"It's the little things that make the big difference." This is a valuable gem brother. So true not only for car owners, but also in business and family relationships.
Good video! The secret to getting many years of service from your car is to realize that the definition of "maintenance" is to understand that it means preventing problems from occurring not waiting until something breaks and then replacing it!
My brother used to work at a sawmill, he ended up pulling the dash on his F150 because the vents were packed with sawdust and I mean packed. The truck did have a nice pine smell to it.
Who knew a top notch educator/ mechanic could get so simple and inform me of a important non technical problem that I had no idea of , after researching info constantly on my Lexus . Yes , the day before freezing I went out ( in a drizzle) opened the sunroof and of course found some small leaves in the channel . No idea! Happily I poured water down both front drains and saw it running out the bottom . Thanks so much . Same for under the hood , which I vacuumed. I try to cover with the outdoor vehicle from the leaves but still didn’t realize your surprising info . Guess my $$$ costly weather tech custom cover is worth it after all . Which I’ll never be too lazy again to use . Very generous of you , these videos
@@user-wq5ws1qs7xFor the record - Scotty is the best teacher of 94 Celica and his wife's Lexus. It starts right up, runs like a top, shifts like a dream and stops on a dime. The miles just stay the same somehow 😂.
Thank you for ALL your videos! You mentioned “cleaning “ the engine. Could you do a video on how to correctly, without damage, clean/wash the Toyota engines?
Fantastic video AMD. Never seen someone care so much about getting their knowledge out to the people. Thinking maybe a future video could be a tutorial of changing the cabin filter on various models.......so we don't mess up and dump debris into our blower motor
I had a used Toyota van with a sunroof that flooded. It had an air deflector, I thought the problem was water leaking between the metal holding up the air deflector and the rubber gasket, but I now understand (thanks to this video!) that the drains were plugged! I removed the air deflector, and caulked the sunroof. I removed all the seats, the carpet, threw out the padding under the carpet, bought new padding (which wasn't as good as the OEM padding), ran a carpet cleaner on the carpet, and reassembled. It was a pain, but the car is still running 10 or 15 years later!
Usually it’s road dirt that clogs A/C drains… but in my day there were no cabin filters. Don’t forget to remove wet leaves sitting on your paint. Acids will leave marks in your paint
Do a video on this but for panoramic sunroofs. Since my Camry has one a video on how to keep the pano roof working for a long time without issues would be really useful. I don’t want to spend a penny fixing it if it breaks so I want to meticulously maintain it as much as possible
didn't know they had rear drains too! When I sold used cars I used to love when customers would ask me "does the moonroof leak?" The precious look on their face when I said "yes, they all leak" followed by "they are designed to leak"
My girlfriend is very lazy. Every fall she gets covered in leaves for a month or more. I tried removing the leaves with a leaf blower, but it blew debris inside her shirt and made her squint fiercely. But the shop vac method is great. And the bonus is that ever since I started vacuuming her she smells a whole lot better.
Yep, it happend to me 30 years back with a Ford. Starting the cars ventilator after some sever rain showers was like turning a washing machine on and water came thru the vent box under the dashboard into my car. Both drain pipes running to the wheels where blocked by leafs. The dealership did blow these drains open with compressed air, and the car was peeing over the shop floor for ten minutes. Learned a expensiv lesson that day! Thanks for the video.
ANOTHER TOTALLY AWESOME video from AMD! Most other car care type UA-camrs are "pretenders" and you are the "REAL DEAL"... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EXCELLENT VIDS.!!! I wish Scotty Kilmer would ask you for video content mentoring, and also learn from your ACTUALLY HELPFUL video titles! I think that you and Chris Fix might be brothers (as far as video quality is concerned)! :-) I had a 97 camry years ago that was plagued with the sunroof drain issue and also eventually developed the AC drain issue (moldy smell). The service dept. I used NEVER told me the 2 were related and ONLY after cleaning the drains numerous times AND AC once, did they ask me if I was parking under trees (with little leaves & buds, etc). Then, they told me to use compressed air (I did not)! To bad UA-cam didn't even exist then. Oh well! Your the best & thanks again! One quick unrelated question, do you know if the 2008 2GR FE engine in an Avalon is Direct injection engine or not? Again, thanks!!!
AMD thanks so much for these tips. By the way I had no clue as to cleaning the sunroof. I have cleaned off many customers' cars by picking all of the leaves off by hand and have never thought about causing problems down the road. However, where I live its not just leaves that are a problem but Pine needles. They get stuck in all the small holes and its impossible and not really cost effective to get all of them out, but I know they have less of a chance of making it to the A/C box.
