moonroof leakage through automatic carwashes

[ryein7]

well i had a horrible experience going through the automatic carwash for the first time in the sho, as soon as the sprayer went over the top of the car water poured into the cabin through the moonroof!! it was extremely cold and very surprising to say the least i can imagine my reaction would have been pretty funny to see. I definitely need to get this fixed. i have heard about the sunroof drain tubes getting clogged up so i guess i will check those and if they are not clogged then i guess it is time for a new moonroof seal? the wierd thing is that it never leaks when it is just raining. its only leaks when the roof is sprayed at directly with pressurized water.. it also leaked a few times during the winter when ice/snow would sit on the roof for a day or three. Anyone have an suggestions of what else i could do other than check the drains and replace the seal? :thankyou:

 

[hawkeye18]

Check the alignment of the moonroof; I know the procedure is in the forum here somewhere. With the moonroof closed, it should be within 1/8" of the roofline IIRC. At least, mine is, and it doesn't leak. Mine is about 1/16" below the roofline.

Moonroofs are not designed to keep water out; they're designed to slow the water down enough for the drain tubes to drain all the water out. If your moonroof is leaking into the cabin, 90% of the time it's going to be blocked drain tubes. Compressed air FTW.

 

[ryein7]

well yeah i am going to check those and hopefully clear them out, it is just the fact that as soon as the jets hit the moonroof it leaked though instantly, i read the writeup about the moonroof but i dont really understand it. maybe i need to look again.

 

[hawkeye18]

If the moonroof is in proper alignment, it will slow the flow of water down to the point where the drain tubes can get rid of it. If the tubes are clogged, it will start to leak after a few minutes of, well, any kind of wetness.

If the moonroof is out of whack, then the tubes might be open and draining, but so much water is getting in that they just can't deal with it. This is kind of what sounds like is happening here. It's not a problem when it's raining because not enough water is coming in to overwhelm the drain tubes, but when you put high-pressure water on it, it blows its way past the roof and leaks almost immediately.

I would suggest that, if you're not comfortable fixing the alignment yourself, taking it to any shop that specializes in moon/sun roofs. Or, failing that, the dealer. They should know how to adjust it.

 

[edwerd]

Unfortunately I can't give you any advice on how to fix your moonroof leakage but I just wanted to point out that it's a really bad idea to use an automatic car wash. The bristles of the brushes do an okay job of getting all the dirty off, but leave thousands of swirl marks and scratches on your finish which over time causes irreparable damage. However time consuming and exhausting washing your car by hand can be, it should be the only way your car is cleaned. Have a read: http://www.clean-image.co.uk/articles/car_wash2.htm

My 95' has never seen an automatic car wash and my paint looks factory fresh. Most people have a hard time believing it's original.

Let us know how you fixed your moonroof! Good luck.

Ed

 

[ryein7]

the automatic carwash we have is really really nice, i have never noticed what you are talking about, yes the 15 year old automatic car wash at shell i would not go to , but this one is brand new state of the art stuff, and until i have a good reason i will trust it, i am going to do some looking at my moonroof in a few minutes
thanks

 

[doclees]

If you were meant to wash a car God wouldn't have made rain! Just soap her up and hit the highway.

 

[hawkeye18]

If you go to a brushless car wash, it should be ok, right? I mean, no brushes...

 

[edwerd]

I'm only saying 'cause I have two Taurus' of the same year at my household. One is hand washed at home in my driveway, and the other sees a fairly good automatic car wash at least once a month. Over time I noticed a huge difference in the finish of both cars.

 

[edwerd]

If you go to a brushless car wash, it should be ok, right? I mean, no brushes...

You mean hand wash? Sure, but I haven't found one that does a good enough job. I don't know, I prefer to do it myself.

 

[oldyak]

if you have a weed-eater you can use the nylon line to clear drains...

 

[ryein7]

where are the drains located at? i cant find them, i dont think any of mine are working!

 

[oldyak]

fronts are easy..you can see them when you move sunroof back!
look for two holes along edge and ream them out!
Backs I'm not sure if...need some help here guys!