Video tutorial on how to unplug a sunroof drain. Depending on where you live, sunroof drains may become plugged sooner than later. If you live in a treed area, it can happen more often as there is larger particles floating around in the air which would eventually plug the drains. These drains are normally feed through the roof pillars and exit somewhere underneath the vehicle. When a sunroof drain does become plugged, the common signs are either a wet headliner, water dripping from the headliner, wet roof pillar, a damp carpet or water pooling in the foot wells.

Tools/Supplies Needed:
-soft wire or trimmer cord
-air compressor or can of air
-bottle or cup of water
-vacuum clean
-rubber hose

Procedure:
-first you will need to open the sunroof as this is the easiest way to access the drains
-I’ve already determined which drain is leaking and normally that can be done by having an idea where the water is leaking or gathering
-we are looking for a hole which is at the base of the sunroof trim or frame
-when cleaning the drain, it’s also a great idea to ensure there is no debris around the sunroof area which could worsen the clog or cause another cl
-first we can use an air compressor to blow out any debris
-here is have a small compressor with a regulator which can control the air pressure, so using the regulator, I like to keep the pressure at around 30psi
-next using a hose attached to the blow gun, push the hose in the drain and then allow the air to push out the clog
-if the air compressor does not work or you do not have access to one, use a wire
-for this I have a roll of wire, this is stranded copper wire with an insulation
-slowly insert the wire
-trimmer cord is also great for this if you have a roll laying around
-the length of wire or cord depends on the run of the drain, ensure it’s at least the height of the vehicle
-feed the wire or cord in until it comes out the other side if you have a viewable drain exit
-after that, remove the wire or cord
-now test using a bottle of water, gradually drain the water around the sunroof drain, do not excessively dump as the drain is only able to remove a certain amount of water
-as you can see the water is draining properly
-if the problem persists, there may have been a drain you missed, a faulty seal, or faulty drain

 

Pretty useless, non specific, generic...

For a Volvo: The front two holes are easy, speedometer cable works best, things get cleared well.

The back drain holes, not so easy. You have to remove the headliner to do it perfectly, and that's a pretty big job especially on a sedan, not so bad on the wagon.

I have my front drains draining well, when it rains I park the car on a slight forward incline so the water drains off the front. Some day I will take off parts of the headliner and do it right.

 

Put a shop vac on the end of the drain tube.