Toyota sunroof drain solution
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2024
- No more wet floors. Run a new hose and keep that carpet dry!
Highlanders are great. Their leaking sunroofs...not so much. Cleaning out the drains is impossible. Even a body shop refused to help me. But the fix is actually quite simple and can be done for less than $10 in about an hour with no drilling.
Reroute that drain right out the floor like it should have been done to begin with. An added benefit is the new drain will be easy to clean if it clogs up again in the future.
And thank you for stopping by the Rabid Beagle Garage.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I watched this other video that looked so daunting where the guy unplugged all of the electrical connectors and fished around up in the pillar and cut his hands on sharp edges and I was not sure I wanted to do that.
This way was so easy! 13 ft of vinyl tubing, a few hand tools, and 15 minutes of time. I can't believe I lived with this flooding for almost a year now and it was so easy to fix.
Playing with electrical connections and cutting your hands? Oh no, that's not a solution.
I'm truly happy this worked out for you!
I bought a 2012 Highlander and have had it for 2yrs now. Started having the water problems from sunroof drain.
After watching several videos on how people tried to fix it, I settled on your method. It wasn’t difficult to fix. I poured 1L of water through it afterwards and found no issues. It cost a little more than My wife thought it would... $180.
I bought a chainsaw while at the Hardware Store. Hahahaha!
Thanks for the video.
That's awesome! I'm glad it worked for you! Enjoy the chainsaw!!
This video helped me fix our leaky 2013 Rav4 in less than a 1/2 hour! No mechanic would touch our problem. Best $5 fix yet!
That's awesome! I'm really glad it worked out for you!!!
So helpful and straight forward. Had a hurricane come through Georgia and my car got soaked and its in all the exact same spots. Just ordered the hosing.
@@MayMayD123 I'm so glad I was able to help you. Best of lick with the hurricane cleanup. I've been there.....yuck!!
Fix done 2 weeks ago. Heavy rain and a serious car wash later and my footwell is dry, dry, dry. Thank you my friend and my wife had a good laugh at the goofing off line.
Thank you! It's really amazing how effective this is and hard to believe that Toyota didn't do it this way from the start. I'm glad it worked out for you!!!
Any ideas about how to get rid
of the mildew smell ? 🤑
@@LizS119 I lifted the carpet, put a 2x4 under it and blew a fan on it to help dry it out. Mine wasn't that bad tho. Maybe you can rent a carpet cleaner or extractor (Home Depot rents them) to help with the smell. Good luck!
@rabidbeagle
I have been putting my AC in the car on high speed, with only the floor setting turned on, whenever I am in the car. I set it for air circulation inside the car (vs outside air), because I don't want any other smells coming in at this point. Besides, it's been sweltering hot for awhile now, & heat just encourages mold & mildew growth. Don't think it's a good idea to blow hot outside air right on it. I do put down the windows when I do this. Helps get the mildew smell (both blowing around, & still left on the insulation) out of the car.
Some people suggested cleaners vinegar, etc. However my moisture is in my insulation, not the carpeting. I think getting it wetter at this point would just make things worse.
If this doesn't work, maybe I will see if there is a way to lift the insulation without damaging it.
Thanks for your feedback. I really appreciate it !
Like I said, an extractor might help as it would suck the moisture out of the carpet. And carpet cleaners that you rent also suck the moisture out, you could even use them to shampoo the rug and help with the smell. You've really got to get the moisture out from under the insulation or the smell will always come back. Lifting the carpet isn't hard and just let it dry out on a warm day. You might have to do it a couple of times but you've got to get it done before the mold takes over.
Best of luck with it.
Thanks so much for this method. We had a huge rain and our driver side floor was drenched. I did your method, took me just a few hours, it was easier than expected. Poured a glass of water in the sunroof and now it just pours right onto the ground under the car. ('2013 HIghlander.) Thank you!
You're very welcome!! I'm glad it solved your problem!
Thanks so much for posting this! I just did this and solved the problem for once and all. Now I have to get rid of the carpet smell and let it really dry out. We had torrential rain last night and the carpets were bone dry this morning. I did both sides as a precaution even though the passenger side seemed OK. One note, I didn't take the side pillar trim (with the horribly difficult tab) off. I just pulled it back at the bottom which gave me plenty of room to cut and splice the new tubing into the old, and put it back in place. I did lose the grommet into the hole under the floor, but no big one. Next time at the junkyard I will get another one.
You saved me a lot of time and energy, so a BIG thank you!
@@AlastairPalmer-q6j I'm really glad this helped you out! Great tip on the pillar trim!
This is so easy! took me less than 1 hour total. This is the best method thats 100% solves the problem.
That's awesome! I'm so glad it worked out for you!!
Brilliant solution and I thank you immensely for taking the time to make the video. Less than an hour’s work for a perfect solution. If you’re concerned about the new hose connection to the old, you can use a plastic 1/2 inch plastic coupling for another $2 bucks.
You're quite welcome. I'm glad it worked out for you and I like the coupling idea!
Thank you so much for this post. I discovered yesterday that my 2010 Camry Hybrid had a bunch of water pooled up in the channel on the front side of the sunroof. Fortunately, I caught it before getting anything wet inside the cab. Both front drains were clogged.
I used the technique you showed in this video and it worked perfectly. You saved me a bunch of money and hassle. Really appreciate your time and trouble putting together these informative videos.
That's great! I'm glad it worked out for you!!
Thanks so much for posting this. I’ve had clogged drains for years and eternally wet floor boards. I tried blowing them out last summer to no avail. I’ll try this and hopefully it will be fixed. I noticed your Marines magnet on the car-Semper Fi! I’m one of 6 Marines in our family 🇺🇸 Thanks again!
This will definitely solve the clogged line issue. No reason to have wet, smelly floors anymore!!
My son is a Marine as was my father. Super proud of him. I've actually got videos of his graduation at Parris Island on my video list if that interests you. I actually posted them for family that couldn't make it to the ceremony but they're there for anyone to watch.
