My son's 2001's headliner gets wet when it rains. I've done the tsb fix with sealant on the upper corners and drip edge. We've completely covered both sunroofs with automotive vinyl with a 6" overlap, so no water is getting in there. I also pulled the A pillar outer trim/garnish and sealed along the length of the vertical sides of the windshield between the glass and the body metal with sealant. We're still getting some water on the leading edge of the headliner (mostly on the driver's side).

I'd like to reseal the top horizontal edge too, but the trim garnish prevents access, and it looks like it would be destroyed by removal.

Could I run a thin bead of flexible sealant along the top where the garnish meets the roof? I was thinking I could lay down a strip of painters tape, put some sealant down, smooth it flat, and then once the sealant tacks up, remove the tape. How bad an idea is this?

This is a teenager's car, and we're not going to spring for removing and reinstalling the windshield, which is probably the right way to make sure it is sealed. It just isn't in the budget.

I suppose there is some change the rack is leaking, we haven't pulled that to reseal it.

I'd appreciate any other thoughts/ideas.

 

I don't think it's a bad idea, as in I don't think you will cause permanent or irreversible damage by trying it. The disco's windshield is literally just glued in to place and if the installer did a bad job with the adhesive it will leak. Also, that trim strip at the top is "one and done" so if a previous installer tried to reuse it that can cause a leak as well.

When I first got my D2 the windshield had been replaced so poorly wind and rain would fly up from the bottom in to the cabin. In addition there was tape at the top of the windshield to prevent exactly what you are describing. Until I could get it replaced I removed the cowling and shone a flashlight from inside in and looked for any light leaking out to determine where the gap was. I just caulked it as a stop gap but it worked well enough. Is windshield/rock insurance available where you are? I pay $5 a month and if an unrepairable crack develops I can get the windshield replaced for $100 and it doesn't count against my insurance rates. I was able to wait for a rock chip to develop and for $100 I was able to get my terrible windshield replaced with the OE heated screen professionally installed.

 

I'd recommend you pull the headliner and drive the truck a couple weeks looking for leaks every time it rains. Sometimes they leak at the roof rails.

 

Thank you.

 

I had a newly installed winshield that leaked at the top. I was 100% certain it wasn't the sunroofs, because I could duplicate the leak using a garden hose running onto the windshield-top.

I tried silicone sealant along the exterior top trim piece, like original poster explained. It didnt work.

Replaced windshield a second time and it still leaked. So the windshield guy added another line of sealant inside at the top of the windshield where it meets the headliner. There's a gap between headliner and windshield. That seemed to solve the issue. He used a thick black sealant - same stuff used to seal windshield in the first place. Not sure what it is, but I imagine silicone would work too. Key is to go on thick and fill the whole gap.