2018 CX-5 Sunroof drain loose or clogged

[GnT]

Looks like the 2018 CX-5 front passenger sunroof drain is either loose or clogged. Water has been getting in the headliner for a year or so. Has not really been problematic but I need to get it fixed before it becomes a more serious mold/odor/damage issue.

Pouring water in the front driver's side drain I can see it pouring out underneath the car. Pouring water in the passenger side it seems to drain slowly, pool and never come out the bottom. Seems like if the drain hose was detached from the sunroof, it would never pool, and just drain into the headliner. Seems like it should be clogged somewhere.

I bought a snake with a brush from Amazon, and it seems to be able to snake "all the way" to the end. Have not removed any trim pieces so not 100% sure it is getting to the end. I asked some local shops about it and they would not touch it. Finally took it to a dealership and they want $750+, which seems like a lot.

Saw a few new YouTube posts and am going to try a few more ways before dropping that kind of money. First I want to find the drain exit and try and see if that is clogged, or snake from the exit, or verify the snake is getting all the way though. If that does not work I am going to try and drop the headliner in the corner to see if somehow the drain is detached.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments or advice, all is appreciated.

 

[HyFlyer]

How different is your Amazon snek w/brush from, say, just some plain ol' plastic weedwacker line? I've heard of the weedwacker line doing the cleaning trick on a few occasions.

 

[GnT]

How different is your Amazon snek w/brush from, say, just some plain ol' plastic weedwacker line? I've heard of the weedwacker line doing the cleaning trick on a few occasions.

Basically the same thing. It is a flexible but stiff cable with a small brush on the end. The length should be long enough to feed the whole way, and it feels like it does, but of course I cannot see where it is actually going.

 

[GnT]

Well the drain hose was not clogged. It was simply not attached. I removed the visor, the handle and the A pillar trim. Dropped the headliner a bit and found the rubber hose nowhere near the drain outlet. Followed a YT tutorial and was done within 45 minutes. Sure beats the $750 the shop was going to charge!