Thank you for your service!!!
THANK YOU soo much for this video ~ ! Just a Couple tweaks here for anyone doing the project: FIRST get your hiking headlamp, put it on. SECOND use the long reach pliers with a Slight curve 20 degree - Harbor Freight sells two for 9.99. Pull top of the A-pillar trim away from the pillar. Use pliers to reach down in over the Top of the trim where you have space to see and maneuver, Not under the air bag. Grab the plastic clip thingy, twist down. Easy... THIRD: ( When you buy vinyl tubing, note that some are very soft, others are more firm, even though both are 1/2" od 3/8" id. The soft one was at Home Depot and is perhaps too soft because it will flatten out under pressure when you place your feet on the floor. ACE sells a more rigid 1/2" o.d. tube. ) Fish the new tube down into the space where the old tube is passing through the dash. No need for wire, just notice the old tube goes to outside of a felt liner, the new tube should go to the inside toward the dash. It comes right out the bottom and off you go. FOURTH: Cut the old tube with wire cutter snips. Leave the old tube in place if you wish. Duct tape your new hose joint. - Done. ALSO, for the mold and mildew smell of the carpets, once you have the carpet lifted up spray 70% isopropyl alcohol all under there in the padding and top of carpets too. Let it air out n dry. Spray again, maybe add few drops of your favorite essential oil.
Great video, saved me a a lot of money. Word to the wise, make sure when you connect the hoses by the airbags, definitely use a hose clamp. I live in South Florida and used electrical tape and that did not hold up in the heat. Had to go back in and fix it again when I had water leaking all over. Hose clamp should do it. Thank you!
THANK YOU! This is the best solution that I found. Thank you for posting it. I hope that I can be as helpful to someone as you have been to me! I have fixed my 2012 Highlander.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm sincerely happy that I was able to help you fix your issue!!
Thanks for the video, i believe all toyotas with sunroof have this problem, i have a 2012 camry with the same problem. I used a 10' pipe cleaner to clean out, if that does not work i will do what you did.
Thanks for this video. I ended up having to take the seats out and rip out all the carpet padding material because it was saturated. I just cut new pieces of regular carpet pad and put it all back together. Smells like a new car now.
Man, that sucks. I know my carpets held so much water, it was unbelievable. At least you know it's not going to smell like mold! Glad I could help!
Thank you so much for the video and demo! I able to complete it in about a half hour once I had all the items. The plastic on the doorframe was absolutely the hardest part and it had me nervous when I was removing it and replacing it due to the airbag.. but all worked well. BTW, that little plastic plug is for draining water if it ever fills the car there! LOL! Anyways, well done video! Thanks for the help!
This took me about an hour and a half including going to the store twice. The hardest part was getting the first panel off-I had to go buy bent needle nose pliers to get it back on. Managed to feed the hose without wire pretty easily. Wife is happy. Not going fishing or hunting but definitely drinking whisky. Thank you 🤝
That's great! I'm glad it worked out for you! Happy wife, happy life!
IT WORKS!!!!! HALLALUEAH!!!!! 2011 Highlander floor no longer wet after soaking it with the hose. And only took 2 hours and cost me $2.51. Rabid Beagle YOU DA MAN!
That's great!! I'm glad it worked for you!!
Yep! I had this happen in my 2015 Rav4. Toyota cleared those drains and my sunroof still leaked. So weird and so I traded it for a vehicle from Toyota without a sunroof. Glad you got yours figured out.
Yep. Next vehicle I get will not have a sunroof. I seldom use it in the Pacific Northwest (rains all the time). It's just not worth the headaches.
You are a Genius Sir, thank you so much 😊your video helped me so much. I don't have to worry about rainy days and no more headaches. God bless you 🙏🏽
Lol!! I'm glad it worked for you!
Thanks so much for sharing your solution. With your advice on how to remove the column cover, I had no problem at all. I did use a dull/stiff putty knife to help loosen the column plastic cover. Feeding the tube was more difficult. One thing I learned with my 2013 Highlander was to get on the floor, look up from the bottom with a flashlight to help determine the hose path. A power steering module is the way and by observing from the bottom I overcame my trouble feeding the wire down and the tube up. Overall, great solution. Possibly Toyota should hire you to replace the co-op engineer that must have designed the OEM version of the sunroof drain!
I'm glad it worked out for you. Running that hose can be a little tricky. Toyota should definitely be ashamed of themselves for such a poor design. I've owned nothing but Toyotas since the early 90s and I have never seen such an obviously awful design.
@@rabidbeagle I went through the same BS with my 2004 Jeep grand Cherokee with inches of water coming in due to the sunroof so I'm so disappointed that I have to go through this again with what I thought was the most dependable car brand in the world. This method should be offered as a fix through the dealership for a nominal fee. I won't even get into the issue of standing water in that space and future rust issues that may arise. I live in Miami Beach and rainy season is on the way so I need to get to work on this.
I have this exact problem. 2010 highlander limited.
Just started up recently.
Thank you so much for posting this, friend. Much appreciated!
You're quite welcome!! I hope it solves your problem.
My man! This is the solution I was looking for!!! Thank you so much.
Happy to help
Thanks for the help removing that side panel trim (I have a 2005 Avalon). I used a needle nose with a 90 degree bend and that helped immensely to twist that plastic coupling piece. My issue was that the tubing was not connected at all to the drain plug so I didn't need to do the full replacement. I did have to remove the visor and interior side handle in order to get my hand far enough into the overhead panel to clamp the tubing to the plug. Your video helped me get there! Thanks!
What ever happened to quality control? That hose should never come loose. Toyota should be ashamed of themselves. I'm glad I was able to help!
The seal on the plug can go bad too - liquid gasket sealant to the rescue.
I've been looking for a solution for weeks. Thanks for this!
You're welcome!! Glad I could help!!
Thank you soooo much for the fix and the video! At least now I have something to try to fix the problem, short of tarping my vehicle every time it rains, as I don’t have a carport or garage.
