XC 90 Sunroof Drain - recurring problem

[mconn67]

I am just finding out that this is a recurring problem and that it will continue to happen over time. Seems like a design flaw to me. Sunroof drains should not be able to "clog up and leak into the passenger compartment" - especially on a quality vehicle like a VOLVO!!!

I have had major water in the passenger side compartment 2x - thankfully my dealer took care of it both times even though I am now out of warranty. By major water I mean enough that it was actually visible and sloshing around on top of the floor mat. A couple other times I have had a wet floor -under the mat on that side.

I encourage all XC90 owners to pull up your floor mats and check the carpet under - you may be having this problem and not even know it.

My concern is the damage that is being done with water in the car. I have read online in various forums that other people having problems with sensors rusting, mold issues, etc. due to this.

I have called Volvo Customer Affairs and the President's office of Volvo - they don't seem to have a lot of info/reports of this happening although I pointed out to them that it is all over forums like this and if you just Google "Volvo wet floor" you find that this may not just be limited to the XC90! Google "XC90 Sunroof drain" and there are a ton more complaints, people looking for answers. Something should be done here !!!!!

I for one do not plan to pay a penny for this recurring problem whether my car is out of warranty or not. This is a design flaw that should be fixed by Volvo every time it happens.

Maybe all of you having this problem should start writing/calling Volvo so this gets fixed once and for all. I imagine more problems will arise from this when our vehicles are 7 -8 years old!!! Rusting floors, mold smell, electrical problems, etc. etc.

We gotta let them know this is not an isolated situation. Perhaps many park in garages so they are not experiencing this - but, agian - pull up those mats and take a look - you may not realize the problem is there!

[mconn67]

Here's the reply so far - will let you all know what happens from here.

I have to give them credit on their timely e-mail reply anyway! I hope they make good on solving the problem once and for all too!!

Dear Mr. :

Please be advised that your situation has been documented and directed to the appropriate department.

The Office of the President did respond to your inquiry and the answer does remain as reported.

We apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused.

Most Sincerely,

Customer Care





---- Original Message ----
From :
To : [email protected]
Subject : Follow up to my XC90 Sunroof Problem [INTR:254735]
Date : Mon, 11 Feb 2008, 10:25:47 AM EST




Hello,


I called last week to discuss a problem with my XC90 (VIN# ). Based on our call I also contacted the Executive Offices of Volvo.


I’ve been getting water in the passenger compartment from a problem with sunroof drains. Since you claimed that this was not a recall item I took it upon myself to do some research and I would like to point out that a simple Google Search on the web will turn up a number of Volvo owners searching for answers as to why they have water in their cars. XC90 owners in particular have a number of postings on forums and websites about this. Perhaps you should do some of your own research – look at dealer service data etc. and issue the appropriate recall and or service bulletins.


Since I have been told that this will be a recurring problem I want Volvo to know that I do not intend to pay for regular maintenance on this issue – and that with a car of this supposed “quality” – it is unacceptable to be told that “this is just something that happens”. Volvo needs to redesign these drains, come up with a solution and make sure that no owner is paying to have their car pumped out, cleaned, dried, etc.


As I said in my post on VolvoXC.com (below) – in a few years these vehicles will likely have additional problems with rust, electronic issues, etc. if this is not properly solved. At that point, perhaps a class action lawsuit will be in order to recover the damages spent by thousands of XC90 owners.


Please come up with a solution to this problem. I love the XC90 except for this problem!!!!


I will expect some type of follow up from Volvo on this. My contact information is below.


Thank You,

[Art]

It appears that they have been well aware of this problem for a while now. The PDF attachments described in the TNN below explain the probable causes and fixes for those notorious sunroof leaks.

[Art]

The last two steps are described below.

[mconn67]

Thanks Art - very helpful.

[mconn67]

Thanks to Art I found the following on Volvotechinfo.com - perhaps the item number will be helpful to reference for others having this problem.

