yeti Leaking Panoramic Roof - The Cause and the Cure

[Martinb100]

4 hours ago, Bobbsy said:

So, looks like I spoke too early and jinxed myself. Lots of rain coming down today and the leak is back. I have to suspect the "hairline crack" scenario now I think.

 

As I was googling for a suitable sealant, I cam across this pdf technical bulletin detailing a "foil tape" repair for VW Golf sunroofs. Has anyone seen something similar for the yeti or other VAG sunroofs?

 

 

 

MC-10128041-9999.pdf 606.99 kB · 7 downloads

The pictures on the attachment clearly show a different type of sunroof to the Yeti version. I have not seen any similar tape repair options for the yeti, except for taping permently shut the panoramic roof from the outside. The attachment mentions "stress fractures" If you look at the original posters comments. It appears the Yeti's pan roof problems arise from the weakness in the joint between, where metal meets plastic, not from stress fractures to frame/cassette. Concentrate your sealant in that area, and as original poster united232 stresses, "the area must be kept totally dry". Speaking from experience (I used Captain Tolley's) this repair is more effective the longer you take and following that old saying "less is more" when dripping the sealant into the joint. Also remember, if working outside in winter, the sealant takes a lot longer to set. It took me many days, dosing once a day (might get away with twice a day in warmer summer months). Also worth checking your drainage tubing is securely attached/sealed, as I had a drip coming from there as well.

Good luck on your efforts to sort.

[Bobbsy]

43 minutes ago, Martinb100 said:

The pictures on the attachment clearly show a different type of sunroof to the Yeti version. I have not seen any similar tape repair options for the yeti, except for taping permently shut the panoramic roof from the outside. The attachment mentions "stress fractures" If you look at the original posters comments. It appears the Yeti's pan roof problems arise from the weakness in the joint between, where metal meets plastic, not from stress fractures to frame/cassette. Concentrate your sealant in that area, and as original poster united232 stresses, "the area must be kept totally dry". Speaking from experience (I used Captain Tolley's) this repair is more effective the longer you take and following that old saying "less is more" when dripping the sealant into the joint. Also remember, if working outside in winter, the sealant takes a lot longer to set. It took me many days, dosing once a day (might get away with twice a day in warmer summer months). Also worth checking your drainage tubing is securely attached/sealed, as I had a drip coming from there as well.

Good luck on your efforts to sort.

 

Thanks, good advice! I wonder if I was a bit too quick on the drying time...bit depressing to see the leak again but hey ho. I think this time I might wait for a dry day, tape the sunroof up, and attempt again next year in the warmer weather.

 

Does anyone know if there is a separate fuse for the sunroof control and how to find it?

 

[MCG1975]

While it's not good that this is happening to so many, I'm glad it's not just us having this issue!  Jan 2016 Yeti Outdoor, wife calls me on Friday to say she's got a lot of water in the driver and rear offside footwells and on removing the floor mats a push with my finger revealed a good half inch of water sitting in/under the floor.  Had wondered why the inside kept getting so misty/damp!

 

I spent a frustrating afternoon working out how to remove a-pillar covers, sun visors etc and there's a slow drip coming from somewhere in the driver's front corner - the tube is completely clear (unlike passenger's side which I had to clear out).  Pouring water in the corner most comes through the drain but some seems to come through I know not where - there's a white plastic tube that comes along the side of the sunroof and tucks into a hole on the front side and drips seem to be coming from where it goes in there, but I can't see how.  Used a Vax to suck out the water as best as I could, emptied the Vax 3 times - astounding amount of water.

 

Guess based on other comments on this thread we've got a crack somewhere causing a leak; as I'm not set up to solve it myself (as much as I am wiling to have a go, I'm on an exposed driveway in December and don't have all the tools) so I think I may have to take it to the local independent garage and see how much it will cost.  Hopefully not too much - we've only had the car since July (so now out of warranty from where we bought it!) so it's a bit disappointing - we really like the car and my wife enjoys driving it (as so I when I get the chance), but this has knocked our confidence in it slightly so if this is an ongoing issue I fear a trade in may be on the cards.

