Pressurized air is not a good idea. Too easy to blow the tube off. I use a length of heavy gauge (.130) string trimmer (weed whacker) line and just feed it down the tube until it pokes out the bottom. Usually dirt will fall out of the end of the tube as the string trimmer line passes through it.
I like this weed trimmer idea vs asking an oil change tech to shoot compressed air through. I also wonder if vinegar works be harmful since that’s what I’ve been told to use for my home AC condensation drain line.
I use vinegar and water and that seems to do the truck plus it kills the mold too. I have 3 Subarus all have sunroofs and they get service yearly and also I use a silicone grease around the track and around the rubber gasket keep everything soft
Thank you very much my man this is something nobody thinks about,I myself thought it was an airtight/watertight seal but I will definitely clean both cars sunroof drains now
Wish I’d seen this years ago. Just spent $1,500 repairing the 2 sunroof system in a 2013 Nissan Quest after noticing the puddles and now have to have the interior cleaned, dried, etc. Would have so easy to confirm drainage was working after seeing your video.
Great explanation of extremely useful information. This is the first time I ever heard of this potential problem and the maintenance needed to prevent it. Thank you.
Thank you for this video, because this is what's happening to our '22 Toyota Sienna on front passenger A-pillar of the seatbelt when it rains the water comes out of it.
It happened to me about 3 months after a bought my 2017 Audi Q7, one day it was raining so hard in less then half hour after I parked the car and come back I found the driver side floor full with the water 💦 and was like what 😮🤔, I was going nuts who this water coming in the floor of my car doors and windows are looked and everything it’s dry expect the driver side floor. Hhhhhhh I was going nuts. But after I take it to my mechanic, he found out it’s not because it’s clogged from dirt it or anything else, it’s because underneath the car was sealed with the original cover and never been taking that cover off. He’s really honest mechanic I really missed him after him moved to Florida
Great informative video and well explained. I have 2010 Subaru with a sunroof that retracts and come a warmer day that’s what I am going to do clean the drain tube and then apply some silicone spray to all the moving parts and cleaning the seals. Thanks again “You are the man”
Thank you very much!! I’ve had multiple vehicles with sunroofs and never maintained them 😖. I do most of the maintenance on my vehicles too. I’ve been lucky! But now I know and it’s a good thing because I’m trying to get my 2011 Camaro to last forever and it has a sunroof.
Thank you! Good to know. Here i have been one of those that thought it was a matter of the rubber seals around the glass keeping the water out, to the point i don't use my sunroof thinking that would keep the roof water tight. Uffda
The front drains are easy to clean and access the challenge is the rear ones on the panoramic sunroof, because they are not acceptable from the fixed stationary glass. So I blow it backwards from the bottom end up.
My son's Avalon had this problem. We discovered that the drain tubes had detached on both sides and were too loose to stay in place. Used small hose clamps to keep them from coming loose. This is a great maintenance tip, so thanks for the video.
You would be suprised how many customers think the seal keeps out the water. We always did this for our customers every 10k miles when I worked at an independent Honda shop. We always used low pressure air and never had any issues. I see where some companies make long bristle brushes to do this service but never used one. This is a very informative video, nice job!
@@MeltingRubberZ28 they have them in the rear also but they are difficult to get to. You have to get under the car and they are in the fender area and you have to back blow a low amount of compressed air thru it.. If you dont know what you are looking for you most likely wont find them. Best way I can describe it is it looks like a small rubber bird beak. If you clear the fronts you should be ok they are the ones that usually have a problem.
@smokinwithskruggs thank you. I ran a piece of weed whacker line thru the front two drains. Barely any dirt on it. The car is garage kept most of the time so it's likely pretty clean/never had an issue. I'll see if I can find the rear ones sometime though. Thanks!
🎄Happy Holidays to you!🎄 Great advice! I owned a used 97 Camry & constantly checked/cleaned my sunroof area & coated the rubber with silicone spray. Never had problems 👍🇺🇸
Some time ago the RUclips guy who does customer states what I believe is his channel was saying the same thing. Customer was saying their “sun roof” was leaking and he said the same thing you need to clean out the drain tube or you’ll start to have a in car shower because the water won’t drain out.
My daughters Subaru outback’s sunroof will not close when she presses the button. She was told that they will have to remove the headliner to fix the problem. Is there a way to manually close the sunroof?