Waterleaks from sunroof, fault tracing and service
Item: TNN83-34-2005-09-02 Page Count: 6
Models/Years Several root causes have been found for possible water leakage from the sunroof. This TNN …more describes fault tracing and service methods for the most common problems. …short view

[lizzyb62]

We live in Oregon, so have really bad problem with water on passenger side floor. So glad I found this thread. I'll keep following it and send a note myself. Thanks ~

[lizzyb62]

Hi

I got a prompt reply from Volvo CS re: the water problem. However, the woman I spoke with told me that the problem is more than likely due to clogged sunroof drains ~ it's been a known problem in the past~ but that I would be solely responsible for the cost of having my car looked at and fixed. :mad: I asked how Volvo could, in good conscience, make customers pay for what is basically a design flaw on their part....She said the water problem is "due to outside influences" and that it's a "maintenance issue" - meaning it is OUR responsibility to make sure our sunroof drains stay free of debris, etc.,so the drains don't then become completely clogged and can then only be cleared out by the dealer.....

WHAT???!!!!

To add to the pain, I am 3 hrs. from the closest dealership.....

[Big]

We live in Oregon, so have really bad problem with water on passenger side floor. So glad I found this thread. I'll keep following it and send a note myself. Thanks ~
I'm in Oregon, too, although on the "dry side" (ha!). No problem with leaks anywhere. The topic of moonroof leaks has come up a few times in various forums and is thought to be a common problem with all cars having moonroofs (do a search of "[any brand] wet floor" for many references). Besides user error (not closing the roof all the way) the causes are as described in the files Art posted; a couple are manufacturing defects (loose or kinked hose, poor moonroof fit) and others are simple maintenance (clogged drain, damaged seal) but none are really design flaws. That it has happened twice to the OP indicates that the problem may not have been fixed properly by the dealer.

[ajusaf]

I had this same problem when I first got my used 2004 Xc90 a year ago but i fixed it myself by cutting the nipple edges and make it larger so it doesn't clogg up. The rubber drain tube ends on the lower part of the side and drains just cut a bigger hole and it should clogg up unless a big hairball travels through the tube

[lens42]

I'd like to know how the OP's problem turned out with regard to getting Volvo to foot the bill for this. Just today, I was informed of the exact same problem on my 2003 XC90 at my 60k service. The bill will be at least $700 for a new carpet and and to unplug the sunroof drains. But I also have an engine light on that may be from water damage too, but that hasn't been nailed down yet so I don't know the charge for that.

I was completely unaware of any water in the cabin, but they said the tech noticed "sloshing: during the test drive.

The also said that the carpet can't be dried out effectively. This sounds fishy to me, but I suppose they don't want me bitching later about odors. Still, I live in a pretty dry area (San Jose) and I wonder if should just take the car back and pull the carpet myself and let it dry outside for a week. Has anyone done this?

I have had no problems with this car until now, but this experience will really leave me sour on Volvo if I have to pay for this. They said that this can happen with any sunroof, but this sure sounds like a bad Volvo design. Also there was no assurance that this won't happen again!

I'm trying to arm myself for demanding they fix this on their dime, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Any help would be appreciated.

[bucky208]

I pulled my mats out and let them dry in the sun. I used a wet/dry vacuum to suck up as much as I could and then I used a heat gun on low, without getting the carpet too hot. That was about 4 months ago and my wife hasn't complained about any musty/mold smells as of yet.

[myXC90suxlemons]

Just another problem in a long line-what a piece of crap this thing has been! Nothing but Japanese from now on!!

[vtx]

Hello,
living in Belgium, famous knowed for the rain, I have just the same problem with XC90 MY04.
Drains are clean but not calibrated to evacuate leakage water coming from the sunroof.
When car is not horizontal, ( to left or right) the problem becomes bigger because only one drain is working.

Have somebody a real solution ?
Thanks for your reply.

[dmd]

Just pull the a-pillar off and the drain is right behind them. The little elbow get plugged at the bottom. Just clean it it and also enhance the hole a little on the + shape end.

