FJ Cruiser ROOF LEAK Repair

A submarine with a screen door? Not quite, but certainly a leak that needed attention before destroying the headliner or side curtain airbag. After a little investigation and some carefully placed silicone, Ole Effe is now bandaged up and ready for action again.
Headliner removal:
• Dropping the HEADLINER...
Link to another FJ roof leak video:
• FJ Cruiser Roof Leak R...
Music:
Andrew Applepie - Keep On Trying

[@POPPASHANGO]

Had the same spot. Pulled the roof rack and sealed the seam on both sides. Still leaked. Found the problem. It was the plastic clip for the windshield trim. It has a piece of rubber under it that is literally and ridiculously paper thin. Pulled out, silicone the bottom of the clip and put the clip back in the hole. Major storm a week later, and no more leaks.

[@dironaa]

Yes, that’s another place where these vehicles will leak. I had to do the same thing a few years after making this video. Thanks for the detailed description.

[@axetrops]

What kind/brand silicone did you guys used?

[@POPPASHANGO]

@axetrops I used GE Marine Usage Sealant. 100% Waterproof clear silicone. Weatherproof and freeze proof. Will bond to metal, wood, fiberglass and plastic. That did the trick for me.

[@outsidetherapyexperience]

Thank you for the video. I have the same problem, both sides on my 08 with a factory roof rack. After watching this i'm just waiting for the right combination of weather and time to address it.

[@dironaa]

While youre in there, if you’re comfortable with it, I’d recommend sealing the holes in the roof where the upper windshield clips attach. I had a leak there too. I think there are four or five square holes punched in the roof for that trim piece. Just know that the upper windshield trim is typically a one-time use item, and you might need to buy a new one if the clips break while removing it.

[@79thump8]

Man that was a project. But looks like it's all good. Nice job on the video.

[@dironaa]

Thanks! Definitely snowballed a little more than I had anticipated but all is well that ends well

[@icecoupe]

Thanks for the video! Naturally, my 2010 FJ had similar symptoms, After replacing the clips under the upper windshield trim and sealing them thoroughly, I was surprised to have a leak STILL! Secondly I dropped a portion of the headliner to confirm the OEM roof rack was not leaking and was able to visually and touch inspect those roof rack bolts. Finally, stumped and confused, I was led to do more research and ultimately to this video. So Next, I'll pull the roof rack and reseal witht the best seam sealer and auto parts supplier will sell me.

[@dironaa]

Hope this fixes it for you! Home Depot clear silicone has been holding up well on mine since the video was filmed

[@MrMusaalam]

Thanks you solved my problem to. My FJ leaks exactly from the same space.

[@dironaa]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@javedmir7989]

That is why I am very reluctant to use after market stuff on my FJ!

[@dironaa]

Can't blame ya. Although in the end I don't think this had anything to do with the aftermarket roof rack, it's just a design flaw in the in the way the FJs were constructed

[@jaycvu]

Had the same issue. The silicone on the roof rails worked. I remove headliner , I don't think i will be putting it back. I like the naked roof look lol.

[@dironaa]

I did that in a Jeep I owned once, cool look for sure

[@state48overland]

I ended up doing just about the same thing. Also gave a light spray of rubberized undercoating in that channel. Gave more grip to those channel gap fillers and waterproofing. The FJ seam design is bad considering most will use a roof rack with weight/load. That weight pulls side to side when cornering or with wind drag this seam separation. Still love my FJ though. Nice work man. 👍🏻✌🏻

[@dironaa]

Agreed, terrible foresight on the engineers part. Great idea, I just may do something similar next time the roof racks are off. Thanks!

[@jesseolivares2269]

I had the same issue with my Fj and put silicon calk over the screws of my mounted rack....problem resolved.

[@dironaa]

There seem to be 3 sources of roof leaks on these things: bolt holes, roof skin seams, and the holes for the plastic clips that hold the trim piece above the windshield on. Very poor design IMO.

[@Hyperion65]

Had the same leak in the same exact spot. Its definitely the crack in the roofs seam as shown. I sealed mine under the roof trim pieces but it still leaked I had to remove the top frond windshield header. The crack continues under it down to the glass at the corners.

[@dironaa]

Certainly a design flaw, but the first generation of nearly every vehicle has it’s issues

[@mpots323]

This is happening on my 2014 FJ. Same spot.

[@ashwynfernandes]

Very helpful vid, thank you for sharing. Can you please share what products you used? I’ve read on a few forums that silicone could be counterproductive in the long run and many recommend butyl based sealants.

[@dironaa]

I used a thin film of silicone sealant, the same type you’d use on a bath tub or around a house window. Holding up great so far

[@arefeshghi]

@@dironaa First of all, thanks for the video. I hosed my roof and got some water in my car today. I think maybe it is my roof-rack (I have the OEM one) or roof-rails. Second, I wanted to use the same silicone you used on my front windscreen, but someone told me the ordinary sealer releases acetic acid, which is corrosive on metal. So, I used a specific sealer.