Great explanation. Depend where you live, it can get clog fast. Like S Florida, where damn near half the year is torrential rain storm; the volume of water that goes tru there often cause issues
I always use WD40 on my sunroof. I haven't used it in the 20 years that I have owned it. 04 Camry has 166k. My 76 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ T-tops and about 530 original miles. Still turns over twice a week and new rotors are added annually. My 77 Grand Prix SJ has 34k miles and gets driven now and then. 3 spoke metal wheel and every available option. But my daily beater is a F-150. Just boasting a bit. And I'll boasting that this is an excellent upload. This man is very helpful.
Very good, and needed, video. Junior, how do you feel about extending the drain tubes away from the frame? Especially on the older Toyotas? The A/C drain tubes on my FJ went right into the frame.. That design sure didn’t help with the rust issues I had to repair. Will be looking at that scenario for my 2024 GX which has a sunroof. I would appreciate your opinion. Well done as always!
Good one. Just bought a flex brush for sunroof drain openings. I would not use compressed air. On my car, there are rubber tube pieces on the end of the tubes.
Yea, the flex brushes work well too. What you said regarding the compressed air is true, that's why I said use very little air pressure if you are going to use it.
So to be clear, if you rarely ever open the sunroof, this is not likely to be an issue? I pretty much just slide the cover back but hardly ever open the glass portion. Thanks for posting! ✌🏻👍🏻✌🏻
It's worth opening for an inspection. If it has been open while driving you will find bugs and other muck. Covering the interior, clean it up carefully (try not to force down the drain tubes) and don't open it again. A pointless and expensive sales 'option'. I can't believe original buyer chose it on my car over a useful and inexpensive reversing camera. I find it unusable (due to wind noise). Why do I need a massive hole in my roof when I have a/c?
I've had various makes with sunroofs spanning over 30 years. Volkswagen, Nissan, infinity, Hondas. I've never ever had a leakage problem with them. I never cleaned them either. I must be one lucky mfkr. Then again, I've always been lucky with cars. I only buy used. Except for my G35 coupe. That was brand new in 07'. Still only 56k on it😅
There should be a profile registration setting in the radio that will allow you to do it with a QR code. If not, bring it to the dealer they will be able to help.
My car, is a new one 2025 Mazda CX 5, w/sunroof . If I don´t open the sun roof at all, I just don´t use it. - In this way I will be safe that my drains of the sun roof would not get clogged? Even I usually, park my car under the trees, very often?
@ it’s a problem talked about frequently on FB sites for Highlander and Sienna. People looking for the source of leaks into the vehicle discover pinched drain hoses incapable of draining water…
Use a a small cup of degreaser every oil change ! Will have no issues ! Long as vid to say have it cleaned no you clean it save money with a simple cup of degreaser!
Just clean them your self…it’s not a big issue if you maintain your car. Most people don not maintain their cars so maybe those people wouldn’t want a panoramic sun roof.
I would say many people who do maintain their car would not want one by choice, as those who do not also don't understand (or even think about) the maintenance requirement and potential problems.
I'm not a fan of sunroofs. The negatives outweigh the positives. I dislike that alot of manufacturers are offering them standard and sometimes without the option to not have one. Planned obsolescence 🤦♂️
Rain roofs. Had mine fixed 3x, it still leaked, dripping water all over the gear shift, staining the panel above the dash, causing electrical problems. If I needed to see the sky while I'm traveling I'd ride a horse.
@@Knight_Raider_Yeah until you get a sunroof you don’t realize how cool they are. They really brighten up a car even at night with the streetlights over you
@@Knight_Raider_ I had a dumb panoramic sunroof that I never used but was forced to have it as it came with the trim. It should be something optional and people shouldnt be forced to pay for it they don't want it.
Good info but the important part missing is showing how to clean it.
Thank you. In my most recent video, I showed how to clean it.
Wow….glad this popped up in my feed here. I had never even thought of sunroofs and drainage etc. Thanks for this sir.
Pressurized air is not a good idea. Too easy to blow the tube off. I use a length of heavy gauge (.130) string trimmer (weed whacker) line and just feed it down the tube until it pokes out the bottom. Usually dirt will fall out of the end of the tube as the string trimmer line passes through it.
I like this weed trimmer idea vs asking an oil change tech to shoot compressed air through. I also wonder if vinegar works be harmful since that’s what I’ve been told to use for my home AC condensation drain line.
Sunroof systems are in general overlooked & neglected by consumer & a watchful technician.