[Expatman]

39 minutes ago, MCG1975 said:

While it's not good that this is happening to so many, I'm glad it's not just us having this issue!  Jan 2016 Yeti Outdoor, wife calls me on Friday to say she's got a lot of water in the driver and rear offside footwells and on removing the floor mats a push with my finger revealed a good half inch of water sitting in/under the floor.  Had wondered why the inside kept getting so misty/damp!

 

I spent a frustrating afternoon working out how to remove a-pillar covers, sun visors etc and there's a slow drip coming from somewhere in the driver's front corner - the tube is completely clear (unlike passenger's side which I had to clear out).  Pouring water in the corner most comes through the drain but some seems to come through I know not where - there's a white plastic tube that comes along the side of the sunroof and tucks into a hole on the front side and drips seem to be coming from where it goes in there, but I can't see how.  Used a Vax to suck out the water as best as I could, emptied the Vax 3 times - astounding amount of water.

 

Guess based on other comments on this thread we've got a crack somewhere causing a leak; as I'm not set up to solve it myself (as much as I am wiling to have a go, I'm on an exposed driveway in December and don't have all the tools) so I think I may have to take it to the local independent garage and see how much it will cost.  Hopefully not too much - we've only had the car since July (so now out of warranty from where we bought it!) so it's a bit disappointing - we really like the car and my wife enjoys driving it (as so I when I get the chance), but this has knocked our confidence in it slightly so if this is an ongoing issue I fear a trade in may be on the cards.

If you don't want a lifetime of pain then your idea of a trade is sensible. Trade it for a Yeti without a sunroof and your wife is still gets the pleasure of driving a Yeti but will do so with dry feet!

[MCG1975]

4 hours ago, Expatman said:

If you don't want a lifetime of pain then your idea of a trade is sensible. Trade it for a Yeti without a sunroof and your wife is still gets the pleasure of driving a Yeti but will do so with dry feet!

 

Thanks - as much as I don't like to give up on the car as it was the right colour, right age, right price etc I think this is just going to be too much.

 

As it happens I'm going to be at the dealers tomorrow morning picking up my new company car, so I'll see if I can ask them about a trade in.  Looking on their website my wife's seen a Fabia in Racing Green that's taken her fancy now...!!

[Expatman]

1 hour ago, MCG1975 said:

 

Thanks - as much as I don't like to give up on the car as it was the right colour, right age, right price etc I think this is just going to be too much.

 

As it happens I'm going to be at the dealers tomorrow morning picking up my new company car, so I'll see if I can ask them about a trade in.  Looking on their website my wife's seen a Fabia in Racing Green that's taken her fancy now...!!

Just get rid of the Yeti with the sunroof! Fabia is nice but not in same league as Yeti - but if she wants one then you're not going to argue are you?!

Really depends on whether you prefer the high riding Yeti or low level Fabia.

[RhysH]

Hi Guys;

 

Great topic for helping leaky sunroof!   Quick point when apply Captain Tolley which point did you apply it?

 

 

Thanks

Rhys

[Cradoc]

Well thanks for sharing this issue with us, I too have the same problem to the extent it fried my Bluetooth unit under the drivers seat ( before I bought the car) I replaced the unit and repaired the corroded wiring and that part is all good. At the time I assumed the previous owner had left the window open or had driven through a flood. Last week I read another thread suggesting the internal seal around the roof where it’s supposed to kick off the water, part of my seal was in fact sitting incorrectly which suggested water ingress, I placed the seal where it should sit happy in the fact that I had found the root, alas no, water was coming in worse now than before. Then I found your thread, ordered Captain Tolleys sealant and have just applied the first application, when applying it it just disappeared into the layer between the two, my aluminium is black so it was at first not clear where the leak would be.

I’m just waiting for the timer for my first half hour to apply another Tolley. Fingers crossed. As for drying the carpets I have a Karcher WD2 wet and dry vacuum which sucks almost all the moisture out albeit I did lift the carpet from the cill to access the sound proofing layer underneath . Worth mentioning that the only evidence I had was a wet carpet although the framework around the fuse board which is bare metal from the factory has a smearing of rust on it ( 2013 L&K) . Originally I wrote to Skoda complaining but they just pushed me off saying they had no problems with that model even though most owners I’ve spoken to with the panoramic roof have had problems. Thanks again for sharing .

