I have not got the bottle to take the side vents off, but I do have a cut down coat hanger I want to use, once in the drain hole where am I aiming for? is it the drain behind the side vents with the flap on it? my usual method of filling pod with warm water and pumping the drain with my hand is only producing a slow trickle, also have I got to be careful when poking the wire down the drain hole? Sorry to mention drain unblocking again...
Hi
Take the plunge fella, I was worried about it too, but to really clean the drains you need to take the vents off, a coat hanger will just push the muck down and eventually block it more, like said on here lots off electrical tape on the end of a flat screw driver, I also put tape along the edge of the paint work then gently prise off the bottom corner, you can get you fingers in to gentle pull the rest worse than will happen is you might brake a clip or 2.
It's the only way to clear them properly
You should worry too much. You need to be pretty forceful when removing them but they are pretty tough. At worst your likely to break the little clips but they can be replaced.
Good idea to clean them out about once a year. You'd be surprised how much crap collects in there. I pour water down the side of the hood and use a cotton bud in the drain hole
+1 on taking the plunge. Like Nathan says the vents are pretty tough.
High pressure hose worked miracles for me s:) :) s:) hehehe
Prob not a recommended method but hey it worked and my drive was covered in 2 trees worth of stuff.
Roof down, nozzle against drain at max power and go
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Instead of a taped screwdriver, consider something like a wooden spatula. Fairly solid, but less likely to do much damage, and also puts the force over a wider area for clip removal.
I think I paid 12 quid for a full trim removal kit off the bay. It's brilliant.
Has everything you need to remove exterior and interior trim, and even radios.
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Every action has a reaction - These motors are getting on a bit - Should you start removing the vents to get at the drains then undoubtedly you are going to break some of the clips!! - Drop the hood so far so that you can engage a water hose to the top of the drain and flush - If that doesn't work then remove the vents ( and suffer the tedious problem of trying to refit vents after breaking some clips!!)
We had some rain last night, and the passenger side is sploshing around with water, I will see how brave I am this weekend, is there a drain hole underneath the car, or is a gap by the sill as the water seems come out of a larger area than a drain hole?
I used a long cable tie... Stiff enough to push through but flexible enough to bend at the bottom so the flap opened.
This will mean the collection of water sloshing about will go, but after reading some other comments it might not clear the drain fully...
I can't find the post now but someone brought a very extended thin babies bottle cleaner type brush. I have issues as I have to remove my c-one side scoops to get to my drains
Seems to have caught a few cars out. It's been very 'wet' rain here the last couple of days too, the sort that doesn't seem heavy but saturates things.
I looked at my '2 this morning and just had a feeling there would be some sort of leakage. Pulled off the drive and heard a 'trickle' directly behind me, checked the bins when I got to work and sure enough, a bit of water in there.
Going to have to try and get the vents off at work at lunchtime as I'm away all weekend and the car will be sat outside.
Like I said before this should be a service item. Especially if your car spends a lot of time outside and every more so if anywhere near or under trees.
I clean mine out at least once a year
Quote from: "nathanMR2"Like I said before this should be a service item
It is for me now s:D :D s:D
Anyone know if there are eBay versions of the required clips available? I know one of my driver side ones is already snapped from Ding Day.
Good advise, thanks...
Quote from: "AndyM"[. . .]
Anyone know if there are eBay versions of the required clips available? I know one of my driver side ones is already snapped from Ding Day.
Likewise.
I had to replace a couple of mine with some of the white clips Halfords sell, but I had to cut them down a bit and they're far from ideal. So if there are better versions that are easily available, then I'd be keen to know too.
Ohhhh darn rain! Driving off to work this morning, brake for a red light and slosh. *thinks* what in gods name is that*. Accelerate, slosh, slosh. Get to work and the back compartment below the rear windscreen just full of water s:( :( s:( . Had to get a mug and throw the water out. Got two towels in the back now soaking up the water, very sad.
