Comments on: How To: Keep Your Sunroof Drains Flowing Well

By: Linda Scott

Linda Scott — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:28:23 +0000

This is exactly what happened to the sunroof on my 2001 Passat. This is a great information board and many thanks to those to have contributed to my on going dielemma and a 2,100 bill for a sunroof that’s still leaking. you guys are great.

By: Dan Volkens

Dan Volkens — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:43:43 +0000

Hey Michael, yeah, water in and around the rear is usually indicating clogged rear drains. The rear nipple locations do seem to vary by model, so check inside of the rear wheel wells, under the car just in front of the rear wheels, and also up inside of the rear bumper skin. Once you track that down, you can hopefully get them cleared enough to prevent future leaks.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:26:08 +0000

I have a 1999 Passat. Last time I went to the carwash, water was dripping from the sunroof mechanism cover. A time or two before there was dampness around the front edge of the roof. I have never experience water in the car during the nearly 11 years I have owned it. I squeezed the front nipples, then ran weedwacker line down the tubes in front. Nothing came out, so I am assuming they are okay. I couldn’t find the rear access holes in the sunroof tray. I just found your site, so I did not find the rear nipples, but will try tomorrow. Does water in the hatch indicate bad tubes or excessive leaking? Wouldn’t water build up in the front indicate that the front tubes are clogged. I want to get the salt residue off my car, but I am afraid to take it to the car wash again.

Thanks in advance, Michael

By: Dan Volkens

Dan Volkens — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:16:40 +0000

Great Deb! :D

Hey Chuck, it’s definitely the sunroof drains rather than the filter. the pollen filter should be located in front of the passenger in the engine bay. Yeah, pulling the carpet would probably be more thorough than just vacuuming/soaking up with towels, or air drying. But that’s a lot for work. :)

Let us know how it goes after you see your mechanic!

By: Chuck Samuels

Chuck Samuels — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:23:39 +0000

I have been enjoying reading everyone’s solutions to this wet car problem. We have a 2001 Jetta Wagon with a similar problem. I noticed yesterday that the floorboard behind the driver’s seat is very wet, basically where the passenger behind the driver crams his feet. It sounds like there are two potential culprits: sunroof drains and this pollen filter.
I have questions:
Is it more likely to be the sunroof drains given where the water is?
Do I need to pull up the carpet once the drains are clear to really get it dry?

I have an appointment with my mechanic (who is always great) for later in the week, so I may check the drains before I take it in.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:16:26 +0000

Thanks so much for all the great information. After mulling over my options for a while, I called my insurance company and found out that these repairs were considered “flooding” and were covered by the comprehensive part of my coverage – they even paid to have it towed to the dealership!

By: Dan Volkens

Dan Volkens — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:17:28 +0000

Anne, I would assume it’s still clogged drains, and the dealer may be milking you for more unnecessary repairs. You can try to get a second opinion at another dealer or shop. Just tell them about the leak and have them check the drains, or go back to this same dealer, and try to get them to recheck the drains before doing those other repairs since they may not have gotten everything the first time.

By: anne-louise

anne-louise — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:29:11 +0000

i have a 2003 jetta tdi wagon that i have loved up to now. last spring, it started leaking and the dealer said it was the drains and they unclogged them – we have a sunroof. 3 days ago the rear passenger side floor was flooded as well as part of the front passenger side floor. i took it to the dealer who said they had to charge me 100 to look at it…then called and said it was not the drains and had to charge me another 150 to tear the car apart. so 250 total…then call said it is the passenger door seal. wants 400 to fix that plus lots more if i want to carpet and jute relpaced.
how can a door seal cause that kind of leak? no water was running from the door to the floor. i feel like they just don’t want to admit that the drains are clogged again or something. after reading this site and others i am horrified at this shoddy design…help please before i pay this money!

By: Dan Volkens

Dan Volkens — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:54:17 +0000

Great Beth and Divad!

By: Divad

Divad — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:30:18 +0000

FYI, regarding the plugs in the rear drains — I have those too. Now that I’ve removed all the debris (leaves, dirt etc.) and run a wire through the rear tubes, they seem to work fine — even with those plugs in place. I believe the plugs are there to keep the drains from getting too clogged up. They have a small notch n them to allow the water to flow out.

BTW, thanks to everyone in this blog posting for the information. My 2001 Beetle now has a dry passenger floor once again, and all 4 drains are operable.

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:10:11 +0000

well my comfort module did get wet but we took it out and cleaned it and now my car is working :)

By: Dan Volkens

Dan Volkens — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:30:40 +0000

Glad it worked Matt!

Hey Vanessa, sounds like a couple problems. The battery most likely isn’t related to the water, unless there was damage to an electrical component that may have created a short or something and drained the battery. The shop wanting to tear down your car to inspect is kinda extreme, but they seem to be looking at for your best interests in wanting to do that. However, the cost involved seems insanely high, so I’d be wary of that. You can try to dry out your Jetta yourself, but really make sure you get it completely dry. Once dry, if you don’t experience any more problems, you’re probably ok!