[vtx]

Thank foor your answer.
To be sure I have well understood :
there is not only the entry of the drain to clean but also a piece located along the front pilars after- I suppose- the covering ?

Excuse my poor language !

[dmd]

Yes, the largest issue is the elbow in the drain hose that is covered by
the A-pillar. The A-pillar is the metal piece between the windshield and
the door. Remove the cover from the inside of the car and you will see
the hose and the elbow. Just pull the elbow free of the A-pillar and it
will probably be full of gunk.

Our car is always garaged, so it is unlikely we will ever have the issue.

[vtx]

many thanks for this tips

[Water-filled XC90 owner]

:mad: I too have had this problem occur, once under warranty and now again without the warranty. I recently had to pay over $550.00 for part plus labor $$ to have the dealer to fix the sunroof drainage problem. Now they have a sunroof drain kit. I guess they know this is a problem. I have written to Volvo and I want to be reimbursed! Otherwise, I'm taking this problem to the Attorney General, Consumer Affairs ...etc. I'm also in favor of a class action suit if this problem is not addressed. I cannot believe that Volvo would jeopardize their integrity by not taking responsibility for this design flaw. We should not have to only park our XC90's in a garage in order to drive an XC90!

[dmd]

Yea boy... See how far you get with that...

After the first time you should have been aware of the issue and maintained
it.

[blaya04]

Loaned my 03 XC90 to a friend and they kept compaining about a water sloshing sound after recent rains. Followed the PDFs Art posted and was able to make the repair on a rotted out soundtrap (apparently the gunk in the hose start to rot and took the little rubber gasket that connects hose to the frame with it) for a whopping $16. Volvo would have been north of $600 according to the labor specs so am glad I did the job myself.

Hope the engineer who decided to run a water line through the inside of the car has been sacked from the industry. This is just plain bad design.

Luckily, the floor was not damaged and the carpets dried out just fine. Just for good measure I drilled a small hole into the lowest part of the floor so that if and when the gasket fails again, at least the water will havea place to go.

This model seems to be a less memorable creation for Volvo. Lousy transmission is bad enough but these dubious design flaws just seem ridiculous. I have had Volvo 850s and also drive a V70XC which I love but could never recommend the 90 to anyone. One headache after another.

[dmd]

You must have a T6, none of the others show trans issues. Well known issue.

Hope you also reamed out the end that goes through the a-pillar. It will
let larger gunk through. We dont park outside, so no issues with the drains.

[Larrysd]

I noticed this problem this morning, and with the help of this forum and others came across this
http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=102526

Hopefully it is the sunroof drains.

[jcastel3]

2004 XC90's leaky sunroof drains fixed easily (30 minutes tops, both sides) with the help of this forum.
http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=102526
The elbows in my car were caked solid with a fine black soot blocking almost all passage.

This saved me about $200 at the Volvo dealer...and a few hours of my life.
Thanks to all of the contributors...and now for a nice bourbon.

[yellahead]

I am the owner of a Volvo XC 70 and like many of you live in rainy Portland Oregon. For the last few weeks my car has been smelling damp but I just thought it was all the rain and did not think much of it. On Sunday I got into my car after a HUGE storm to find my passenger side floor with a puddle and I mean puddle of water. The following day I was driving the car and experienced a complete electrical meltdown the whole car went nutty. All warning lights were randomly popping on & off, windows, blinkers & radio stopped working. Then the car started to lose power in the engine. Luckily I was fairly close to the dealer so I went straight to the shop. I was so perplexed about the leak and they told me it was a leak from clogged sunroof drains. It ends up that the water destroyed the mother electrical board/system in my vehicle which is a 1500.00 replacement. Luckily my car is under warranty however, the dealer is charging me to dry out the floor mats and told me that if he would reported that the mother board was destroyed due to water damage they would not haver paid for the replacement. Needless to say I am OUTRAGED like most of you I bought my car with the idea that it is a very safe all terrain vehicle and a great choice for the NW. I have been a loyal Volvo driver for years. I appreciate the information on this site about fixing this issue yourself however, I am not the type or do I have time to fix my car nor do I feel its my responsibility to have to deal with this design flaw which is obviously a HUGE problem for us all. Thus far I have loved my car and was excited to have it paid off in the near future I am know sadly disappointed that I am driving a potential rust machine and may have to deal with this again in the future. I no longer feel safe in this car as this issue could have been much more disastrous for me given my location of driving during the car failure. I apologize for my ranting but I expect more from my 32,000 vehicle!!!! I really feel strongly we should DEMAND an answer from Volvo. Thank you........