You're welcome!! I really hope it works for you! Let me know!
This vid has shown me how to pretty much access the tubing for my 03 Camry
Thank you so much👍
I'm glad I was able to help!
Thanks for the direction. Can I add a couple more minor details? Removing the plastic pieces along the bottom of the door, remove the middle piece first or at lease pull it up. To be able to "twist" that orange piece to take out and to put back, insert a long thin screw driver under the wrapped air bad to get a clear shot to the orange clip. I also used 3" with electrical tape that I wrapped around the tube connections, just to be sure there is no leaking in the link. Finally, it will be obvious, but you will need to cut out the center of the plug that is on the floor, for the tube to go through and out of the bottom of the car. But, great info, worked like a charm!!!!
Great idea. It have been happened to me lately. Everytime it rains for more than 3 hours my carpet on the driver side gets wet. I was thinking on drilling the holes on the bottom a little bigger but thinks your idea is better and easier than mine. Thanks for the video
Be careful drilling holes into the fender. It wouldn't take much to drill into the wiring harness, I've heard of it happening. Plus, this method eliminates the chance of corrosion where the hole is drilled.
I did exact same thing.
But used 2 L-shaped hose connectors to avoid kinks in the hose. First one is under the plastic trim right next to door sill and the second one at the end of the hose and connects hose to the drain plug on the floor(instead of running hose the plug directly). Also, I didn’t remove the original hose.
In my opinion, complete Removal of the A pillar trim is optional.
Lastly, I’ve wrapped portion of the hose with foam pipe insulation to avoid damage due to foot traffic.
Thanks for your help.
But how did you connect the new hose to the old one without removing the pillar? Too bad the original hose isn't accessible under the dashboard. it would make this job so much easier. and Shame on Toyota for not offering a reasonably priced fix for this issue. I bought a Toyota so I wouldn't have to deal with this kind of BS.
THANK YOU! This was a great solution for my 07 Highlander. In my case, I had blocked tubes AND a rodent had chewed through the tube. Totally solved the leaky sunroof. Now to completely exclude the rodents. Thank you again - great video, made it super easy.
Yikes!! I'm glad it worked for you!
Thank you Boss! This is the best and simplest tutorial on this problem!!
Thanks for the video! I installed new hoses on both sides of our 2012 today.
Excellent! I'm glad it worked for you!!
Thanks for the video! Note that the panel needs to unclip and give a bit before reaching the tab you need to turn 90 degrees. My tab was blue not red in my 2013 highlander. Also, I slid the existing hose into 5/8” hose to be a bit more leak proof. Dipped the new hose in hot water to soften and expand it a bit. I also disconnected the battery and waited overnight to work with confidence around the air bag. This should be a recall in my opinion, terrible design. Thanks again!
Excellent tips!
Great video! 👍 I thought my sunroof seal had failed. But your video helped confirmed it was a clogged drain tube and problem solved. Thank you so much! 😊
That's great! I'm glad it worked for you.
My leak is on both sides. I tried cleaning the seal and the frame to try to fix it. I also poured about a teaspoon of bleach into the drain holes. None of that worked. I began to wonder if the leak was from the air intake at the bottom of the windshield. I'm glad I finally checked TH-cam to find that this is a common problem with the sunroof drain. What was toyota thinking? Maybe it's a bug filter to stop varmints from coming in. At least make it a replaceable filter if you must have one and extend the tube out the bottom. I'm not an engineer, though. Anyway, I put tape around my sunroof to stop the leakage temporarily. While doing that, I was able to easily push down on the back of the sunroof slightly which indicated that the seal was not holding. My seal looked 'aged', too, so that's probably the real problem. I'm assuming that the seal should indeed stop any water from coming in while closed, and the drain is intended to drain water pooling while the roof is open. It's about $50 and I have no idea how to install it but even if I did, the design for the drain is horrible (an inaccessible, non-replaceable filter and the fender is the reservoir?). So I will probably try to come up with a hybrid version (no pun intended) of your solution and consider replacing the seal. Alright, TH-cam, do your thing.
Tried this on my 2008 Highlander Limited. Simple fix, works well, great instruction! Thanks !
That's great! I'm glad it worked for you.
Thank u! Mine is a 2018 RAV4. I have about 4 inches of water down there on the driver side and we got rain all week however, a temporary fix is if I park with my front wheels going uphill it drains to the rear and those aren’t clogged so it’s a temporary until you can get it done thing just make sure if it’s raining park going uphill
That's unbelievable. Toyota should be ashamed of themselves for not addressing this issue by 2018.
When you get a nice day make sure you lift up the carpet and let it dry out fully. Parking uphill is an awesome idea for a short term solution.
Thanks for watching!!
This will be my weekend project. Best solution I've seen for this issue, I was about driving a big a$$ Hilti bit through the bottom of that water catchment area in my 2010 Highlander.
You'd think Toyota would have known about this and not make the same mistakes but I'm having a similar issue with a 2020 Rav4, water accumulating inside the rear driver's side door.. sounds like a gallon of water sloshing around in there, for over a week after heavy rainfall.
I've heard horror stories of people trying the drill method and drilling into the wiring block inside the car. Then water becomes the least of your problems!
Toyota should be ashamed of themselves. They know this is a problem and still build cars with poor sunroof drainage. I'm surprised no one has filed a class action suit.
Good luck this weekend!! I hope it works for you.
@@rabidbeagle Yeah, that's what I was worried about, since I wasn't sure what else was within that compartment 🤣
Thanks much again for the video. Will keep you posted
I finally can fix my problems with my highlander...thank you..
It won't fix all your Highlander problems but at least your floors will be dry!! I hope it works out for you!!!
I had the same problem in my Rav 4, But I got some garden wire, made a small loop on the end and then carefully fed it down the tube and gently pulled back and forth till clear, then I poured some warm soapy water down the hole, cleared it beautifully and took at most 15 mins. No need to take anything apart and rebuild at all.
