Headliner is out - Need opinions on maintenance

[craigh]

I have a '00 LS with a sunroof. I am in the process or completing my interior change out to all black and I pulled the headliner out this weekend. I do plan on keeping the car so I am not looking for quick fixes but smart maintenance for longevity.

My question for others is what maintenance would you be doing on the car with the headliner out?

Here is what I am thinking right now. I do have an issue with the motor or the timing of the sunroof. I can get it to open and close, but it is difficult to do. I am working finding and repairing the issue. Might need another motor, or maybe just to be timed again. I will figure it out.

I hear constant issues with the sunroof drains leaking. An inspection of the hoses does not reveal any cracks or brittleness. I thought it might be prudent to replace the tubing to unsure no long terms issues. I have not had any leaking into the car or the trunk from the sunroof. Has anyone replaced the drain tubing and if so what did you use? Just rubber tubing or maybe vinyl tubing? Should I just keep what I have in and not disturb what is already working?

I was also going to replace all the cartridge bulbs in the overhead lights. There is some evidence of them melting the plastic housing slightly and I was thinking of going to LED bulbs. Does anyone have recommendations bulbs that aren't too blue?

Anything I should look at with the rear defroster grid at this time?

I don't believe there are any grounds in the roof that would need to be cleaned up but I will check for that. I will also hit ALL the electrical connections with QD electrical cleaner before getting this back together.

Any other suggestions?

BTW, should anyone be parting out a Gen 1 with a black interior I am seeking the middle seat belt in the rear in black. See pic, mine is gray.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

I typically spray the tracks and worm gears with a bicycle chain lube to keep the sunroof working smoothly... usually once a year.

The sunroof drain tubes don't actually crack... but instead shrink in length... and pull off of the drain tube nipples on the sunroof. This is what causes the pillar posts to get wet... and water ending up in the kick panel where the fuses and relays (and PCM) are.

Also why people end up with water in the spare tire well.

The drain tubes are a fairly stiff vinyl (at least on the Gen 2)... so the easy fix is to add a few inches of rubber hose using vacuum line nipples and old fashioned 1/4" fuel line spring clamps.

The basic Sylvania LED replacements for the overhead lights work well... and aren't what I would consider blue... but closer to white. Installing LED's overhead... and below under the dash... the lights will always glow dimly... instead of shutting off completely. To me... it creates a little ambiance. They will not kill the battery... and go out when the car "goes to sleep".

After spraying the electrical connectors with QD... take some dilectric grease and smear a light coat over the female side of the connector before plugging back together.

 

[craigh]

04 - this is great info and very helpful. Thank you for the reply. Question about the drainage tubes. Are you suggesting to add a few inches to the lower end of the rear tubes? I don't believe it would be an issue with the front tubes. And if these develop leaks in the A pillars, do you know where is the failure? Is it a hose failure or does the connection to the drain tubs deteriorate where the tube connects? if so is there maintenance that should be done to prevent this? I have been an LS owner for 18 years and NEVER had a drain issue but from what I hear in the forums it sounds like a disaster so I am just looking to prevent future problems. Insight from anyone would be helpful.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

No... What I am saying is that the drain tubes shrink in length... and pull off of the nipples on the sunroof.

Thus the suggestion of adding hose at the sunroof end... using the vacuum hose nipples and fuel line spring type clamps I mentioned.

 

[clubairth]

Yes 04_Sport_LS is correct. The ends pull off the Moon roof drain pan.
Hard to see but this is what it looks like;

I pull the tube up and add a hose clamp so I never have to go back and do this again!

The main problem is the drains get blocked usually from tree stuff. Pine needles seem to be the worse. People run a stiff wire from the top out the bottom of the tube or just blast water thru them.
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[craigh]

Got it! Thank you both.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

You could try blowing the hoses out with an air compressor... to clear them.

Back the regulator on the compressor down to about 35psi... and use a rubber tipped blow gun.

 

[craigh]

On closer inspection the hoses are shrinking and they are not tight on the drain nipples. Thanks for the insight on these. This is the kind of insight I was seeking.

 

[craigh]

Thanks everyone for their input. I finally got this back together today and ran it through the carwash. Kind of an ultimate test if the sunroof has issues. Everything was great and I am confident going forward that I will not have to pull this apart again in the next few years.