Hey Sue, yeah, sounds like your drains were just backed up and some residual water is still leaking in. The rears are inside of the rear bumper cover… very odd location. You have to reach your hand up inside of the bumper near the extreme left and right sides respectively for each drain, and just feel for them. I’m not sure how other car manufacturers handle the drains, but their solution must be way better!! :D

Thanks for the extra info Brian. I think this is one of the most common problems related to a leak.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:27:36 +0000

Well the car was sitting for 3 months and I didn’t have the leak issue before it sat so I don’t know how much water got into it during that time. But since then, I’ve had some puddles in the back carpet but just damp carpets in the front. Ive done some pricing and found out the bcm can cost up to 500.00.

By: Liam

Liam — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:22:29 +0000

I have the same problem with blocked drains, it caused my display console to die which cost me $1000 to replace, this is the last straw for me and VW.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:07:55 +0000

Thanks Brian, that’s helpful. Just wondering how bad was your moisture problem? Did your floors actually get soaked or was it just general moisture in the car? Mine seems to be more of a general moisture problem but the floors are a little damp…

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:48:20 +0000

Hey, I can speak from experience on this! I had the same issue with moisture in the car and now my windows do not work properly, my AC controls work when they want and my dash and trim lights blink on and off and reset when I’m driving. I have been told its due to the BCM(body control module) getting wet which is located under the drivers side floor board. So if you don’t want the same issues I’m experiencing, have them check it out. And from my understanding, the transmission cpu is located in the same area so I think Its worth it to prevent future headaches. That’s just my 2 cents.

By: Sue

Sue — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:46:12 +0000

I have a 2000 Golf GL 2.0. and I have had it for 8 years and never touched the drains. A dealership did it once, but I had no idea how they did it. I did a search and I find this site! I have had a slight leak for a couple years. It comes & goes, but gets worse when it rains super hard or when I go to the automatic car wash. That’s the worst!. Today I went thru to wash the salt off (I live in NH and they use salt on the roads to melt the ice) and it poured in, even in the back onto the back seat. I went home and squeezed the nipples and moved them back side to side, almost like folding them over. Some goop came out, but not a lot. All of a sudden it started to “pee” and it peed for quite a while. I poured more water in the sun roof, and it came out the nipple in a stream, but still dripped a little-right above the passenger side door. It might have just been residual, time will tell. It’s old so the hose could be cracked I suppose. I got under the car to do the rear ones, and I can not find ‘em. I mean I took a huge flash light and had my head under there. I read most of these posts-maybe I missed something, but does anyone have a 2000-are the nipples in the same place? It beats me.
Just for kicks-I’m also wondering..where are the drains for these things on Japanese cars? I’m a loyal VW owner and have had super luck with this car (over 125k), but this design is “piss” poor!! ;p

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:05:50 +0000

So I took my 2001 Jetta into the dealership because the battery died and after jumping it, the clock wouldn’t stop running, the airbag light came on, and the one-touch feature on the power windows wouldn’t work- normal things that need to be reset after a jump. I believe the battery died because the car wasn’t driven for a few days (5). While I was at the dealership, I asked them to also address the condensation problem I have been having for the past month or so, ever since the “rainy” season started here in SoCal. I thought the condensation/moisture buildup inside the car was due to a problem with the heating/ac unit. But after dropping it off, they called me and told me that there was actually a leak “somewhere” in my car, and that the driver and passenger side floors were soaked with water (I hadn’t noticed it, but when I got the call, I went over to the dealership to see for myself. They were a bit damp). A bit of history: It has been raining here periodically in So Cal over the past month or so, and my parking spot is located under trees that shed acorns and pine needles into and around the sun roof drains. I leave my sunroof cracked most of the time, and have left it open when driving in the rain before. Now I know what a huge mistake that was. Anyway, back to my question. Dealership wants to tear apart my car from the bottom, taking out the seats and floor mats and checking the electrical wiring under the driver’s side floorboards to make sure no damage has been done to the wiring under the floors. I have not noticed any electrical damage as of yet, I simply took my car in because the condensation was annoying and to reset everything from the jump. They also want to take out the carpets and dry them etc. My question is twofold: 1. Could the battery problem be related to water damage from the leak? My guess is that they are separate issues, because after the battery was jumped, the car started and ran fine, and the dealership tested the battery and said it was fine. 2. How necessary is it for the dealership to tear apart my car looking for damage that most likely isn’t there? If I just squeezed the drain nipples and wet vac’d the floors and put heat to them, would it most likely fix my condensation/leak/mild damp smell problem? Or is it worth it to see if any real damage has been done to the electrical wiring under the floors? Dealership wants to charge me 1800 for labor hours and that’s not including any parts that need to be replaced due to damage… This is 18 times more expensive than what most of the people who have posted here said that their dealership quoted them…

Any help is appreciated…

By: matt

matt — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:02:47 +0000

…but its ok now with the clear tube running the whole length =)

By: matt

matt — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:59:54 +0000

i went for it with the 1/4″ tubing and a little silicone at the top to seal and everything worked great. i realized the nipple and drain tube came completely seperated but i couldnt get them back together