sunroof drains?

Hiya,

After six great years with no leaks, I noticed water coming out around the vanity mirror lamp on the passenger side of my beetle today. Last time I had a leak it actually turned out not to be a clogged drain, but a flaw in the windscreen gasket seal right over the passenger side. We added a whole bunch of 3m window weld and stopped it cold.

I remember at that time checking the drain lines since the headliner was pulled out and we ran rinse water through them as well as poked down with a long piece of weed eater line.

I tried shoving line down it again to see if that was the source of the leak this time, and it doesn't seem to be going through all the way, so I'm thinking maybe it got sludged up. Is there a way to snake it up from the bottom end on a beetle? I'm not even sure where the downstream end of it is. Does it drain into that space under the plastic cowl under the windshield wipers? Or is the end farther down, like behind the inner fender liner behind the wheel? I really don't want to go back to a stinky mildew car again

Thanks!

The drain nipples are up under the plastic cowl. Remove it. Reach up under right at the lower corner of the windshield right close to the strut mount.




You can feel it,but they are hard to see. I like to pour some water in the area around the sunroof. Then snake from the top. The water may help to soften the clog. Work from the top and let gravity be your friend. You could also pour water at the top and probe from the bottom. Good luck!

I'll post a couple of pics.

Below pic: passenger side drain nipple up under here.


Below pic: Beetle nipple. Hard to see where the cell phone can,but you can feel it with your hand. Not sure how hard it would be to start some trimmer line from this end.

Awesome! Thanks for the photos. We should be able to find it now. Once
we yank off that long rubber gasket and the wiper blades is there much that has to be removed to get the cowl part off?

The cowl just snaps in place. I start on the passenger side because it's the longer end of the cowl without the wiper arm studs. Once you get under it to pop off one end it just sort of zips off as you pull down on it a little.. No tools needed to take the cowl off. Just work your finger tips under it. I'd check the driver side drain too. Impossible to see it with the wiper mechanism in place. Pour some water in and try to see if anything comes out up under way back in the corner. Maybe probe with some string trimmer line.

Don't neglect the rears. Clean them also.

When inserting the weedwhacker line from the top, try using a six inch piece of "pencil diameter" tubing (metal, plastic, whatever, even a straw) to help guide the line into the hole without it bending. It kind of holds the line straight so you can force a little more pressure on the line without it bending. and a little water in the hole does loosen the clog, too, as mentioned above.

When you locate the drains, cut off the tips to prevent any further clogging.

Thanks for the assistance with this. I think we got them clear them today. FYI, an old fleet enema bottle is a great tool for rinsing as the nozzle is just long enough to insert directly into the hole up top. I kept filling it with warm soapy water and my bf milked the little nipples until it ran clean. I also vacuumed and toothbrushed out that whole drainage area under the cowl. Gah, what a mess. I have to park under a tree at home so there was like a compost heap of tree pookey in there. Fingers crossed that it takes care of my leak issue.

ericas_beetle said:

Thanks for the assistance with this. I think we got them clear them today. FYI, an old fleet enema bottle is a great tool for rinsing as the nozzle is just long enough to insert directly into the hole up top. I kept filling it with warm soapy water and my bf milked the little nipples until it ran clean. I also vacuumed and toothbrushed out that whole drainage area under the cowl. Gah, what a mess. I have to park under a tree at home so there was like a compost heap of tree pookey in there. Fingers crossed that it takes care of my leak issue.

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LOL, I have not seen an enema bottle around for a very long time. Doubt many young members even know what one is. Times have changed,but good idea on your part.

Yes,stuff from trees will definitely clog the nipples. Glad you got yours cleaned out and flowing.

My front two drains weren't clogged but there was too much tubing so it kinked right st the outlet. Thankfully the car was in a state that didn't rain much.

coalminer16 said:

My front two drains weren't clogged but there was too much tubing so it kinked right st the outlet. Thankfully the car was in a state that didn't rain much.

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On one of the Beetles that I have I slid a short piece of stiff plastic tubing into the end of each nipple to hold it open all the time. Seemed to work pretty well.

Your bf should not have to work the nipples; just cut them off like I stated earlier. I believe that is what the dealerships do per some TBS.

JB05 said:

Your bf should not have to work the nipples; just cut them off like I stated earlier. I believe that is what the dealerships do per some TBS.

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Some people like to keep their nipples stock and don't care for that alternative cut off look.