How To Prevent A Leaking Sunroof

Jeremy from Proctor Acura is here with some tips to keep your sunroof working well, and the inside of your vehicle dry. We'll walk you through some very easy steps that can help prevent big problems with your sunroof further down the line. Our primary focus is to educate you on the sunroof drains in your vehicle. There are four of them in all, 1 in each corner of the roof. Most people think that when your sunroof is closed it's also water tight. Well actually this isn't the case. A small amount of water can & will get past the seals in the glass.

Behind the headliner there is a trough and a frame assembly that holds your sunroof in place (including the motor and all the drains). These drains need to be clean. Otherwise you're going to have water backing up into the trough. The trough can eventually overflow to the inside of the vehicle, causing stains on the headliner, electrical issues, and potentially mold and mildew in your car's carpets.

To clean your sunroof you first must open it. Then, with a jug of warm soapy water, gently run it into the trough and watch it drain out. Just a small amount of soapy water is needed, and then a little bit of time. You'll be able to see the water drain right behind the mudguards in each corner of your vehicle. These drainage tubes run inside the body of a vehicle. Although you cannot see them, this is how water is removed from the roofline. Running the test that is described in this video will ensure that they are in-fact working well. Warm soapy water will help clean these out as well - especially if it's an older vehicle. They can get really dirty.

One last tip: Never use air pressure or water pressure to clean out the sunroof drains - They're held on with a spring-loaded clamp and could potentially come off. These are very difficult to re-install so be sure to clean the filters properly.