Cayenne drains blocked
 

Hi guys,

Right, I know this topic has been done to death but I need some help. So, as per the ttitle, the drains are blocked in my 06 Cayenne V6. I know where all the drainage plugs are including the star shaped gromets behind the wheel arch. I've removed them to try and drain them but nothing comes out. I still get absolutely soaking wet carpets on both drivers and passenger sides any time it rains. Theres loads of sloshing around and it sounds like there's about 10 litres backed up there.

Theres obviously debris stuck right in there which I can't get to to clear it. Any advice? I'm worried it's going to start damaging electrical components

thanks

Can you find the drain intakes and hit them with compressed air or maybe try and run a wire down through them?

Possibly. I was thinking maybe a straightened out coat hanger might do the job.

Where are the intakes? I'm aaauming they're down the sides of the bottom end of the windscreen?

I don't really know anything about these drains as I haven't owned my Cayenne for very long. Cleaning the sunroof drains is something I had to do many years ago on my old Saab Turbo to prevent the same thing from happening. They were in all 4 corners of the roof once the sunroof was open.

The 997 has drains up near the front firewall to drain away water that runs down the windshield and cowl. I'm sure one of the older Cayenne threads would discuss the drain locations.

I know the location of the drains exit point. It won't be hard to find the entry point but getting compressed air down there might be hard

I have the same issue.

You might want to go to Walmart and buy the Bell Bicycle Brake Repair Kit.

It contains about 5 different bicycle brake cables.

Cut the end off one of the cables and use it as a snake. They are more flexible than a coat hanger, but stiff enough to snake through tubing and ports.

And this is why Forums work. Great idea with the brake cables.

One warning - on the 955 - remove the fuse panels on the ends of the dash. If you use a nice bright Maglite - you can see the front sunroof drains. They take a jog about at that point with a few junctions and a fitting. It would be a bad thing to push that apart with the brake cable. I've used weed-wacker string - but even then, care is needed.

What works better IMHO is pressurized air. If you open the sunroof and kneel on the front seat (you may want to put a cushion there so you don't damage the occupancy sensor mat) and stick your head up into the sunroof area - shine your bright Maglite into the far corners of the sunroof recess. You'll see a hole at the lowest point. That's the drain.

I have a Harbor Freight air-nozzle for my air compressor that doesn't have the OSHA required air relief - it can provide full pressure at the output of the nozzle. It has a 3" long thin nozzle coming out of it. That's the perfect thing to blow through the drains from up above. Stick it in the drain hole and blow away until it blows easily.

Another possible leak source was found in the engine compartment. You have to remove all the beauty plastic surrounding the compartment to find it. Once removed follow the hinge on the passenger's side down, and below and behind it on the firewall you'll likely find a pile of "mung" (leaf bits, dirt, etc) built up. It's behind a foam-baffle around the hinge that is designed to channel water down and keep it out of the actual engine area.

On my '06 that mung built up high enough that it was at the level of a missing body plug into the passenger compartment. I could see through the hole and see the wiring harness behind the right side kick panel INSIDE in the passenger compartment. When it rained - rain ran off the roof, down the windshield, through the hole at the bottom edge of the windshield and right into that hole. It then happily followed the big wiring harness down and into the footwell.

Cleaning out all the mung and finding a body plug to close that hole off resulted in a dry footwell from them on.

It's not always the drains. Sometimes it is a missing body plug.

Go figure.

excellent, thanks a lot :)