Reminder: Clean your sunroof drains!

kevabar · Post by **kevabar** » 17 Aug 2015, 19:03

A friendly reminder... clear and flush your sunroof drains! You will be happy if you do this before the next rain storm.

(My '04 XC70 sunroof decided to stop working while cracked just ever so slightly and the roof drains were clogged. Ugh.)

3carmark · Post by **3carmark** » 22 Aug 2015, 13:24

we just had a xc90 come in with a dtsc light on and it seems that if you don't clean these drains it goes under the passenger seat where the accellerometer for the dtsc is and shorts it out only $600 for a new one

Post by **xHeart** » 22 Aug 2015, 20:11

kevabar wrote:A friendly reminder... clear and flush your sunroof drains! You will be happy if you do this before the next rain storm.

(My '04 XC70 sunroof decided to stop working while cracked just ever so slightly and the roof drains were clogged. Ugh.)

What are the steps for cleaning sunroof drain?

3carmark · Post by **3carmark** » 23 Aug 2015, 10:50

carefully remove the a-pillar trim piece and you will see the drain tube. open the sunroof and at the front are the drain holes one on each side. we have an old speedo cable we use to clean them. make sure the tubes are properly attached top and bottom

denverdan · Post by **denverdan** » 10 Jun 2018, 14:32

Don't know if this would work with XC90, but I had good luck feeding a 1/8" clothesline (vinyl-coated multi-strand steel cable--got mine at Home Depot by the foot) directly from the gutter area on my V50. You can find the inlet heading out at a 45-degree angle from each of the front corners of the sunroof gutter, with roof open. This saves having to remove A-pillar trim.
I started by carefully pouring gentle enzymatic drain cleaner into gutter (this is the stuff you put in drains overnight to slowly soften and dissolve organic matter--it's more soap than solvent).
By gently twisting the cable left and right, you can work it through the elbows, with the enzyme cleaner helping to lubricate. When you reach to outlet (3-4 feet in), I had to twist the cable again to work it through the rubber opening.
This worked well for my completely blocked drain on passenger side (it seems that this one tends to plug first, as the curb side of car is typically where all the water drains when parked).

MDK · Post by **MDK** » 10 Jun 2018, 14:41

The guys in the garage " blow them out" with an air gun from the compressor. ( air tools) finding the drain holes from underneath the chassis... near a wheel well usually...may not be the best way for DIY ... but one way... personally changed the entire sunroof assembly including the tub by myself on my 1998 XC70 ..I can imagine that the p2 p3 etc are similar in design...

Post by **erikv11** » 10 Jun 2018, 15:35

Why blow out from the chassis side, is it OK to use air from the top? Or might that separate the drain tubes?

MDK · Post by **MDK** » 11 Jun 2018, 11:08

The 2 front drains you can get to when the sunroof is fully retracted be the 2 in the of the tub are hard to reach. That's why they were doing it from below

MDK · Post by **MDK** » 11 Jun 2018, 11:11

I hate auto spell... the 2 in the back are harder to reach.... and no I don't think you'll blow the drain lines off... hopefully not

Post by **erikv11** » 12 Jun 2018, 07:36

Thanks!