Thanks for sharing! When I go to the car wash I use their vacuum on my Camry to get the leaves out before I go through the car wash. Because trying to vacuum wet leaves is harder! My niece has a 2013 Kia Sportage with sunroof and I may tell her about clean out the drains on her Kia!
Thanks for another useful tips. I make sure I clean the cowl area everytime I wash my car, in my case every weekend. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day.
I just intuitively picked out the leaves without crushing them, usually waiting for the wife to show up! Glad I watched this to realize there were tiny drains everywhere that could clog up and total the entire car! Many Thanks!
AMD...Glad I watched it. Learned some more good tips, especially the cowl part and how stuff could end up on top of the cabin filter. Thanks for sharing. Keep sharing these informative videos and Keep up the Fire! Take care and Stay Safe. JT
Ahmed. You are amazing. You gave us very simple but important maintenance tips. I do keep the leaves off the cowl. But I never realized the reasons (beyond aesthetics) why it should be done. But will no longer use my hands to get the leaves out. Its a good job for my shop vac. Thanks again my friend.
13:32 Then maybe periodically take out the cabin air filter , vacuum off any gunk and also in the area where it goes / fan area . To use a small flashlight to see any debris . And even South Main Auto Repair , You Tube ? Used one of the special mirrors to see around the area . And of course , periodically to blow away any leaves with air around the engine compartment and on top of the car . There are so many specific detailing air blowers to use .
Thank you so much for the advices about the leafs cologging the Cowls. I'm an avid follower of your chanal. I own two Toyota cars both of them are 2019 models (Camry is mine and RAV4 is my wife's). I follow your recommendations on how to maintain Toyota cars. It's very good and useful ones. I appreciate the time you give to make life as good as you always say. thank you very much.
This is such an eye opener and I appreciate knowing about it. It makes me wonder though why I never had problems with water or leaves collecting on the cowl or sunroof in my old Subarus or Saabs. I noticed immediately when I got the Toyota there are constantly thick collections of dirt and leaves in the cowl (especially on the sides where water is supposed to drain) and around the trunk. To me it seems like a design flaw. I wonder if Saabs and Subarus are sealed better? Anyway thanks for warning us and teaching us how (and why) to take care of it.
The sunroof was a problem for many years with my old Jeep Liberty. The drains were exactly the same as you said. The front right one was the most trouble. I had to have the drain hose replaced once. The cause was there was a walnut tree near my driveway. Once the tree had to be removed the problem stopped. Of course now my Tacoma does not have a hole in the roof.
My Toyota Highlander 2013 has a totally different and weird drain system. Water built up wet the carpet. As you told me earlier , I had to open an electric box by the left side near the emergency brake. Drain pipes were not clogged but the area where drain pipes end was clogged ( thanks to boroscopes camera). I had to insert my hand inside of that space to clean the debris and whatnot but still it was not fully opened. Finally i poured drain cleaner liquid ( drano brand) and wait for 15 minutes. It helped a lot. And now it drains absolutely perfect.
Hi! Some models including your highlander has that "funnel" design where it can get clogged too. those you'll easily see them with the water test. you'll run the water and nothing will come out.
@@TheCarCareNutMine is a 2010 highlander and the water test is good..on both sides at the pinch weld, but still it’s pooling water around the grommet under the passenger side front seat. I dont know what to do!
@@TheCarCareNut 2010 Highlander with the funnel design drain pan. I've got it apart and cleaned but can't help but think there's a way to modify the drain pan to allow water to drain faster. Any ideas? I'd rather not do the hose bypass out the floor. Great videos. Thanks to you I did the spark plugs and water pump!
Thank you so so much for these tips. Why? Because I have just discovered why I hear funny noise when I activate my AC blower. Weither is lenient today I got to do that cleaning and quite my AC blower. Gracias muchas Senior 🏋️♂️💪🏋️♂️💪😎❤️
One of my problems was pine needles. I had both pines removed after a storm and I'm so glad I did. My filters were clogged and the cowl and behind the door hinges was full of needles.
AMD……Thank-you! I knew about the sunroof drains, but never thought to service/clean them. The people that have these problems are usually the ones during the snowy winter, they never clean the snow from their cars……Jim
That's why I take my Toyota highlander EL and not XEL , my previous cars always has problems with the sunroof!...and in Florida isn't a good idea leathers seats!
I never like having a moonroof on my car. Hence why I stay away from cars with moonroof. It's just another added maintenance. If poorly maintenance, it can lead to malfunction, and now you have to deal with using the manual override tool, which is just a hassle. I park my cars outside, so I just cover it up with a car cover every time I park.
"She might give you a pass" (referring to using the house vacuum cleaner to suck up leaves from the cowl.) I laughed hard on that! Thanks AMD for a funny moment! (and a helpful video).
