[maserafi]

A friend with a 2016 Cruze LTZ has had issues with water leaking into the cabin from the sunroof since the car was new. The dealership had their hands on it at least three times but this issue continued. Recently, the owner asked my opinion from there I searched for the root cause. My findings..

1. The PVC drain tubes were detached from the rubber boots which connect the tubes to the sunroof gutter system. The way the drain tube connects to the boot is a poor design. It is not glued in place. Compressed air or a fish wire will definitely disconnect the tube from the boot.
2. The most important discovery was how the tubes were secured within the A pillars from the factory. The tie wrap tension was so tight that the tubes were pinched which obstructed water flow. Over time, debris will surely clog the tube at any one of those tie points.

The drain tubes were not pinched after the last tie wrap post in the A pillar prior to entering into the front fenders. The fix was to purchase 20ft roll of tubing with 1/2" OD and 3/8"ID, two 3/8" ID Splicer Hose Barb, and six or a bag of 3/8"-7/8" stainless steel hose clamps. I cut the existing tubing after the last pinch point, installed the splicer barb then secured with the clamps. Where the tube enters the boot, The boot can be removed from the gutter nipple by turning counter clockwise. I secured the tube inside the boot with a hose clamp. HOWEVER, the 3/8" - 7/8" clamp was not large enough for the side of the boot which attaches to the sunroof gutter nipple. I used two tie wraps secured with a tie wrap gun set to max tension. I suggest buying two clamps the next size range up. I wrapped the splicer union with rubber tape to prevent rattling or scraping of the clamps against the cables.

This fixed the issue. Pictures below.

Michael