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my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:30 am
by lucas
I hate my sunroof. I have taken it apart and resealed it 3 times in the last two years. Washington is a horrible horrible state. damn rain.
Anyway i wanna get rid of it what options do i have
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:43 am
by Deride
Disconnect the switches and run a nice bead of silicone around the entire sunroof.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:02 am
by lucas
id rather just rip the whole damn thing out and send it back to subaru covered in piss. but once it stops raining ill probably just do that till i can weld something in or idk something else.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:42 am
by dscoobydoo
I think the secret is to seal it AND add extra .
I did mine and then filled it full of water out of the car to make sure none would get through.
Also expect it to slosh- and seal for that also.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:59 am
by kimokalihi
Also cleaning the drains is probably more important than sealing it. I cleaned mine and it helped a lot and now it only leaks a little bit now and then but not all the time. Mine was resealed by the guy who sold it to me but I should have added more myself.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:35 am
by Alphius
BSOD2600 resealed mine and it has never even seeped the tiniest of drops. I think the drains are very important as well, have you checked them out?
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:09 am
by evolutionmovement
I wonder if you could get a pop out unit the same size as the OEM one and replace the whole thing. I have one in mine and never had an issue. Also, since it's manual, it's lighter and won't break down.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:51 am
by lucas
maybe the sealant i was using was bad? idk used few different kinds even some military spec stuff. I think it just rains to damn much, i always try and keep the drains clean but anything exposed to constant constant water just isnt gonna hold. I hate washington with a passion.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:12 am
by subaru_styles
i tell you what i do. i have resealed mine and in heavy downpours it sometimes leaks. I got the wide blue painters tape and tape around the sunroof. it keeps the water out, lasts a month or two, and removes without leaving a mess
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:23 am
by kimokalihi
Don't leave that stuff on there for two long though I did for over a year and it deteriorated and messed up the clear coat and was a real bitch to get off.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:45 am
by Apex3
The secret is to use the right sealant

and to clean the drains
Don't leave any sort of tape on your car for long, the sticky stuff on tape is a solvent, that's why it sticks, and if you leave it on too long it eats away at whatever it's sticking too, hence it being tough to remove.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:37 pm
by evolutionmovement
Have you tried something marine? Boatlife Life Caulk is meant to permanently seal underwater hull through-holes. Not cheap, though. Perhaps there's a cheaper equivalent or another brand, but that's the stuff we used when I worked at a marina.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:24 pm
by dscoobydoo
late this spring I will be doing the white car again, so you can stop by and we can do both cars at once, ( because I never use even half a tube of caulk and I end up wasting it.)
I did the maroon car much better the second time, and it does not leak. ( and I am only a few miles north of you, so I know what you mean by the damn rain.)
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:09 am
by kimokalihi
Here's the part numbers for the roof panel to replace your whole roof with an NA roof to ditch the sunroof.
Sedan
53600AA190 with antenna hole $302.36
53601AA130 w/o antenna hole $302.36
Wagon
53600AA220 with antenna hole $302.36
53601AA150 w/o antenna hole $302.36
53600AA210 LHD with antenna hole $302.36
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:47 am
by lucas
lol id rather not spend 300 bucks on parts. id used plywood before that. Its just bs subaru never addressed this problem. duct tape works the best
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:50 am
by kimokalihi
Haha it would cost sooo much more than that. Welding and you probably have to buy the bracing too but I didn't feel like listing those part numbers. Then you'd have to paint it. So more like $1,500.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:52 am
by lucas
ya sheet metal i find in a scrape pile primer and a quick weld would do it. damn sunroof
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:13 am
by oldscoobyturbo
use a good water proof sealant, a marine based product is the best choice.
personally I like my sunroof and I've fixed a few of them with a good hull sealant forget the brand.
the weather here in eastern Canada is crap too we even get a bit of everthing bad in the same day.
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:37 pm
by lucas
just aint natural to rain so much
Re: my sunroof is satan
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:08 am
by Legacy777
The other thing to note is prepwork. Cleaning and prepping the surface is very important to making a good seal. Also, sealants have a shelf life. I've learned this the hard way when putting my motor together. So I will usually run a test bead and leave it sit overnight to confirm the sealant is still good.
You'll want to use something that is flexible. As mentioned, the marine stuff would be good.
What did you use last time?