I realize these are older videos but I have recently acquired an 09 RX 350 and I plan on making it last me at least 5 or more years so I am so happy to find professional mechanic knowledge on maintenance and prevention for us real world DIYers ... Great tips and I will use your links so you get some benefit as well. Be Blessed.
Like that shop vac idea , always been grappling with them by hand , no more , haven’t seen any in the cabin filter . Another reason I will never have a sun roof , just not worth it having a hole in my roof that makes noise
Excellent video!! Approx 4 months ago my Rav4 headliner started to stain around the driver side A-pillar, the grab handle, and the to the B-pillar. I didn’t know what was happening I took to my dealer , and yes, it was blocked drains. Excessive dust had worked its way in and plug them. I ended up having them cleaned and the headliner shampooed. While I always remove leaves from around the cowling, i never ever thought about ‘flushing’ the sunroof. Wish i knew this months ago, i could have saved a lot of money. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as thought and was easily cleaned. A lesson learned. It is because of videos like this that you present that keep us informed. So, after learning by experience 😡I now regularly check the drains. Thank you AMG
I’ve had two floods because of roof drains, both after torrential rains. Both vehicles were mostly parked outside. Mazda MX-5, a convertible has drains just behind each door. My early 2000s model had removable filters but the drains could still clog. Used a trombone cleaner at each oil change and never had the problem again. Also had a flood with a VW Jetta. Fall is bad but I think spring with pollen and all the other tree debris is actually worse. Dealers and owner’s manuals should highlight this maintenance requirement.
I’m blushing as I admit this, but I’m one of those car owners you were talking about. I had a sunroof and I had to park in an area outside that literally buried my car in leaves. And…. I ultimately ended up with water inside my car. I recently purchased a home with a garage but my cowl (from my new car) still has some decomposing leaves from where I used to park it outside. I just ran outside with a vacuum and cleaned it all up. Also cleaned up the trunk liner area. Hoping no lasting damage and will definitely do this maintenance twice a year (even though I have a garage now). Thank you!!🙏🏻
Shop vac: its a must. And for cheap? If you know a bass player, old strings make excellent drain snakes for sunroofs - just cut off the portion curled from being around the post. Apply a few drops of dishwashing detergent on as a lubricant if you like.
Wow, my mum’s car had a clogged AC drain, I heard the sloshing, it flooded the passenger floor board, and we had to take it to the dealer for them to drain it from the bottom. Discolored the floor mat. Never connected that incident to possible leaves accumulating, crumpling into the pleats and beyond.
Thanks for the video and excellent information... I will remember this as my car is parked under a tree.. and I use a brush to clean it under the bonnet and trunk area with a brush.. .. With love from India
Chicago neighbor here, AMD, I had some water staining on my headliner last winter because the drain holes in the sunroof were clogged by ice, and then the snow came, melted, and had no where to go. I ended up opening the sunroof and pulling out the block of ice blocking the drain.
Thank you! I have a 2017 Rav4 and I checked the sunroof drain. One was clogged! I purchased a ultra cheap tool from TEMU ($2), 3 minutes to clear. Poured 3 cups of water in and drained in 30 seconds. Great! I am going to vacuum my cowling now. Thank you, Thank you!
This is great! Thank you AMD and team. It took me a little while to find the video on your channel because the title didn’t say moon or sun roof, but I knew you had one because I saw the sunroof cleaning tool in your amazon affiliate account! Ordering one today!
On the front cowl, to go the extra mile if you break up leaves that fall in is to remove the wipers and plastic cowl cover and then clean the leaves and dirt under there as well as there are also drains on each end with a little rubber flap. Had an issue in my 2015 Prius where I noticed some water on my passenger floor after a drive thru car wash. Turns out my drain under the cowl was clogged with dirt and water went in the fresh air intake to the passenger floor.
Truly you are a great gift for us. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience to bring some simple common sense maintenance to our attention God bless you.
Yeah I am OCD with my new cars. I keep under the hood spotless also. I never let any leaves accumulate under the hood and change cabin air filter frequently. Thanks for the vacuuming tip. That makes sense to me.
Great advice. This is something that is never discussed but is a real potential problem. Keep the well informed videos coming! Your channel continues to amaze
Thanks for the great Tips! I know many cars who have had those drains get clogged and flooded, so knowing where and how to clean them just saved me that very problem. Especially since this is my first vehicle with a sunroof.
Glad you mentioned that the panoramic sunroof does not have this issue. Just one more thing I do not need to worry about on my 2020 RX450h. Thank you! I just need to keep an eye on AC drain clogging. Even though I park in my attached garage, I do have spiders in there.