I use vinegar and water and that seems to do the truck plus it kills the mold too. I have 3 Subarus all have sunroofs and they get service yearly and also I use a silicone grease around the track and around the rubber gasket keep everything soft
@@Daniel-it1dp i was thinking the same thing, vinegar and hot water....wonder if that would be equally as beneficial
Thank you very much my man this is something nobody thinks about,I myself thought it was an airtight/watertight seal but I will definitely clean both cars sunroof drains now
Thank you so much for posting this. Water was getting into my dome light and I couldn't figure it out. I'll clean my drain tubes ASAP
I'm happy this video helped! 👍
Great video! So awesome that you showed the drain tubes behind the headliner. Looking forward to seeing more videos!
Wish I’d seen this years ago. Just spent $1,500 repairing the 2 sunroof system in a 2013 Nissan Quest after noticing the puddles and now have to have the interior cleaned, dried, etc. Would have so easy to confirm drainage was working after seeing your video.
I like sunroof especially on long distance ridding with family. This video's really informative and welcome. Many thanks.
Great explanation of extremely useful information. This is the first time I ever heard of this potential problem and the maintenance needed to prevent it. Thank you.
Thank you for watching! 🤝🤝🤝
Brilliant! A Christmas gift for us DYI guys. Thanks.
Thank you for this video, because this is what's happening to our '22 Toyota Sienna on front passenger A-pillar of the seatbelt when it rains the water comes out of it.
You can also take a portable tire air compressor with a beach ball nozzle to blow through drain holes.
Great job explaining this.
I wonder what parking on a steep hill facing upwards would do 😳
There are 2 drain hoses that routes water out the rear as well. Each corner of the sunroof tray assembly has a drain.
@@TheYotaChannel Good to know! Thanks
It happened to me about 3 months after a bought my 2017 Audi Q7, one day it was raining so hard in less then half hour after I parked the car and come back I found the driver side floor full with the water 💦 and was like what 😮🤔, I was going nuts who this water coming in the floor of my car doors and windows are looked and everything it’s dry expect the driver side floor. Hhhhhhh I was going nuts.
But after I take it to my mechanic, he found out it’s not because it’s clogged from dirt it or anything else, it’s because underneath the car was sealed with the original cover and never been taking that cover off.
He’s really honest mechanic I really missed him after him moved to Florida
Yea, that's how most people realize there's a leak, which is when their carpet get soaking wet. 😬
Wow you should have went nuts
Great informative video and well explained. I have 2010 Subaru with a sunroof that retracts and come a warmer day that’s what I am going to do clean the drain tube and then apply some silicone spray to all the moving parts and cleaning the seals. Thanks again “You are the man”
Thank you very much!! I’ve had multiple vehicles with sunroofs and never maintained them 😖. I do most of the maintenance on my vehicles too. I’ve been lucky! But now I know and it’s a good thing because I’m trying to get my 2011 Camaro to last forever and it has a sunroof.
Thank you! I love the sunroof in my Tundra because it gives me natural light in the northwest wintertime!
I was not aware of this …thanks …. Nam Jamaica
So right. 9:00 in. I had to get the sunroof just to get the options I needed. I see this a lot lately.😮
This is great information I never knew I needed until now thanks man.
Thank you! Good to know. Here i have been one of those that thought it was a matter of the rubber seals around the glass keeping the water out, to the point i don't use my sunroof thinking that would keep the roof water tight. Uffda
I'm sire, using a heavy duty can of dusting air will also work.
The front drains are easy to clean and access the challenge is the rear ones on the panoramic sunroof, because they are not acceptable from the fixed stationary glass. So I blow it backwards from the bottom end up.
My son's Avalon had this problem. We discovered that the drain tubes had detached on both sides and were too loose to stay in place. Used small hose clamps to keep them from coming loose. This is a great maintenance tip, so thanks for the video.
How much did you have to take apart to figure this out?
@@toddb930 We removed the trim above the doors and peered in above the headliner with a flashlight. Saw the problem right away.
@charlielehardy9308 -- Thank You Sir!
Didn’t know that. Now I know why years ago Celica has water spot in the backseat but couldn’t find any visual problem.
Thank you Soo much for sharing. My Son had to clean his drains on his Atlas bc water was collecting in the rear wheel well.
I'm glad you found the video helpful!
You would be suprised how many customers think the seal keeps out the water. We always did this for our customers every 10k miles when I worked at an independent Honda shop. We always used low pressure air and never had any issues. I see where some companies make long bristle brushes to do this service but never used one. This is a very informative video, nice job!
Are the drain tube just in the front corners there? I'm going to look at my wife's CRV drains tomorrow.
