Roof drains

[Buddy]

Doing a bit of early Spring maintenance (okay optimistic re the weather) I have cleaned the front drain holes above the A pillar but can you tell me how to find the bottom of the drains so I can check that they are clear?

 

[Andy]

They drain out under front wheel arch I believe.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[calikev]

it comes out under the front scuttle panel through a rubber valve behind the van battery

 

[WelshGas]

Doing a bit of early Spring maintenance (okay optimistic re the weather) I have cleaned the front drain holes above the A pillar but can you tell me how to find the bottom of the drains so I can check that they are clear?

This might help to identify the Drain Outlet, each side. Part 5

 

[TripleBee]

it comes out under the front scuttle panel through a rubber valve behind the van battery

Second that.
You can try to spot them with a flashlight shining through the gapes in the plastic.
Eventually the water will flow behind the front wheels on the floor, but the "real" outlet is in the space under the front windscreen.

 

[briwy]

Doing a bit of early Spring maintenance (okay optimistic re the weather) I have cleaned the front drain holes above the A pillar but can you tell me how to find the bottom of the drains so I can check that they are clear?

How did you clean them? Hopefully not by pushing something down the holes as this can lead to pushing the plastic 90 degree bend off the drain tube then the water will run down inside the van.

 

[calikev]

compressed air is the best way

 

[Buddy]

How did you clean them? Hopefully not by pushing something down the holes as this can lead to pushing the plastic 90 degree bend off the drain tube then the water will run down inside the van.

How did you clean them? Hopefully not by pushing something down the holes as this can lead to pushing the plastic 90 degree bend off the drain tube then the water will run down inside the van.

 

[Buddy]

Have carefully unblocked the first section before the tube bends. Have a compressor so will try that but wanted to see if the bottom hose was blocked as this seems a safer way to clear the longer section. Thanks for all comments and advice

 

[Jabberwocky]

How do the dealers unblock the front drains (especially that 90 degree bend). Anyone know? My drivers side gurgles well when I test it but the passenger side is sluggish to say the least. @VW Guru , any guidance?

 

[calikev]

They work on gravity and will only empty when enough water forms in the roof channel.
the only safe way is compressed air blown down the hole until you hear a screech from the rubber gromit in the bulkhead

 

[TripleBee]

I try to use a small tube that fits in the hole, and flush it with water pressure (hand pressure, no machines!!!).
Something like this:



Like a nose sucker or something.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I try to use a small tube that fits in the hole, and flush it with water pressure (hand pressure, no machines!!!).
Something like this:

View attachment 56084

Like a nose sucker or something.

Not sure I like the idea of compressed air. I have a compressor that runs at 6 bar. Not as a starting point for me as I’m a little nervous. I will use this one way hand pump to start with.

 

[calikev]

thats what i used on mine no problems at all

 

[Nick.C]

thats what i used on mine no problems at all

The hand pump or compressed air?

 

[calikev]

compressed air

 

[TripleBee]

Some said that pinching in the tube was no problem too. I managed to pinch the tubes apart in the bend. Had to take my headlining out to reconnect the tubes. Took me about half an hour to get it back in place.
Best way I found out was to fill that nose sucker with water and flow the water through. That way you craete a waterflow.
But if you have another way that works for you, that is good too. Each has to find a way that suits him/her best.

 

[Louis II]

I use an aerosol ebike degreaser that claims to be safe on plastic then flush with clean water.

 

[WelshGas]

You can get cans of inert gas/air for cleaning computers. Works well.

 

[Loz]

I wouldn't use an airline as there is a risk of blasting the joint apart and then having to remove the headlining to repair weeks later when you find a damp patch appears.

As it only seems to get blocked right at the top, I unblock mine with an opened up paperclip and then the water runs through just fine..
As @WelshGas suggests a can of compressed air is more controllable and comes with a small pipe that fits in but don't go mad blasting.

 

[ArunAlec]

Get a syringe and suck not blow the gunge out.

 

[steve_b]

I have an interesting variant on this.

I clearly have a roof seal problem because water gets in the channel in heavy rain - however in theory that shouldn't cause a problem.

So roof up, on my 2008 SE the driver's side front drain seems fine, put water in the channel it runs away, a few second later mighty gurgle occurs and the water is blasted out over the wheel.