[Big]

I am the owner of a Volvo XC 70 and like many of you live in rainy Portland Oregon....
Welcome to the XC90 forum but you may want to post in one of the XC70 forums for your car.


I was so perplexed about the leak and they told me it was a leak from clogged sunroof drains. It ends up that the water destroyed the mother electrical board/system in my vehicle which is a 1500.00 replacement. Luckily my car is under warranty however, the dealer is charging me to dry out the floor mats and told me that if he would reported that the mother board was destroyed due to water damage they would not haver paid for the replacement.
That would depend on the nature of the leak. If the drain is clogged from debris because, for example, you left the roof open then it is your fault. If the clog is from a kinked hose then that is a manufacturing defect.


Needless to say I am OUTRAGED like most of you I bought my car with the idea that it is a very safe all terrain vehicle and a great choice for the NW....
I wish I had a nickel for every predictable post in forums from "outraged" owners of {name your car} that cost {name your price} that has {name your problem} which must be a design flaw and makes the car unsafe. For the record, a quick search on Google gave the following hits:

180,000 for Lexus wet floor
45,200 for Infiniti wet floor
44,700 for Mercedes wet floor
47,100 for BMW wet floor
30,000 for Audi wet floor
28,900 for Cadillac wet floor
26,900 for Volvo wet floor
20,600 for Land Rover wet floor
16,700 for Acura wet floor

Believe it or not, a leaking roof is a common problem on any car with a moon roof. If left unattended that can play havoc with electrical systems. At least your Volvo got you back in limp-home mode, and it sounds like your dealer did you good given the circumstances.

The XC70 is a great car for the NW and very popular here. It is one of the safest cars around, bar none. But it is a complicated piece of machinery and things can go wrong. Best to take a deep breath and look at the big picture. No need to yell, either. ;)

[Human Being]

anyone know how much these soundtraps are and where i can find some?

i went to clean mine yesterday and found.......the end totally gone.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/dallasbigboy82/PC150111-1.jpg


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d176/dallasbigboy82/PC150110-1.jpg

[avdude]

Thanks for the great information! Adjusted the sunroof and fixed the drain tubes in less than an hour. Saving hundreds over the dealers 3.0hr rates.

Thanks again[thumbup]

[VolvoUhu]

I'm still a little disappointed to see the Volvo XC90 susceptible to same crap I had to put up with my Acura. On our V40 we've been super pleased with out solid it has been and in spite of spending the last 5 years out doors in our drive way with lots of tree debris and terrible pollen every spring. The Acura and it's drains couldn't put up with it and I would regularly have a flooded trunk and when I wouldn't check it the water would slosh over into the rear seats. Looking at pictures posted here, the drain of the XC90 seems identical to the Acura's.

I'm curious how the V40's is compared. I've never needed to look but I'm curious now to see what makes it better than the Acura. I'm just amazed how even with a closed moonroof I would end up with large leaves in the drain tubes. I can't believe how much stuff actually squeezed through the seals and down the tube.


Welcome to the XC90 forum but you may want to post in one of the XC70 forums for your car.


That would depend on the nature of the leak. If the drain is clogged from debris because, for example, you left the roof open then it is your fault. If the clog is from a kinked hose then that is a manufacturing defect.