Amd, thanks so much for this video! I know now why I had so many issues with my non-Toyota vehicle with water getting into the passenger floor because of improper cleaning of the cowling. I am going be purchasing a battery powered vacuum very soon. I do not want to make the same mistake with our 2021 Toyota Sienna.
On a horizontal fitted cabin air filter I always cut a cereal box and slide the boxboard under the filter before I remove it just to catch any possible debris from falling down into the fan. Thank goodness I do that as once there was a mouse nest on the cabin air filter that would have fallen into the fan motor.
Definitely don't use compressed air. I never did, but My 07 camry has been a nightmare with drain tubes spontaneously becoming disconnected, which leads to water draining down the A or C pillars and soaking the carpet. You need to partially lower part of the headliner and reconnect them with a ziptie or special clamp which Toyota put out in a TSB. You can improve the seal of your sunroof by treating the rubber gasket with Honda Shin-Etsu grease. Let it soak in and wipe off. This will reduce wind noise and intrusion of water and debris in general.
So very, very helpful! Never before knew that I shouldn’t be just grabbing the dead leaves I found in the well where my windshield wipers rest!! As always, thank you so much for your commitment to Truth and to us! 💐
Thank you. This is why I subscribe to this channel, for repair videos like this that other sites don’t mention. Made especially for Car Care nuts like you said. One question, if you do the water drain test and water is draining OK from your sunroof, do you still need to do the cleaning procedure?
AMD, just wanted to let you know I tackled the spark plug replacement today in my wife’s highlander. Your video was so thorough and well explained. I only ran into 2 problems: 1) the coil wire connectors had very brittle tabs and a number of them broke off with just a little pressure and 2) I forgot to route the hose through the center of the plenum like you told us, so I had to take it back off! It took me a lot longer than I expected, but glad I did it. Thanks again!
@@TheCarCareNut I did some googling after they broke and kept reading that it’s a pretty common problem. I look forward to that video. Thanks again! God bless!
My corolla has ane of those crazy aftermarket sun roofs without drain hoses, just a sunroof, someone paid for installing it money and that's beyond me, anyway it's been leaking for years, nothing really helped until I sealed it with silicone, it's not opening now but it's dry inside
Great video as always! Thank you for this. Do you have some next level tips, too? Such as lubricating window sliders, ball joints, steering shafts, AC compressor. Anything that is overlooked during "regular" maintenance?
I've never liked glass on top of a vehicle. Just something extra that can break and cause problems.
"It's the little things that make the big difference." This is a valuable gem brother. So true not only for car owners, but also in business and family relationships.
Great Advice, THANKS !
Use a shop vac and suck them out is a good way
Bro my girl says this shit all the time
Good video! The secret to getting many years of service from your car is to realize that the definition of "maintenance" is to understand that it means preventing problems from occurring not waiting until something breaks and then replacing it!
This is the most underrated car advice I have EVER heard. Thanks care care nut!
My brother used to work at a sawmill, he ended up pulling the dash on his F150 because the vents were packed with sawdust and I mean packed. The truck did have a nice pine smell to it.
Stopped the video. Ran to the garage. Vacuumed all the leaves out of my cowls. Very satisfying. Thankyou.
Who knew a top notch educator/ mechanic could get so simple and inform me of a important non technical problem that I had no idea of , after researching info constantly on my Lexus . Yes , the day before freezing I went out ( in a drizzle) opened the sunroof and of course found some small leaves in the channel . No idea! Happily I poured water down both front drains and saw it running out the bottom . Thanks so much . Same for under the hood , which I vacuumed. I try to cover with the outdoor vehicle from the leaves but still didn’t realize your surprising info . Guess my $$$ costly weather tech custom cover is worth it after all . Which I’ll never be too lazy again to use . Very generous of you , these videos
that's why I'm saying: you are the BEST TEACHER about TOYOTA, thank u.
Greetings general public, I am a living witness #Doctorojie herpes herbs cured me
Dr. AMD is the Professor of Toyota!
Scotty Kilmer is not happy with that statement.
@@user-wq5ws1qs7xFor the record - Scotty is the best teacher of 94 Celica and his wife's Lexus. It starts right up, runs like a top, shifts like a dream and stops on a dime. The miles just stay the same somehow 😂.
@@kimdavis5631 😂
6:00 in I like how he used the reflection on the paint while filming.
Me too
The is the first time I've seen two(2) of the best, most practical preventative maintenance actions and how these issues can be prevented. Thanks~!
Thank you for ALL your videos! You mentioned “cleaning “ the engine. Could you do a video on how to correctly, without damage, clean/wash the Toyota engines?
I'm glad you made this video.Lots of people just don't think. Well done. Cheers from Australia.
