How to fix a sunroof leak in a Saturn or other car.
Got a sunroof leak in your Saturn or other similar car? Here's how to fix it!
Sunroofs are a lot of fun on a hot or breezy day. Oh to have the feel of wind blowing through your hair. The problem is that sunroofs are notorious for leaking and ruining your headliner and leaving your carpets wet and smelly of mildew or mold. Who wants to get in their car after it rains to hear the carpets squish because they are full of water?
What causes sunroofs to leak? Well, as a mechanic and body man I have encountered a lot of leaky sunroofs, but many times with a Saturn and other cars it isn’t the actual sunroof doing the leaking. It is actually what they call the drain lines. These rubber tubes are supposed to empty water from the inner sunroof area out of the car. They run down the sides of the front and rear window and then exit out the bottom of the car.
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These drain lines are often clogged with anything from dust and pollen to spiders, rust, tree sap, etc… They easily become clogged and once clogged the catch basin under the sunroof will fill with water and it will then spill over and get all over the headliner. This will quickly ruin the headliner. It will also drip down either through the corners or anyway it finds as the easiest path and it will end up on the seats, floor carpets, dash, etc…
This water can cause electrical problems like short circuits and sudden loss of power (shorting out of the whole electrical system). It can ruin radios, cause rust to form almost anywhere and will eventually ruin your car. So how can this situation be fixed? Well, first of all you can try and blow the drain lines clean.
Take a compressor and blow air down the lines to blow them clear. Try and pour water down each drain line. If it does not empty or drain freely then reapply. If it is still stuck after that then you can either get new drain lines (which I think is easier especially if you are just going to resell the car) or pull out the drain lines and blow them out from the bottom.
If they still won’t drain then the drain lines must be replaced. Also, you will probably need a new rubber seal on your sunroof as, unless you are leaving the sunroof open when it rains, that water must be getting in there somehow and only that rubber gasket could be doing it. You have to understand that regardless of whether it was a factory installed sunroof or an aftermarket the rubber seal will only last so many years before it needs replacement.
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If your sunroof is over 5 years old, and especially on Saturns (they tended to use cheaper materials and craftsmanship in this area) then you should probably replace the rubber seal. It is best to have a mechanic, bodyshop technician or someone similarly skilled to do this else it will most likely not seal correctly and it will leak.
So, now you know how to clean out the drain lines and stop your sunroof from leaking.
