Rusting Sun Roof On A 4.2

[flyboyprowler]

Morning all,

Our 4.2 Spanish RAV has some rust patches on the bottom front edge of the sun roof, inside the car. Only just found them, strange, you open and close it all the time, but rarely look at it. If anyone has had the same problem, and successfully dealt with it, or if anyone has an idea of a cure, can you please let me know before I hand it to a Spanish sprayer to be dealt with!

I know, we are all going to go and look at our sun roofs now! Bag of worms opened eh?

[Big Kev]

Don't get that problem back here in Blightyshire, Ainz......never dry enough to let oxidisation take hold......

Are you sure it's not sunburn.....? May need to FACTOR that in........

[LeeADAB]

Hi Ainsley,

Common problem with the 4.2 sunroofs. That is where my original sunroof rusted and where i finally found out how the water was leaking through into the headliner and dripping through the sunglass holder. It leaks though between the seal and the glass and then misses the drip tray.

I replaced my sunroof for one that wasn't rusting and had a windscreen company properly bond the seal to the glass. Not had a problem since. :)

On my first sunroof I delayed it a while by removing the rust as best i could, treating and painting but it didn't take long before it was rusted through again.

Make sure it is sealed properly before getting it sprayed then all should be good!!

Cheers,
Lee

[flyboyprowler]

Thanks Lee, did you get your new roof new or was it second hand. If you fitted it yourself, was it easy? This sounds like a job for Christmas when we bring the car back for a month.

Yes Kev, we are actually coming back to the cold, and have a mini cruise booked for New Year!!

[Big Kev]

Thanks Lee, did you get your new roof new or was it second hand. If you fitted it yourself, was it easy? This sounds like a job for Christmas when we bring the car back for a month.

Yes Kev, we are actually coming back to the cold, and have a mini cruise booked for New Year!!

Yurraffyurrheid, Ainz min.......

[LeeADAB]

Second hand but looked new (£45 :) ) with no rusting from a 2004 model. New would have been £300+ if I remember correctly and my insurance glass excess didn't cover the sunroof so no cricket ball damage options either.

Just press the slide-back switch enough to get the sunroof away from the front frame, then it's just four torx screws to remove before lifting out.

TIP: I drew around the four screws with permanent pen before unscrewing so that it made it easier to align when refitting.

When i had the seal "sealed" properly by a windscreen company they removed and refitted the sunroof.

Cheers,

Lee

[flyboyprowler]

Many thanks Lee, over to eBay now!!

[Paulus17]

So what is actually rusting the sunroof or the car body.Confucious Paulus

I'll have to check ours as you say its just summat we open and close and don't pay particular attention to but will now.

[LeeADAB]

Hi Paul,

It's the black metal frame of the sunroof not the car. If you look between the front edge between the seal and the sunroof frame. Keep an eye out for rust and water between the two. Water tracks through between the glass and the rubber seal and ends up rusting the frame of the sunroof.

Look at night with a torch and hopefully you won't see any droplets of water in yours. If there are droplets but no rust yet just get it resealed properly.

If water gets through between the seal it misses the black plastic drip tray around the edge of the headliner, ends up in the headliner. When you then drive off and brake the water pees out of the sunglass holder. Mine even ran down the drivers A pillar and got the electrical block in footwell wet, once turning off my speedo. :(

Happy memories!! ;)

GOOD LUCK!!

[Paulus17]

Argh thanks Lee.Is that why our roof has got a black sticky sealant all round the frame then i wonder,which i was gonna wipe off the other week,but keep forgetting to so will leave it i think.

[firemac]

I recall that this was one of the very few issues recorded against the 4.2. Fortunately, we never had a problem with ours during 11 years of ownership.

Mind you, having read about the risk on Honest John's website, I became just a bit anal about keeping the s/r and frame scrupulously clean; I also regularly doused the seals, etc. with silicone spray lube. I don't know if that contributed to keeping the problem at bay but I guess it didn't do any harm.

[Paulus17]

I recall that this was one of the very few issues recorded against the 4.2. Fortunately, we never had a problem with ours during 11 years of ownership.

Mind you, having read about the risk on Honest John's website, I became just a bit anal about keeping the s/r and frame scrupulously clean; I also regularly doused the seals, etc. with silicone spray lube. I don't know if that contributed to keeping the problem at bay but I guess it didn't do any harm.

Yes Jim i will have get summat meself to keep up whatever we have on our sunroof.

[flyboyprowler]

So, for me, anyone got a spare sun roof hanging around!! Nothing so far from the scrap dealers, and only complete units on e bay. May have to try a quick fix first, and we get very little rain here in Spain, so maybe a repair and seal will do the job.

[Grumpy stumpy]

Mines a glass roof are yours steel roofs then? Or are yours glass but the frame rusts?

[flyboyprowler]

Don't think they did a steel roof on the RAV, but yes, it is a glass roof with a metal frame.

[Grumpy stumpy]

Ah right best I have a look at mine now, cheers. Just read the previous posts would have saved a lot of time if read properly !!