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Pop top drain question

Nick&Sara

Nick&Sara

Messages
98
Location
Near Romsey Hants
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 199
Hi all.

I have done another job that I was wanting to do since the winter on my 2019 T6 Ocean. I removed the front plastic scuttle below the windscreen to remove all of the debris which has accumulated in the scuttle from the winter months, and to check the operation of the roof drain grommets inside the scuttle. Nice and clean now and easy to remove the scuttle once the wiper arms were finally removed, have greased the splines now so that I can remove easily next time I do the job. Did a water test by pouring water into the trough on the roof and the water flowed out nice and quickly without issue, so happy now that has been checked. I noticed that the drain tubes make a burping sound when the water level in the troughs on the roof empty to a level that allows air to enter the drain holes at the top.

My question is, should the roof drains take water from the trough when the roof is fully closed and it is raining ? I ask because when I was sat in the van when it was raining heavily I noticed the same burping sound every 5 minutes or so as the water I assume was draining from the roof and into the scuttle. I was parked up with the nose of the van very slightly Pointing down a hill, not sure if that made a difference at all.

I assumed that maybe a small amount of Water would enter the troughs when the vehicle was travelling and certainly when the roof is up, but did not think that enough water would enter past the seals to fill the troughs up to the level of the top of the drain holes to produce the burping sound.

I do not have any leaks in the vehicle and the roof seems to shut nice and tight on the rubbers with no debris under the seals. The only area that I can see could let water in as at the very front corners of the roof on both sides, the roof seems a little springy against the seals, so possibly not a REALLY tight seal against the rubbers. But as the van was pointing nose down a little I can only assume that water could enter via capillary action under the rubber seal.

As I say I have no problems at the moment, but just wondered how much water can get past the seals into the trough when the vehicle is static and the roof is down ? If the drains are working all of the time even with the roof down, it REALLY is imperative to clean the drain holes both front and back of the roof at regular intervals. Oh and my drain grommets behind the scuttle are just rubber grommets with holes in for the water to pass through, no fanny flap on mine

Many thanks in advance for your help.
Nick.
 
Yes the water gets under the roof with the roof closed.
The water gets in at the front, gets between the front spoiler and the rubber that holds the roof. Then the water gets under the rubber, where the rubber lifts up in the edges, and then gets to the drains.
If my drains get blocked, I have now bought this to flow water through the tubes.
I will repeat again: DON'T POKE THE FRONT DRAINS!!!

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Works like a charm. Fill the syringe with water, hold the tube to the inlet of the water drains: push the water gently through. All that's blocking will be pushed through the drains without having a risk of undoing the drain tube behind the head lining.
 
Thanks TripleBee that makes sense and nice to know that they ask do this. I guess it is just part of the design then. I did not need to poke around in my holes at the top as they were really clear with not too much crap in the troughs. I have made one of those syringe flushing devices also for when things get a little constipated In there. Many thanks Nick.
 
Thought I would check mine out today, even on an eleven month old Ocean they had become blocked. The front drain hole is such a bugger to see underneath the cables above But it is there. Took the advice above and just gently kept pushing water through. I thought it was clear but didn’t get that satisfying gurgle. Another 5 mins and both clear and gurgling like a new born baby! One thing I did find was a punched disc of fabric from the manufacturing process just sitting in front of the hole. If that had gone in ,it would have been a sod to flush through. Now going to be part of the regular maintenance schedule.
 
I have just posted about this on another thread but I suspect this one is more relevant to T6 and up? I cleared the front two drains by squirting water into the top exit points from a portable pump up garden sprayer. Job done….. Gurgle gurgle :) :thumb
 
One of these, with detergent and water, is nice and easy to use to service/clear the roof drains.

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