Fantastic video AMD. Never seen someone care so much about getting their knowledge out to the people. Thinking maybe a future video could be a tutorial of changing the cabin filter on various models.......so we don't mess up and dump debris into our blower motor
I had a used Toyota van with a sunroof that flooded. It had an air deflector, I thought the problem was water leaking between the metal holding up the air deflector and the rubber gasket, but I now understand (thanks to this video!) that the drains were plugged! I removed the air deflector, and caulked the sunroof. I removed all the seats, the carpet, threw out the padding under the carpet, bought new padding (which wasn't as good as the OEM padding), ran a carpet cleaner on the carpet, and reassembled. It was a pain, but the car is still running 10 or 15 years later!
Usually it’s road dirt that clogs A/C drains… but in my day there were no cabin filters. Don’t forget to remove wet leaves sitting on your paint. Acids will leave marks in your paint
Yes!!! Good call on leaves on paint!! 👍
@@riceburner4747 Thank you
Hi, another benefit on removing the leaves is that they tend to migrate right behind the quarter panel moisture and metal don’t mix.
Another very helpful video! I love how you’re always trying to save your customers money by giving them the best advice you have.
Do a video on this but for panoramic sunroofs. Since my Camry has one a video on how to keep the pano roof working for a long time without issues would be really useful. I don’t want to spend a penny fixing it if it breaks so I want to meticulously maintain it as much as possible
didn't know they had rear drains too! When I sold used cars I used to love when customers would ask me "does the moonroof leak?" The precious look on their face when I said "yes, they all leak" followed by "they are designed to leak"
My girlfriend is very lazy. Every fall she gets covered in leaves for a month or more.
I tried removing the leaves with a leaf blower, but it blew debris inside her shirt and made her squint fiercely.
But the shop vac method is great. And the bonus is that ever since I started vacuuming her she smells a whole lot better.
Yep, it happend to me 30 years back with a Ford. Starting the cars ventilator after some sever rain showers was like turning a washing machine on and water came thru the vent box under the dashboard into my car. Both drain pipes running to the wheels where blocked by leafs. The dealership did blow these drains open with compressed air, and the car was peeing over the shop floor for ten minutes. Learned a expensiv lesson that day! Thanks for the video.
ANOTHER TOTALLY AWESOME video from AMD! Most other car care type UA-camrs are "pretenders" and you are the "REAL DEAL"... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EXCELLENT VIDS.!!! I wish Scotty Kilmer would ask you for video content mentoring, and also learn from your ACTUALLY HELPFUL video titles! I think that you and Chris Fix might be brothers (as far as video quality is concerned)! :-) I had a 97 camry years ago that was plagued with the sunroof drain issue and also eventually developed the AC drain issue (moldy smell). The service dept. I used NEVER told me the 2 were related and ONLY after cleaning the drains numerous times AND AC once, did they ask me if I was parking under trees (with little leaves & buds, etc). Then, they told me to use compressed air (I did not)! To bad UA-cam didn't even exist then. Oh well! Your the best & thanks again! One quick unrelated question, do you know if the 2008 2GR FE engine in an Avalon is Direct injection engine or not? Again, thanks!!!
Hi! The engine in your avalon is not direct injected it’s port injection only
AMD thanks so much for these tips. By the way I had no clue as to cleaning the sunroof. I have cleaned off many customers' cars by picking all of the leaves off by hand and have never thought about causing problems down the road. However, where I live its not just leaves that are a problem but Pine needles. They get stuck in all the small holes and its impossible and not really cost effective to get all of them out, but I know they have less of a chance of making it to the A/C box.
Great info, something I've never thought about especially the leaves in the cowl
Thanks for sharing! When I go to the car wash I use their vacuum on my Camry to get the leaves out before I go through the car wash. Because trying to vacuum wet leaves is harder! My niece has a 2013 Kia Sportage with sunroof and I may tell her about clean out the drains on her Kia!
I'm a car care nut or so I thought..nobody ever mentioned this stuff before or I've missed it all these years. I'm running to my cars now!!
I just bought a 1999 Toyota Camry. Just noticed a damp spot on my headliner. I will be doing this soon!
I’m so grateful for another one of your videos, AMD. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!
Thanks for another useful tips. I make sure I clean the cowl area everytime I wash my car, in my case every weekend. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day.
Excellent work. I appreciate your wonderful videos. And this is one reason I never buy cars with sunroofs. As a mechanic for 33 years I hate sunroofs
I just intuitively picked out the leaves without crushing them, usually waiting for the wife to show up! Glad I watched this to realize there were tiny drains everywhere that could clog up and total the entire car! Many Thanks!
