hi Happydiver, Many thanks for that, jack.

Howdy Jack, just back from Lanzy, beautiful weather and I see it is racking up again for next week - lucky yoo !

If it helps in any way I have a complete sunroof in my hallway and can send you a pic of it to show you position and angle of drainage lines if this helps - but will need watts app or email to send

Hope yoo otherwise good and sorted your residency if not done with end of year looming

Also good to learn from my hols that despite Bering utterly bankrupt the Spanish Government is being far more generous to its citizens with ETA or whatever it is called than the shower currently running our once great nation !

Hi Bigfella, Good to hear from you again. Glad you had good hols. Thanks for your offer of help but I have had a great deal of help from 4X4 and I shall PM you if I may.
My Wife and I got our Residency a few years ago together with full free Spanish health care, so I am alright jack. Life here with the virus is very well organised compared to what we are seeing in the uk. The old place is not what it used to be. regards jack.

Howdy Jack

I am more than aware of how smart yoo are so would have been astonished if your status Espanol not sorted years ago !

Very sad to see Lanzy a ghost town due to Covid but had some great benefits and like you say far safer as a consequence of the heavy handedness of the Civil Guarda if you so much as think yoo are gonna break the regs ! Even the taxi drivers have suddenly learned some English and become not just courteous but helpful - even in the face of greatly reduced mileage rates. Without a doubt safer than being at home and of course I am in the utterly ridiculous quarantine which should never have been imposed on those returning from Lanzarote and I suspect all of the Canary Islands. But hey ho lots of jobs to be getting on with And certainly no chance of laying in the garden on the lounger !

Good to read you well and in the midst of resolving yet another battle with your 70 !

Jack your likely problem is the seal on the actual glass of the sunroof. The rubber dries out and capillary action drags water through the seal, which pools in the sunroof cassette and drops into the footwell/seat area. Robert DIY has a fix involving silicon, I just regressed the seal with silicon grease and it solved the issue.

I must admit I treat my sunroof (and all door /window seals) with silicone spray every month. Spray into a rag until saturated and wipe on to seals.

Hi Guys, Many thanks that is interesting. The front drain holes appear to be clear of dirt. To be thick, you are talking about the rubber seal that hold the glass on 4 sides. You wipe silicone along the 4 edges where glass meets rubber seal/frame, its that simple, thanks jack

It works for me, though no guarantees it will nip it for you. If yours is leaking, might be sensible to use the scilicone grease - as per Djwazzas suggestion - first and see what that does. Scilicone will increase the supplety of the seal and thus expansion. Good luck!!

Hi sdg1970, many thanks. I have looked on amazon and ebay for silicone spray and there seems to be several different types. Do I just need a grease spray like WD40 as I have several cans of that. thanks jack.

Hi - I use Mannol 9963. Widely available on both Ebay and Amazon for around £6 for a 450ml spray can.

Or you could try this for starters as yours is leaking and might need a bit of heavy duty stuff: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143675035314

I have never used grease though, but I would imagine it would get to work quicker and seal the leak faster?

Hi sdg1970, Thanks for the help and appreciate the link. regards jack.