Do you have water dripping from your roof compass/Webasto control/sunglassses cubby area when it rains or when you wash your beast?
![237750]( "237750")
That's water dripping from the headliner onto the sat nav!
Have you checked the sunroof and other drains lower down to ensure there is no trapped water in those drains that could be backed up and spilling over?
If you had little or no water or blockages in those drains then the source of the water ingress must be higher up.
For me, once the other drains have been ruled out, the likely culprit has to be the seals under the aluminum slider rails that the factory roof bars slide along.
Having done the repair I can speak from experience and say that after 15 years, the rubber seals between the slider rails and the screw holes in the roof were perished and next to useless.
It doesn't help that the rubbers are very thin and fragile. Almost like it was designed not to last!
The rubber items for each side of the mk1 Treg consist of 2 lengths of rubber seals (think flimsy windshield wiper) and 6 rectangular rubber pieces for the bolt holes.
The long wiper type seals are there to keep as much water out of the channel as possible, which is recessed flush into the roof. The rectangular seals are there to stop what water does get in the recessed channel from entering the roof via the bolt holes.
Parts required:
Long rubber seals (£38 for one pack of two seals from the dealer)
![237751]( "237751")
2 packs required if you plan on doing both sides
6 rectanglular seals:
![237753]( "237753")
12 required if you are doing both sides
Outdoor silicone sealant (optional)
![237754]( "237754")
Tools required:
T25 Torx bit on a ratchet/screwdriver
Brush
Cloths or Paper Towel
Pick tool
Household cleaner ie glass/tile
Steps:
1. Remove roof bars.
2. Remove 6 x T25 bolts that secure the recessed aluminum slider rail to the roof.
![237755]( "237755")
If you watch the bolt heads as you start loosening them you may see moisture rise up from the threads as you press down.
Also, if the threads are dry, you should hear a satisfying crack when the bolt comes loose. If it loosens without a murmur, then this may also be a sign that it is wet underneath. I had one watertight bolt seal out of six on the driver's side alone.
3. Reach in the groove with a finger and gently lift the aluminum rail up and out of the recess.
![237757]( "237757")
4. Check all rubbers for damage, kinked edges and that all six rectangular rubbers came off with the rail.
![237756]( "237756")
The above picture shows just how fragile the rubber seals are. This was one of three that had an epic fail around the bolt hole on the driver's side alone, letting water into my headliner and all the electrics up there. Not very robust considering how important their job is.
5. Set aside the rail and inspect the recess for pooled water, debris, damage, etc. basically anything that shouldn't be there that may cause you a problem once its all back together.
![237758]( "237758")
6. Use the brush to remove the larger pieces of crap in the recess. Then use the spray cleaner and a cloth to wipe the rest away. Keep wiping until its just the paint and then let dry.
7. Remove the long seals from each side of the length of the rail. Take care with the rail ends as they are plastic. The ends will just pull off to make the job easier.
8. Remove the six rectangular seals from the underside of the rail. If you are doing this on a budget and will be reusing them with silicone, a quick soak in warm soapy water should get any buildup free from their nooks and crannies.
9. Clean all the mating surfaces with the spray cleaner. The entire length of the underside and the two grooves that hold the wiper seal in place. Use a pick tool, spray cleaner and the cloth to clean the wiper grooves well. Then let dry.
10 Insert the new wiper seals into their respective grooves then attach the plastic ends. Once both ends fitted and both grooves done, gently stretch the seals so they reach the plastic ends and secure them to the two clips that retain them in place at each end.
![237759]( "237759")
11. Replace/fit new rectangular seals to underside of the rail. Consider bolstering the water repelling properties of the rubber with outdoor silicone if you wish.
12. Return cleaned rail with new/repaired seals to the cleaned roof recess and line up bolt holes carefully if you used silicone. If so, press down firmly so that some silicone pushes up the hole to form a watertight seal.
13. Put the 6 bolts back in and tighten.
14. Do the other side as required and replace the roof bars and you're done.
15. Check bolts a week later and snug up as necessary.
Tips:
If you plan on using silicone check your weather forecast so that it has adequate time to cure.
After spraying down the rail and cleaning the grooves, stand upright so that it drys quicker. Remove plastic ends before standing upright though.
If you live in a temperate climate and get your fair share of rain, definitely consider using outdoor rated silicone sealant to help the rubbers do their job better. They are just too delicate to hold up well under extreme temperature cycles.
You can either drop a blob of sealant around the bolt hole in the roof's recess or apply it to the rubber rectangles first to ensure the entire surface of the rubber is covered and the water has no way in.
If you don't want to use silicone but wish to maximise the life of your rubbers, take them off once a year and soak them overnight in Armor All or any liquid tyre cleaner. This will keep the rubber soft and flexible, extending its life.