Believe me, I tried that, multiple times, as well as compressed air, soapy water, draino, and drilling up into the pinch weld, brought the car to mechanics and even a body shop.
Thanks for watching
I had this same issue on a 07 Camry SE. that same tube had worked its way off the drip pan at the actual sunroof. It works its way off of the drain plug with heat and cold overtime. I just reconnected it and ran a zip tie around it so that it couldn’t work it’s way off again and the problem was solved. I am currently working on a 2008 Toyota Camry with the same issue and you just gave me a very good idea. Thank you for this video and I will sub 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Let me know how it goes. I'm curious how many other vehicles have similar issues.
Vandingo, I have a 2005 Camry and I cannot find the sunroof drain holes for the life of me. Are they visible or do I need to disassemble some of the sunroof tracking?
Used a slightly different diameter tube for my 2006 Hybrid, 3/8" OD 1/4" ID. Otherwise, very similar structure with yours. Many thanks for the video.
My only concern would be that the 1/4" tubing wouldn't provide enough flow but if it works then that's all that matters!
@@rabidbeagle that’s also my concern. It’s been rainy this whole week, and the wet carpet can’t be thoroughly dried yet, so bit hard to assess.
The drain hole that leaves the sunroof is quite small so I might not be a problem. I'd definitely pull up the carpet and let a fan blow under it. The mold smell is going to be overwhelming if you don't do something.
Appreciate the great video and the relaxed feel to it. I need to listen to this every day...ha.
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it!
I do thank you for this video. I saw the hose and rerouted to the hole in the floor. Then I thought let's make sure it flows and it's doesn't. Now I have no clue on what to do. Plus it just started raining.
None of my Toyota's came with a moonroof, but I enjoyed watching the video, thanks
Thank you!
Great video, clever fix! Bonus facts of life compliment the video nicely.
Lol! Thanks!
Excellent fix! Did it on both sides of the front. In routing the tubing end through the rubber grommet under the carpet, I drilled a hole in the grommet and slipped it over a small plastic elbow that fits into the end of the hose. Then the hose can't get pinched making a 90 degree turn.
That's great! I like the plastic elbow addition!
Excellent video THNX! ALTHOUGH I like to try "cheat codes" before I R&R and did here. In my case Liquid Plumber and hot water did the trick, followed by some air blasting. Drain designed thru pinch welds, wow what a concept!
Ooof...I'd be concerned about using caustic chemicals that will come in direct contact with metal. But I suppose as long as you rinse it well enough it should be ok! The main this is that your floor are dry!!
Beagle, I'M BAACK! The "cheat" worked for a while but now I'm back to the re-route on the passenger side. Wonder if the caustic chemicals created another downhill drain route to the floor and away from the pinch weld> ? THNX RB!
It could be but I think the filter tray probably just clogged up again. It's a horrible design. It's a perfect example of an engineer creating a problem where one didn't exist.
Thank you for the demo. This was simple
@@UntiedStatesofAmerica I'm glad this worked out for you? 👍
Great idea! I have been considering trying to extend the hose down through the rocker panel, but this seems like a much simpler solution. Thanks!
This is easy, fast, cheap, and, best if all, no drilling!!
I'm heading up to my local hardware store to get the angled needle nose pliers and tubing. Your clever fix makes a lot more sense than the folks who just clean out the clogged reservoir cup hidden inside the fender and its drain. It's an idiotic design that causes the problem. To me that just seems like something you'll be doing again in a year or three.
I've already paid Toyota once to fix those drains on my wife's 2010 Highlander. Took them three days. You'd better believe I'm not giving them another penny.
It really is an awful design. And the fix is cheap and relatively easy. I'll never understand why they didn't just do it this way to begin with. I hope it works out well for you.
Definitely going to be using this method to fix my issue! The only questions I have are: where does it drain to? it doesn't create another standing water issue between the floor and plastic cover does it? Anyway, thanks a bunch! I like this method better than the other fixes I saw on TH-cam.
It drains into the plastic cover under the floor. That cover has holes in it already so the water just drains through those and leaves no standing water and because it's plastic there are no corrosion issues either.
Thanks for the video. You really helped me figure out how to get the pillar cover off. However I just cut the tube in there, blew both directions with an air hose then connected the hose with a coupling from Home Depo.
Glad you were able to use some of the information in this video. Hopefully it doesn't clog up again.
I camt believ that im going through this with a Toyota. Thanks for the video
I agree. I've owned Toyotas for almost 30 years and never seen such a poor design to a simple problem. Thanks for watching. I hope this solves your issue.
On my 2006 Highlander I had a problem. When it rained the rear window rolled down and the radio blasted. What happened was the water soaked the electrical plugs and they corroded inside, shorting out the connections. It was a real pain in the pants to fix. I had to cut out the plugs and splice them together, solder them, cover them with shrink wrap, and then wrap them with electrical tape. Like 40 some connections. I've finished one and am waiting for the rain to stop to do the other two. I am not sure if it was the drain or the windshield leaking, so I used silicon sealant to seal the windshield as best I could. If you have to do this repair, go to the scrapyard and get about 4 feet of the harness including the plugs with some wire on each end because you'll need to lengthen the wire on two of the plugs to do the repair and it's necessary to have the correct wire size. Anyway, this is what can happen if you don't address the water leakage. Good luck to you all. Just sayin' Mike
Jeez. What a mess. I hope you get all that sorted out.
AIR BAG: You're taking a risk with the airbag - not necessary.
Disconnect the battery, or, find the fuse(s) that feed voltage to the airbags, and remove! With no electricity, the airbag *can't* go off !
Otherwise, I like your fix.
So far I've been good with running some commercial thickness weed_eater line DOWN the two drain lines in front to clear those drains. For the rear drain lines, I go UP, from underside of car until the plastic shows in rear of sunroof.
I've also cleared the front lines with water from garden hose, since everything was already wet, more water didn't matter. Obviously, garden hose won't work from the top, but should work coming up from the bottom
Thanks for the video, Good Luck !
