I'm in California where we dont have much rain but on the first day of rainy season for the past two years, my newish Volvo had electrical failure and needed to be towed. I was told that the drainage system was clogged which spilled over to cause the electrical system shut down. I was also told that cleaning and clearing the drainage isn't something I can do on my own. Does that sound right? There was no water inside the car and this is not related to the sunroof. They poured water along the rails on the roof that you use to attach things and showed where the water is supposed to come out behind both the front and rear tires.

 

my 2020 had a water leak - damaged a "gateway" module. Fix leak, remove and dry carpets, replace module - covered under warranty.

 

No cabin leak for me, seems to go straight to the electrical. No one else has had this issue?

 

My cabin leak (2020 xc60) and most of the many others I've previously fixed at my shop - were not visible. No signs of water inside the car. (it's found under the carpet) I did hear water sloshing when driving in the xc60 when it was wet inside - but that's not something most customers listen for.

 

OK, I was told that I need to periodically get the Volvo service department to professionally clear the drains that open from the roof. Does that sound right? Not something I can do for myself?

I find it frustrating that a serious problem is coming from what seems like a simple issue especially given Volvo's reputation. Is my Volvo a lemon?

 

You can easily check the sunroof drains to make sure they are clear by pouring water into them - with the sunroof open carefully pour water (partial plastic gallon jug works well) in the depressed channel next to the opening (where water would normally leak into). There are four drains - one in each corner. You should find water dripping near each corner of the car if they are all clear. Make sure there are no leaves or other material in that drainage channel also.

 

Its not the sun roof drains that are causing the problem. I think there are there drains either on the rails on the roof to which you'd attach a carrier, or perhaps drains at the crack between the back hatch and roof which are the problem.

 

The roof rail drainage, in the front, flows down the A pillar into the wheel well. When it gets clogged, the water can drain into the fuse box, which is behind the passenger kickpad carpeting. Not the best design. Supposed to be checked during routine dealership maintenance.

 

THAT sounds like my problem! Is there any way I can proactively take care of this myself?

 

Yes those are the sunroof drains, you can check as described earlier. Then if a front one is not draining, remove the a pillar covers to get to the the plastic tubing.

 

Now I'm confused again. Are you saying that the sunroof drain and the roof rail drain are the same? After reading Maggs post, I targeted water to the corner of the roof rail and kept the the sunroof 100% dry and water drained out behind the front wheel of the car.

 

The miracle of YouTube. Not sure what specific model/year you have, but the drain tube is fairly common to most models.

 

So to be clear Maggs, you're saying that the roof rail drain and the sun roof drain, two different openings, both go into the same pipe which runs through the A pillar?

 

I have not personally fixed a 2016+ sunroof drain leak at my shop that I sold in 2018. (1980-2018) I have experienced a sunroof leak that was fixed under warranty on my wife's 2020 xc60 that filled an area under the carpets and damaged a control module (where the sloshing of water could be heard, just like all the other earlier cars my shop fixed). So I imagine the construction and technology has stayed the same since that body style was first produced in 2000. (the s80) My shop has literally fixed hundreds of leaking sunroof drains since 2000. I would have several sets of carpets hanging outside drying at one time after a heavy rain. Remove carpets, let them dry for 4-5 days, replace deformed drain tubes and the cars were good for at least a few years after that. Some cars had damaged electronics - a cem , an amplifier -

As far as I know there is only one drain, from the corners of the sunroof. There is no drain from the "roof rail" and since that part is bolted to the roof - there is no reason to have a drain for that area.

 

Yes, you are correct. I misspoke about a roof rail drain. The drain comes from the sunroof. As my other post noted, this drain goes down the A-Pillar and requires periodic cleaning, otherwise it can clog and water can pour on the area where the fuse box is located at.