rear sunroof drain ??

[jeos]

Hello.
I can not blow air through the rear drain pipe (it has stopped) I've tried to poke wire up from below, but it is as if the wire, encounters a spring up in the top (mystical) There is no rust in the pipework ,Is that some of you who know what it can be which block? and what I can do to solve this problem?


greeting.
John

[schumicat]

probably leaves or dirt. try stiffer wire or running it from the top down. i used bicycle brake cable.

[mercury26]

I prefer to use weed eater line to clean out sunroof drain holes. Hanger and metal wire can scratch and/or puncture lines. The weed eater line really prevents both.

Regards,

Chuck

[Jesse16]

I'll tell you my story but most don't and I barely believe it. I took that circled "flex pipe off and tried alot of things to check that the drain was clear on my car. ( Wife got a lap full or water when we got caught out in a heavy ran, the car was parked and I think the roof pocket filled with water which promptly dumped in her lap when I backed up and stopped.) Mine was solid plugged I thought, strange it was both sides, the same. All my PO's kept the car indoors and I'm thinking it was barely rained on ever.
Back to story, I could not clear the drains with "anything" I owned and I determined that about 3" down the steel tube heading to the rear trunk lip, my tube weren't open at all. I used a mirror and it looked like a closed tube? I bought a 3/16" x 48" long drill bit from McMaster Carr and tried to actually drill it going from the discharge end. The drill is brazed to the long wire/rod and that broke off, luckily it fell back out. So I just hammered the wire/rod and drove it through to create a hole. Had to do both sides. I'd say mine were never open from the factory for 23 years.
Nasty and unusual job, just glad it didn't damage anything else. You could drill a hole right through your roof using this method!
Fixed now, works fine. No "debris" was ever found in the tubes.

[daniel911T]

Originally Posted by Jesse16

I'll tell you my story but most don't and I barely believe it. I took that circled "flex pipe off and tried alot of things to check that the drain was clear on my car. ( Wife got a lap full or water when we got caught out in a heavy ran, the car was parked and I think the roof pocket filled with water which promptly dumped in her lap when I backed up and stopped.) Mine was solid plugged I thought, strange it was both sides, the same. All my PO's kept the car indoors and I'm thinking it was barely rained on ever.
Back to story, I could not clear the drains with "anything" I owned and I determined that about 3" down the steel tube heading to the rear trunk lip, my tube weren't open at all. I used a mirror and it looked like a closed tube? I bought a 3/16" x 48" long drill bit from McMaster Carr and tried to actually drill it going from the discharge end. The drill is brazed to the long wire/rod and that broke off, luckily it fell back out. So I just hammered the wire/rod and drove it through to create a hole. Had to do both sides. I'd say mine were never open from the factory for 23 years.
Nasty and unusual job, just glad it didn't damage anything else. You could drill a hole right through your roof using this method!
Fixed now, works fine. No "debris" was ever found in the tubes.

-Dan

[jeos]

Originally Posted by Jesse16

I'll tell you my story but most don't and I barely believe it. I took that circled "flex pipe off and tried alot of things to check that the drain was clear on my car. ( Wife got a lap full or water when we got caught out in a heavy ran, the car was parked and I think the roof pocket filled with water which promptly dumped in her lap when I backed up and stopped.) Mine was solid plugged I thought, strange it was both sides, the same. All my PO's kept the car indoors and I'm thinking it was barely rained on ever.
Back to story, I could not clear the drains with "anything" I owned and I determined that about 3" down the steel tube heading to the rear trunk lip, my tube weren't open at all. I used a mirror and it looked like a closed tube? I bought a 3/16" x 48" long drill bit from McMaster Carr and tried to actually drill it going from the discharge end. The drill is brazed to the long wire/rod and that broke off, luckily it fell back out. So I just hammered the wire/rod and drove it through to create a hole. Had to do both sides. I'd say mine were never open from the factory for 23 years.
Nasty and unusual job, just glad it didn't damage anything else. You could drill a hole right through your roof using this method!
Fixed now, works fine. No "debris" was ever found in the tubes.

I actually think this is what is wrong with my drains

[Jesse16]

If you find the same, I'd be interested to know. Goofy problem to find but at least its fixed now. I agonized on "drilling", afraid of going through the roof area but with a helper, you can actually feel the area where the obstruction is with a long rod/drill bit. Maybe even put a simple point on a long rod so it'll punch through easier. I'd be afraid of the drill bit method in retrospect. Go easy with someone feeling on the outside or put your hand through the sunroof motor zippered pocket to make sure all is OK. Good luck.

[jeos]

Hey jesse 16
I have now peered with mirror under zipper at roof and can see that there has never been a hole through the pipe, it looks like an oversight at the factory. I will try to hit with a piece of 2mm welding wire through from below, or is it better to mount a drill on the wire and drill down from, I would not rather not risk it might fail.


regards john

[Jesse16]

The drilling method failed when I tried it. The drill broke off the long entension rod. Guess if it was me doing this again, I'd get the largest diameter piece of rod that will flex and fit through the tube smoothly, I'd put a point on the rod, maybe offsetting the point away from the roof and drive it through the blockage. I don't remember it being difficult, think the tube is rather thin probably. Do some measuring to be confident its right at the blockage, maybe an assistant to feel inside the sunroof pocket to detect the point is right where you think it is. Then drive away, carefully. I did mine coming from the engine lid drain hole. Not sure if you can get there from the sunroof pocket area, good luck.
McMaster has the long drill bits which are really a cheap bit brazed to a nice piece of wire/rod.