There are no airbag sensors in the A pillar so there really is no chance it will discharge. But if it makes you feel better then feel free to disconnect the electricity to it.
The problem with these cars is the drains don't exit the car. They drain into a reservoir inside the fender which contains a filter. The filter clogs and the reservoir overflows into the car. The weed eater line trick doesn't work because it doesn't clear the clogged filter. Compressed air also doesn't work.
Fortunately I haven't had and problems with the rear drains. Supposedly on this model they discharge behind the bumper. I'm hoping I don't have to find out!
Whether you use this method or another one, I hope it works for you.
That's a great idea. I got it cleaned up with drano, but bypassing the sump that it dumps into is a great idea for sure.
I was afraid to use Drano. If it didn't work then I'd have corrosive chemicals trapped in the reservoir. But do whatever works, by all means. As long as it resolved the issue.
@@rabidbeagle I never even thought about rerouting it.
Worked well i used old washer supply hose with brass fitting bone dry thanks
That's actually a pretty good idea!
My hose came in so I did this to my wife's 2011 Highlander yesterday 8/1/21...we had back to back heavy rains Friday and Saturday and of course the floor was soaked. Hope this works because the smell in the car is really bad ! .I'll let you know later if it worked...and yea if i can do it anyone can ( : appreciate the video !
I hope it works too. I highly, highly recommend using a towel to soak up as much water as possible and lifting the carpet up for a day or so to help it dry out. I even sprayed Lysol on the padding. Do whatever you can to prevent mold from growing otherwise you're going to have a whole new set of issues.
This worked perfectly. Thanks RB!
That's awesome! Glad I could help!
I had 3 concerns with this project before I started, all 3 worked out fine. Biggest one first, i was worried that the hose would get worn/kinked from foot traffic where it goes through the hole in the floor. to address that i cut a 1/2" slot in a 2" piece of plastic (1/2" thick) and made a protective cover for the hose. its basically a horseshoe, works great and fits in the sunken part of the floor.
second concern was how leak proof the connection of the two hoses would be. the factory hose is actually quite elastic, so it is a snug fit over the home depot hose. i taped them anyway, but i dont think it would be an issue.
finally, im always concerned about going beyond the point of no return. in this case about pulling the old hose out of the A pillar. I decided to leave it in place, couldnt think of a reason to remove it, so should i ever have to go back its still connected to that mystery box in the pillar.
thanks for the tips, successful so far and that counts a 5" tropical storm the other day!
Excellent tips! I thought about the foot traffic issue as well. My wife is fairly short so the seat is usually moved forward pretty far and there is no way she'd ever be able to kink or damage the hose. However it does take a sharp turn to go thru the floor and I was concerned about it kinking there as well. I haven't had any issues with it but a protective cover or guide isn't a bad idea.
The friction fit for the hoses kinda happened by accident. I planned on clamping them together but when I assembled everything I didn't see how it could leak so I left the clamp off and ran a few gallons through it without any issues. Plus I was concerned about a clamp interfering or damaging the airbag. It's been 2 years and still no leakage.
Pulling the old hose out is a huge leap of faith. I only pulled it out to make room for the new hose but if the new one fit than leaving the old one in place is definitely an option.
Thank you for the input and I'm really glad it solved your problem.
Thanks for your added comments. I haven't started on my rav 4 yet. Was wondering why you wouldn't put a bead of silicone on the hose connection.
I'm not sure where you mean. The hose connection behind the a-pillar is a friction fit a d it's pretty tight though you certainly could silicone it if you chose. The hole in the floor goes through a grommet which is also cut to fit. Again, if you're concerned about the seal being insufficient there's no reason why you couldn't seal it just to be safe.
It's been 3 1/2 years since I did this originally and I have had absolutely no water issues.
Best solution for my Infiniti m35 2006.
Wow! On an Infinity? That's good to know. I'm glad it worked out for you.
Im an old Toyota employee 1988-2022 and this was certainly a cost down to shorten the drain hose.
For what we pay for these cars there really is no excuse for saving a penny or two per car. It's sad that we accept cost cutting measures like this when we are spending tens of thousands of dollars. I see the same nonsense on my F-150. It's infuriating.
I will have to try this! I’ve had issues more on the passenger side, and had drilled a hole in that grommet just to let the pooling water run out. I kept thinking it was AC condensation line but it seems to be draining fine. Thanks
Ive never checked the passenger side but I'm told the set up is identical to the drivers side. I hope it solves your problem!
@@rabidbeagle Worked like a charm, and it was easier than I feared it might be. Did the passenger side last night and ran out of time to do driver side. I found a brass barb connector that went from 1/2” to 3/8”, & it made a great connection between the old and new lines in the pillar. Drove through the car wash today unscathed!
@@emjackdad that's awesome! I'm so glad it worked out of you!! It's surprisingly easy, isn't it? Kinda makes you wonder why Toyota didn't do it this way to begin with!!
Passenger side is exactly the same. That was my problem side but did both sides anyway. Great fix
Where is the hole located and did it fix your issue?
This is an awesome video, Thank you, Before I do that, I dont see water on the floor, but when it rains, Thete is water accimulating on the top where the interior lights/ sunroof switch/ sunglass holder. I open the sunroof and there is water on the inside of the roof where it closes....How can I be sure it is clogged?
Truly appreciate your feedback.
One of the issues I had was water running down the windshield behind the sun visor as well as water on the floor. Maybe yours is clogged right at the drain entrance. I would clean any debris from the sunroof channel area and maybe run a wire or weed eater string down the drain holes in the corners to clear any blockage.
Hope this helps!!
Thanks man!! Life saver for sure
You're welcome!! Glad it worked for you!!
Ot sure whats more awesome, you or utube. Maybe together we all win. Ty!
Lol! Thank you!
The tubing is 1/2" OD × 3/8" ID x 7' that you will need.