I think it's all those trees have it in for us, by depositing debris on our cars.
Quote from: "AndyM"Anyone know if there are eBay versions of the required clips available? I know one of my driver side ones is already snapped from Ding Day.
Why not try MrT or CTP. They can't be that expensive. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
It depends on your definition of ". . . that . . .", and a choice of three sources is better than two.
Quote from: "roger"Why not try MrT or CTP. They can't be that expensive. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
Mr CTP has a PM waiting s;) ;) s;)
Definitely need to get on this this evening though, got in my car after work and pulled quite sharply out of my parking space to here a sploosh. Checked the bins and they were fairly full and the passenger 'scoop' bit of the hood base was literally full to the brim with water. Used about 10m of paper towel to mop it up as best I could for the drive home but that drain has definitely stopped working.
Think it may be a very recent blockage too as I saw the wet patches at the drain exit points showing them working just a few days ago. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:
someone correct me, i was reading somewhere that some member's just got rid of the drain and the pipe and never had no more issues.
can that be done or is there, a real need for the drain cover and pipe?
ongoing winter job. (in London we all park near trees and it always raining.)
regards redarrow.
I'm pretty sure that at least one person on here has left the covers off but , unfortunately, memory fades s:D :D s:D
On the face of it, why have the cover in the first place?
Mentioned it so many times before - all you need to unblock the drains is a length of curtain wire, pvc covered and its very unlikely gonna damage anything in the drains like a coat hanger god forbid. Work the wire into the drain and simply rinse with a litre of water to flush the debris. Get a four foot one and it will alson serve to help replace the strap across the roof if it ever comes detached - the strap reduces the ears!
Norman
Guys don't get leaving your drain cleaning for as long as you have. There are electric components in and around the bins. It's unlikely water will actually get to them even if the bins do fill up with water but remember your ecu is hiding back there and I wouldn't want to risk it.
normanh you mentioned pvc covered curtain wire, I did the god forbid coat hanger and it just was not flexible enough, It felt as though it was pushing on body work near the drain hole inside the car, it only went down about an inch, does it matter if the curtain wire has the eyes at the end, I think it was designed for net curtains, I you can tell, I still was not brave enough to tackle the side vents.
Quote from: "nathanMR2"Guys don't get leaving your drain cleaning for as long as you have.
I certainly won't be! Couldn't believe how much water was in there.
Tried getting my vents on late on Friday but they weren't having it with the temperature/tools I have, so ordered a trim removal set from the 'bay to try and prise them off without damaging anything. Used some wire from the top in the mean time with limited success.
Nimrod, I think it's worth going for the vents as the best long-term solution to this.
On the body I am going to put electrical tape then a thin strip of hardboard and electrical on top of that, then use a wood split chisel covered in tape, does the front edge of the vent pull off at 90 degrees and then the back slide towards drivers door? I hope to have a chance this weekend. Do you think my idea will work ok?
Has anyone tried an airline through the top of the drain?
I watched Mr 'Ding' take mine off at Ding Day. I think it pulls directly away from the car at the front (3 clips on the leading edge), then it unhooks from a rear clip at the back.
I tried mine quickly on Friday with a plastic spatula but couldn't get enough force on it for the clips to pop. The trim removal kit I've bought was only about a fiver and has a number of different hard plastic implements to try with. Ideally I think you want to get 'around' each clip so you can pull it out straight, should avoid shearing them off.
There's a car workshop where I work, I will see if they have a tool, I do not really want the students to have a go.
I cleared mine this weekend. Used a flat head screwdriver wrapped in electrical tape and some thick corrugated cardboard to protect the paintwork. The clips stayed in the body and I removed them with a small pair of pliers, put them back in the plastic and popped the plastic back in afterwards. s:grin: :grin: s:grin:
I cleaned my water tubes out today, i took
The side seatbelt plastics of and found, the top
Water holes , i got a tube and a small funnel, and
Some water , i first open the side vents with a flat head
screwdriver with force , first the upper corners then a hard Paul,
Then i removed the rubber and then used a screwdriver
To get all the crap i could see, then i used the pipe and put water
In it till the water was flowing properly, i was prodding the hole with
A coat hanger on both sides then i took the clips out then
Put them back on the vent and pressed it all in finished.
