Leaky Outback '02 - sunroof cleaning??

[appleverde]

After our first heavy rain here in MN, my '02 Outback began dripping water from the front cabin light which is directly above the rearview mirror. Odd. I suspect my sunroofs are clogged with gunk and need to be flushed out (I've got a front and rear sunroof). What is the recommended procedure to flush out the drains? Where are the drains? Could I just fire a regular garden hose with decent pressure down the holes and hope for the best? Or should I bring it to the dealership and have them do the work and charge me the usual arm and a leg?

 

Thanks for any advice!

[chanpaul]

After our first heavy rain here in MN, my '02 Outback began dripping water from the front cabin light which is directly above the rearview mirror. Odd. I suspect my sunroofs are clogged with gunk and need to be flushed out (I've got a front and rear sunroof). What is the recommended procedure to flush out the drains? Where are the drains? Could I just fire a regular garden hose with decent pressure down the holes and hope for the best? Or should I bring it to the dealership and have them do the work and charge me the usual arm and a leg?

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

This is a pretty common problem with the 00-04 Outbacks and there is a service bulletin out on it. The seals that run besides the sunroof may be leaking and the water will come out from the front dome lights.

 

It is not a matter of clogging or gunk.

 

Cheers,

Paul

[gbhrps]

I've just been there in the last month, and the fix is easy. My 02 OBW did exactly the same thing, water dropping from the front overhead maplights. Not a great deal, but enough to make the headliner in the area wet, and 4 or 5 drops on you at every turn around a corner. I pulled the headliner (you won't have to) and scoped out the problem and got nowhere until someone on this forum suggested the TSB on the 2000 models. My dealership downloaded the TSB and together we tracked the problem to the very front two corners of the REAR sunroof opening. There should be sealant visible around both of the front corners of the opening, more towards the sides of the car than the front, where the roof steel is rolled into the opening for the sunroof itself. You may have sealant missing, and that is where the water is getting in. In my case, the sealant was there, and it had been painted over with the car's body colour at the factory. What showed up under a magnifying glass was very fine spider web-like cracks in the paint in this area (maybe the sealant shrank a bit over time?). Obviously water was being wicked into these cracks, following the internal roof bracing and running into the overhead light panel. Once the area was roughed up with fine sandpaper and resealed, my leaks have all disappeared. I have yet to repaint over the new sealant, and will do so when it warms up. Trust this one. Its a snap to do and a great relief as well.

[appleverde]

Thank you for your encouraging note! I checked out my sunroof, and found that the front corners of the rear sunroof have the rubber corner pieces. However, I did not find sealant along the edges of the sunroof opening. If I were to apply sealant along the edges, I think the sunroof steel might not close properly as the sunroof rolls forward and is then pushed up to close. Is there a thin enough sealant to apply? If so, what would you recommend? Alos, if I do chicken out and go to the dealer for the fix, what is the TSB you talked about? The gentleman who replied previously mentioned a service bulletin and I wonder if my dealer would be aware of the fix.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[brus brother]

Manufacturer : SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. Service Bulletin Num : 126800 Date of Bulletin: JUN 02, 2000 NHTSA Item Number: 613993 Component: OTHER Summary:

THIS BULLETIN WILL HELP IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF WATNER ENTERING VEHICLES THROUGH THE FRONT MAP LIGHT AREA OF THE INTERIOR PANEL. *TT http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/results.cfm?start=16&SearchType=DrillDown&type=VEH ICLE&year=2000&make=SUBARU&model=LEGACY&vehtype=UN K&typenum=1&component_id=0&summary=true

This is for MY2000 but go to a dealer and ask to see the TSB. It might save you some time reinventing the wheel.

[gbhrps]

appleverde,

TSB=Technical Service Bulletin and it has been correctly identified in the post by brus brother. If you just open your rear sunroof to the point where it drops down, and then feel around its sealing edges, you'll see just how compressible and pliable the sunroof seal is. So the sealant you use just has to be thick enough to do the job, but not overly thicker than needed to do the job. Looking at what my dealership did, convinces me that they used a two part 5 minute epoxy glue. It can be applied thinly, won't ever come off, and if used with enough hardener, will harden quickly enough so that you can close the sunroof after its application within 10 minutes, without worrying that it will glue itself to the sunroof's seal. Again, I would rough up the area to be glued with a fine sandpaper to ensure that the glue gets a good grip. Once more, the area to be sealed starts in the front corners of the rear sunroof opening and extends along the opening's sides for about an inch and a half towards the rear of the car. You may not see any lumpy or missing sealant areas, but check closely to see if the paint is finely cracked or crazed. This is where you need to apply the sealant. Forget about going to see a dealer to do the job, as mine had never heard of the problem before, and I suspect most other dealerships never have either. It is easy enough to do yourself, and save the $78 an hour that they charge. Buy some 5 minute epoxy. One more thing: plan on leaving the windows down for a while to allow the moisture trapped up inside the headliner and the roof supports to evaporate. As I eluded to earlier, I pulled my headliner during my explorations, and was amazed how much beaded moisture was trapped up in the bracing and adjacent bits and pieces that I towelled out. Good Luck!

[appleverde]

GBHRPS-Thanks so much for your help and advice on this. Between you and Brus Bros, I think I have enough information to give it a good shot. Thank you again - you've convinced me once again that I will need to own a Subaru for the rest of my driving days.