Roof rack issues

Basically I am having issues with the weatherproofing of my Martin offroad roof rack.

Initial install was 4th of July weekend, broke 2 bolts and the rtv silicone cured before I could fix the issue = leaky roof.

Took the rack off, drilled out the bolts and re-tapped the threads. Made sure everything was ready and all threads/silicone were cleaned up.

Reinstalled the rack, everything went smoothly, but I am still having leaks around the back window (windshield).

I haven't ruled out the possibility of a leaking 3rd brake light, but I never had the issue before so I'm blaming the rack until I can prove otherwise.

I followed the prinsu install directions exactly, but can't figure out where I went wrong.

Any advice, tips or tricks?

 

If you followed the directions it really has to be something else, did you bend or push against the shark fin or crack the brake light lens?

I know you probably aren’t a dolt, but how many bolts per side did you use?

 

5 bolts per side. 2 front, 1 middle, and 2 in the back. I didn't hit the fin or the light. Total time from when I siliconed until snugging the bolts was less than 20 minutes

 

Where is the water entering from and are any of the shoulder belts wet when uou pull them out all the way? - could indicate water going down a particular pillar...

 

try dumping small amounts of water around certain areas, 1 area at a time. then after each one doesn't leak, you know its ok. then do around the fin, and around the brake light. you should be able to narrow it down that way

 

The only place I've seen any water/the headliner has been wet is along the rear window. No seat belts have been wet, even when I pull them all of the way out.

I tried this with a squirt bottle on each bolt location, waiting a few minutes each time to make sure it wasn't a slow leak. I most likely didn't use enough water though. I didn't try the fin or light. The rack was the only change so I wanted to eliminate it first

 

Any other ideas or recommendations are welcome

 

Remove your headliner until you can find out where the water is coming from and get it fixed. This will also aid in finding where the water is coming from.

 

I think this is the easiest way to determine where the leak is coming from. I would try it again using a bucket of water.

 

That's my plan this morning. Using a cup full per location first then seeing what happens I'll decide if I need to use more water or not @jayandersen5

 

20 minutes is too long, it likely skinned over before you were done. You can delay this by keeping it wet with a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol. I prefer other sealants but you have to be careful with compatability. Sika doesn't work with butyl products. I'd check the 3rd brake light and as others have suggested, pull the headliner so you don't have to keep guessing.

 

Soooo after drenching the brake light only I have a leak.
Antenna - no leak.
Each set of bolt holes individually - no leak.

I gave each cup full a few minutes to disperse while I checked headliner, seat belts and windows for possible leaks.

The only place that caused any drip was the brake light. Even after multiple rounds of water per location.

I'm not sure if this has been going on for a while since I never noticed any water or if I caused it during my rack installation. Either way I need to get it taken care of.

Is there a TSB or am I fixing this on my own?

 

Brake Light: T-SB-0055-18
https://m.imgur.com/a/COCsLHq

Do not mention anything about the roof rack when you bring it in to get the brake light repaired. Good luck!

 

Get a wi-fi borescope from Amazon for $35 instead of pulling the headliner at first. Easier. Comes in handy for other this also like oil leaks and stuff around the house. You can enter from the headliner console or another area to check in there. Hooks up to ipad or phone and can record.

No mechanic should be without it imo.

 

If you have the headliner out leave it out when you take it to the dealership. Otherwise, they will probably try to blame your roof rack at first.

 

Thank you for the tsb number @OnHartung'sRoad, I'll search around and get the pdf to have a hard copy on hand. I definitely won't be mentioning the rack and they can easily replicate the leak to prove my claim.

I never took the headliner out. It was obvious it was the light when I tested everything, so fixing it is going to be up to them. I appreciate all of the help and feedback. I'll update everyone when I talk to the dealer

 

Well quick summary of my experiences so far... last monday (8/5) they checked the light and granted the TSB aka ordered a new light. Called them tuesday (8/13), they had the parts and I scheduled for today for the install. From 11:45am to 2:45pm I waited for them to fix it. I found this...
I immediately went to the service manager and demanded an explanation. I could have done cleaner work after drinking a fifth of whiskey. There is silicone residue on the roof, windows, rubber trim, basically everywhere.

Apparently the tech had "trouble" with the new gasket so he remedied it with silicone. Then "in the low light conditions" he though he had it cleaned up. That man must be legally blind.

They apologized and have ordered me a new light assembly which is supposed to be installed next friday (8/23). I hate to be the guy that bitches, but that was a piss poor attempt to fix something.

I'll keep you all updated as this story unfolds.

 

You did the right thing. That's absolutely terrible. Good thing you double checked their work because if you didn't bothered to look at it and months went by the dealer would have been denying any wrong doing.

 

Funny if you remedy it yourself with silicon like that they will void the brake light TSB. And you were WAYYYYYY to nice. I would have had them pay for a detail at a place of my choosing to get that stuff off my truck since its a complete pain in the ass to do

 

That is some sloppy work, they should be embarrassed. What a bunch of monkeys.
Do you think the light leak just happened to occur at the time you installed the rack or could the rack be causing the roof to distort and opening up a gap?