leaking sunroof

[Bumpyroad]

my sunroof on my tow vehicle is not draining properly and collects water in the "drain pan"? when it rains. which then leaks into the vehicle.
checking on the internet shows that this is a very common problem and to unblock the drain tubes have obtained two sizes of wire and a bore scope in hopes of fixing it.
assuming I am doomed to failure, and not wanting to spend megabucks on a "feature" that I don't use/want am considering taping the seams/joints as a last resort.
I bought a small roll of a sealing tape, externabond IIRC but that was a very thick piece of material suitable for a flat surface and I stuck a piece onto a piece of plexiglass and days later could just peel it off. I am in search of a UV resistant, waterproof tape, about 2 inches wide that can seal up the glass/rubber/metal joint. hopefully about the thickness, etc., of black electricians tape.
my choices appear to be flex tape, eternabond, gorilla waterproof tape, and dicor.
I am looking for any advice/comments/ experiences using these materials.
thanks,
bumpy

[Bumpyroad]

just an update, Chast hit it out of the park. magnetic sheet does the job and I can try to unblock tubes at my convenience.
thanks
bumpy

[Bumpyroad]

chast wrote:
Bumpy—From Amazon—Wall 26. 24x60” .30 mil Super Strong, Flexible Magnetic material—$27.49. Hope this helps.

thanks, . opening is 19 x 36 so it has 5 inches of "stickum" area so should work. with this I can take my time trying to unplug tubes.
thanks again
bumpy

[chast]

Bumpy—From Amazon—Wall 26. 24x60” .30 mil Super Strong, Flexible Magnetic material—$27.49. Hope this helps.

[fj12ryder]

The magnetic sheet sounds like the best solution, but if not, my experience with Gorilla tape is that it sticks like a sun-of-a-gun. And holds up well to UV.

[DFord]

The OP hasn't given us a clue about what brand/model sunroof we're try to give advice about but if they want to tape it up permanently, I'd vote for Eternabond from https://www.bestmaterials.com/Eternabond.aspx

I found out years ago that if I parked my HHR (w/sunroof) nose up in the driveway, I'd have trouble with moisture inside. If on the other hand I parked it facing down slope (my driveway's not that steep) I've had no problem since. Works for me.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

🙂 Hi, my wife's BMW X-3 has a Moon roof that has leaked. First thing that you have to do is to find the bottom of the drains. They tend to stick shut as they dry out. Usually pinching the ends with your fingers will un-stick them. Open the roof all of the way and locate the drain holes. With a small funnel, I pour Simple Green down the drains to clean the dirt out of the tubes. Then I flush the drain tubes out with several gallons of water.

But even if you do a perfect clean out, in a really hard California down pour, the drains aren't quick enough. We now keep this car in the garage and out of the rain. This will be our last Sun Roof vehicle.

[Bumpyroad]

chast wrote:
I ordered a magnetic sheet which I place over the sunroof. The material is white, the vehicle is white so it matches without being seen. Want to use the sunroof, simply pull off the sheet, roll it up and carry it until the vehicle is parked again. The magnetic sheet, which I bought on Amazon, stays on the roof while driving, no matter how fast I drive. Simple solution, stops the leak and still allows me use of the sunroof.

thanks, will search amazon, can you be a little more specific?
thanks,
bumpy

[BarneyS]

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

[chast]

I ordered a magnetic sheet which I place over the sunroof. The material is white, the vehicle is white so it matches without being seen. Want to use the sunroof, simply pull off the sheet, roll it up and carry it until the vehicle is parked again. The magnetic sheet, which I bought on Amazon, stays on the roof while driving, no matter how fast I drive. Simple solution, stops the leak and still allows me use of the sunroof.

[YC_1]

I have used speedometer cables to run them clean.

[Twomed]

Common problem... on GM's they use a duckbill fitting where the water comes out the firewall and into the engine compartment. They collect sand and pollen then no draining. 😞

You can cut the end off a little bit and then it will drain, too big of an opening invites bugs. MOST systems consist of hard and soft lines joined somewhere in the drain...air pressurealmost always blows them apart, usually way up under the dash where you can't reach...Murphy's Law.

[schlep1967]

Try an air compressor to blow out the drain tubes. It would be best if you know where they drain to and blow up through them.

[pauldub]

Try weed eater line to clean the drain tubes. Less chance of damaging the tubes.

[jdc1]

In the roofing section of Home Depot/Lowes you will find a roll of tape that will seal almost anything. It has a silver backing.