Greetings general public, I am a living witness #Doctorojie herpes herbs cured me
AMD...Glad I watched it. Learned some more good tips, especially the cowl part and how stuff could end up on top of the cabin filter. Thanks for sharing. Keep sharing these informative videos and Keep up the Fire!
Take care and Stay Safe.
JT
I use a blow gun and lightly apply air pressure to blow out the drains, I usually charge my customers $10 to clean the drains.
Years Ago When I Worked As A Tech For Volkswagen And Audi I Used A Modified Clutch Cable To Clear The Blockage. I Did Lots of Sunroof Work Back Then.
Ahmed. You are amazing. You gave us very simple but important maintenance tips. I do keep the leaves off the cowl. But I never realized the reasons (beyond aesthetics) why it should be done. But will no longer use my hands to get the leaves out. Its a good job for my shop vac. Thanks again my friend.
13:32 Then maybe periodically take out the cabin air filter , vacuum off any gunk and also in the area where it goes / fan area . To use a small flashlight to see any debris . And even South Main Auto Repair , You Tube ? Used one of the special mirrors to see around the area . And of course , periodically to blow away any leaves with air around the engine compartment and on top of the car . There are so many specific detailing air blowers to use .
Thank you so much for the advices about the leafs cologging the Cowls. I'm an avid follower of your chanal. I own two Toyota cars both of them are 2019 models (Camry is mine and RAV4 is my wife's). I follow your recommendations on how to maintain Toyota cars. It's very good and useful ones. I appreciate the time you give to make life as good as you always say. thank you very much.
This video offers a ton of priceless information. Thank you Car Care Nut... 👍
This is such an eye opener and I appreciate knowing about it. It makes me wonder though why I never had problems with water or leaves collecting on the cowl or sunroof in my old Subarus or Saabs. I noticed immediately when I got the Toyota there are constantly thick collections of dirt and leaves in the cowl (especially on the sides where water is supposed to drain) and around the trunk. To me it seems like a design flaw. I wonder if Saabs and Subarus are sealed better? Anyway thanks for warning us and teaching us how (and why) to take care of it.
The sunroof was a problem for many years with my old Jeep Liberty. The drains were exactly the same as you said. The front right one was the most trouble. I had to have the drain hose replaced once. The cause was there was a walnut tree near my driveway. Once the tree had to be removed the problem stopped. Of course now my Tacoma does not have a hole in the roof.
My Toyota Highlander 2013 has a totally different and weird drain system. Water built up wet the carpet. As you told me earlier , I had to open an electric box by the left side near the emergency brake. Drain pipes were not clogged but the area where drain pipes end was clogged ( thanks to boroscopes camera). I had to insert my hand inside of that space to clean the debris and whatnot but still it was not fully opened. Finally i poured drain cleaner liquid ( drano brand) and wait for 15 minutes. It helped a lot. And now it drains absolutely perfect.
Was it a black rubber grommet drain hole that was clogged?
@@joelopez40oz23 no actually the area where front drain pipes end was blocked.
Hi! Some models including your highlander has that "funnel" design where it can get clogged too. those you'll easily see them with the water test. you'll run the water and nothing will come out.
@@TheCarCareNutMine is a 2010 highlander and the water test is good..on both sides at the pinch weld, but still it’s pooling water around the grommet under the passenger side front seat. I dont know what to do!
@@TheCarCareNut 2010 Highlander with the funnel design drain pan. I've got it apart and cleaned but can't help but think there's a way to modify the drain pan to allow water to drain faster. Any ideas? I'd rather not do the hose bypass out the floor. Great videos. Thanks to you I did the spark plugs and water pump!
He is SO Right. Always learning things from this channel. One of the BEST on UA-cam/
Thank you so so much for these tips. Why? Because I have just discovered why I hear funny noise when I activate my AC blower. Weither is lenient today I got to do that cleaning and quite my AC blower. Gracias muchas Senior 🏋️♂️💪🏋️♂️💪😎❤️
One of my problems was pine needles. I had both pines removed after a storm and I'm so glad I did. My filters were clogged and the cowl and behind the door hinges was full of needles.
AMD……Thank-you! I knew about the sunroof drains, but never thought to service/clean them. The people that have these problems are usually the ones during the snowy winter, they never clean the snow from their cars……Jim
Thank you! Very timely. I needed this tutorial.
Adding this to my pre-purchase inspection list.
I've seen so many cars and trucks with this problem. You clean out the mess, water flows through to the ground.
Thank you for the video! I do this annually (cowl when needed) simple maintenance adds life and miles!
This is a great video and information. Although I have a Honda Accord, this is very helpful for me.
That's why I take my Toyota highlander EL and not XEL , my previous cars always has problems with the sunroof!...and in Florida isn't a good idea leathers seats!
