[Twit.]

My 2011 OB sunroof leaks under high pressure , mainly when we run it thru the SAMs club drive thru car wash.
Unfortunate for us our warranty has expired, and yes we had the recall issue taken care of back in December.

My question is , the service rep. Told us its probably nothing more than a drain tube clogged. Anyone know where the drain tubes are? Sounds like when the sunroof is fully opened , they may be under a piece of trim? I took a quick peep at it and did not see them?
Anyone with similar issues?

 

[iainb]

When you open the roof and look through from above you should see holes in each corner of the frame. Typically these tubes drain out at each wheel well, but every car is different and I haven't looked for them yet in our Outback.

You can generally clear them with a high pressure air hose (be careful to not go full blast) or you can poor warm water slowly directly into the holes- the warm water has worked in the past on both my Jetta and old Saturn. When you poor the water directly in you should see it coming out of the exit points.

EDIT: Of course searching the forums existing threads works too:

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...des/8005-clean-your-sunroof-drain-hose-4.html

 

[Hunny Bunny]

My 2011 OB sunroof leaks under high pressure , mainly when we run it thru the SAMs club drive thru car wash.
Unfortunate for us our warranty has expired, and yes we had the recall issue taken care of back in December.

How often are you using your sunroof/moonroof? I've never had it before and ordered a new car without it, but I was second guessing ever since.
Now it looks like it requires some maintenance or a fix, which is a negative. So what is a positive about sunroof/moonroof in your opinion?

 

[damon]

How often are you using your sunroof/moonroof? I've never had it before and ordered a new car without it, but I was second guessing ever since.
Now it looks like it requires some maintenance or a fix, which is a negative. So what is a positive about sunroof/moonroof in your opinion?

I've had sunroof drains clog on a VW and a Honda. It's kind of an inevitable reality. When I order my OB, I will not be getting a moonroof for this exact reason.

 

[Hunny Bunny]

I've had sunroof drains clog on a VW and a Honda. It's kind of an inevitable reality. When I order my OB, I will not be getting a moonroof for this exact reason.

Well, then it looks like I should not have any regrets about my "plain roof" decision

 

[4wheeldog]

I made a point of not buying a sun/moonroof with my OB, just because I never use the one on my old 4Runner, and it is just one more possible weak spot. But, in 13 years, my 4runner moonroof has neither leaked, nor needed to be maintained. Just sayin'.

 

[Hunny Bunny]

I made a point of not buying a sun/moonroof with my OB, just because I never use the one on my old 4Runner, and it is just one more possible weak spot. But, in 13 years, my 4runner moonroof has neither leaked, nor needed to be maintained. Just sayin'.

Thank you! It makes my case of a "plain roof" even stronger. Why pay extra money for something which is not going to be used and potentially could cause a problem? Huray, absolutely no regrets :29:

 

[Kolenka]

Thank you! It makes my case of a "plain roof" even stronger. Why pay extra money for something which is not going to be used and potentially could cause a problem? Huray, absolutely no regrets :29:

Some like it, some don't. I don't see any problem with either decision.

I like using windows/etc as much as possible instead of A/C. The climate in the area doesn't hurt that plan either. Even in the rain, it does bring more light into the cabin. As I only ever need to use the A/C a week or two out of the year at most, there isn't much reason to keep it closed during the summer.

 

[chilanzar]

We ordered a 13 limted with NO moonroof! Yep you will not find one on any lot anywhere. We could not see paying $1400 extra for something that you will go OOOHHHH AHHHH for about 2 months then never open again.. And you don't have to EVER clean out a roof drain plug..:29::29:

And as far as the back up camera being included witht he moonroof... I guess I will just have to be a rebel turn my head and look like I have since I first got a license..

Yes I have had many cars over the years with moonroof/sunroofs on them.. And yes when I get the car I go "cool" for a month or two.. Then for some reason the coolness wears off and I may look out the top once in 6 months. Sun roof is no fun in Florida half the year when it's over 90 everyday you know..

Too bad I could not get eye-sight without paying for moonroof and nav first...

 

[Gibe54]

Some like it, some don't. I don't see any problem with either decision.

The problem is when you want leather seats, you have to choose your car with limited trim. Since you can't get limited trim without moonroof, you can't get leather seats without moonroof.

So, I rather chose premium trim with cloth seats, but WITHOUT moonroof, of course!

 

[chilanzar]

The problem is when you want leather seats, you have to choose your car with limited trim. Since you can't get limited trim without moonroof, you can't get leather seats without moonroof.

So, I rather chose premium trim with cloth seats, but WITHOUT moonroof, of course!

Yes you can... you just have to order it that way... We did..

 

[Kolenka]

And as far as the back up camera being included witht he moonroof... I guess I will just have to be a rebel turn my head and look like I have since I first got a license..

You can buy the camera+mirror by itself, but you won't find any on the lots that way. They bundle the two because of the labor savings more than anything else.

In my case, I'm the same way about the camera, but it is proving useful backing up into a parking spot correctly. Not a benefit I expected at first.