[@walkerbell2817]

Damn toyota engineers!! Could not be happier with my fj, aside from this leak! Arghhh. Been going on for almost two years now. Took your advice and ran a bead of silicone down the crack on both sides and it seemed to cover the crack completely. Got some new washers and bolts and stuff for the roof rack as well (i still feel ass if im missing something) and have still had the leak ever since! It is for the most part on the front two a pillars only now, and definitely less water but in heavy rain still quite bad. The middle and rear pillars connected to the roof seem to not leak anymore which is good but need some advice on the rest!! Also tried a good bit of silicone around the bolt holes and on the bolts before putting them in...... lol. Thanks in advance!

[@dironaa]

The upper windshield molding is held on by several plastic clips, under these plastic clips are square holes punched through the roof of the FJ. Next thing I’d try is putting silicone between these clips and the roof to seal the holes. You may need to reapply this silicone whenever the windshield is replaced

[@ionian08]

Hello appreciate your video, could you please confirm what silicone do you used or if you can put the link from Amazon will be appreciated

[@LegitRaceCraft]

Nice! You beat me to making this video and the one on the roof liner removal. Lol. I have been wanting to investigate my roof leak for a while now. My windshield was replaced also. I suspected the leak coming from there since my windshield was replaced also. I think it shifts down slightly when it's replaced because the techs are used to replacing more slanted than vertical windshields. I'll probably still make the video and reference your channel for investigating everything.

[@dironaa]

Cool, I'll be sure to check it out if you do. Will be interested in seeing if yours is the same cause. Was really hoping the leak was coming from the roof rack bolt holes before digging into it. Was beyond disappointed to find out that the cause was the roof panels separating...I had assumed that these rigs were build better than that. If/when the silicone sealant fails, I may just weld the seams solid and never have to worry about it again. (Unless of course the roof skin ever gets damaged and needs to be replaced, but I'm no body man so grinding out all those welds won't be my problem will it? LOL)

[@malloryparks2822]

Been working on this leak all spring/summer and now fall! I am not handy in anyway, so I have been having to rely on dealerships. Had my windshield thoroughly inspected and the roof rack resealed, but the dealership quoted me minimum $1000 to peal back headliner. I am thinking based off your video that the rain channel/gutter on the rough was not thoroughly inspected so will be taking to a mechanic for assistance in inspecting that section. Curious, did you experience any water showing up in the passenger foot well? Not only do I have the leak in the drivers-side headliner, when I take a sharp right turn, water drips/pours into my passenger footwell out from under the dashboard and glove compartment. Did you experience this? Do you think those leaks are related or separate? Thanks for your time with this video, better to know someone has solved this same problem before. Thanks in advance for any additional advice! ( I have a 2007 TRD Addition with factory roof rack).

[@dironaa]

After finding the leak on the drivers side I inspected the passenger side and found the same issue, but not as bad, so given more time I'd imagine it would have turned into what you're describing had I not sealed it up as well. I bought another FJ that had the same problem in the rain gutters but also had an additional leak. There is a strip of white plastic trim over the top of the windshield...this is held to the roof by 5 plastic clips. The seal on 4 of these 5 clips had dried out and were allowing water to leak in. I honestly expected a much better product when I bought a Toyota...lesson learned. Good luck

[@malloryparks2822]

Thank you, yea we resealed the windshield clips as well. And then after replacing it, the strip flew off while driving 70 on the highway! :-D Clips all broke and I had to get the piece replaced, but the company working on it paid for it. It's been an adventure, but I've been everywhere with my FJ and cannot think to trade it. Thanks for the help!

[@dironaa]

Dang, that must have been quite the surprise for whoever was driving behind you LOL. The FJ is certainly a great multipurpose/adventure vehicle, no doubt about that!

[@AronshowS]

What are the aftermarket towers and would you recommend them if properly sealed with silicon? I have Yakima bars for my canoes that I’d love to use but I don’t have or want the factory rack.

[@dironaa]

Yakima control towers with custom adapters made out of roughly 1/2" aluminum by the previous owner. I prefer this setup over the factory rack as it can carry a heavier load and I think it looks nicer.

[@thespecter2]

How was it putting on the inside pillar of the passengers side after you removed? And did you do the same with the silicon for the drivers side inside pillar, for good measure?

[@dironaa]

Pillar easily fit back into place. No silicone in the inside, outside only. Sealing the inside could theoretically trap moisture between joints in the sheet metal causing them to rot but sealing the outside keeps the water from entering at all, however if it were to enter it would be able to pass through the joint resulting in minimal rust. Similar to a house, we don't waterproof the drywall to keep the furniture from getting wet, we waterproof the outside of the wall with siding to prevent the wooden wall structure from getting wet and rotting.

