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Drip From Sun Visor After Wash

kodio

SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2002
Messages
914
Location
Raleigh, NC
I was driving home after taking my AV through a carwash and when I pulled up to a stoplight I got about five or six water drops landing on my Steering wheel from the pivot point on the sun visor. I have a sunroof and it was closed tightly.

I have washed the truck a number of times in the past, both by hand and by the manual, do it yourself, high pressure wash and never had this happen. This was the first time I had taken it to the type of car wash where you get out, the truck goes through the wash unmanned and then they towel everything off for you.

I felt around as much as I could between the roof panels and the sunroof hardware, but everything was dry. I have also driven though some pretty hard rains and this has never happened, so I discounted the windshield. The one thing I'm not sure of is the OnStar antenna. The antenna is tight, but I suppose there could be something wrong with the mounting hardware.

Has anyone else had this experience?
 
that can't be a good sign.

I have a sunroof and have never experienced that problem. Having had the visors and the attaching hardware off myself, a drip through there can only mean you have water infiltration somewhere - Iwould have done likewise and felt around up inside the the are between the headliner and the metal, as you can do in the SR-equipped Av, but I guess you did not feel any water. The roof area just behind the the windshield is more complex than just the sheetmetal you see from the outside, there is a "boxed" area just ahead of the Sunroof that runs the width of the Av, and this is the area that the sunvisors screw into.
 
So, Jack, am I to understand that the areas forward of the sunroof are "sealed" off? If so, that would mean either something has happened to my windshield seal or my OnStar antenna. Also the headliner was not wet.
 
I wouldn't say the area forward of the SR is sealed per se, but there is some sheet metal in there that might channel any infiltrating water to the sides, rather than back into the SR area itself. ((Feel around forward of the SR, or take down the OHC and feel see what I mean). The source could very well be a bad seal by the OnStar antenna; the upper windshield seal maybe, but I would think if that were the culprit the water would trickle down the side pillars and exit rather than pool up by the visor attachment point.
 
inside the roof for those with the SUNROOF is a plastic drip pan....AKA DIAPER......it collects any water that may drip in the roof area from the sunroof and routes it to edges where I beleive it has 2-4 drain lines which run down the pillar posts...A and/or B pillars......

Now what you may have is a clogged drain...so water spilled over edge and went to lowest point which is visor bolt hole....or the onstar antenana leaked and water went to visor..........I doubt the windshield since you would see it leak around the seal on the inside...

I suggest visiting your friendly dealer if still under warranty...as the DIAPER is a big job.....entire headliner and all things bolted to roof must come down.....

HTH good luck
 
KODIO,

This car wash that you went to sounds similar to one that I worked at many years ago. The vehicle is trolleyed along on a conveyor as is goes the the wash cycles and the rinse and then maybe the dry. At the one I worked at, when the vehicle came to the end, and attendant would jump in, spray down the inside of the windsheild, wipe it with a towel and then drive it off the line.

Is it possible that some of the spray was misdirected and finally dripped as you stopped?

I suppose that any of the other possibilities could be also, with the plugged sunroof drain my first guess.

Good Luck! (y)
 
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