Yes it is, just like it says in the video
I saw the inspection sticker and hey he’s in Jersey
All I can say is you are a smart man. I haven’t started yet but I have drilled holes under the bottom of SUV I used drano. After looking over all the comments I will be doing this tomorrow. just one question what kind wire did you use
Well, thank you!! I did the Draino and drill thing too and it didn't work.
I used a piece of 14 gauge wire I had laying around. Good luck! You'll be glad you did it!
Four years later and still helpful! I just did this to both sides today. I'm curious if you've had any leak from where you inserted the new tube into the old tubing (air bag area). I shoved it in their about 2 inches and am just a little worried about it dripping out and getting that area wet. I already put it back together but wish I had put some sealant there.. Any issues with leaking?
I've had no leaking issue. The only problem I've had was from stretching my left leg while driving and happening to have my foot on the tubing, which stretched it and caused it to pop out. The seal itself is watertight. However if it concerns you , a little silicone around it can't hurt and is probably not a terrible idea.
Thank you 👍
You are quite welcome
2006 highlander hybrid battery got flooded. I can't figure out where the water is coming from. Back seats and under passenger seat floorboard all wet. Like a giant puddle is there. Getting a check vsg hybrid system on the dash. The car wont start. I hope this solves it.
Yikes! I don't think this is going to solve your problem. This addresses the sunroof drain issue for the front sunroof drain. I think you may have a problem with the rear sunroof drains. I can't say for sure. I would start by trying to clear those with compressed air or a long wire. Good luck.
Thanks for this video. So much headache with this problem! the best solution I’ve seen so far! Have you had any issues since this video? Planning on doing this before it rains again! Ty
Thank you! I haven't had any issues and it's been almost 3 years. I haven't even done any maintenance or anything to it. The carpet is dry and the musty smell is gone. Happy wife, happy life!
Thank you so much for this. I'll be doing this soon. It confirmed an idea I had. I've had to pay several times just for it to clog up again. Would you know of a video that shows how to take off the first piece? I'm sure my wife would not like the duct tape to hold it back on after I break it.
You mean the a-pillar trim? Grab it with both hands, squeeze and pull. Then grab the plastic tab with needle nose pliers and twist 90 degrees. Be sure to reassemble with the plastic tab inserted correctly and just push the trim back on. No duct tape required.
It took me a bit but I finally got it accomplished. Again thank you for this video!
This is the most common sense fix for this problem I've found yet. Thank you. I haven't been able to finesse the molding off yet. Don't want to create another repair. I know you couldn't show the technique you used. Suggestions? Mine is a '08. What year is the one in the video?...not that it matters much.
The best way to remove the a-pillar molding is to grab it with both hands, squeeze, and pull towards you. Then, carefully going behind the airbag, use your needle nose pliers to twist that retainer. It's awkward but not bad once you get it.
My Highlander is a 2011.
Same car and problem here. Would love a more specific video showing how to get the a Pilar molding OFF AND BACK ON. Makes sense as described.
…getting that plastic tab to go 90 degrees, without breaking it, and then 90 degrees to go back on too?
Thanks for this post. I have a 2012 Highlander and have the wet floors. This is a great video. I also have wet seatbelts. Do you think the wet seatbelts is probably a roof rack issue?
It's funny that you mention that. My wife used to complain about the seat belt being wet and water coming out near the sun visor. Those complaints stopped after I replaced the sunroof drain hose. However I also hear that sometimes the seals around the roof rack fail and cause wet seat belts. I think you need to isolate the leak.
If it was me I'd start by testing the sunroof drains. Just open the sunroof and pour water into the corner of the opening into the drain. If the water drains out, the drains are clear. If not, they're blocked and that would be a good place to start. This repair is a cheap and easy place to start. If it doesn't fix it then you know you'll need to dig deeper.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Here, I thought you were going to use a long piece of wire to snake down the tube to unblock the drain.
You can try that but it will not work in this application.
So we have been having this issue for about a year and half on our 2008. I took it to the dealer, they cleaned blew air through...worthless. I took the entire fender flair off where it meets the car, and a massive amount of gunk came out. Still didnt help........still wet. There were no videos except the guy drilling the holes in the car (which we did) a year and half ago. Unfortunately we drilled right through the wiring harness when we did it from underneath. 500 bucks later, everything is working. Since then i opened up the frame a little more on the other side where the water comes out, since it did work for the driver side. But it still isnt perfect. Floors can be slightly wet, after a hard rain. I agree with this fix in rerouting the tube that should have NEVER gone through the frame...so dumb. Did you go through the drain plug? Have you worried about the tube getting pinched by the mat? Have you tried the passenger side with also has the issue?This has been such a pain, i have had it. To top it all off. I left a couple of the drain plugs off, last time i worked on this, and we had 3 mice (no they werent blind) get into the car and pee everywhere. So now we have urine to deal with. Kinda had it with this car. The mechanical list goes on and on...which i wont post on here. It would blow you away though.
Yikes!!
Yes, I routed the hose through the drain plug in the floor. I haven't had any pinching issues. When you run the hose just try to keep it out of the way of everything so it doesn't get stepped on or bent too much. The hose itself is fairly rigid so as long as it isn't kinked at installation, it should be fine.
I haven't had an issue on the passenger side though I would think it would have a very similar setup. Tho last year the floor was damp but think that was coming from the air conditioner. I should probably keep an eye on that.
That's awful having mice urinating in the car! That sucks! I'm surprised you're having mechanical issues with a Toyota. I rarely have issues with mine, and it's all I buy. I hope you're able to straighten it all out.
Daniel Harris I believe that on the front passenger side the drain hose is routed so that it drains down the passenger side A pillar and then down behind the right kick panel until the hose empties directly through the bottom of the vehicle behind the wheel well, as do most front moonroof drains, instead of dumping into a "filter" tank inside the fender as on the front left side. That's easy to check visually with a few ounces of water poured directly down that drain.
