Leaking sunroofs and headlinings

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SteveG4TRA

Active Member
Posts
210
Another one that has been flogged to death I suspect.
I have water coming into the cabin via the seat belt apertures and guess the sunroof drain system is broken or suspect. Therefore I believe I have no option than to remove the headlining to get to the offending items. This looks quite a mammoth task and would appreciate any guidance, advice or hints before starting please.
Thnak you
Steve
 
When my D2 had this it was simply the rear passenger door seal that had dropped down slightly in the top corner and was allowing water to pass down into the front seat belt holder. I just had to re-seat the rear door seal correctly and problem solved.
When it is the sunroof drains it tends to get wet at the front corners of the head lining.
 
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Another one that has been flogged to death I suspect.
I have water coming into the cabin via the seat belt apertures and guess the sunroof drain system is broken or suspect. Therefore I believe I have no option than to remove the headlining to get to the offending items. This looks quite a mammoth task and would appreciate any guidance, advice or hints before starting please.
Thnak you
Steve
Look here
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/discovery-how-to-repair-a-leaking-sunroof-guide.99543/
 
@Stevehh I cant find the copy. If you Google search "Mantamad Discovery Sunroof" and go to images, a series of the original photos comes up. You will just need to work out where in the post text/link that they fit in.
 
This looks quite a mammoth task

Taking the headlining out looks difficult but isn't that bad. Just be very careful uncliping the trim (get some plastic trim removal tools). I wore disposal plastic gloves so I could keep renewing them and not get mucky marks on the clean headlining. I also put the back seats down and moved the front seats forward and reclined the backs as fr as they would go, this gives you more room to tilt the headlining and exit the rear door. Don't try it on a windy day, the headlining will be a sod to control out of the car. Possible to drop, seal roofs and replace in a day without rushing.
Some good pics here
http://www.landyworld.co.uk/discove...pairing-land-rover-discovery-leaking-sunroof/
 
Taking the headlining out looks difficult but isn't that bad. Just be very careful uncliping the trim (get some plastic trim removal tools). I wore disposal plastic gloves so I could keep renewing them and not get mucky marks on the clean headlining. I also put the back seats down and moved the front seats forward and reclined the backs as fr as they would go, this gives you more room to tilt the headlining and exit the rear door. Don't try it on a windy day, the headlining will be a sod to control out of the car. Possible to drop, seal roofs and replace in a day without rushing.
Some good pics here
http://www.landyworld.co.uk/discove...pairing-land-rover-discovery-leaking-sunroof/
That's the same post with pics we have been looking for. Cheers.
 
Fantastic guys, thanks a lot. I will start the job this week and report back
Steve
Progress so far:
All the front is released, B post trim released OK, rear grab handles and sensor removed. Now for the rear.

It looks like the headlining is held in at the sides by the rear window side panels, but RAVE does not refer to these.

Is it just a matter of pulling the headlining forward after releasing the rear interior light. On Rave 76-3-21 item 32 "remove two clips securing rear of headlining to roof" (Where are these two clips?) item 35 "Remove screw securing headlining to roof" "I presume this is in the rear light console?)

From this I assume that the rear side window side panels have nothing to do with holding up the headlining and additionally the rear seats 6 & 7 headrests do not have to be removed along with the back panel over the rear door?

Bit unclear on this bit. So close but so far as they say.

Yes, the whole headlining does have to be removed as water ingress has caused the fabric to drop in quite a few places and the heading assembly need loving car on the bench. Incidentally the front sun roof water channel and drain pipe looks in good order, must be the back one that is causing the problem...….at least I hope so.
 
Did you read my reply about the rear passenger door seal, I feel removing your roof lining may not solve your problem where 30 seconds spent pushing your door seal up properly may do as it did in my case.
 
Did you read my reply about the rear passenger door seal, I feel removing your roof lining may not solve your problem where 30 seconds spent pushing your door seal up properly may do as it did in my case.
Hello InterceptorX,
I appreciate the ease of which you sorted your water leak and indeed the rear door seal looks correct and in position on my vehicle, but you may have noticed that I posted "Yes, the whole headlining does have to be removed as water ingress has caused the fabric to drop in quite a few places and the heading assembly need loving care on the bench" So out she has to come.
The RAVE manual on closer inspection does indeed advise that to remove the headlining the rear D post trim has to come out...…….
 
Progress so far:
All the front is released, B post trim released OK, rear grab handles and sensor removed. Now for the rear.

It looks like the headlining is held in at the sides by the rear window side panels, but RAVE does not refer to these.

Is it just a matter of pulling the headlining forward after releasing the rear interior light. On Rave 76-3-21 item 32 "remove two clips securing rear of headlining to roof" (Where are these two clips?) item 35 "Remove screw securing headlining to roof" "I presume this is in the rear light console?)