@@MeltingRubberZ28 they have them in the rear also but they are difficult to get to. You have to get under the car and they are in the fender area and you have to back blow a low amount of compressed air thru it.. If you dont know what you are looking for you most likely wont find them. Best way I can describe it is it looks like a small rubber bird beak. If you clear the fronts you should be ok they are the ones that usually have a problem.
@smokinwithskruggs thank you. I ran a piece of weed whacker line thru the front two drains. Barely any dirt on it. The car is garage kept most of the time so it's likely pretty clean/never had an issue. I'll see if I can find the rear ones sometime though. Thanks!
@MeltingRubberZ28 what a great idea using weed eater string!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and explaining the information thoroughly. Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Excellent information and great presentation. Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I would not have thought to do that.
It's one of those things that's easy to forget about until it's too late.
🎄Happy Holidays to you!🎄 Great advice! I owned a used 97 Camry & constantly checked/cleaned my sunroof area & coated the rubber with silicone spray. Never had problems
👍🇺🇸
Mine leaked so I had my tint guy go over it with the same color as the car and pdf. No more wet carpets or interior frost.
Awesome tips! Thanks i bought a 3 ft long spring based brush on Amazon for 10 bucks. It works great.
Some time ago the RUclips guy who does customer states what I believe is his channel was saying the same thing. Customer was saying their “sun roof” was leaking and he said the same thing you need to clean out the drain tube or you’ll start to have a in car shower because the water won’t drain out.
Is vacuuming dirt to suck dirt from the hole and around the line, a good idea?
Thank You for telling us about this! I always wondered how they keep water from getting around the seal on a sunroof.
My daughters Subaru outback’s sunroof will not close when she presses the button. She was told that they will have to remove the headliner to fix the problem. Is there a way to manually close the sunroof?
Great explanation. Depend where you live, it can get clog fast. Like S Florida, where damn near half the year is torrential rain storm; the volume of water that goes tru there often cause issues
I always use WD40 on my sunroof. I haven't used it in the 20 years that I have owned it. 04 Camry has 166k. My 76 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ T-tops and about 530 original miles. Still turns over twice a week and new rotors are added annually. My 77 Grand Prix SJ has 34k miles and gets driven now and then. 3 spoke metal wheel and every available option. But my daily beater is a F-150.
Just boasting a bit. And I'll boasting that this is an excellent upload. This man is very helpful.
You put WD-40 down your drain tubes? That’s the subject here.
Dang, I wish I knew this earlier. I had to get rid of a car because of this issue due to toxic mold/mildew and it was a perfectly good car .
Very good, and needed, video. Junior, how do you feel about extending the drain tubes away from the frame? Especially on the older Toyotas? The A/C drain tubes on my FJ went right into the frame.. That design sure didn’t help with the rust issues I had to repair. Will be looking at that scenario for my 2024 GX which has a sunroof. I would appreciate your opinion. Well done as always!
Good one. Just bought a flex brush for sunroof drain openings. I would not use compressed air. On my car, there are rubber tube pieces on the end of the tubes.
Yea, the flex brushes work well too. What you said regarding the compressed air is true, that's why I said use very little air pressure if you are going to use it.
Good info I have a 2024 4Runner I will keep an eye on it.
Thank you. Had no idea. Very informative! Solid advise.
I'm glad you found it helpful!
Thumbs-up to this video, I never knew or would've thought of that. Thanks👍👍🙂
Can you tell us about new CSP from Toyota?
Failed coolant bypass valve should be replaced for free on the RAV4 made from 2019 to 2021
Thanks for the heads up bro🤛🏾much appreciated.
Great info, but what would've been even better is, using a flashlight to show us exactly where those drain holes were. Or did I miss that?
Thank you. Check my latest video. It should help clarify things a little more.
Great info thank you for the video!
Great info. Thanks. Does it help to treat seal with lube as preventive maintenance?
So to be clear, if you rarely ever open the sunroof, this is not likely to be an issue? I pretty much just slide the cover back but hardly ever open the glass portion. Thanks for posting!
✌🏻👍🏻✌🏻
It's worth opening for an inspection. If it has been open while driving you will find bugs and other muck. Covering the interior, clean it up carefully (try not to force down the drain tubes) and don't open it again. A pointless and expensive sales 'option'. I can't believe original buyer chose it on my car over a useful and inexpensive reversing camera. I find it unusable (due to wind noise). Why do I need a massive hole in my roof when I have a/c?
Thanks for posting this info.
I have my car for almost 4 years new from the deale,maybe ones I opened the sunroof..!
QUESTION..junior bruh, what can you condition the seal with that will increase longevity and uv protect but wont disolve seal over time.