Yes I have had many cars over the years with moonroof/sunroofs on them.. And yes when I get the car I go "cool" for a month or two.. Then for some reason the coolness wears off and I may look out the top once in 6 months. Sun roof is no fun in Florida half the year when it's over 90 everyday you know..

Yeah, I wouldn't get a sun roof in climates where you need A/C regularly, like Florida. The price/benefit ratio doesn't make much sense when you need to keep things closed to get good use out of the A/C.

The problem is when you want leather seats, you have to choose your car with limited trim. Since you can't get limited trim without moonroof, you can't get leather seats without moonroof.

I can configure a Limited without a moonroof just fine, so I don't think this is true. But, you might live in an area where dealers all configure them with the moonroof in their orders. I do know you can get them without the moonroof, you are stuck with the HK audio and AWP though.

I had to special order over puddle lights, if you can believe it.

 

[Gibe54]

Yes you can... you just have to order it that way... We did..

Lucky guy! We don't have such choices in Canada... (but we can have Indigo Pearl with black interior

 

[iainb]

So what is a positive about sunroof/moonroof in your opinion?

Besides that you can open it...?

I use my sunroof all the time and I typically keep the sunshade open when I'm driving to let more light into the car. I've had a sunroof in every car I've owned and have never regretted it, even when the drains in our Jetta clogged and some water got into the car.

All the self-righteous "I didn't buy a sunroof and am proud of it!" stuff in this thread is funny.

 

[Hunny Bunny]

Besides that you can open it...?

I use my sunroof all the time and I typically keep the sunshade open when I'm driving to let more light into the car. I've had a sunroof in every car I've owned and have never regretted it, even when the drains in our Jetta clogged and some water got into the car.

All the self-righteous "I didn't buy a sunroof and am proud of it!" stuff in this thread is funny.

I'm neither proud nor ashamed for ordering my 3.6R limited outback without sunroof. To me it's all about usability and practicality in the long run. I'm keeping my cars long enough, and I don't want to be bothered by fixing some non-essential "feature" which I see no immediate use for.

 

[Kolenka]

Lucky guy! We don't have such choices in Canada... (but we can have Indigo Pearl with black interior

Good point. Interesting. Didn't realize there was such a large difference between SOA and Subaru Canada.

 

[Twit.]

So I guess nobody knows how many drain tubes there are , I would "Assume" four , I have found the two front drains , I guess the two rear are covered up by the tracks or moulding?

You Peeps are getting too side tracked !!!!!!!!!??

 

[chilanzar]

All the self-righteous "I didn't buy a sunroof and am proud of it!" stuff in this thread is funny.

I'm not proud of it at all... It's just one of those things "been there done that" already. Maybe if I had never had a car with one I would get it however I have several in the past. I just can not see spening another $1400 for something from my experience I would never use.. What is wrong with that?

If you want one by all means get it... :29:

 

[scoobert]

...Sun roof is no fun in Florida half the year when it's over 90 everyday you know...

I've seen the Florida =! sun roof comment a few times now and my Midwestern sensibilities are not computing. I use one or both of the moonroofs in my '02 all the time, more frequently when temps are in the 90s and less so when they are in the 30s. When temps are in the high 90s (which has been all summer this year), I will probably close the cover when the sun is high in the sky. However, most mornings and evenings are ideal times. The least likely time for me to open the moonroof is when it's covered in snow (of course), but it's also a great time to leave the cover open and let the sun warm the car. So, I would imagine myself opening the moonroof every day when taking snow out of the picture.

So maybe most of the midday sun in Florida is not conducive to having the sunroof open (yet, you'll find more than a few convertibles with the top down) but the remaining day and night seem ideally suited. What is it about Florida weather that I'm not taking into consideration?


p.s. -- No leaks in either of the dual moonroofs on the 2002. Leaks are neither rare nor inevitable, but they are almost always preventable or treatable. I, for one, wouldn't let the remote possibility affect my preferences anymore than I would factor in the possibility of a leak on the tailgate (which, after all, acts like the mother of all moonroofs).

 

[chilanzar]

I've seen the Florida =! sun roof comment a few times now and my Midwestern sensibilities are not computing. I use one or both of the moonroofs in my '02 all the time, more frequently when temps are in the 90s and less so when they are in the 30s. When temps are in the high 90s (which has been all summer this year), I will probably close the cover when the sun is high in the sky.

Well some 90's in diffrent states are not the 90's in Florida and its the 90's from Early May to Mid October! Midwest is certainly not the South East's humidity. First off in the summer almost EVERY afternoon it rains and some days when some "tropical disturbance" is near it rains all day--Pitty the people paying 100 bucks each to go to disney world to stand in line in August. When its not raining and its goes toward the night it's so humid that if you had an "open" sunroof your interior of the car would be wet, and you would feel sticky. In the early morning such as today it's already in the 80's that not too bad, however you are running the wipers because the dew all over your car(humidiy again)... I might be alone but I don't know too many in this state who cruise around with a moon roof open in July.. In fact I RARELY even see a convertable with a roof open unless it's November or March.. (unless it's a tourist in a rental) LOL