Freelander sunroof leaking like a sieve

Hi,

I am posting this as I know there is a wealth of knowledge on here after you all managed to sort my 3 amigoes problem earlier this year ....so here goes...

I bought my 2001 Freelander 2.0TD back in April and there was a very slight drip coming from either side of the sunroof but only if we had heavy rain. In the last week this has gone from a drip to torrent of water puddling on the front seats.

I know nothing about sunroofs. There is no rust evident . Is there a seal that can be replaced or is it something more serious? I have also noticed the sunroof has become more sluggish when opening...All answers suggestions freely accepted ....

(Thanks)

Your lucky to have a 2001 freelander that the sunroof still works .
The sunroofs do rust quiet bad , I would 1st remove the glass pane - Remove the plastic covers each side ( inside ) then the 6 torxs screws T20 , The glass panel can then be removed , This will alow you to lube the runners & check the drain holes ( 2 at front 2 at rear ) . If the sunroof is not to rusty then a rub down & paint with hammerite will keep it going , If it's really bad then a new one is £180 , Most second hand one's are just as rotten so not worth buying !!

or you can do what I did,mask the glass with tape around the edge then squirt bathroom silicone all around the join,wipe clean,remove tape.job done.
obviously this is done to the outside....

open up the sunroof fully

spray lubricating oil all over the mechanism on both sides

get a long thin piece of wire and poke all the accumalated gunk out of the two drainholes either side of the front.

done

failing that: open up the sun roof and wipe down the rubber seal/glass with meths.
then apply a good bead of silicone to them both.
shut the sunroof
pull out the fuse to the sunroof

forget you have one

I love you guys .......you come up with all the most sensible answers first then go for gaffa tape and silicone sealant .....which until I got this car would've been my first choice.

The car is immaculate, well cared for full landy service history and only 50,000 on the clock . Love her to bits, but she wasn't garaged as is obvious by various little rubber bits going on the car ( aesthetic, like the bits by the wipers on either side of her)

Thanks for the help. always appreciated...


HOWEVER, things do appear to have escalated as just discovered the entire headlining at the front of the car is absolutely wringing wet I am assuming this is a bad thing .??

If the sunroof isn't rusty on removal then as mentioned I would hammerite it but I would lather the seal in Vaseline as this replenishes the seal, I have found in my experience that silicone doesn't tend to last very long on sunroofs as it doesn't cope well with the small twists and expanding and contracting body.
Just a suggestion

I used silicon grease on the seal on mine , Seems to have done the trick .
I would not use silicon & If the car sounds as nice as you make out then would go for a new £180 sunroof

do not for get the two drain holes at the back of the sun roof and having a wet headlining can be where the roof rails bolt into

Okay i have now cleared the front drainage holes and vaselined the rubber seal at the front and discovered this seal is loose and not securely attached to the rail it is meant to be in ....( The rubber that you can see when you poke your head out the sunroof facing front Inside the sunroof not on the outside) I am assuming this could be part of the cause for the leak ??

can I use silicone sealant to re attach this ??

Secondly i can't see the drainage holes for the back are they located in the far corners and can i only reach them by removing the glass.

By the way a neat tip for clearing the drainage holes .....I used a bass guitar string .....marvellous bit of kit which is why i wondered if I can snake it around to the back holes without removing the glass.

I have a mate who is going to help me remove the headlining and investigate further but he can't help me out for around a week and I have no garage so trying everything as far as stop gaps are concerned until then due to horrendous rainfall in the south west !

Regards

Removing the headlining isn't too bad a job but it must be done with an extra pair of hands. Removed mine in around 45 minutes a few months back and refitted a replacement in around the same time. It's the removal of all the interior trim bits and pieces-rear quarter panels, grab handles, sun visors etc that takes the time. When that is done and the door seals partially detached, it just drops down and is removed via the tailgate.
When the headlining is lowered, you will see the nuts which secure the sunroof main frame to the roof, there is a seal between the two. Also have a look to see if there are any leaks from where the roof rails are attached to the body-signs of this is usually staining of the headlining above the tailgate door aperture.
I replaced my sunroof mechanisms (Both sides) last year at a cost of £110 each because the old ones were rusted and parts of the plastic mechanisms had broken. They came complete with cables.
The glass and surround are not a water tight seal to the body when closed, any water that collects in the main tray goes down the four drain tubes. As has been posted, check for blockages, I would not use a thin spring wire for risk of piercing the wall of the rubber drain tubes, but a plastic or spring steel "Fish tape" with a loop or ball end. If needs be, pour some clean water down the tube whilst cleaning and also check that it's clear afterwards the same way-you will see the water running out from under the body.

hello again oh wise ones......

Just how is it possible that you can get rust on the sunroof of a car? My Freelander is still leaking. have indentified rust in the leading edge and corners of the glass roof and I was wondering whether replacing the sunroof glass will repair the leak ?

I assume it may do ....but would like more advice before spending spondoolis....

ta!

As I posted previously, the glass and surround are not a watertight fit in the aperture when the sunroof is in the closed position.....that is one of the reasons the drainage holes are there. Chances are that the main seal between the sunroof and the body (Headlining out required to change it) is shot or the drain tubes are blocked.

Hello oh wise oracles of the internet ......


I have finally managed to get the glass roof out .....(as I am not very bright and have no garage so it has taken me a while to get the chance with all the rain) . The sunroof glass is rusted at the leading edge and corners as you all suspected.

My question now is will replacing this glass at around £180 plus vat fix the leak ???

I bow to your greater knowledge ....wish it never had a bloody sunroof .....not like I use it anyway since I get my rear window down in the hot weather....

regards

Diddy ..

The roof lining is wet as the water spills over from the catch tray due to drains being blocked. The rear drains run from the back corners and down the B pillar (I think) so you should be able to see them with the sunroof tilted up. When mine was leaking over the winter I stuck a sheet of clear fablon (aka sticky backed plastic) over the whole sunroof rather than mess about with silicone.

Because I am keeping mine for a while, I went down the 'replace whole unit' route.

Diddakoi said:

Hello oh wise oracles of the internet ......


I have finally managed to get the glass roof out .....(as I am not very bright and have no garage so it has taken me a while to get the chance with all the rain) . The sunroof glass is rusted at the leading edge and corners as you all suspected.

My question now is will replacing this glass at around £180 plus vat fix the leak ???

I bow to your greater knowledge ....wish it never had a bloody sunroof .....not like I use it anyway since I get my rear window down in the hot weather....

regards

Diddy ..

Click to expand...

The rust is breaking what waterproof seal there was...... but while it's out, ramrod those drains at the back of the tray. The rusty glass shouldn't be an issue if the water can drain out.

I will make a point of cleaning those back drains through..... When you said you replaced the whole unit .......do you mean the WHOLE unit ....not just the glass.....not planning on getting rid of mine as I love it .

Is this a hugely expensive job ?

the back drains run down to the boot area where you can unclip the plastic sides of the boot area and see them if you are going to run a piece of wire down make sure it does not get stuck and pull them of the mounts at the bottom or your boot will get full of water

I seem to remember a thread years back where water was coming in through the aerial mounting hole and soaking the head lining.