Found my leak but dont know what to do now?

[justinbarrow]

Well it all started with my 98 octavia getting the headlining wet went to the dealer who fitted a new sunroof seal but it still leaked now after a lot of looking around over the bank holiday weekend I have traced where it is coming from...

Under the roof rail runners on the roof when we took the plastic trims off on each side of the roof and there seems to be a series of srews sticking up out of the roof from inside the car to enable the strips to hold down but these screws seem to be rivited from the inside out and are very loose and hense letting in the water.

What is the best way to cure the leak as it affects both sides of the roof and when the water gets in it runs down the inside of the roof and collects at the top of each A Pillar making me think it was the screen leaking when infact the water was already inside the car running down to the A Pillars.

These screws are so loose you can move them with your hands (bit like when you car a kid and can move a tooth before it comes out)

Just wondered what i could do as these screws seem to be rivited on the inside of the car sticking out in the roof.

Any help would be great as i am nearly there but dont kow how to get round these srews that are letting in the water.

Thanks again.

[Dr Zoidberg]

I can't picture it exactly from your description , but I'd attack it with silicone sealant if possible

[justinbarrow]

Originally Posted by Dr Zoidberg

I can't picture it exactly from your description , but I'd attack it with silicone sealant if possible

If you look on the roof you will see 2 thin black strips running along the roof on each side front to back it is when thee strips are removed that the screws can be seen underneath and its these screws that are so loose and rusted that they are letting in water in the car.

I thought about silione sealant but would this last or would it come back after a few weeks?

Thanks for the pointers.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Ah , it all becomes clear - yes , I'd hose it with sealant and see how it goes.
It *should* stay waterproof for a decent length of time and it's easy stuff to remove and re-apply when needed.

If the screws are rusted though , I'd treat the corrosion first and then make it water tight

[Taxi 219]

Yes seam sealant or silicone sealant or even Araldite too

[justinbarrow]

I was thinking of filling the holes with metal epoxy putty which bonds metal including tanks caan be used to repair metal pipes guttering and garage doors and is fully water proof and completly set hard in 2 hours.

Do you think its worth ago, seems to be a more permanant fix. Then i was thinking of just sticking the roof rail runners back on with silicone.

Is it worth a try?

Thanks Guys.

[ap0gee]

I'd stick with silicone - it should be just as sturdy underneath the plastic strip, plus it'll be a million times more easy to remove if you mess up or have to take the strip off again for any reason!

[AndrewTait]

go for the silicone sealant - I used to keep a tube of it in my first car - a rather rusty Rover 213, to seal around the boot area, where water was poring in. As the rust got worse, I added more and more sealant. Didn't have to remove it for years.