I never like having a moonroof on my car. Hence why I stay away from cars with moonroof. It's just another added maintenance. If poorly maintenance, it can lead to malfunction, and now you have to deal with using the manual override tool, which is just a hassle. I park my cars outside, so I just cover it up with a car cover every time I park.
"She might give you a pass" (referring to using the house vacuum cleaner to suck up leaves from the cowl.)
I laughed hard on that! Thanks AMD for a funny moment! (and a helpful video).
Thank you I learned something new again today.
I realize these are older videos but I have recently acquired an 09 RX 350 and I plan on making it last me at least 5 or more years so I am so happy to find professional mechanic knowledge on maintenance and prevention for us real world DIYers ... Great tips and I will use your links so you get some benefit as well. Be Blessed.
Like that shop vac idea , always been grappling with them by hand , no more , haven’t seen any in the cabin filter . Another reason I will never have a sun roof , just not worth it having a hole in my roof that makes noise
Excellent video!! Approx 4 months ago my Rav4 headliner started to stain around the driver side A-pillar, the grab handle, and the to the B-pillar. I didn’t know what was happening I took to my dealer , and yes, it was blocked drains. Excessive dust had worked its way in and plug them. I ended up having them cleaned and the headliner shampooed. While I always remove leaves from around the cowling, i never ever thought about ‘flushing’ the sunroof. Wish i knew this months ago, i could have saved a lot of money. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as thought and was easily cleaned. A lesson learned.
It is because of videos like this that you present that keep us informed. So, after learning by experience 😡I now regularly check the drains.
Thank you AMG
I’ve had two floods because of roof drains, both after torrential rains. Both vehicles were mostly parked outside. Mazda MX-5, a convertible has drains just behind each door. My early 2000s model had removable filters but the drains could still clog. Used a trombone cleaner at each oil change and never had the problem again. Also had a flood with a VW Jetta. Fall is bad but I think spring with pollen and all the other tree debris is actually worse. Dealers and owner’s manuals should highlight this maintenance requirement.
Great advice, very valuable information. Thank you very much! 👍🏻
Thank you for very useful advice. Please make video about how to clean engine bay. Specially cleaning hybrid car engine bay.
Love this video. I am all about preventative maintenance. My vehicle is new and always in the garage, but I am still going to check my sun roof.
Thank you. I know a lot about cars and never knew this.
Thank you for the great maintenance tips... take care...
THAT IS what’s making the blower motor noise! Thank you soooo much! God Bless!
I’m blushing as I admit this, but I’m one of those car owners you were talking about. I had a sunroof and I had to park in an area outside that literally buried my car in leaves. And…. I ultimately ended up with water inside my car. I recently purchased a home with a garage but my cowl (from my new car) still has some decomposing leaves from where I used to park it outside. I just ran outside with a vacuum and cleaned it all up. Also cleaned up the trunk liner area. Hoping no lasting damage and will definitely do this maintenance twice a year (even though I have a garage now). Thank you!!🙏🏻
Shop vac: its a must. And for cheap? If you know a bass player, old strings make excellent drain snakes for sunroofs - just cut off the portion curled from being around the post. Apply a few drops of dishwashing detergent on as a lubricant if you like.
Excellent video on an important topic. Keep up the good work 👍
Wow, my mum’s car had a clogged AC drain, I heard the sloshing, it flooded the passenger floor board, and we had to take it to the dealer for them to drain it from the bottom. Discolored the floor mat. Never connected that incident to possible leaves accumulating, crumpling into the pleats and beyond.
Thanks for the video and excellent information... I will remember this as my car is parked under a tree.. and I use a brush to clean it under the bonnet and trunk area with a brush.. ..
With love from India
Chicago neighbor here, AMD, I had some water staining on my headliner last winter because the drain holes in the sunroof were clogged by ice, and then the snow came, melted, and had no where to go. I ended up opening the sunroof and pulling out the block of ice blocking the drain.
Thank you! I have a 2017 Rav4 and I checked the sunroof drain. One was clogged! I purchased a ultra cheap tool from TEMU ($2), 3 minutes to clear. Poured 3 cups of water in and drained in 30 seconds. Great!
I am going to vacuum my cowling now.
Thank you, Thank you!
Great video and great advise AMD. Preventive maintenance is gold.
Thank you for explaining that.
I actually did not wanted a sun roof on purpose because of water issues.
This is great! Thank you AMD and team. It took me a little while to find the video on your channel because the title didn’t say moon or sun roof, but I knew you had one because I saw the sunroof cleaning tool in your amazon affiliate account! Ordering one today!