I wish I had a nickel for every predictable post in forums from "outraged" owners of {name your car} that cost {name your price} that has {name your problem} which must be a design flaw and makes the car unsafe. For the record, a quick search on Google gave the following hits:

180,000 for Lexus wet floor
45,200 for Infiniti wet floor
44,700 for Mercedes wet floor
47,100 for BMW wet floor
30,000 for Audi wet floor
28,900 for Cadillac wet floor
26,900 for Volvo wet floor
20,600 for Land Rover wet floor
16,700 for Acura wet floor

Believe it or not, a leaking roof is a common problem on any car with a moon roof. If left unattended that can play havoc with electrical systems. At least your Volvo got you back in limp-home mode, and it sounds like your dealer did you good given the circumstances.

The XC70 is a great car for the NW and very popular here. It is one of the safest cars around, bar none. But it is a complicated piece of machinery and things can go wrong. Best to take a deep breath and look at the big picture. No need to yell, either. ;)

[mendy9677]

Just joined because I just had this issue and I am facing a $1200 bill. Anyone contact this law firm to see what they are doing: www.Volvo-Lawsuit.com ?

[2003xc]

Looks like I got lucky. We noticed the water right away. Pulled up the carpet 2 weeks ago and found about 2 quarts of water on the passenger side. Since then I have been riding around with no carpet on the passenger side. It has rained 3 times since then and only filled again once.
Thanks to you guys I now have a pretty good idea what I need to do tomorrow.
The carpet was dried in the sun for 2 days after a cleaning. It has now been hanging in the shed for the remaining portion of the 2 weeks. Hopefully all that foam will dry so I don't have moisture issues.
Hopefully my next vehicle will be without a sunroof. Less to worry about. I don't use it anyway.

[Art]

FWIW, the following PDF might help to trace those ubiquitous sunroof leaks that are causing everyone grief to no end.

http://www.volvoxc.com/resources/how-to/pdf/body-sunroof-water-leak-xc90-03.pdf

[2003xc]

Thanks Art and the rest of you for saving me some money. Last night I took the A-pillar covers off and found both of the sound traps had so much dirt in them nothing was getting through.
I cleaned and shortened the sound traps. Then hot water was run through the drain from the top. All is well again.
Hopefully that is the end of the water issue. I am planning to check this every other oil change from now on.

[ryand]

Anything special to lookout for when removing the A Pillar?

[Art]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/Batstar/RemovingtheA-postpanel.jpg

[ryand]

Thanks,
This was extremely helpful. The whole was surprisingly simple and took about 30 minutes. Tremendous solution. I really appreciate the info, as I was not looking forward to taking the problem to the dealer.

[tato_c]

Hi

Thanks all for the very clear instructions, guides and photographs (even from other forums). I fixed this today and still can't believe how easy and fast this procedure is.
I read the volvo procedures and on my opinion there's no need to disassemble the visors. The real problem resides on the "L" shaped pipe at the end of the A pillar.
How did I ensure the holes in the sunroof were clean? very simple: Just dropped hot boiled water. It's the best natural degreaser. After that, just reapplied the "L" shaped pipe and that's it.

Tato_c ;)

[JRL]

http://www.volvo-lawsuit.com/?gclid=CLuyocim9aICFYp95Qod_x71hw

[dmd]

Ambulance chasers. They will sue because your shoe came untied.

[Pshine]

What a great and detailed fix. Took less than an hour for both sides. We just had 7-10 inches of rain over two days and my floor mats were puddles. Followed the directions to open up the clogged rubber ends of the tubes, flushed the lines with boiling water and I'm done.

Probably a good idea to check these lines every 6 months or so.

Great forum! Thanks for the advice!

2004 XC90 T6

[RoyMacDonald]

I haven't seen it mentioned, but Volvo have had new improved elbows (sound traps) available as a spare part for a while now.

