leaking moonroof
 

Ive searched and found the threads about clogged drain holes in the moonroof corners... that isnt my prob...
It appears that the rubber gasket that goes around the actual glass of the moonroof is either worn out, or has shrunk from years of sitting in sun/rain/snow... when the moonroof is closed, if you look at it from the outside or inside you can see that the rubber gasket around the glass is not firmly fitting up against the roof, its leaves a very thin crack that is just enough to get a drip when it rains really bad...
Im wondering if anyone has ever replaced that gasket around the glass or if its even possible. Im affraid to even go to Ford, becasue im sure they tell me i need an entire new moonroof and want to tack on a ton of labor, which isnt necessary at all... All i need to do is replace the rubber that goes around the glass somehow. let me know aif anyone has run into this prob and how they solved.
thanks!

Every sunroof leaks. Thats why they designed a rim around it with drains and a "drip bar" across the back. When a sunroof is closed, there is no way that a sunroof can seal completely until they design a rim that overlaps around the roof for a compete seal. Read the post that Yookie413 just posted and was just discussed yesterday and today. If the drains are not clogged and the drip bar is in place you should not have to worry about water getting in. Im sure the seal can be replaced but very seldom do they get to the point where they need to. One way to know if the seal has gone bad is if you hear a lot more wind noise than normal. Also you can have a buddy spray a hose on it while you look around inside. If you see A LOT of water (more than just a drip here and there) coming through then you also know it is bad. Have you tried cleaning it really well and putting a sealant on the molding. I would try that first.

After a heavy rain here, I got in my Expy and drove off. When I rounded a corner to the left, i got a drop or two of water on my head from the driver side of the moonroof. I felt around on the inside while I was driving down the road, and in the driver front of the roof, there seemed to be some water sitting.

I guess after reading this, I need to hunt down the thread on clogged drain holes and get to checking mine out.

Hey MOOK929RR, did you get my private message about the grill insert?

Drip bar! thats waht that thing is... a few months back i hear tons of rattling coming from up behind the moon roof, every time i hit bumps, i hear clang clang clangin around... so i reach up in there and notice a loose black bar that isnt attached to anything at all...so i reached in and pulled it out... its a long flat bar, that runs teh width of the moonroof...this must be my drip bar, and why im getting dripped on. Now how the heck am i going to get that thing back in there and why did it come losse... ill have to check my haynes manual and see if i can figure it out...
Brandon...yes, i replied to your gmail account and sent some pics on Tues or Weds this week... didnt get them?

LOL, you've got your self a mess. Hope you get it back in there.

Nope, I didn't get them. I'll send you another PM with my email.

It goes in as easy as it comes out. Just play around with it and you can figure it out. Just make sure the dip in the bar is facing up which catches and flows the water to the side. It just slides into place and then just tighten down the screws that hold it in place. If you put the sunroof in tilt you can look through the top and see the screws. One on each side. Probably need a 90 degree screw driver to tighten them down good. I used a small thin screwdriver to somewhat tighten them but not very well since the angle was hard to grasp the screws.

thanks for the info...i was looking at thebar, and i can definitely tell which side goes upward, and i see the 2 slots on each end that slide under teh screws u mention... they must have just come loose over time and the bar slipped out... im sure i can ge tit back in there as soon as we stop having these damn snow storms!
thanks

Mysterious black bar issue
 

I don't think that is the drip bar in question here.

Does your interior sun/moon roof cover still retract after you pulled this out?

If it is, the body shop at Ford says the entire headliner needs to come down to be able to reinstall it. They wanted $250 to get it done. I asked if it was necessary (i.e., safety issues) if it were left off? They replied nope. So I left it off.

jg:-bigparty

Interesting. What does it have to do with the shade retracting?

If my shade is closed and I open the roof, I have to slide the shade back. It doesn't go back with the roof. Is this what you are talking about?

If you have to pull the shade back, by hand (manually), and, as you drive, you hear a loud rattling, the bar that pulls back the shade has worked itself loose.

Make sense?

jg

Yes, but I don't hear anything rattling above my head when driving. I'll have to look and see what's going on.

Side note: I have found a real quick way to close the shade if needed. Slam on breaks driving down a slight hill to keep from creaming the back of a UPS truck that stops in the middle of the road.

I don't think so Brandon.:-huh

jg

Make a long story short...when i bought my 2000 expi it had the roof rattle i investigated found the trough was loose on one end spent a couple hours figuring out how 2 reattach never gave it any more thought. then it rained! ended up taking it back to the dealer they told me the drains were clogged 150 bucks later no more leaks. 6 mos promise that it wouldnt leak. now 2 1/2 years later it leaks when it feels like it and i found the TSB here about trough replacement called the dealer parts alone over 200. Am i alone in being amazed by the cost of these simple parts? I dont expect an older vehicle to be completely trouble free but why is it i feel this issue has been ongoing since new? No recall because not a safety issue? I dont think i will even consider a ford for my next vehicle purchase. Sorry so long just needed to vent.Say NO to sunroofs!

LZRJ was pretty much dead on... after taking a good look at it, its obvious which side is up on the drip bar, and if you can see the two little slots in the end where the very small bolt hold the bar in place... the 2 bolts are a very small hex head...i think like 6 or 7mm... its a very tight fit to wiggle the bar back in...but once you do and tighten down the 2 bolts you are all set... if you use the tilt function on the moon roof it gives you a little more room to get your hands up in there... There is no reason that the whole headliner has to come out... if a dealer tells you that its a bunch of crap... I got the drip bar back in, tightened it down, and blew the drains clean with compressed air.... all took me a bout 40 mins and i was taking my sweet time.
And by the way... the drip bar is the bar that grabs the shade and slides the shade back when you open the moonroof... and getting that part to line up was a bit tricky... i installed the bar with the shade completely pushed back... then once i had the bar in, i sort of man handled the shade, and pulled it back out. since the shade is a bit flimsy and has some give to it, you have to sort of bend it, and get it to pop back into place and move it over the drop bar. if you inspect the bar and the inside of the shade, you can see exactly what the bar is grabbing onto when it slides the shade back....u just have to work the shade back into place.... this was the tricky part, i spent about 15 of the 40 mins figuring this out....

Glad you got it fixed. They are called stealers for a reason, you know.