On the front cowl, to go the extra mile if you break up leaves that fall in is to remove the wipers and plastic cowl cover and then clean the leaves and dirt under there as well as there are also drains on each end with a little rubber flap. Had an issue in my 2015 Prius where I noticed some water on my passenger floor after a drive thru car wash. Turns out my drain under the cowl was clogged with dirt and water went in the fresh air intake to the passenger floor.
Truly you are a great gift for us. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience to bring some simple common sense maintenance to our attention God bless you.
Just catching up thanks for the great advice, seems like a good time for a short one on rust proofing tips!!!! 🙂 👍🏻👍🏻
Yeah I am OCD with my new cars. I keep under the hood spotless also. I never let any leaves accumulate under the hood and change cabin air filter frequently. Thanks for the vacuuming tip. That makes sense to me.
I'm glad I saw this. I had no idea.
Great advice. This is something that is never discussed but is a real potential problem. Keep the well informed videos coming! Your channel continues to amaze
Thanks for the great Tips! I know many cars who have had those drains get clogged and flooded, so knowing where and how to clean them just saved me that very problem. Especially since this is my first vehicle with a sunroof.
Glad you mentioned that the panoramic sunroof does not have this issue. Just one more thing I do not need to worry about on my 2020 RX450h. Thank you! I just need to keep an eye on AC drain clogging. Even though I park in my attached garage, I do have spiders in there.
Good call on the vacuum for the leaves! 🍂
Love it! Gonna check and clean my RAV4 tomorrow!
Amd, thanks so much for this video! I know now why I had so many issues with my non-Toyota vehicle with water getting into the passenger floor because of improper cleaning of the cowling. I am going be purchasing a battery powered vacuum very soon. I do not want to make the same mistake with our 2021 Toyota Sienna.
Can’t wait to use this new shop vac anyway. It’s 6.5 hp and a beast. Should suck any dust out of there too. Thanks for the tip
On a horizontal fitted cabin air filter I always cut a cereal box and slide the boxboard under the filter before I remove it just to catch any possible debris from falling down into the fan. Thank goodness I do that as once there was a mouse nest on the cabin air filter that would have fallen into the fan motor.
Winter windshield covers are great for preventing a buildup of leaf matter on the Cowell.
Definitely don't use compressed air. I never did, but My 07 camry has been a nightmare with drain tubes spontaneously becoming disconnected, which leads to water draining down the A or C pillars and soaking the carpet. You need to partially lower part of the headliner and reconnect them with a ziptie or special clamp which Toyota put out in a TSB. You can improve the seal of your sunroof by treating the rubber gasket with Honda Shin-Etsu grease. Let it soak in and wipe off. This will reduce wind noise and intrusion of water and debris in general.
I haven’t in a while, but on older vehicles, I’ve used compressed air….. guess that was a very bad idea
So very, very helpful! Never before knew that I shouldn’t be just grabbing the dead leaves I found in the well where my windshield wipers rest!! As always, thank you so much for your commitment to Truth and to us! 💐
Thank you. This is why I subscribe to this channel, for repair videos like this that other sites don’t mention. Made especially for Car Care nuts like you said. One question, if you do the water drain test and water is draining OK from your sunroof, do you still need to do the cleaning procedure?
Hi! If water is draining fast and well. You don’t need the cleaning.
AMD, just wanted to let you know I tackled the spark plug replacement today in my wife’s highlander. Your video was so thorough and well explained. I only ran into 2 problems: 1) the coil wire connectors had very brittle tabs and a number of them broke off with just a little pressure and 2) I forgot to route the hose through the center of the plenum like you told us, so I had to take it back off! It took me a lot longer than I expected, but glad I did it. Thanks again!
Hi! The tabs are common to break. This is actually a video that I need to get out and done how to replace them.
@@TheCarCareNut I did some googling after they broke and kept reading that it’s a pretty common problem. I look forward to that video. Thanks again! God bless!
Also clean the gutter exits behind the front wheel arch under the cills using the same wire. Its a hollow flap of metal beneath the cills.
I never knew the damage potential
Thanks !
Good advice! Thankfully I live in Cali where the leaves never fall lol 😂
Good for u...we gave leaves e everywhere
My corolla has ane of those crazy aftermarket sun roofs without drain hoses, just a sunroof, someone paid for installing it money and that's beyond me, anyway it's been leaking for years, nothing really helped until I sealed it with silicone, it's not opening now but it's dry inside
Thanks Ahmed
Great info for use on my 2018 Prius sunroof, thanks for a great tip, priceless!!!
Design a leaf guard... great advice...
Great video as always! Thank you for this. Do you have some next level tips, too? Such as lubricating window sliders, ball joints, steering shafts, AC compressor. Anything that is overlooked during "regular" maintenance?