[shaker1956]

Evening all. New to this forum but just wanted to say a friggin big thank you to Art in Red Deer for the guidance in how to fix my problem. I checked all the drain hoses and all the ends were plugged. I cut about 1/8 of an in off the ends and they now drain the way they were meant to. Shame that such a gr8 vehicle has such a poor drainage system. Have to take it in for some anti skid work now. Probably caused by the four gallons of water on the floor!!!!!!!! At least the waters gone......Thanks again Art......

Dan

[chrand]

2004 XC90's leaky sunroof drains fixed easily (30 minutes tops, both sides) with the help of this forum.
http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=102526
The elbows in my car were caked solid with a fine black soot blocking almost all passage.

This saved me about $200 at the Volvo dealer...and a few hours of my life.
Thanks to all of the contributors...and now for a nice bourbon.
Thank you for the link. It was perfect and fixed my problem in under 20 minutes!

[BikerJohn]

Here's another one for this post.

Pouring rain here; soaked passenger floor.

I took off the A-pillar cover and checked the hose. All is clear and draining well.

However, I have dripping water coming down from behind the glovebox.

Can anyone tell me where the water is suppose to drain out from the bottom of the car to the outside?

I am wondering if I have a block/plug between where the hose's elbow goes into the A-pillar's body panel and the exterior drain tube?

Anyone else with similar issue?

I still have warranty; should this issue be taken up with my dealer?

Thanks in advance.
John.

[kdls]

I have had this problem with my 2004 XC90 on more than one occasion. The first time, the dealer brought it to my attention during a routine rip-off, ah... I mean "service" call to "maintain the warranty". They wanted $1200 to remove the interior, seats carpet, etc. to dry it out! I saw fire and was sick about it! In the end they claimed that Volvo paid 1/3 and they, the dealer paid 1/3 of the cost and I would pay 1/3 which ended up to be $142.00 from me, (what happened to the $1200?). In my close scrutiny, the never removed a thing, real cheats they are! Then again being sensitive to this major design flaw, I myself heard the water sloshing around the roof, so I got online and found these very articles on how to check for clogged drain tubes, and guess what!? They were clear, not clogged with the BS they claim,. I paid over $50K for this piece of junk, bought it brand new and because of my numerous bad, very bad experiences, I will never own another Volvo as long as I live. I see other Volvo XC90’s driving down the street and I always think, what a fool to have paid so much for a substandard vehicle especially in this price range. Here's what had to be replaced on new XC90 from the day I bought it; gas tank after 200 miles! bi-xenon headlights, power-steering rack, gas tank door, tires after 20K miles, brakes after 25K miles, undercarriage cover to house the fuel lines and electrical harness, windshield wiper assemblies, main computer, (radio and back-up indicators went out including other stuff, (which included a $250 charge to re-download software!!!!!!!!!), various suspension bushings and arms, …and on and on, I can’t continue because I am getting stomach cramps just thinking of the nightmares and grief and EXPENSE this poorly engineered car has caused me. And for those of you who Just “love” this car, well, I will admit it does drive like a dream and is very quiet, but after you lay down your cell phone and a cup of coffee in it’s holder, I dare you to find any more storage space for even your sunglasses! NADA, no storage space! And how about that ridiculously placed center console arm rest, is that WAY out of place or not. This car is not recommended. Stay away, far away!

[RoyMacDonald]

