Where can I find the sunroof drain tube?
Asked by Rick_K Aug 19, 2007 at 01:18 PM about the 1998 Toyota Camry LE
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
The front and rear passenger side floor is soaking wet after the car is left out in the rain. I'm told the sunroof drain is plugged. I have tried to locate where it could be but I don't see anything.
20 Answers
littlehorn answered 17 years ago
These typically run down either the front windshield (A Pillars) pillars or down the B or C pillars of the vehicle and exit underneath the car. Look for little rubber spouts exiting the vehicle underneath the car in these areas.
I had the same problem on my sons 1998 Camry. Think I finally fixed it. The front drain tubes exit underneath the car between the front tire mud flaps and the inner wheel plastic guard. It is not a tube like I read so many times. The rear may be but I wasn't having problems with those. It looks more like a seam between two metal panels. You can barely get your finger in it. I dug out a ton of grime/dirt etc. I also took my air compressor and blew it out from the top and bottom. A helpful tip I read on one of these streams was to take some weed eater string and feed it down from the top, it kinda gives you an idea on where the stoppage is and it may have helped un-stop it. When I started I poured some water in the sunroof channel and watched it come out by the kicker panel inside the car. Now when I poured water in it it comes out underneath the car. So I'm fairly confident it's unplugged. Now just wishing it would rain.
I have a 2007 Toyota Camry, water would run between the door and the dash and soak the passenger side floor board. I then started noticing the headliner would be getting wet also. After some research I about the drain tubes, I ran weedeater line down the holes and poured water in sunroof rail. Still leaking! So then I decided to start the next part, I pulled the interior trip from around the sunroof, I then popped the passenger handle on the headliner off, to do this it has a cap that you can pop off with a small flat screw driver, then it has squeeze type clips holding it in, after that the passenger visor, same way, has a small cap, then squeeze type holders. Once those were off I was able to pull the headliner down enough to see inside there. I ran my weedeater cord again and found the drain tube had become disconnected. So after some squeezing my hand in there by pulling down on the headliner to just about that breaking point I was able to re-attach the tube. If you have small hands this will be a breeze. Now no more leak! I then for safe measure ran weedeater line to the ground on each hole and they are all clear, dont use air, that is what I believe knocked my line off with air presure, they are not made for that. Good Luck!
sagrawal77 answered 11 years ago
I had the same drain problem and my passenger side floor board was soaking wet on Camry 2007. Took it to Toyota dealer and they informed that the drain tube had got disconnected. they charged 285 bucks to fix it . Only if I could have found this web-page before taking my car to dealer :(
DSC222 and sagrawal77 are absolutely correct. My 2007 Camry Hybrid has had leaks twice because of first, the passenger side front, then the passenger side rear drain tubes disconnecting. First time cost me $900 because the carpet for the entire car had to be replaced. The second time didn't need a carpet change. It shouldn't matter that the vehicle is 6-7 years old--it should be waterproof! Sorry, but I will never buy another Toyota because of this design flaw, and I'll also avoid sunroofs. I keep thinking: There are still two more drain tubes that have not yet disconnected.
Had water soaking the rug on my driver's side, especially at the trunk release lever. Stuck my finger in there; felt water underneath. Remembered the sprinkler hit the car a few days before when the moon roof was ajar. Water wasn't draining out the bottom. Probably sloshed when I drove, creating new soaks. The Toyota dealer quoted me $990 to clear the moon roof drain clog; said it required hours of labor. So I used my brain. Poured water in the passenger's side drain at the top and watched where it drained out underneath, behind the wheel, under the runner. Tried the driver's side; it barely drained. So I had the gas station put it up on the rack. Stuck my finger in the plastic slot [a few inches long] under the runner, scooped out yucky mud, and all the water flushed out. The mechanic blasted the top with compressed air. Moral: don't leave your moon roof ajar. Debris gets in there, and so does lawn sprinkler water!
Parts of sunroof frame look at sunroof diagrame at dealership Have them fax or email you pic You'll know what your up against
My wife has a 2007 Camry. 3 of the 4 sunroof drain tubes had become disconnected and water was pooling up in the floor boards on both sides in the rear and in the passenger floor board. Remove the headliner hand holds trim on the a pillar and c pillars. Loosen b pillar trim with strong force of screw driver. Remove the visors. This will allow you to: 1) wrap a zip tie around each loose tube, 2) reinstall the tubes on the male drain fittings, 3) tighten the zip ties on the end of the tubes tight to keep the tubes in place in the future. Remove clips from the holes for handles and visor and install back into the into the handles/visors THEN press the handles and visors into then roof holes. Finish by pressing the plugs into the handles and visors tonhd them in place. Dry out the floor and enjoy your car that no longer leaks!
