Check and clean your panoramic sunroof drains!!

[petemac110]

I had a little episode the week before last.

Big storm in Sydney - around 30mm in 5 minutes.

45 seconds into a journey the very next day, the digital dash on my MY18 Passat 206TSI started lighting up like a Christmas tree, with various systems failures and warnings. The digital dash then went dim - zip, nil, nada. No indicators either.

I pulled over and turned off the engine, and she wouldn't recognise the keys.

I put two and two together and figured that wet electronics were to blame - most likely from the sunroof and down the passenger side A-pillar.

1 x flatbed tow truck and a lot of dragging all four wheels/tyres and the car was safely home.

The passenger side footwell was slightly damp, so I removed all of the surrounding trim pieces and lifted the carpet and underlay, directing a fan towards the affected areas to dry them out. Coupled with a hot couple of days, she dried out nicely and is back in action. A few strategically-placed dessicant bags will ensure any residual moisture is absorbed.

As a follow-up action I tested the sunroof drain lines and noted that whilst the driver's side drain functioned OK, the passenger side was slow to drain.

I read up about the 'spider trap' covers found at the base of the drain lines to help prevent critters from making their homes inside the drains. These are known to gunk up, and Volkswagen of America actually have a TSB which recommends their removal in response to a recent successful Class Action lawsuit!

60E5 Volkswagen Technical Service Bulletin (tsbsearch.com)

All in all, it took about 15 minutes to test the drains, realise they weren't functioning so well, and remove the spider traps as pictured below. No need to remove the wipers as per the TSB- I was able to contort my arms sufficiently to reach the suckers with the two cowl retaining clips removed, the washer bottle lid removed, and the cowl raised slightly.

The drains now flow superbly, and I will be giving them a follow-up clean every so often with a cleaning tool acquired from aliexpress.

Lesson learned - CHECK YOUR DRAINS and remove the spider traps!

[genebaby]

Is that what the spider traps look like? I always wondered.

I have the tool already to clean them but haven't used it yet.

I'll have to give it a go regularly, thanks for the heads up.

[petemac110]

Is that what the spider traps look like? I always wondered.

I have the tool already to clean them but haven't used it yet.

I'll have to give it a go regularly, thanks for the heads up.

Definitely go easy with the tool and don't force it... there's a risk of popping the lines off the sunroof itself if you push too hard from the sunroof end of the drain lines, and refitting them is a world of pain.

The TSB includes good photos showing exactly where these suckers are located and how they look in-situ.

[genebaby]

Gotcha! Wouldn't want to disconnect them!

[petemac110]

Gotcha! Wouldn't want to disconnect them!

Absolutely - VW make a particular point in the TSB for dealerships to be careful when cleaning the drains and to not apply excessive force, as any repairs to refit dislodged drains are a non-warranty cost borne by the dealership.