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He's leaking!

1K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  MnOpRacInG 
#1 ·
So...been having a bit of a problem with my '98 V70 living on the "Wetcoast". As the title suggests...my car has begun to accumulate some water in the driver side foot wells; like, ALOT of water. After a bit of a rainstorm there was a centimetre of water in the rear driver side footwell. The carpet is soaked, and I'm afraid it's going to damage the metal underneath, and eventually ruin the carpet. I'm suspecting it's the drains in the skylight, but I'm not too sure. Any suggestions from you guys would be GREATLY appreciated!
 
#2 ·
first thing's first, you sure it's water and not coolant? Most common thing is a leaky heater core.

Stick with simple stuff first once you determine it's water, check your door weather stripping, windows, etc.
 
#5 ·
first thing's first, you sure it's water and not coolant? Most common thing is a leaky heater core.

Stick with simple stuff first once you determine it's water, check your door weather stripping, windows, etc.
Yes, very sure. Happens only after it's been raining.

Are the drains and drain hoses at the base of the windshield clear? Those can back up and flood the car through the cabin air intake.
I'm quite sure they are. I've used my air compressor to clean them out, as well as flushing fresh water out of it. I'll have to take the hoses out at some point just to double check.

It probably is the sunroof drain. Is the car parked at a slight angle and is any part of the roof wet around the sunroof. Try parking on an incline, opening the sunroof and pouring boiling hot water in the sunroof channel. There is a drain at all four corners. Observe each that it drains properly. If not, you might to use some kind of small diameter flexible rod to try and 'rooter' it out. Be advised that the drains are hooked up to plastic tubing so don't get too aggressive with this method. You can break or tear the tubing or just knock it off inside the pillar. Not good. You're just looking to break up the dirt and organic material that might wind up clogging it, so be a little gentle. I heard someone say they crumbled up a denture cleaning tablet and blew the dust in there with a straw before pouring the water in with good results. Hey, it might be worth a try.

I have to ask. Has this car has ever been wrecked? If so, a poor repair job opens up quite a few more very unpleasant possibilities.
Yes, I usually park it on an angle (as my drive is relatively steep). No the car has never been in an accident, and I've attempted to stick a two foot section of hose down each of the drains and blown them out with the air compressor, but nothing seems to be changing. I'm wondering if I should just bring it in to volvo and have them replace the seal around the sunroof. :facepalm:
 
#3 ·
Are the drains and drain hoses at the base of the windshield clear? Those can back up and flood the car through the cabin air intake.
 
#4 · (Edited)
It probably is the sunroof drain. Is the car parked at a slight angle and is any part of the roof wet around the sunroof. Try parking on an incline, opening the sunroof and pouring boiling hot water in the sunroof channel. There is a drain at all four corners. Observe each that it drains properly. If not, you might to use some kind of small diameter flexible rod to try and 'rooter' it out. Be advised that the drains are hooked up to plastic tubing so don't get too aggressive with this method. You can break or tear the tubing or just knock it off inside the pillar. Not good. You're just looking to break up the dirt and organic material that might wind up clogging it, so be a little gentle. I heard someone say they crumbled up a denture cleaning tablet and blew the dust in there with a straw before pouring the water in with good results. Hey, it might be worth a try.

I have to ask. Has this car has ever been wrecked? If so, a poor repair job opens up quite a few more very unpleasant possibilities.
 
#6 ·
I've looked and don't think the sunroof glass seal is available, unfortunately. But do let us know if you find out otherwise.
 
#9 ·
Well, I believe I've come to a conclusion. The leak is coming from somewhere down the rear-driver side pillar (in between the driver and the rear seats). This leads me to the conclusion that the drain at the rear of the sunroom is clogged :( I believe it's stuffed with pine needles as the car is constantly covered in them. Any way I can reach them easily? I've managed to find a three foot section on some silicon tube that I've managed to slide down the front drains and blow all the gunk out with an air compressor, but I just can't seem to figure out where the rear ones are. Any ideas?
 
#11 ·
and blow all the gunk out with an air compressor, but I just can't seem to figure out where the rear ones are. Any ideas?
Holy **** that was risky...

This is my post on an audi forum:

If it is the sunroom drain:
Find a diagram and then MAKE sure there are no elbows between the top and the bottom:
Pick up some weedwack trimmer line, pour some water down them to lube it a bit, slide it down, when it hits something press it harder. Check the end if it, for debris (or nothing?).
if it does not work, then cut it so it is long enough you can install the end into a drill and push it up and down while spinning it VERY SLOW once. Pull it and and check if it the end dirty or such to help figure out what the blockage is. With Audis, this is part of the maintenance services.

*DO NOT use an air compressor. Just because there may not be an elbow, there can still be a coupling and you can blow it apart in a place you DO NOT want fix...

*FWIW. I bought a small stainless tube to help push it into the drains (when pushing it harder, it cannot bend).
 
#10 · (Edited)
You cannot actually see the drains but they are about 18" (IIRC) or so behind the rear corners of the sunroof opening and not visible without some major tear down or a borescope. I cleared all the drains on an 855 utilizing furniture piping (bought a 5' section of the plastic piping that is used to make the welting for coach cushions, the hard part around the cushion edges) to get down there and then just worked in and out until I could get free flowing water. One tip is round the end a bit to help follow the channel into the opening. I actually never saw anything come out the bottom of the car but after running the line a few times I had water freely dripping and I never had the issue again. I believe I read instruction where you would remove the sunroof and take down the headliner to clear the drains but that was more work than I had at that time so I opted for this method.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Here is how the sunroof drains are routed.




I think you can get to the rear drains if you remove all of the side trim. You can reach up under the headliner and pull the drain off the sunroof so you then have a full visual of the entire drain and can run a long wire or similar down it to clean it out.

The rear drains terminate just behind the rear wheels, if you look under the floor in the trunk you will see where they end.
 
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