Avant (wagon) sunroof rain water leak at rear headliner
10-19-2006, 08:09 PM
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Avant (wagon) sunroof rain water leak at rear headliner
I'm posting this because I couldn't find the information anywhere, and I finally sorted out my problem.
Do you have a 2000 A4 Avant where every time it rains you get some water WAY at the back, on the rear carpet or the emergency jack/tools? Did you look more closely and figure out that the water is actually coming in way high up, at the corner of the headliner?
I did.
After disassembling lots of the interior, and breaking some of those famous plastic clips that hold trim together, I figured out that the water was coming in through the sunroof (expected) but not draining out of the sunroof rain gutters through the drain hoses. When the rear hoses get cloged, the rain overflows on to the backside of the headliner. Since the headliner is backed with hard plastic, it acts like a gutter, and the water eventually emerges at the upper-rear corner of the back fixed windows.
Don't screw around with the hatch lid/window or seal, it can't get water up that high. And, while it COULD be the roof rack rail mounting bolt, I think they do not typically leak.
To fix: park your car on a slope with one corner of the vehicle down hill. Open the sunroof, and SLOWLY dribble some water in to the rain channels on either side of the sunroof track (imagine the water coming through the sunroof seal to figure out where to put it). If you're testing a front corner, the end of the drain hose is in the A-pillar, below the top door hinge. If you're testing a drain in a rear corner, then expect to see water emerge ahead of the rear wheel, where the plastic wheel liner mets the rocker panel (note: sedans are different, drain hoses in the sedans terminate behond the rear wheel underneath the rear bumper cover)
Once you figure out that you have a clogged rear hose, you need to a) remove the rear wheel, b) remove the 8 or so Torx screws that hold the wheel well liner in, c) remove the wheel well liner, and then finally d) find the end of the sunroof drain hose located ahead of the rear axle, and WAY up high. It will be clogged with vehicle wax/rotting leaves/rubber ducks etc. Clean it out well.
Hopefully I can save someone from disasembling so much of their interior trim for a blocked sunroof drain hose.
Do you have a 2000 A4 Avant where every time it rains you get some water WAY at the back, on the rear carpet or the emergency jack/tools? Did you look more closely and figure out that the water is actually coming in way high up, at the corner of the headliner?
I did.
After disassembling lots of the interior, and breaking some of those famous plastic clips that hold trim together, I figured out that the water was coming in through the sunroof (expected) but not draining out of the sunroof rain gutters through the drain hoses. When the rear hoses get cloged, the rain overflows on to the backside of the headliner. Since the headliner is backed with hard plastic, it acts like a gutter, and the water eventually emerges at the upper-rear corner of the back fixed windows.
Don't screw around with the hatch lid/window or seal, it can't get water up that high. And, while it COULD be the roof rack rail mounting bolt, I think they do not typically leak.
To fix: park your car on a slope with one corner of the vehicle down hill. Open the sunroof, and SLOWLY dribble some water in to the rain channels on either side of the sunroof track (imagine the water coming through the sunroof seal to figure out where to put it). If you're testing a front corner, the end of the drain hose is in the A-pillar, below the top door hinge. If you're testing a drain in a rear corner, then expect to see water emerge ahead of the rear wheel, where the plastic wheel liner mets the rocker panel (note: sedans are different, drain hoses in the sedans terminate behond the rear wheel underneath the rear bumper cover)
Once you figure out that you have a clogged rear hose, you need to a) remove the rear wheel, b) remove the 8 or so Torx screws that hold the wheel well liner in, c) remove the wheel well liner, and then finally d) find the end of the sunroof drain hose located ahead of the rear axle, and WAY up high. It will be clogged with vehicle wax/rotting leaves/rubber ducks etc. Clean it out well.
Hopefully I can save someone from disasembling so much of their interior trim for a blocked sunroof drain hose.
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10-20-2006, 05:02 PM
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Re: A query: couldn't you just insert the cable from the top?
Yes, that would save a lot of time and aggravation, but I'm not sure it's very easy at all. I was essentially following the instructions from the Bentley Service Manual. They recommend using an old speedometer cable, but only for the front drain tubes (which are readily accessible with the roof open).
The rear hoses start at the drip tray on the sunroof assembly, which is 15" back from the opening, and there COULD be a tight downward turn back there.
Good luck,
Arthur
The rear hoses start at the drip tray on the sunroof assembly, which is 15" back from the opening, and there COULD be a tight downward turn back there.
Good luck,
Arthur