Northern Californians have not seen too many rainy days this year, but the ones that did come were ferocious. With heavy rain comes flooded yards, flooded streets, plugged storm drains, overflowing gutters and many other areas where you do not want that much water. Either way, you get the idea. After these past storms, we received many calls about water inside people’s cars. One call was a typical issue, and some of the calls were not so typical.
One customer who called has a 2017 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn and said there was water on the driver’s and passenger’s sides of the floor. The customer also said there was more water on the passenger side and that water was dripping in from the headliner. The customer noticed this after the large storm between Christmas and New Year’s. The first thing we asked was if the car had a sunroof. “Yes.”
Once the car got to the shop, we confirmed that there was water on the floor. We could see water staining on the headliner near the front window. The first thing we did was open the sunroof. Once the sunroof was open, we could see standing water on and in the sunroof rails. Sunroofs need water drains. Without drains, the water would just build up in the rails and spill into the car. There are usually four drains, but some models have just two. The drains are at the corners of the sunroof – two in the front and two in the back. The drains work like the roof drains on our homes. The only difference is that they run through the car. The two front drains run through the A-pillar, the section of the car between the front windshield and the front door. These drains start as a metal tube built into the sunroof frame and are connected to a rubber or composite tube that goes all the way to the bottom of the car. We clean these drains with a special tool to avoid detaching the tube from the metal pipe. The procedure is very similar to the way a plumber cleans a drain with a snake.
After installing the tool, it is rotated until the blockage clears. Once the blockage is cleared, there is usually a large quantity of water that pours from the drain. Once we are satisfied that the drain is clear. We then test the drain with about 10 gallons of water. If the drain does not back up and the water exits the drain, we are done. The car that was not so typical was a 2008 BMW Z4. The customer stated they felt moisture on the driver’s side carpet. The interesting thing about this car was that it was not a convertible and did not have a sunroof.
We first checked the exterior door seals and window seals. The exterior seals were OK. We then asked if the car had been in an accident. The customer said the car had been hit in the back and on the side. We then pulled the door panels and checked the vapor barriers. We found the driver’s door vapor barrier damaged. We found that someone had worked on the door, but had tried to install a damaged vapor barrier. Even if the exterior seals are good, a lot of water will still run down the window and get inside the door. We replaced the driver’s side vapor barrier, and all was good.
Even after we perform repairs on door seals, vapor barriers, trunk seals and window seals, the car’s interior has to be dried out. If the moisture is left inside the car, the carpets and trim can start to mildew and smell. Sometimes we have to remove all the seats and pull back all the carpets to make sure they are dry. In extreme cases, the carpet and foam have to be replaced. It may seem that having organic material cleaned from your car is overkill, but in the long run, it is important. You should have your cowlings cleaned and checked at least once every two years. If you park your car outside near trees and shrubs, it is also important.
Matt Pataky owns Sunnyvale Foreign Car Service, 15 Pioneer Way, Mountain View. For more information, call 650-960- 6988, email sf****@***il.com or visit sunnyvaleforeigncar.com.
