Leak from roof rack in rear 2002 OBW

[lesstutrey]

Last winter i noticed a ton of water in my trunk mat after a snow melt
on top of my car. I put some sealant around the roof rack pillar near
where it leaked, and i didn't see any more snow that winter, but i
wasn't getting any leaks until this winter. Leaking again, wasn't
horrid till the end of winter, but i was making sure to keep snow off
the top of my car. Now it's spring and raining and i'm getting leaks
from rain. Pretty heavy. It all leaks out of middle passenger cross
belt on the head liner, and also a bit from the baby seat latch on that
side. So i know it's the dang roof rack again, ice must have broken the
sealant.

So, is there any way i can drop just the rear of the headliner. pull
the roof clips, remove trim on pillars in the area and get under there
and put sealant in the threads and make it loose enough i can get some
under the rock mount on the outside at the same time. Is it possible
for me to just take out those pillars, the trim on the seatbelt,
farthest rear light trim, and the trim on the back, and not drop the
front? At this rate though, it's gonna get so stained i'm gonna end up
dropping like 300$ on a new headliner.. i can put some sound proofing
then at least (not dynamat, cotton radiant barrier or w/e).. and maybe
fix my front sun roof, so i don't have to use my rubber door stop to
keep it up.



Any tips on how to remove the headliner that will help me (eg ways to remove the pillars/light trim etc properly) would really be useful.  Gotta get this done ASAP.. couldn't find the sealant stuff i used last time and tried rubber cement, but it ain't doing the trick (assuming it is leaking from there, i can't think of anywhere else based on where it is dripping inside)  Of course i probably won't actually do the headliner thing as i want to jack it up to 8" lift from the current 2" and run some decent sized tires on this  sucka... but i got a nova that is requiring a ton of money.

Edited April 11, 2013 by lesstutrey

[idosubaru]

sikaflex is highly regarded for marine and other strenuous applications, might want to look into a high grade sealant like that.

 

is it rust related?  if it is then sealant will likely continue to be a temporary repair.

[mwatt]

In your post you mentioned ".....and maybe fix my front sun roof....."     Have you made sure the sunroof drain hoses are all clear---especially the rear sun roof? If the drain hoses are plugged with crud, water will back up and overflow onto the headliner....

[lesstutrey]

In your post you mentioned ".....and maybe fix my front sun roof....."     Have you made sure the sunroof drain hoses are all clear---especially the rear sun roof? If the drain hoses are plugged with crud, water will back up and overflow onto the headliner....

Orignally asked "How do i go abouts doing this... i imagine air pressure. How do i access them? I rarely use the back, but i have left the front open in a storm more than once. I remember reading about these hoses.  I actually put a bunch of rubber cement around what i thought was the leaky pillar, but uhh... no dice.  I think rubber cement should hold up for at least one night, i mean.. it's still there.  So this hose issues seems plausible, the liner has stain up to about the rear window now that i think about it.  I was only spared last spring because they weren't THAT plugged, the snow melt just exaserbated things plugging them up, but once it became spring the rain could flow through it (had a pretty dry last year around here) since it made it past the plugs.  Then after another winter it plugged em up more and now i got this.  If i don't have to pull the headliner i would be a happy man.  I'd like to pull it once, when i replace it and replace the front raising mechanism and add some sound proofing up there, and maybe put a yakima or thule rack up top too.

 

My occupation is doing body work, so if there is a rust issue, i will cut out the cancer and seal it the best i can, or even tac a new peice in place.  Treating the rust cancer properly is my game, and i cure the rust cancer by being very thorough and eliminating all of it.  :)"

 

I realized, oh here is a guide for a 2002 OBW who had the same damn issue with the same tube.

Edited April 12, 2013 by lesstutrey

[nipper]

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/99-do-yourself-illustrated-guides/8005-clean-your-sunroof-drain-hose.html

[mwatt]

 gentle air pressure using one of those compressed air "dusters" that shops use...the kind with the long extension tube on it works best. The drain holes in the corners of the front sunroof are fairly easy to reach.  The drain holes at the front corners of the rear sunroof are also easy enough to get to, but the drain holes at the rear corners of the rear sunroof are impossible to see from the top of the car with the roof open.  I think the only way you'll be able to get to the rear drain tubes of the rear roof would be to remove the headliner, which it appears you are contemplating anyway...

 

I'm sure you probably already know this, but whatever you do, avoid the temptation to try and run a piece of wire down the drain tubes to clean them.....that will just make the problem worse because you'll either pull the tubes loose from the roof or you'll damage the tubes and they'll leak.  The sunroof drain tube system is more complicated than people think, especially when dirt and other crud plugs them up.

[gbhrps]

lesstutrey,

 

Check the same thread you posted on the Subaru Outback forum.

[lesstutrey]

Ok, read up, checked the hoses by the floor, they are not plugged up, so i'm going to assume one of them is cracked/unhooked.  ugh.  Headliner pulling here we come.