I did respray the vents while doing the work also
Reattached my hood strap and also changed the gear
Bearings and touched some paint chips up.
Busy man lol
Regards john/ redarrow
I,m a happy man now I am all unblocked, even the engine sounds louder on tickover, the motor vehicle workshop said bring my car round, they looked and tugged at the vents, I suggested using an air line, so dropped the roof, put the air line in the top drain, the air line had a small pipe attatchment, used it and it blew all black bits out it was a bit messy, filled the pod with water,drip, drip, so did it again with water in it gurgle, gurgle, woosh all cleared out it was poring out of the sill, even used the air line on the sill which caused it to flow even better, as even that seemed to be filled with crud, also did the same for the other side, I've had the car since 07 and can never remember it flowing so well.
So for me this is the easiest way of clearing my drains, a piece of cake, but only if you are able to get access to an airline with a small pipe adaptor, how ever you clear yours good luck.... s:D :D s:D
Would just dropping the roof and blasting down the top of th drains with a pressure wash not have the desired effect?
Quote from: "wallzaveerz"Would just dropping the roof and blasting down the top of th drains with a pressure wash not have the desired effect?
Tis what I did
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And did it have the desired effect?
This one was relatively clean when I did it but the build up on the flap can get much worse, poking stuff down from the top or blasting with water will open the flap but not clear it, leaving it to gum shut again, the best solution is to remove & clean thoroughly.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15402575/Drains%20010.jpg)
I think using a high pressure waterjet would have produced the same result, but I did not have access to one, when I wash my car in future I will pay more attention to the drain holes when I rinse the car, I am still getting used to hearing the motor behind me now.
Quote from: "Les"This one was relatively clean when I did it but the build up on the flap can get much worse, poking stuff down from the top or blasting with water will open the flap but not clear it, leaving it to gum shut again, the best solution is to remove & clean thoroughly.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15402575/Drains%20010.jpg)
+1 to taking it out and cleaning it properly or this happens...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y143/uktotty/IMAG1562.jpg)
Yuck, mine was coming out black.
Quote from: "StuC"+1 to taking it out and cleaning it properly or this happens...
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y143/uktotty/IMAG1562.jpg)
That image still turns my stomach every time I see it s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
I know, right? s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
Wow..... well I'm not going to describe what that looks like. O.O
Looks like I know what I'm going to be doing soon.
Did mine this afternoon. Couldn't believe how much mud came out of the N/S one (although it was nice and dry and didn't look like ^^^ s:? :? s:? ).
Only downside was when removing the final clip from the O/S vent it pinged back inside and dropped into the sill. I hope it doesn't create a noticeable rattle! s:x :x s:x
The last time and only time I bought clips from Mr T they were were about £1.20 each and that was about 4 years ago, the curtain wire has worked fine since and I rod the drains twice a year as the car is mostly parked under trees.
norman
I agree with norm, i will be doing the same with the curton wire
as in london trees every where,
I have to wash the car nearly daily , i have start to use
The non water sprays now as the water fetching to wash
The car from tree debre was getting me down,
Now i just spray and good old wipe and go .
Regards redarrow/ john
When you mention curtain wire, is it the same wire used for net curtains, they are flexible and have slight stretch to them, mine have eyes at each end I assume one end needs to be removed?
When cleaning mine on Saturday I found a 200mm cable tie worked very well (the actual drain chamber is only about 150mm long). The clip end of the tie can be used to help pull out debris that you loosen as well.
Net curtain wire is the one, get yourself one thats at least the width of the hood as its a handy gadget for threading the strap back should it become detached in the hood - ear preventer.
norman