You may be able to find the part numbers for the rubbers online and save massively compared to dealer prices. By doing this and doing the work yourself, you are saving approx £350 and extending the life of your Treg.
That's water dripping from the headliner onto the sat nav!
Have you checked the sunroof and other drains lower down to ensure there is no trapped water in those drains that could be backed up and spilling over?
If you had little or no water or blockages in those drains then the source of the water ingress must be higher up.
For me, once the other drains have been ruled out, the likely culprit has to be the seals under the aluminum slider rails that the factory roof bars slide along.
Having done the repair I can speak from experience and say that after 15 years, the rubber seals between the slider rails and the screw holes in the roof were perished and next to useless.
It doesn't help that the rubbers are very thin and fragile. Almost like it was designed not to last!
The rubber items for each side of the mk1 Treg consist of 2 lengths of rubber seals (think flimsy windshield wiper) and 6 rectangular rubber pieces for the bolt holes.
The long wiper type seals are there to keep as much water out of the channel as possible, which is recessed flush into the roof. The rectangular seals are there to stop what water does get in the recessed channel from entering the roof via the bolt holes.
Parts required:
Long rubber seals (£38 for one pack of two seals from the dealer)
2 packs required if you plan on doing both sides
6 rectanglular seals:
12 required if you are doing both sides
Outdoor silicone sealant (optional)
Tools required:
T25 Torx bit on a ratchet/screwdriver
Brush
Cloths or Paper Towel
Pick tool
Household cleaner ie glass/tile
Steps:
1. Remove roof bars.
2. Remove 6 x T25 bolts that secure the recessed aluminum slider rail to the roof.
If you watch the bolt heads as you start loosening them you may see moisture rise up from the threads as you press down.
Also, if the threads are dry, you should hear a satisfying crack when the bolt comes loose. If it loosens without a murmur, then this may also be a sign that it is wet underneath. I had one watertight bolt seal out of six on the driver's side alone.
3. Reach in the groove with a finger and gently lift the aluminum rail up and out of the recess.
4. Check all rubbers for damage, kinked edges and that all six rectangular rubbers came off with the rail.
The above picture shows just how fragile the rubber seals are. This was one of three that had an epic fail around the bolt hole on the driver's side alone, letting water into my headliner and all the electrics up there. Not very robust considering how important their job is.
5. Set aside the rail and inspect the recess for pooled water, debris, damage, etc. basically anything that shouldn't be there that may cause you a problem once its all back together.
6. Use the brush to remove the larger pieces of crap in the recess. Then use the spray cleaner and a cloth to wipe the rest away. Keep wiping until its just the paint and then let dry.
7. Remove the long seals from each side of the length of the rail. Take care with the rail ends as they are plastic. The ends will just pull off to make the job easier.
8. Remove the six rectangular seals from the underside of the rail. If you are doing this on a budget and will be reusing them with silicone, a quick soak in warm soapy water should get any buildup free from their nooks and crannies.
9. Clean all the mating surfaces with the spray cleaner. The entire length of the underside and the two grooves that hold the wiper seal in place. Use a pick tool, spray cleaner and the cloth to clean the wiper grooves well. Then let dry.
10 Insert the new wiper seals into their respective grooves then attach the plastic ends. Once both ends fitted and both grooves done, gently stretch the seals so they reach the plastic ends and secure them to the two clips that retain them in place at each end.
11. Replace/fit new rectangular seals to underside of the rail. Consider bolstering the water repelling properties of the rubber with outdoor silicone if you wish.
12. Return cleaned rail with new/repaired seals to the cleaned roof recess and line up bolt holes carefully if you used silicone. If so, press down firmly so that some silicone pushes up the hole to form a watertight seal.
13. Put the 6 bolts back in and tighten.
14. Do the other side as required and replace the roof bars and you're done.
15. Check bolts a week later and snug up as necessary.
Tips:
If you plan on using silicone check your weather forecast so that it has adequate time to cure.
After spraying down the rail and cleaning the grooves, stand upright so that it drys quicker. Remove plastic ends before standing upright though.
If you live in a temperate climate and get your fair share of rain, definitely consider using outdoor rated silicone sealant to help the rubbers do their job better. They are just too delicate to hold up well under extreme temperature cycles.
You can either drop a blob of sealant around the bolt hole in the roof's recess or apply it to the rubber rectangles first to ensure the entire surface of the rubber is covered and the water has no way in.
If you don't want to use silicone but wish to maximise the life of your rubbers, take them off once a year and soak them overnight in Armor All or any liquid tyre cleaner. This will keep the rubber soft and flexible, extending its life.
You may be able to find the part numbers for the rubbers online and save massively compared to dealer prices. By doing this and doing the work yourself, you are saving approx £350 and extending the life of your Treg.
