Jeff928S4

I've had a water leak from the front headliner of the car for the past year. Only leaks during REALLY heavy rain or when driving in heavy/moderate rain on the highway. It will pool in the headliner and when I turn a corner/hard stop, it runs out onto either my lap or the passenger seat.

Did plenty of searching and most results said it was a plugged sunroof drain. My drains are completely clear.

One search said I would have to pull the headliner down and get someone with a garden hose to spray the top of the car and to look for leaks. Being lazy and afraid of hurting the liner, I decided to attack the diagnosis from the outside in.

Here in Nova Scotia, we have had some BAD rain the past 3-4 days (and it leaked like always after day one). It cleared up for a brief moment yesterday, so I decided to apply clear/x-mas tape across the trim on the windshield....





(ya ya, I know - it ain't pretty and I will have to run the rotary buffer over it to get the glue off when I remove it - but I was in a rush because it had to be applied in the small window of dry time I had)


No leak!! Dry as a bone inside the car after two more days of torrential rain.

So, how do I attack this? Remove the trim piece and apply some sealant; OR....is it possible to squirt something in the gap between the trim and roof that will keep the rainwater from seeping in? I know taking that trim off usually results in problems getting it back on, so I am looking for solution that doesn't involve removing the trim.

dcrasta

When my windshield was replaced there was a bead of black windshield installer 'sealant' followed by some 'adhesive' (3m I think) to hold the trim in place.

The factory windshields are 'epoxied' (I was told) and the replacement sealant if not installed correctly can lead to leaks. Or if the windshield was installed and then the car was driven over bumpy roadways or in the rain before the sealant was 'cured'.

If fit was me, I would gently remove the trim, and put a bead of RTV (black) in there and reinstall the trim. Let it cure for a few hours before taking it out on the road.

Ducman82

i just fixed this. old windshield seal popped a few holes in it. so the water would run down under the trim and POUR on the pass seat. crammed some sealant in it... fixed

Jeff928S4

When I reach up into the gap between the headliner and the roof, my fingers get coated with that sticky black goop. Is that factory?

Jeff928S4

Where did you cram the sealant? Up under the trim from the front or in the gap between the trim and roof?

Ducman82

gap between trim and roof. i used Windshield urethane sealant. used a gloved finger to pack it in. worked perfectly.

Jeff928S4

Cool! Was it very messy? Lots of left over sealant to wipe off? Does that stuff harden?

Ducman82

i used the 3M stuff. super sticky and gooey, but hardens to a tough rubber like stuff. use disposable gloves for sure.

Jeff928S4

Would you suggest using something like a Popsicle stick to jam the sealant down in the groove or just stick with the finger method?

heinrich

You should avoid silicone, it is not compatible with actual Windshield Installer stuff which I believe is polyurethane. Very difficult to remove completely.

As for the leak, yes the windshield is often the leak that is blamed on the sunroof seal. BAD place for a leak because it runs down the a-pillar covers and behind the dash to the fuse panel.

Ducman82

popsicle stick should work great!

Jeff928S4

Urethane it is then!


Ekkkkks!!! Not good. When I pulled the fuse panel for the re-fresh, I didn't notice any signs of water - but recently (after lots of rain), I had my wipers get stuck in the "ON" position (has since fixed itself), the rear drivers side marker light went out......but is now back on and the climate control light is out (has yet to come back on - hopefully it is a bulb).

dcrasta

Thanks for the update. I knew it was a black goop I though it was RTV. Thanks.
That windshield adhesive is some good stuff.

Aloysius

I would use some blue painters masking tape to protect the paint. Apply it along the edge right next to the trim piece, apply sealant with a Popsicle stick, soak the stick in water before hand and the sealant won't stick to it so much, makes a nice smooth and even bead. You can also re wet the stick several times to keep working the sealant smooth. Let it cure, then remove the tape. You will have a nice trim lone and no leaks. Have to do his myself shortly.

Ducman82

I'd romove the tape after applying the sealant. When it's hard, u will have to cut the tap out.