I have had this problem with my 2004 XC90 on more than one occasion. The first time, the dealer brought it to my attention during a routine rip-off, ah... I mean "service" call to "maintain the warranty". They wanted $1200 to remove the interior, seats carpet, etc. to dry it out! I saw fire and was sick about it! In the end they claimed that Volvo paid 1/3 and they, the dealer paid 1/3 of the cost and I would pay 1/3 which ended up to be $142.00 from me, (what happened to the $1200?). In my close scrutiny, the never removed a thing, real cheats they are! Then again being sensitive to this major design flaw, I myself heard the water sloshing around the roof, so I got online and found these very articles on how to check for clogged drain tubes, and guess what!? They were clear, not clogged with the BS they claim,. I paid over $50K for this piece of junk, bought it brand new and because of my numerous bad, very bad experiences, I will never own another Volvo as long as I live. I see other Volvo XC90’s driving down the street and I always think, what a fool to have paid so much for a substandard vehicle especially in this price range. Here's what had to be replaced on new XC90 from the day I bought it; gas tank after 200 miles! bi-xenon headlights, power-steering rack, gas tank door, tires after 20K miles, brakes after 25K miles, undercarriage cover to house the fuel lines and electrical harness, windshield wiper assemblies, main computer, (radio and back-up indicators went out including other stuff, (which included a $250 charge to re-download software!!!!!!!!!), various suspension bushings and arms, …and on and on, I can’t continue because I am getting stomach cramps just thinking of the nightmares and grief and EXPENSE this poorly engineered car has caused me. And for those of you who Just “love” this car, well, I will admit it does drive like a dream and is very quiet, but after you lay down your cell phone and a cup of coffee in it’s holder, I dare you to find any more storage space for even your sunglasses! NADA, no storage space! And how about that ridiculously placed center console arm rest, is that WAY out of place or not. This car is not recommended. Stay away, far away!

These are problems you've had over 6 years of ownership? Sounds like you don't have a good dealer. Unfortunatly all too common all over the world it seems, and common to all makes of car.

The original tyres supplied don't wear very well it's true but 20k is good for them from my experience. I use Vredstien Wintrac 4 Extremes now which have a life of about 60,000 miles.

I've been fortunate with my 2003 XC90 and I use a Volvo specialist rather than a main dealer so I've had no unexpected problems in 8 years. Mines been the best car I've ever owned.

The center console arm rest is movable by the way if you don't like it. I do personally.

[gshadow325]

I have had this problem with my 2004 XC90......blah blah blah

Not going to quote the whole rant

What dealer you go to?

From your sig you are about 10-15 miles from me. Instead of bitching about the stealership, you might want to share your experiences in a seperate thread in a dealer review. this way we know what dealer to avoid.

[shiftyfive]

Hi folks, Just wanted to share my solution to my water leak! Sorry in advance for the wordy post.

It all started when my Heater Fan stopped working. I narrowed it down to a faulty blower resistor (also called fan control module). There is a tiny little plastic cover you can pop off the module with a tiny flat screwdriver. The module was full of green corrosion from water intrusion. I also decided to change the cabin filter and the bottom 3 inches was soaked!

I searched the forums here and found all the info regarding sunroof leaks and sure enough I had all the classic signs (soaked carpet). I lifted up the carpet and vacuumed out about 2 litres (2 quarts) of water. So today I pulled both front seats out and removed both front carpets. In checking the sunroof drains, everything was clear so I removed the + end of the elbows anyways and carried on in my quest. I put the seats back in and went to the touchless car wash. I purposely left the right side A pillar cover so I could make sure no water was leaking from where the hose attached to the elbow.
Sure enough when I was going through the car wash when the high pressure sprayers hit the top of windshield/sunroof area water started pouring in the right side floor coming down from the firewall area. This was real easy to see as the carpets were out!

Perplexed I headed home and developed my next plan of action. first I took a sports bottle and squirted water directly into the elbow to make sure I didn't have a funky backup there. Everything was A-OK and all the water was exiting from the Pass side front mudflap area as it should. as well no water was entering the vehicle. I then checked the wiper pan area below the windshield to make sure the drain was clear; no problem there! So I grabbed an old windshield washer jug and filled it with water. I poured down the right (pass) side of the windshield and voila about a quart of water comes in the car. upon inspection I found out that water flows to the right of the plastic valance and into the wiper tray right into the air intake for the heater/AC system. So here's two solutions:

note: All documentation is referenced as if you were sitting in the driver's seat i.e right side is the passenger side, front towards the grille, left side is the driver's side (in North America that's the right and correct side of the road! LOL

Solution 1: get a tube of caulk and poop it up around the right side of the valance. there's a lot of gaps and this will look really gross trying to build it up, but if you're lazy and cheap, this is the way to go!