From this I assume that the rear side window side panels have nothing to do with holding up the headlining and additionally the rear seats 6 & 7 headrests do not have to be removed along with the back panel over the rear door?

Bit unclear on this bit. So close but so far as they say.

Yes, the whole headlining does have to be removed as water ingress has caused the fabric to drop in quite a few places and the heading assembly need loving car on the bench. Incidentally the front sun roof water channel and drain pipe looks in good order, must be the back one that is causing the problem...….at least I hope so.
I have removed A, upper B and also D post casing (rear window upper panels) because D post also keeps the headlining in place (see picture). D post casing is very easy to remove as only hold in place by some clips and 2 screws.
The 2 clips are behind the tail door upper trim casing (fixed some clips) also circled on the photo.
 

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I have removed A, upper B and also D post casing (rear window upper panels) because D post also keeps the headlining in place (see picture). D post casing is very easy to remove as only hold in place by some clips and 2 screws.
The 2 clips are behind the tail door upper trim casing (fixed some clips) also circled on the photo.
The headlining is now out. This helped considerably: http://blog.discoverthat.co.uk/2017/03/remove-headlining-part-1.html.
Now the headlining does not come out too easily from the rear of the car if you have a 7 seat option, especially single handed as I am. But with a little fiddling it's out and on the bench (bonnet of TR). From there it was easy to see where the water ingress was: passenger drain tube exit, dripping on to headlining, flowing down headlining and out through the seat belt upper aperture.
Now I have removed the lower part of the sun roof I can see what an amazingly crap design this is. A half open plastic box siliconed to a steel pressing for a crucially important water ingress prevention role. They say they had a team of 14 working for 6 months to design the third row seats. Must been a Friday afternoon after-thought the cleaner thought up?
The intent is to remove the drain boxes and Araldite them back in. The exit tubes are in good order and plenty of air gun heat gets the flexible tube on and off easily.
There is no sign whatsoever of any sealant anywhere else on this assembly. Is there supposed to be any, or does is bolt back up dry?
 
I have removed A, upper B and also D post casing (rear window upper panels) because D post also keeps the headlining in place (see picture). D post casing is very easy to remove as only hold in place by some clips and 2 screws.
The 2 clips are behind the tail door upper trim casing (fixed some clips) also circled on the photo.
The front sun roof is now completely out and I think I know sort of how it works, waterproofing wise.
The main sunroof, mounts to the top of the roof. There is no custom silicone rubber or Nephrene seal around the outer frame to clamp down onto the roof with a nice groove in the moulding to keep it in place, just a feeble bead of thin silicone of some form applied on a Friday afternoon at the assembly line. This along with the glass to fame seal, forms the main water ingress seal.
The inside frame that clamps the sunroof down onto the roof has a secondary water ingress system, that being the somewhat open channel to the plastic boxes silicone onto the front corners of the frame, with the tubes that go down the A post (for the front sunroof).
Needless to say if the main silicone seal is degraded (as they all do) then more water coming in under the seal has to be deal with by the damn plastic boxes and tubes.
I hope how I have described this is correct, for I am only a Sunday gutter spanner man.
If so then it is beyond belief that a design like this shuld ever see the light of day outside Solihull or wherever these damn things were made.
My intention is to put a good bead of silicone around the sunroof frame where it sits on the roof. Remove, clean and Araldite the little boxes into back into place, remount the rubber tubes and reassemble the inner frame dry to the underside of the roof.
When the vehicle is reassembled and power back on the sun roof motors, I will open them and view the glass seal. Can you do this without getting to the underside?
 
The headlining is now out. This helped considerably: http://blog.discoverthat.co.uk/2017/03/remove-headlining-part-1.html.
Now the headlining does not come out too easily from the rear of the car if you have a 7 seat option, especially single handed as I am. But with a little fiddling it's out and on the bench (bonnet of TR). From there it was easy to see where the water ingress was: passenger drain tube exit, dripping on to headlining, flowing down headlining and out through the seat belt upper aperture.
Now I have removed the lower part of the sun roof I can see what an amazingly crap design this is. A half open plastic box siliconed to a steel pressing for a crucially important water ingress prevention role. They say they had a team of 14 working for 6 months to design the third row seats. Must been a Friday afternoon after-thought the cleaner thought up?
The intent is to remove the drain boxes and Araldite them back in. The exit tubes are in good order and plenty of air gun heat gets the flexible tube on and off easily.
There is no sign whatsoever of any sealant anywhere else on this assembly. Is there supposed to be any, or does is bolt back up dry?
Mine does not have sunroof so I do not know any details....
 
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