I am in the process of fixing this issue on a 2013 Highlander I borrowed from a family member - told them I would get rid of their major water problems before I returned it. In addition to moonroof drain problems, there is evidence of A/C drainage onto the front passenger floor, cowl drain leakage due to leaf accumulations inside the cowl, and water coming in through both of the rear tail light assemblies and through leaky, dirty and dried-up weatherstripping on the rear hatch, etc.; the inside smells terrible, and had mold growing on the seats and interior panels, and in the carpets. I have vacuumed gallons of water from the carpets and floor pans, cleaned and lubed the weatherstripping, and had the entire car steam cleaned, polished and waxed. Great engineering job, Toyota.
Instead of messing with the A pillar air bag and adding the hose through the floor pan, as was done here, I'm going to start by pouring a mold and fungus killer directly down the left front drain to see if that opens things up. Either it will or it won't, but a visual check will be simple. I'll access the A/C drain by pulling back the carpet near the evaporator box, and blow the drain hose out with compressed air, and use a shop vac to suck any trash out of the evaporator box. Likewise, I'll use the same procedure in the cowl area under the windshield wipers. There are also grommets and body drain plugs in various places that are supposed to keep out water, but which can be missing if any body work has ever been done on the vehicle. One TH-cam person showed 9 body plugs hidden by the rear bumper on his Highlander, some of which were missing, thereby letting water in through the rear of the vehicle. If you use about a 7 foot length of thick weed whacker line, you can physically clear any blockages in the drain tubes portions of the moonroof drains (i.e. down to the left front fender box, but not through it), but you may have to start at the bottom to clean the two rear moonroof drains. Good Luck!
It empties into the frame of the car, and leaks through specified cracks where the frame comes together.
@@Anonymous-it5jw sounds like you have your hands full. You can find videos on TH-cam where people put a camera down the drain and use a tool to pick apart the filter. Be careful pouring chemicals down the drain as they may not come out and can corrode the inside of the fender. Best of luck.
Is there a drain hose on the passenger side too? In our '12 Highlander, the passenger floor gets wet ... driver's side is OK so far.
Yes. It's the same setup on the passenger side. Just make sure that it's the sunroof causing the problem and not the air conditioner failing to drain.
You could follow the trunk release wire and use just a foot long hose or there's wires you can follow to the engine under the dash but drill it all the way down works. I been thinking to drill to the groumet in the windshield wiper bolts in the firewall box and drill from inside by the speaker's or sunlight sensor to the windshield wipers or even what about to the windshield water reservoir?!
Why drill?
Thanks.
You're welcome. Glad it worked for you.
Thanks for this video however I still need some advice…I’ve tested the front two sunroof drain holes with a water bottle in my 2008 highlander and both of them drain to the ground underneath the car, I can visually see the water flowing and exiting the vehicle. So if it’s not the sunroof drain holes and not the AC line being clogged, any idea of what else could cause water underneath the floor? It’s been happening after it rains and it’s the driver and passenger side floor from what I can see.
Man, that's tough. I assume the front sections are wet. When I poured water into the drains before running a new hose, water still came out behind the tire, just not fast enough to keep it from overflowing into the car.
I'd try pouring water into the rear drains and see if they are draining properly as well, tho it's kind of a long shot. It should drain behind the rear bumper. Also, lift the hood and pour water into the vents and see if water is leaking from there, check the cabin air filter and see if it is wet. Then try spraying the windshield with a hose for a while. The seal can fail or if the windshield was replaced and not installed exactly right it will leak.
Other than that, I have t got any ideas. Let me know how it goes. Good luck!
@@rabidbeagle thanks for the reply, I also thought that using a water bottle wouldn’t be enough water to really test it. I might have my gf run water over the sunroof with a garden hose while I sit in the car with the front carpets pulled up to see if water is actually seeping in and overflowing. Other than that I saw a video about someone pulling off their back bumper and finding some missing gromets/rubber plugs back there that allowed water to seep in but in that case that person was finding the rear passenger carpets wet, not the front.
@@Iskateminilogo pulling the carpets is the way to go. It'll give them time to dry out before they mold up. If both sides are wet and it's not from the sunroof or air conditioner, I think it's probably the windshield. But that's just my guess. Hopefully you can see where it's coming on from while the carpets are up.
Hi thank you very much for making the video. I am going to try to address this issue in the coming week. My 2009 Highlander is accumulating water under the passenger side floor mat. There is trickling water beneath the kicker panel.
Is it possible that it’s one of the windshield cowl drains that is plugged? Do you know where those drain to? Is it the same fix?
I had my windshield replaced right before the problem occurred. Can a windshield replacement affect any of the drains?
Finally. The black seal strip under one of my roof rails is missing. Is it functional as a seal? Could that be the problem?
Thank you very much.
It looks like you have a list of potential issues. Yikes! I would try to pick them off one by one. Pour water down the sunroof drain and see if it comes out by the floor or outside the car. Once that is eliminated, pour water over the missing roof rail gasket. Then spray water around the windshield and see what happens.
I've heard that it is not uncommon to develop a leak after having the windshield replaced. I'd definitely bring it to the installer's attention.
Good luck. I hope you figure it out.
@@rabidbeagle thank you for the fast response. It was the sunroof after all. I ended up just taking it to a reputable body shop since I’m out of time, I need to travel soon and leave the car outside. They spread the welds a bit wider in a couple spots on both sides of the car. I asked them if it’s safe to do so, they said it’s completely fine and safe. Toyota designed the drain to leak through the welds anyway. Your solution is good as well though.
If the drain hose is clogged up,does the water build up inside the headliner to a point it comes out of the visor mounting bracket hole? I get water running out onto me during a heavy rain when I get in to drive.
I think it does. I also had water coming from the headliner before I fixed mine. I had actually forgotten about that.
You can open the sun roof and blow into the drain hole with the air compressor there are 4 holes and tubes one in each corner of the sun roof pan.
You could do that. It won't unclog it, but you can do it.
Not on a 2018 Highlander. First vehicle I've ever seen where the drains weren't directly accessible from the top.
Thanks
You're welcome. I hope it works for you!