Solution 2: takes a little longer but is still super cheap. This is the way I went. So here goes:

1/Lift the hood and pull back the rubber seal that runs along the top of the black plastic wiper valance and seals against the hood, pull it back about 2/3 of the way across towards the drivers side.

2/ pop the far right black plastic clip using a medium sided flat screwdriver and remove. Using an awl or a pin punch pop in the plastic centers for the next 2 plastic clips and remove the clips. then remove the large stainless U shaped clip on the far right side. Now you should have enough play in the valance to lift it up. If you're nervous about breaking the plastic (older models may be more brittle esp. in cold weather), you can remove the wiper arms and take out the rest of the clips and remove the valance completely.
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/shiftyfive5/Volvo%20xc90%20water%20leak%20repair%20tips/picture1.jpg

3/ Now you can see the air intake down into the blower motor. The water comes in about 2-3" from the right (pass.) side of the body so we need to protect the pass. side of the air intake from this water.
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/shiftyfive5/Volvo%20xc90%20water%20leak%20repair%20tips/picture2.jpg

4/ looking down into the air intake you can see 3 plastic tabs at the rear, right, and left side of inside of the plastic bezel. pull up gently on the intake and pop the tabs with a med size flat screwdriver. NOTE WHICH SIDE IS THE PASSENGER SIDE! You should be able to completely remove the bezel and take it to a work area where you can sit down with your favourite libation!

5/ get an old rectangular windshield washer jug (the taller the better). A jug with a square footprint wont work it has to be able to fit in the wiper plan when fully assembled. trace the inside of the top of your bezel with the right side facing the bottom of your jug. (i did it backwards the first time so my pics are backwards here but you get the idea!
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/shiftyfive5/Volvo%20xc90%20water%20leak%20repair%20tips/picture3.jpg

6/ cut off the fill end of the jug and your traced out section. Slide the air intake bezel into the jug with the open end toward the left (driver's) side of the car. drill two pilot holes and attach with a couple of small screws to the TOP of the bezel. try and angle the bottom of the jug toward the bottom of the bezel which is natural with gravity. Once again my pictures are backward!
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/shiftyfive5/Volvo%20xc90%20water%20leak%20repair%20tips/picture4.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/shiftyfive5/Volvo%20xc90%20water%20leak%20repair%20tips/picture5.jpg

7/ Finish your drink, and take your completed unit and gently squeeze it back into position into place. It should pop in no problem if you have it pointing in the right direction. This picture is the finished product in place. Note how i tried to keep the right (pass.) side down so the water runs away from the air intake.
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k557/shiftyfive5/Volvo%20xc90%20water%20leak%20repair%20tips/picture6.jpg

8/ Push the valance back into place careful to slide the clips that go under the windshield into place. You can now get someone to pour some water down the right side of the windshield and if you gently peek under the front of the valance you'll see water dripping off of your happy cheesy washer jug into the wiper pan and down the drain onto the ground where it belongs!

9/If everything worked out as you planned, put everything back together and pat yourself on the back. Have another libation and gloat over how much money you saved doing it yourself!

I hope this helps somebody...anybody. my fingers ache from typing this much, I'm having a drink!

Cheers!

[gshadow325]

Hi folks, Just wanted to share my solution to my water leak! Sorry in advance for the wordy post.
Cheers!

nice, but i want to know if the valance that covers that air intake is broken on the bottom. it should have a groove for the windshield to slide into.

[shiftyfive]

nice, but i want to know if the valance that covers that air intake is broken on the bottom. it should have a groove for the windshield to slide into.

Nope, All pieces appear to be in place, unbroken and original. Windshield is definitely OE. I suppose there could be a piece missing, but without seeing parts catalogue or comparing to another xc90, i can't be sure.

Let me be clear here, water was not leaking between the windshield and the valance, water was leaking down the channel to the side of the windshield and going between the valance and the body!