water leak on Avant C pillar
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water leak on Avant C pillar
Passenger side, rear seat. 99.5 Avant. Dealer checked sunroof drains about six months ago.
What does this look like? Clogged rear sunroof drain or pinhole leak from drain inside C-pillar?
What does this look like? Clogged rear sunroof drain or pinhole leak from drain inside C-pillar?
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I think that leak can be caused by either a clog (so the sunroof tray overflows onto the headliner where it meets the c pillar), or it can be caused by a leak where the hose connects to the sunroof tray.
Best bet is to pull down the headliner in that area and peek in there with a flashlight to see where it's dripping from.
Best bet is to pull down the headliner in that area and peek in there with a flashlight to see where it's dripping from.
Thread Starter
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I think that leak can be caused by either a clog (so the sunroof tray overflows onto the headliner where it meets the c pillar), or it can be caused by a leak where the hose connects to the sunroof tray.
Best bet is to pull down the headliner in that area and peek in there with a flashlight to see where it's dripping from.
Best bet is to pull down the headliner in that area and peek in there with a flashlight to see where it's dripping from.
Or, here from the outside?
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on mine, i pulled down a section of the rubber weatherstripping that you show in your second picture. it's glued along a fabric strip on the inside, so just pull it down as one piece (don't separate rubber/fabric). The rubber/fabric strip is just pressed on without glue, so that should be pretty easy.
i have a sedan, not an avant, and i had to also remove my rear handle that is above the rear side window by popping out 2 covers, then removing the 2 screws beneath them.
there are probably other posts to search on for headliner removal, although you probably only need to pull down a small part of yours.
i have a sedan, not an avant, and i had to also remove my rear handle that is above the rear side window by popping out 2 covers, then removing the 2 screws beneath them.
there are probably other posts to search on for headliner removal, although you probably only need to pull down a small part of yours.
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OK, I did pull the weatherstripping loose and removed the interior grab handle. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the headliner to come down far enough to really see anything. Removing the plastic trim from the C pillar interior would probably have helped but I'm sure it would have broken so I didn't do that. I felt around in there and found the drain tube connection to the sunroof drip pan. Nothng obviously wrong or wet. I also did a water test on the sunroof drain channel and did NOT see water dripping from the wheel well; instead it ran down the inside of the C pillar trim and out the bottom of the door.
So I followed the Avant rear sunroof drain procedure; yes it's a pain to take the wheel well liner off. Like other posters, I couldn't get the speedometer cable to make the turn at the top. I got a little crud and water out but it didn't seem badly clogged. The headliner didn't get very wet, if at all, during this water test. I think the dealer MAY have done this on a service interval thanks to that class action lawsuit. I wonder if they damaged the connection to the sunroof drip pan? Looks like I'm going to have to look further, maybe take that C-pillar trim off.
Any tips to minimize breakage?
So I followed the Avant rear sunroof drain procedure; yes it's a pain to take the wheel well liner off. Like other posters, I couldn't get the speedometer cable to make the turn at the top. I got a little crud and water out but it didn't seem badly clogged. The headliner didn't get very wet, if at all, during this water test. I think the dealer MAY have done this on a service interval thanks to that class action lawsuit. I wonder if they damaged the connection to the sunroof drip pan? Looks like I'm going to have to look further, maybe take that C-pillar trim off.
Any tips to minimize breakage?
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Unfortunately I don't have any info on removing the c-pillar trim on an avant.
If that connection from the hose to the sunroof pan was dry and intact after your water test, then *probably* there's a clog where the speedo cable couldn't reach? Maybe if the drain in the wheel well is still exposed, you could try to use a shop vac to suck out any gunk through the hose? a rag around the shop vac hose makes a cheap "adapter"
If that connection from the hose to the sunroof pan was dry and intact after your water test, then *probably* there's a clog where the speedo cable couldn't reach? Maybe if the drain in the wheel well is still exposed, you could try to use a shop vac to suck out any gunk through the hose? a rag around the shop vac hose makes a cheap "adapter"
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