Technical Q&A
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QI have sold my previous Freelander 2 and bought a newer one, and I’d like some advice on preventing an old problem happening to my new one.
The passenger footwell of my previous Freelander 2 filled with water and had to be pumped out. I concluded it had come from the sunroof, but there was no obvious path from there into the car. The Land Rover workshop manual shows a drain from the sunroof runners on each side of the car above the B-posts, leading down the C-post to just behind the back wheel on each side.
I found if I parked the car facing backwards down my sloping drive the water ingress reduced, but there was still a wet patch in the headlining.
During my three years of ownership it had nearly always been parked overnight facing down the drive, so I wonder if the problem was that the water from the sunroof slide paths had been unable to escape to the rear and had sat there quietly rusting through the drains (presumably steel) so that every time it rained the water came into the car through a rusty hole instead of exiting to the outside world. The water was clean and left no stains on the headlining.
My newer Freelander 2 also has a sunroof. I want to keep this car for a long time, and don’t want the same problem. Have you any experience of this leakage, and any advice on how I can keep the roof drains clear? Alan Mordey, Leamington Spa
AWe don’t normally see water ingress issues from sunroofs on Freelander 2. However, if you experience any problems with your current Freelander 2 the areas to look for are as follows.
Open the sunroof fully and check the channels are clear from debris such as leaves and dirt.
The drain tubes are located towards the rear of the aperture and, if possible, use an airline to gently blow air down the tube to clear them.
Regarding the ingress into the footwell, we have seen on a few occasions where the drain tube for the heater/air conditioning unit has become detached and, instead of draining on to the ground, it drains into the footwell.
In the meantime, to avoid future problems, make sure you regularly check for debris, as mentioned before. Alan replies: