2005 XC90 Sunroof drain tube maintenance

[cn90]

DIY 2005 XC90 Sunroof drain maintenance

Old topic but once every 10 years, I'd clean this drain tube to prevent overflow of water inside cabin, causing expensive damage. Very very easy thing to do.

About 10-15 min per side.

TOOLS:
- Small screwdriver
- 8-mm socket and extension
- Zip ties (optional)

PROCEDURE:

1. Pry the tab off, and remove the 8-mm bolts.

2. Drain Tube drains into Rubber Elbow:

3. Not sure why the Rubber Elbow has flaps to restrict flow (my BMW X5 has the same design!!!). I cut diagonally to increase flow. Whatever you do, during installation, make sure the Rubber Elbow fits properly (pay attention to the flange that sits inside the car round hole).
Tug the Rubber Elbow a bit, it should not come out.

- Take this opportunity to blow air upward (I guess you can use your mouth but clean the Drain Tube end first!), there should be no flow restriction.

4. I put 2 Zip Ties (optional) as shown to prevent the tube from coming off the Rubber Elbow.

5. During re-installation, make sure the Black weather strip sits on top of the White Trim.
When in doubt, look at the other side for advice!

6. The other side (R side), well the P.O. already did it, so I just reinstalled it back.

Easy Peasy...

[Ou2mame]

Yeah I did this the day I got the truck cause it was raining when I picked it up and the passenger front floor was wet.

[FLXC90]

Just received replacement-sound reducer for my passenger side pillar from FCP. Someone used an old spark plug boot. I have no yaw rate sensor, hence no DSTC or AWD. The zip tie is a good idea, my drivers side came loose last storm after windshield was replaced.

[Aznav]

DIY 2005 XC90 Sunroof drain maintenance

Old topic but once every 10 years, I'd clean this drain tube to prevent overflow of water inside cabin, causing expensive damage. Very very easy thing to do.

About 10-15 min per side.

TOOLS:
- Small screwdriver
- 8-mm socket and extension
- Zip ties (optional)

PROCEDURE:

1. Pry the tab off, and remove the 8-mm bolts.


XC90-Sunroof-Drain-01.JPG



2. Drain Tube drains into Rubber Elbow:


XC90-Sunroof-Drain-02.JPG



3. Not sure why the Rubber Elbow has flaps to restrict flow (my BMW X5 has the same design!!!). I cut diagonally to increase flow. Whatever you do, during installation, make sure the Rubber Elbow fits properly (pay attention to the flange that sits inside the car round hole).
Tug the Rubber Elbow a bit, it should not come out.

- Take this opportunity to blow air upward (I guess you can use your mouth but clean the Drain Tube end first!), there should be no flow restriction.


XC90-Sunroof-Drain-03.JPG



4. I put 2 Zip Ties (optional) as shown to prevent the tube from coming off the Rubber Elbow.


XC90-Sunroof-Drain-04.JPG



5. During re-installation, make sure the Black weather strip sits on top of the White Trim.
When in doubt, look at the other side for advice!


XC90-Sunroof-Drain-05.JPG



6. The other side (R side), well the P.O. already did it, so I just reinstalled it back.


XC90-Sunroof-Drain-06.JPG



Easy Peasy...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

[Lexibiggs]

Hi there, I unfortunately went through the painstaking process of having to gut my s40 due to water. We figured out that the issue was because of a clog in the elbow drain and that it disconnected from the hose that runs along the A pillar. I bought a new elbow drain, but am having quite a bit of trouble getting it to seat right in the firewall. I’m trying to avoid ripping out the dash or taking out the windshield. Do you have any suggestions of how to get this back in and seated properly? Thanks!!

[XlkkynR1345]

Great post! Does anyone know if this works for 2004+ models?

I drive a 2006 S40 and I'm experiencing the same problems. I have already removed the trims of the A-pillars (a slightly different process to that mentioned in the above post, but no more difficult) and I can see (what used to be) a clear plastic drainpipe running from the headliner to the base of the windscreen. I can remove the drainpipe from the elbow (see attached pictures) but I am wary of removing the black rubber elbow for fear of losing the rest of the drainpipe down behind the firewall, never to be seen again! Can anyone help/advise?

Many thanks!

[oragex]

The tubes on the XC90 have larger diameter than on S60, but they will still clog. The thing is, the sunroof seal DOES allow water passing, it's not completely sealed. In cities with a lot of dust, you will notice after a rain the car windows have strips of dust traces over the surface: this means this dust is carried by the rain water past the sunroof seal and into the drain tubes. After 1-2 years the dust starts accumulating inside the tube even if you never open the sunroof. So clear your drains every year to be safe. Also, the XC90 has two rear drains as well. It is important to clean those rear drains if you park the car on incline with the front of the car sitting higher, which will have all the rain water drain through the rear tubes. While there look under the front passenger seat, at the bottom is located the amplifier and the Yaw sensor under a cover, these can get wet and corroded from water on the floor.

[cn90]

The nature of any sunroof in any car...

1. The sunroof SLIDES to close. So the sealing is sideway between the glass panel and the SR cassette felt insulation.
This is NOT a submarine hatch the closes tightly with rubber seal.
Anyway, for standard sunroof, a small amount of water and dust gets into the side channels.
With time, the gunk builds up and clogs the system.
Every summer around April, I do routine maintenance: remove gunk from the channels and pour 1-2 gallons of water (use a funnel) on the side channels to ensure it flows down properly.

2. With time, the felt insulation wears down and the gap opens more, allowing more H2O to flow in there (together with dust/debris).

3. The rubber valve that I posted above: in some cars it does not exist. I think this rubber valve is over-engineered and contributes to the clogging process. This was why I cut it open to allow more water to flow.
I did this (cut the rubber valve open more) yrs ago, and so far so good, zero issues.

4. In the summer, some people park the car under the trees with the hatch slanted up or with SR completely retracted. This allows tree debris to fall into the track, causing clog.

[miley]

Huge thanks! Doing this today on my 09. I’ve always wondered why a sunroof would need a drain anyways if it seals but your last post clarified that too so double thanks