Manufacturers need to install a drain tube running from the dome light.
If i bought a brand new 4runner with a sunroof, but never ever open it will my drain hoses get clogged?
Yes, it can still get clogged. I would still recommend cleaning every 20k miles. It's so easy to do.
@TheYotaChannel thank you
I've had various makes with sunroofs spanning over 30 years. Volkswagen, Nissan, infinity, Hondas. I've never ever had a leakage problem with them. I never cleaned them either. I must be one lucky mfkr. Then again, I've always been lucky with cars. I only buy used. Except for my G35 coupe. That was brand new in 07'. Still only 56k on it😅
Thank you, sir. Great info.
👍
I have a 2024 1794 tundra and my 14 inch radio was replaced and now I can’t connect my profile again, any idea how to do it?? Thanks
There should be a profile registration setting in the radio that will allow you to do it with a QR code. If not, bring it to the dealer they will be able to help.
My car, is a new one 2025 Mazda CX 5, w/sunroof . If I don´t open the sun roof at all, I just don´t use it. - In this way I will be safe that my drains of the sun roof would not get clogged? Even I usually, park my car under the trees, very often?
Thank you for the advice and demo well done 👏🏼 👍🏼🏴🇬🇧
Toyota's frequently have problems with faulty assembly where the drain tubes are pinched and rendered ineffective during production of the vehicle.
What you talking about 😳
@ it’s a problem talked about frequently on FB sites for Highlander and Sienna. People looking for the source of leaks into the vehicle discover pinched drain hoses incapable of draining water…
Question, would a can of compressed air, like what's used to clean a PC keyboard, do the job?
Thank you for sharing this. I never knew!!
Thank you. I do avoid sunroof, panoramic sunroof at all cost.
Hard to do on new cars today. Unless your buying lower end models
@markkennedy5335 Exactly.
@@markkennedy5335I disagree, numerous models come without.
Great advice and information. Thanks
Very informative....thank you!
Happened to my Toyota Camry. Had a mechanic blow air through a long 1/8" tube to clear it out.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2025!
Great video. Thank you. Subscribed.
Thank you so very much!
Very enlightening post on the drawbacks to Sun roofs. That is why I would never want one.
Thanks for the info
Thanks for the info bro
very good presentaton dude well explained informative thanks
Thanks
Great video sir!
THANKS MAN
Great video!
Nice job. Thanks
Use a a small cup of degreaser every oil change ! Will have no issues ! Long as vid to say have it cleaned no you clean it save money with a simple cup of degreaser!
Good to know muchas gracias
awesome vid
Wish you actually showed us up close the drains and procedure for diy folks….thanks…
I’ve been driving with my sunroof sealed with permatex window sealer for the past five years,I’ll never buy another car with a sunroof.
What car was it
@ 2009 Nissan maxima
That’s a little extreme.
Just clean them your self…it’s not a big issue if you maintain your car. Most people don not maintain their cars so maybe those people wouldn’t want a panoramic sun roof.
I would say many people who do maintain their car would not want one by choice, as those who do not also don't understand (or even think about) the maintenance requirement and potential problems.
Couldn’t you just use a can of air to do it yourself?
I'm not a fan of sunroofs. The negatives outweigh the positives. I dislike that alot of manufacturers are offering them standard and sometimes without the option to not have one. Planned obsolescence 🤦♂️
Yea, I hear ya. Unless you get a really cheap base model, most will cars today will come equipped with a sunroof.
The only positive I have seen is a 2 year old in the rear seat loving it when it opens!
Rain roofs. Had mine fixed 3x, it still leaked, dripping water all over the gear shift, staining the panel above the dash, causing electrical problems. If I needed to see the sky while I'm traveling I'd ride a horse.
What year, make, and model?
7k damage
The way to solve this problem is not to have a sunroof to start with period!!!
This could be a minute video
Even better advice is to never buy a vehicle with a sun roof!
Best way is to not buy cars with stupid sun roofs, whats the point of a dumb sunroofs in cars in the first place?
Some people like the ventilation, natural light a sunroof provides and or driving with the sunroof open during spring/summer.
@@Knight_Raider_Yeah until you get a sunroof you don’t realize how cool they are. They really brighten up a car even at night with the streetlights over you
@@HaiRune yessir!
The difference is night and day.
@@Knight_Raider_ I had a dumb panoramic sunroof that I never used but was forced to have it as it came with the trim. It should be something optional and people shouldnt be forced to pay for it they don't want it.
Thanks
Good information, i appreciate it!
Thanks for the support.
Great info, Thanks!