Slow leak from top of car - can't tell if from sunroof or back winshield

[Steelwheel]

So every time the area gets a good rain, the felt lining on the inside roof of my car gets damp. It never becomes soggy-wet, so it's either a very slow leak, or condensation that has built up.

The sunroof is the prime suspect, as when I pour water on it, some collects into the gutter that appears to be made to collect water (I'm guessing a small leak through the sunroof is expected). The rubber on one side is worn down and a little creased, and more water appears to go through there. One of the vents that drains this gutter was clogged and subsequently cleaned out, but the problem seems to occur just about as bad as before.

The windshield on the back was also replaced, and has been resealed in the past. I have done water tests on it and it does not *appear* to leak.

Anyone had these types of issues? The roof is to the point where I have restapled the cloth back up, and it looks fairly ugly. What's the cheapest/best way to reupholster it, once I fix the source of the leak?


thanks!

[gmtech1]

Originally Posted by Steelwheel

So every time the area gets a good rain, the felt lining on the inside roof of my car gets damp. It never becomes soggy-wet, so it's either a very slow leak, or condensation that has built up.

The sunroof is the prime suspect, as when I pour water on it, some collects into the gutter that appears to be made to collect water (I'm guessing a small leak through the sunroof is expected). The rubber on one side is worn down and a little creased, and more water appears to go through there. One of the vents that drains this gutter was clogged and subsequently cleaned out, but the problem seems to occur just about as bad as before.

The windshield on the back was also replaced, and has been resealed in the past. I have done water tests on it and it does not *appear* to leak.

Anyone had these types of issues? The roof is to the point where I have restapled the cloth back up, and it looks fairly ugly. What's the cheapest/best way to reupholster it, once I fix the source of the leak?


thanks!

Have you verified that all 4 sunroof drains are working? Open the sunroof and pour some water into each corner of the sunroof frame. Water should drain near the wheel well of the wheel nearest that corner. If not draining, either the drain is plugged or disconnected from the sunroof.

[Steelwheel]

Originally Posted by gmtech1

Have you verified that all 4 sunroof drains are working? Open the sunroof and pour some water into each corner of the sunroof frame. Water should drain near the wheel well of the wheel nearest that corner. If not draining, either the drain is plugged or disconnected from the sunroof.

Check all of them and they are draining, all at about the same rate so I assume they are working normally. As I said before, one of the drains was clogged and was fixed. The problem doesn't seem as bad now, but the liner does get damp during a heavy rain. Unsure if that is just condensation from the sunroof and top of car or whether water is actually making its way through.

Would be nice to have some way of detecting whether a liquid is penetrating.. I've thought about pouring some scented liquid on the top of the car and seeing if the smell shows up on the inside.. don't really want to try that unless I'm out of options.

The liner had been getting so wet that it has disintegrated some, and the cloth holding it up sags down a bit. If I can make sure that the leak is completely stopped, I'd like to take it to an auto body shop and have it reupholstered.

[gmtech1]

If you can pull the headliner down, tape a garden hose to the roof and let the water run over the sunroof. Sit inside the car and look for leaks.