I am on my third Camry this one being. 2007, & have twice had soaking wet carpet due to the drain tubes becoming clogged. I never had this on my other two Camry's & am APPALLED that "Toyota" made owners pay to fix their design flaw! There should be someway to have them make this right, or risk losing future business as a result! Just sayin...
louisejim3 answered 9 years ago
We had leak in sunroof too 2009 Camry However after dealer fixed it awful smell in car not mats making us sick anyone else had this stink ? Shouldnt toyota have recall regarding these leaks ?
Any idea how I get to the rear holes on the sunroof drain? My '96 Avalon had a wet R read floor carpet last rainy season, and I was advised by Toyota I needed to remove the headliner to reach them, and I see no more access than before I wasted time removing the headliner.
wkearney99 answered 7 years ago
2010 had this happen. Mechanic had to pull the C-pillar headlining loose to get at the drain fittings. Someone must have blown them loose with an air compressor. Best to run some weedwhacker filament (the orange stuff) down the drain lines now and then. This to make sure there's not stuff clogging up the drains. Otherwise you've got a real labor intensive job ahead of you to refit the tubing and clean out the mold/mildew that'll get left behind.
Intrigue_2126 answered 7 years ago
2007 Toyota Camry. Passenger side front floor and rear floor soaked. Thought it was the drain line for the condenser that runs down through the floor board on the passenger side being plugged. Chased it with a 10 gauge copper wire to see if it was clear. It got stuck at one point and was able to push it through. Figured i solved it after positioning back through the floor. Left the carpet laid up on the seat to let dry. Brought the pad from under the carpet and used a roller pin to eject the water out. Than put it in the oven at 175° for many hours to get it dry. Went to hardware store today and when i came out floor filled with water again. Went for a week without water on the metal floor. Found this page, sure enough the drain hose for the moon roof came off. water was running down to the floor board from the channeling of the ceiling and trim. Reconnected and applied a zip tie to the hose nipple. Now i need to deal with the mildew and mold. Third Toyota purchased, lost some faith in them when all it takes is a crimp of some sort to secure the hose.
Avenger_1839 answered 7 years ago
I researched Clove Oil diluted in water as mold /mildew remover, it is great!! I know because I'm dealing with the same problem. I thought water was entering at a trunk gasket, fixed the gasket & cleaned car completely, even sprayed the mixture in the vents as the article said...inside & out. But it leaked next time it rained. Ugh
Hi all - thanks to everyone for their help on this thread. My 2008 camry had the same issue. It is easy to find the drain holes in the sunroof part, but difficult to find them beneath the car. My blocked hole was on the passenger side front .What I did was I ran flexible wire (incidentally it was wire that is used for electronic equipment and specifically security systems - it is coated and flexible). I ran it down and gently probed until it would go no further. Then I poured water and eureka it was cleared. I did not need to go from the other side (from below), but if that had not worked, I think that the only way I could have found the drain under the car would have been to pour water through the drain hole on the other front hole and seen where it poured out, but it seems that the drain is sort of within the bottom of the door frame, and (on both sides) it pours out of more than one point, so that is sort of difficult to find... best, dave
Where are the drain holes at on the moon roof?and how many?
Where are the drain holes at on moon roof on 2000?and hoe many?
I am having this same issue with my 2004 Toyota matrix XRS, Water is pooling up on the driver side floor when it rains, and I live in the most rained on city in Oregon, I can't seem to get ahead of this problem and no one around here can fix it. I am going to try feeding a thin wire or something through the moon-roof drain and pray that helps my problem. Thank you everyone for the great ideas, and new ones would of course be greatly appreciated also! I can't really afford a huge bill for this. Currently I have a tarp over my car LOL
I have a 2007 toyota camry hybrid and the plugged sunroof drains has hit me hard. Can anyone tell me how to access the FRONT drain tubes from the BOTTOM? I've been using weed wacker twine to attempt to clear the blockages, but the tube is completely blocked and I cannot get it cleared. If I can access the drain tubes, I should be able to clear it, but I can't figure out how to get to it... from the bottom. Any advice welcome.
Guru95BVKK answered 3 years ago
Before buying anything . Just make sure that nobody put an small amount of paste around the roof ( where the water falls ) . because it makes water to come down when it rains . This is a trick that some mechanics do for you to spend money like crazy . it happened to me . Someone put like a very small amount of paste in the channel where the water runs around the sunroof. not the drain channels but on the sides . Just make sure is clean and no paste put there intentionally . So you spend hundreds of dollars when in reality .Someone screwed you up . by doing tricks on you.