I fixed my sunroof leak!
#1
10-08-2013, 09:17 PM
I fixed my sunroof leak!
So, like every other D2 on the road, my sunroof leaked.
Over the year I've had it, it's just gotten worse and worse, and I finally had enough and decided to sort it out.
After clearing the drain hoses, and siliconing the glass seal, and tightening screws to no effect, I finally decided to take the whole thing out and see what I could find.
It was apparent the minute I pulled the drain tray, as once I did I saw that the water was coming in from between the flange on the sunroof frame and the roof. Pulling the sunroof off of the truck further confirmed this, as the flange seal was nothing but a black powder in most places.
A few beads of clear silicone between the flange and the roof, and at the gap between the roof cutout and the sunroof frame, and no more water leaks!
Now I can finally replace my headliner and rearview mirror without having to worry about them getting ruined in the first heavy rainstorm.
Just thought I'd share.
Over the year I've had it, it's just gotten worse and worse, and I finally had enough and decided to sort it out.
After clearing the drain hoses, and siliconing the glass seal, and tightening screws to no effect, I finally decided to take the whole thing out and see what I could find.
It was apparent the minute I pulled the drain tray, as once I did I saw that the water was coming in from between the flange on the sunroof frame and the roof. Pulling the sunroof off of the truck further confirmed this, as the flange seal was nothing but a black powder in most places.
A few beads of clear silicone between the flange and the roof, and at the gap between the roof cutout and the sunroof frame, and no more water leaks!
Now I can finally replace my headliner and rearview mirror without having to worry about them getting ruined in the first heavy rainstorm.
Just thought I'd share.
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defenderholty (03-31-2024)
#2
10-08-2013, 10:37 PM
Thanks for posting this. I have literally tried everything to fix the leak on my 99. From silicon to flex seal (don't be too hard on me there, I'm not proud of it) to gorilla taping them completely.....the gorilla tape has worked the best btw.
Looks like I may have to scrape off all my failed attempts sometime and give your method a shot.
Looks like I may have to scrape off all my failed attempts sometime and give your method a shot.
#3
10-08-2013, 10:58 PM
Super Moderator
Wow , glad you stopped the leak.
I soapy water clean mine from time to time.... Never had a leak. Those gaskets dry out and pull away. If they are conditioned, they do not have failure.
That being said, with my chest out, if ever mine start leaking..... I will be the first jackwagon to cover my entire roof with that flex seal leak stop bs from the hardware store
I soapy water clean mine from time to time.... Never had a leak. Those gaskets dry out and pull away. If they are conditioned, they do not have failure.
That being said, with my chest out, if ever mine start leaking..... I will be the first jackwagon to cover my entire roof with that flex seal leak stop bs from the hardware store
Last edited by dusty1; 10-08-2013 at 11:00 PM.
#5
10-09-2013, 11:15 AM
I didn't take any photos, but if you want to seal yours up as I did mine:
- close the sunroof tightly
- remove the headliner
- remove the drain hoses (check for cracked hose nipples and repair as needed)
- remove the sunroof motor assy
- remove the drain tray, clean drain hose passages as needed
- push the sunroof frame and glass assy up through the roof, and remove from the vehicle.
The seal that was ruined on mine was the one that fits against the roof. I cleaned what remained off of the sunroof frame and roof, and then cleaned the surface of the roof that the sunroof fits against. I then laid a healthy bead of clear RTV silicone on the sunroof frame that rests against the roof where the seal used to be, and while it was still tacky, re-installed the sunroof glass and frame, and then the drain tray to pull the assy tight against the roof for a positive seal.
Reinstall everything else you pulled apart, and clean any excess RTV that escaped from under the frame on the roof, and let it cure for 24 hours.
If there's a chance of rain/ the roof getting wet during the cure process, lay some painter's tape over the gap for a day.
And that's it, you're done!
This is the RTV that I used to seal mine up. These Powerbead tubes are great, and way easier to deal with than squeezing a traditional tube for that long of a bead.
- close the sunroof tightly
- remove the headliner
- remove the drain hoses (check for cracked hose nipples and repair as needed)
- remove the sunroof motor assy
- remove the drain tray, clean drain hose passages as needed
- push the sunroof frame and glass assy up through the roof, and remove from the vehicle.
The seal that was ruined on mine was the one that fits against the roof. I cleaned what remained off of the sunroof frame and roof, and then cleaned the surface of the roof that the sunroof fits against. I then laid a healthy bead of clear RTV silicone on the sunroof frame that rests against the roof where the seal used to be, and while it was still tacky, re-installed the sunroof glass and frame, and then the drain tray to pull the assy tight against the roof for a positive seal.
Reinstall everything else you pulled apart, and clean any excess RTV that escaped from under the frame on the roof, and let it cure for 24 hours.
If there's a chance of rain/ the roof getting wet during the cure process, lay some painter's tape over the gap for a day.
And that's it, you're done!
This is the RTV that I used to seal mine up. These Powerbead tubes are great, and way easier to deal with than squeezing a traditional tube for that long of a bead.
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