Do the hose poke out thru the floorboard to drain to the ground?
Yes, it drains outside to the ground. It actually empties into a plastic undercarriage tray that drains to the ground, but it does drain outside
Hey, thanks for the fix! Completed in under an hour - I definitely question the original design. By the way, do you live in Fairfield?
I'm glad it worked for you! I'll never understand why it wasn't done this way from the factory.
I'm not in Fairfield. I'm from Central Jersey.
Am gonna try this on Is300 i have. I attached the draining pipe back which was disconnected from the top but now its leaking from the bottom. Seemingly the drain pipe is blocked at the bottom. Hate sunroofs.
I don't know anything about the ls300 but I suspect it would have a similar setup. Make sure you have a place to discharge the water in the floor otherwise you'll have to drill one.
Please let me know how it goes. I'm curious to know if the ls300 has the same setup and the Highlander.
Good luck. I hope it works for you!
@@rabidbeagle Just finished and am glad it worked . Had to drill a hole in the floor close to door sill.
Earlier i was looking for the OEM drain pipe location down there it might be hiding behind the fuse box but that seem lotta work so i went your way. Thanks.
@@shanuyadav7273 that's great! I'm glad it worked out for you!
Nice
do these toyotas have 2 or 4 drain holes? I believe I clean out the front 2 very well but there might be 1 in each corner 🤔
They have 4, 2 in front and 2 in back. I've never had any issues with the rear ones, fortunately.
Need to pull the material out from under the carpet and hang it up for a couple days and lift the carpet and put something under it to keep it off the floor and keep your doors open for a day or two.
If not it will never dry out, and even rush your floor
This is true. I soaked up as much as I could with towels and put 2x4s under the carpet to let air circulate. Pointing a fan under the carpet helps also. Do what you have to do to dry the carpet out.
@@rabidbeagle Lift up the carpet and place a running hair dryer under the carpet for a few hours to dry it.
Does this work it the leak is in the rear roof, or is there a tube back there? The leak is coming in on the left rear roof around the roof air vent and also on the right roof farther back where the roof is just wet.
Probably not. Try pouring water into each corner of the sunroof and see if you can determine which drain is clogged. You might get away with cleaning the rear drains with weed whacker string or compressed air.
Great tutorial.. were gonna be doing this the upcoming weekend.. wasn't too keen on drilling holes or prying open the wield and maybe creating a rusting problem. Just one question,,, when connecting the new and old hose behind that cowl,, would there be a chance of water working its way between the 2 connecting hoses thus trickling down the newer hose?
I haven't had any leaking issues at all. The two hoses fit fairly tightly together. If it concerns you, you could always clamp the hoses with a hose clamp. But I've had zero issues just using the friction fit. It's entire up to you. I hope it solves your problem!
@@rabidbeagle thanks,,, i'm sure its gonna do the trick :)
I was thinking to take the hose, or clamp it, or find a suitable glue for the overlapping portion of hose.
@@WePiphany you certainly can do that but it isn't necessary. The friction fit works well and the 2 hoses eventually bond to each other. If you do clamp it just make sure you don't interfere with the airbag.
@@rabidbeagle I was able to resolve the problem by cleaning out the sun roof drains with wire, vinegar and flushing a lot of water through.
Did you have to replace the wet carpet?
No. I lifted it up as much as possible, placed a 2x4 under it to keep it elevated, and blew a fan on it until dry.
After cutting the original hose, why do you have to pull it out? Will the new hose follow the same path or is there enough roof for the 2nd hose without removing the original?
I suppose you could leave the old hose in there. I pulled it out so I could take the old hose to Home Depot to make sure I got the right replacement hose. I don't know why you'd want to leave it in there but you probably could run the new hose passed it. It does not follow the same path, however. The original hose runs into the fender. Give it a try and if the new hose won't fit then just pull out the old one.
@@rabidbeagle I'm just think that having the ability to couple it back together would eliminate any of the "Point of No Return" anxiety for pulling it out.
So I have water pouring out of the sunroof area of my 2012 Highlander on the passenger side. Wish I could post the video. I know you said there is tube on that side too but is this fix really for a clogged tube when the leak it up top? We rarely if ever have the moonroof open. Hard to imagine anything clogging it up. How in the hell are they not able to seal the roof properly? It all looks tight up there. Thanks!
If the drain is clogged water has nowhere to go but inside the car. I would get a bottle of water, open the sunroof, and pour the water into the front corner of the sunroof opening. There are drain holes there. If the water doesn't come out behind the front tire then obviously they are clogged. You can try to clear it with weed eater line or try my method.
I hope you find a solution. These carpets stink when they get wet.
@@rabidbeaglethanks so much. Rarely you get an OP to answer and help. You’re doing good things thanks.
Just did it. I'll report after a good rain.
Awesome! Let me know how it goes.
Rabid Beagle Had a good one today. Floor’s dry as a bone. Thank you sir. Every Highlander owner should see this; it’s just a matter of time. Most folks should be capable of doing this safely.
@@davidgoodrum5803 that's great! I'm glad it worked for you!
This is the same problem I have with my 2012 highlander. I don’t even know where or how to start getting it done. The leak is so bad when it rains for couple hours.
I would recommend pouring a bottle of water down the sunroof drain and see if it comes out inside the car or outside the car. If it drains inside the car then this video is for you. But don't wait around because your carpet will mold up and that's a whole different series of problems.
@@rabidbeagle yes I have done that. I took it to my friend’s shop, we opened the roof, lifted the floor carpet up and started pouring water in the drain on the driver’s side. We noticed that most of the water came out on the outside but saw some drips coming on the inside where the electrical parts is hooked up on the side panel.
@@umudimoha1 your drain is partially clogged. It's only going to get worse. I'd recommend running a new hose right out the floor and be done with it.
@@rabidbeagle thanks for all your help. Just got a new hose from the dealer so someone will install it for me next week. Stay safe Sir!
@@rabidbeaglewhere is the sunroof drain located once this is open?