[Stubod]

..amazing that Skoda never seem to own up to what is clearly a design / manufacturing problem...there must be enough evidence by now surely?

 

Not had a problem with mine, but during the annual service I did get our local "indy" to strip out the roof lining and "glue" all the drain pipes in place just in case. (He found one that was "restricted" were the factory had over tightened one of the retaining cable ties so I got that one replaced).

 

Also wondered if anybody had thought about an aftermarket option to remove the "moving"  option and fit "fixed" roof in place that could be sealed in place and would be a lot cheaper than replacing the whole unit. (Personally I like the glass roof, but hardly ever bother to open it).

Edited 23 January, 2021 by Stubod

[rover220]

I believe its not unknown for the hose joint that connects to the sunroof drain to leak at tops of a pillars. 

[Yeti-YMe]

Hi, just as an update, my car has been in the garage with Skoda since 30/11/2020. The garage has been great, but the problem has been "esculated" to Skoda UK. I had no contact from them, so it's been esculated higher up the food chain. So far, they've come down in price to reapair the sun roof. At the moment, seriously thinking about taking this to the press, because surely this should be a manufacturer's re-call to repair.

[Stubod]

..taking to the press will achieve nothing.

 

Known ongoing problem, (same as the occasional DSG problems), that Skoda have never acknowledged as being their design / manufacturing problem, (which it clearly is)..

[Cradoc]

Time for the update , yeeha, at the moment no water ingress. Time will tell if I have been meticulous enough but when the weather warms up a bit and we’ve had a dry spell I shall apply more Tolley and fingers crossed that will be the end of that. Incidentally  I contacted the previous owner ( I bought the car in a used car dealer ) and he told me that Skoda had changed the drain pipes during his time due to the leak. Skoda deny all knowledge of this saying it’s not on the system as being in for this work which points to them not wanting to admit liability. I have stuck to the family brand with Skoda after Audi VW and Seat and have found that the build quality is not the same as the rest of the family and the after sales service is certainly not up to standard. This will be my last Skoda.

[julzgeraghty]

Hi,

I've been struggling with this recently and having siliconed the drainage tubes the drivers side one is working well. The passenger side drain seems to have a tight blockage near the end of the drain in the door pillar. I can get a wire nearly all the way down to the end but it gets stuck. Is there a way to get to this end of the drain please? I've droped the glove box out but can't get to it. Before I start stripping out the interior would I be able to get to the bit I need to.

Thanks

[VagNewbie]

Same issue on Tiguan, EOS etc.

 

Give it a good clean, then put on some gummi pflege or 303 rubber protectant on the seals. This will cause the seals to swell and be flexible again comparable to their natural "as new" condition which is part of the problem. 

If you remove the end caps from the drivers and passenger side of the dash, you can disconnect the drains and rod them from top to bottom. Similarly the C pillar covers all for this access, make sure the connections are good as this is another leak source, use a smidge of silicone to avoid blocking the hose and an appropriate jubilee clip.

 

Edited 28 January, 2021 by VagNewbie

[Cradoc]

Hi,

After my jubilation at the weekend thinking I had cured the leak I find that last night its running in now worse than ever. The tubes have been replaced since new and are a tight fit, the leak is coming in as everyone else has experienced. I shall try the 303 thanks .

[Stubod]

..for a quick /temp fix, or until the weather is good enough for a  proper fix you could just get some clear Gorrila tape (£10 odd), and apply to the glass part of the sunroof and just take it over the rubber seal...ie not onto the paintwork. Just remember not to try and open the sunroof afterwards!!

[logiclee]

Some discussions ongoing on various other forums and social media about Rainworth Skoda Mansfield.  They have a tech who has developed a repair technique and they have a mockup cassette to show customers. Apparently proving very successful and now getting referrals from other dealers.

 

Seats out, sunroof out, repair, refit and reseal. full electrics check for water ingress, carpets lifted and dry out, refit seats, 2x air fresher cycles. Around £1400

[Cradoc]

Nice post logiclee at last someone in the Skoda world has found that yes the roof does leak from the factory ,however,the Skoda world should put there hands up and then down,right into their pockets and pay for a recall on every single pan roof model.  My model being 8 years old now isn’t worth spending 1400 hard earned sheckles on it for a leak. The  full lube service and belt cost me almost a grand  in a specialist but at least I got what I paid for. I’m thinking wait for the summer and px it for something without a sunroof. Thanks for the info.