On the passenger side I fill the channel with water and nothing happens. sometimes it drains away really slowly (i.e. a few hours) but mostly it just fills. If I am on a certain kind of slope the channel fills up until it leaks into the roof lining between the A and B pillars.

If I park it with this corner at a certain angle I can fill the channel with water and if I get to a certain point - right where it is about to overflow everywhere - then the mighty gurgle starts and water floods out over the wheel. Once the gurgle has started I can pour almost unlimited water down the drain and it runs but get the timing wrong and let it stop and it just fills up again.

From looking at the diagram on page 1 of this thread and from some other descriptions, it seems like part #5 could be some kind of flow regulator and is meant to behave like this, but open earlier than it does.

Are there any tips on how to either maintain this or access the piece. It looks like it could be behind the battery, behind the panel that houses the wipers or above the wheel arch trim - so I really don't want to go randomly taking stuff apart unless I have to!

Any idea if these are cleanable/ serviceable from the outside - or what happens if I remove it...

It's obviously not blocked as I can pour gallons of water through it once it starts moving - it's just getting it to start moving that is the problem.. (I have also given it several blasts of air and about a litre and a half of near boiling water but no improvement)

Any help is appreciated, thanks

 

[TripleBee]

I have an interesting variant on this.

I clearly have a roof seal problem because water gets in the channel in heavy rain - however in theory that shouldn't cause a problem.

So roof up, on my 2008 SE the driver's side front drain seems fine, put water in the channel it runs away, a few second later mighty gurgle occurs and the water is blasted out over the wheel.

On the passenger side I fill the channel with water and nothing happens. sometimes it drains away really slowly (i.e. a few hours) but mostly it just fills. If I am on a certain kind of slope the channel fills up until it leaks into the roof lining between the A and B pillars.

If I park it with this corner at a certain angle I can fill the channel with water and if I get to a certain point - right where it is about to overflow everywhere - then the mighty gurgle starts and water floods out over the wheel. Once the gurgle has started I can pour almost unlimited water down the drain and it runs but get the timing wrong and let it stop and it just fills up again.

From looking at the diagram on page 1 of this thread and from some other descriptions, it seems like part #5 could be some kind of flow regulator and is meant to behave like this, but open earlier than it does.

Are there any tips on how to either maintain this or access the piece. It looks like it could be behind the battery, behind the panel that houses the wipers or above the wheel arch trim - so I really don't want to go randomly taking stuff apart unless I have to!

Any idea if these are cleanable/ serviceable from the outside - or what happens if I remove it...

It's obviously not blocked as I can pour gallons of water through it once it starts moving - it's just getting it to start moving that is the problem.. (I have also given it several blasts of air and about a litre and a half of near boiling water but no improvement)

Any help is appreciated, thanks

It can be that the outlet of the drain (behind the engine bay and under the front windscreen) kind of glues together du to the debris of whatever gets there in and through the drains.
So the water will be blocked until a certain point, and when the water pressure opens the outlet, the water can keep running, but when the waterflow stops, the outlet gets glued back together, blocking the water again.
If you dismantle the 2 black metal parts on each side under the windscreen, you can reach the outlets.

Are you getting what I am trying to say?

 

[Nick.C]

It can be that the outlet of the drain (behind the engine bay and under the front windscreen) kind of glues together du to the debris of whatever gets there in and through the drains.
So the water will be blocked until a certain point, and when the water pressure opens the outlet, the water can keep running, but when the waterflow stops, the outlet gets glued back together, blocking the water again.
If you dismantle the 2 black metal parts on each side under the windscreen, you can reach the outlets.

Are you getting what I am trying to say?

I have a similar issue to @steve_b. Any chance of some photos of the two black metal parts you are referring to that can be removed to reach the outlets?

 

[westfalia]

It can be that the outlet of the drain (behind the engine bay and under the front windscreen) kind of glues together du to the debris of whatever gets there in and through the drains.
So the water will be blocked until a certain point, and when the water pressure opens the outlet, the water can keep running, but when the waterflow stops, the outlet gets glued back together, blocking the water again.
If you dismantle the 2 black metal parts on each side under the windscreen, you can reach the outlets.

Are you getting what I am trying to say?

You could be right there
On mine they are really soft drain tubes.