[Stubod]

..to be honest this potential problem is a real shame. Brilliant car, good drive, practical and economical, such a shame that a few suffer this problem....been thinking about changing mine for a while but can't really find anything else that comes close....

[logiclee]

1 hour ago, Cradoc said:

Nice post logiclee at last someone in the Skoda world has found that yes the roof does leak from the factory ,however,the Skoda world should put there hands up and then down,right into their pockets and pay for a recall on every single pan roof model.  My model being 8 years old now isn’t worth spending 1400 hard earned sheckles on it for a leak. The  full lube service and belt cost me almost a grand  in a specialist but at least I got what I paid for. I’m thinking wait for the summer and px it for something without a sunroof. Thanks for the info.

 

To be fair to Rainworth they fixed mine F.O.C  as I bought mine from them but unless Skoda stumps up they can't do that for everyone.

[Yeti-YMe]

Hi,

 

My car is now going to be repaired, Skoda UK are coming up with 75%, so new carpets, roof liner, new sunroof etc is now less than £700.00 inc VAT. The dealer has been so helpful and so good, I can't praise them enough. 

[BigA@CPFC]

On 06/12/2020 at 16:40, MCG1975 said:

 

Thanks - as much as I don't like to give up on the car as it was the right colour, right age, right price etc I think this is just going to be too much.

 

As it happens I'm going to be at the dealers tomorrow morning picking up my new company car, so I'll see if I can ask them about a trade in.  Looking on their website my wife's seen a Fabia in Racing Green that's taken her fancy now...!!

Hi MCG1975, my first time on one of these forums. What drew me to your post is that I live not far - The Pulhams - and am due to take my 2014 Elegance TSI into Robinson's in Norwich tomorrow (3rd). I have ingress to driver's o/side passenger footwells. Second time this has happened (first time 2017 was luckily still under warranty).  I am dreading the estimate, like you I love my Yeti, but I am seriously considering a trade-in for one without a sunroof. I am amazed this hasn't become an issue with Skoda from 6/7/8 years ago in terms of a recall or similar - or am I being too naive? Regards.

[MCG1975]

15 minutes ago, BigA@CPFC said:

Hi MCG1975, my first time on one of these forums. What drew me to your post is that I live not far - The Pulhams - and am due to take my 2014 Elegance TSI into Robinson's in Norwich tomorrow (3rd). I have ingress to driver's o/side passenger footwells. Second time this has happened (first time 2017 was luckily still under warranty).  I am dreading the estimate, like you I love my Yeti, but I am seriously considering a trade-in for one without a sunroof. I am amazed this hasn't become an issue with Skoda from 6/7/8 years ago in terms of a recall or similar - or am I being too naive? Regards.

 

Welcome to a very friendly and helpful forum! I hope you will be able to get something sorted without costing the earth - we traded in the Yeti for the Fabia I mentioned which my wife now loves and to be honest is probably for her more suitable and for family use we've got the Octavia.  Robinsons are in our good books at the moment as they called up a few days ago noting the Fabia was due a service and MOT, and upon realising we'd only just bought it are now doing both for free!

 

It's a pity these sunroofs have this issue, as personally I love the feature giving light and air but if it also gives swimming pools for footwells that's not so good!  Hopefully for you it's just a blocked hose and not the other...

[BigA@CPFC]

26 minutes ago, MCG1975 said:

 

Welcome to a very friendly and helpful forum! I hope you will be able to get something sorted without costing the earth - we traded in the Yeti for the Fabia I mentioned which my wife now loves and to be honest is probably for her more suitable and for family use we've got the Octavia.  Robinsons are in our good books at the moment as they called up a few days ago noting the Fabia was due a service and MOT, and upon realising we'd only just bought it are now doing both for free!

 

It's a pity these sunroofs have this issue, as personally I love the feature giving light and air but if it also gives swimming pools for footwells that's not so good!  Hopefully for you it's just a blocked hose and not the other...