[@thespecter2]

@@dironaa hey thanks for the reply and good analogy - we wouldn't want the water to be trapped in side the hollowed space that lies in-between. So it looks like I have the same leaks, indicative by that same water spot you displayed on the inside pillar AND water on the floor with heavy rain. It almost looks like if I am careful with a plastic trim piece, I can pull back that expensive and pain in the ass top elongated, windshield piece and maybe q-tip the epoxy on that sheet metal merging spot. What are your thoughts?

[@P.G._FPV]

I will be tackling this same thing this weekend. Haha Wish me luck. 😁 Also any certain sealant I should use? Thanks

[@dironaa]

Fun fun... I have no envy for you LOL. I'm sure there are products better suited for the job but used 100% silicone caulking because it will remain flexible and shouldn't crack or lose adhesion as the FJ flexes.

[@P.G._FPV]

@@dironaa I ended up picking up the brand GE Silicone 2+ clear 100% waterproof 100% silicone. Thanks again for the video. I'm almost positive I have the same issue as you show.

[@P.G._FPV]

@@dironaa well the previous owner must of had it off and didn't put the little metal retaining clips as seen on the other guys video. 🙄 So now I'm headed to local Toyota dealership to see about getting some. 😑

[@dironaa]

That sucks. The clips on top of roof or the ones between the headliner and the inside of the roof? Hope they aren't too pricey!

[@P.G._FPV]

@@dironaa the metal ones on top of the roof. I'm not sure they all have them. I can get all six if needed for about $20. Did yours have the metal retainers on each of the bolt holes that the rack mounts down to? They are a metal spacer retainer that actually are a one piece around each adjoining hole. The video you shared from the other guy shows where he silicone them down to the roof gutter.

[@YUKONCAMINO]

I have the same issue and I'm in the middle of tackling it. How did you get the trim piece above the windshield to come off? I'm applying what feels like too much force already and it won't budge, any trick to it or should I just go for it?

[@dironaa]

There’s “glue” between the trim piece and the windshield. I slid a putty knife between the windshield and trim piece to break the seal. That being said these trim pieces are generally a one time use item and there’s a fair chance you’ll need to replace it and/or the clips that hold it in place regardless of how careful you are. Terrible design.

[@YUKONCAMINO]

@@dironaa Thanks. I've got another trim piece coming in the mail. I've been prying from the roof side, I'll try the windshield side - thanks again.

[@dironaa]

@@YUKONCAMINO I’d also suggest sealing around or under the clips that hold the windshield trim piece on, under each clip is a hole in the roof. I also had a leak there later on after making this video.

[@YUKONCAMINO]

@@dironaa thanks for the heads up. Waiting for the rain to clear before trying again but I’ll be sure to seal the new clips when I do the install.

[@mrtwistaxx]

Were you able to replace the top windshield molding with out ordering a new one?

[@dironaa]

No, the clips broke when I pulled it off.

[@pdbonanni8104]

@@dironaa Do you know if just the clips can be purchased so the original molding can be re-used, or does the entire molding need replaced?

[@dironaa]

@@pdbonanni8104 the correct procedure is to replace the entire molding

[@awakenbeing8868]

Have the same issue

[@dironaa]

A very common issue for the FJs

[@drumccarty]

Got the stock roof rack and mine leaks the same.

[@dironaa]

Terrible design flaw in how the roof on these rigs was put together.

[@ismaelbrosas2621]

apply silicone it works perfectly

[@franimal007]

Anyone got a cure for that huge sounding wind that seems to be coming from the front windshield?

[@dironaa]

VERY agressive mud tires. You'll hear nothing but the loud hum of rubber rolling on asphalt. LOL.

[@mytubie]

You got any solution ?I have that sound

[@amjdismail9238]

👍

[@dironaa]

Thanks man

[@TheRealFamespear]

Know lots of people with FJs and have never seen that happen. But we all have OEM racks.

[@dironaa]

Same exact thing happened to my buddies FJ with a factory roof rack, but they're both older FJs so maybe it's an age related thing

[@TheRealFamespear]

Dirona, IC. Well I should check my bolts and rubber to make sure everything is seated properly. Enjoy your vids BTW. What part of the country are you in?

[@dironaa]

Thanks man. I'm in the northeastern US, so I suppose temperature fluctuations between summer and winter could have played a roll in the roof cracking as well

[@VictorSilva-jn1ex]

It has nothing to do with the roof rack it’s more the flex of the vehicle cracking the factory seam sealer and causing the leak over time. My FJ is all stock and bought it new never been in an accident and leaked in the same spot. I noticed that the sealer was cracked most of the way so I resealed it and problem solved. 07 Fj Cruiser TRD. Thanks for the video..

[@profencegrandrapids2684]

Mine is a stock roof rack on an 08 and has this issue. I assumed it would be from a windshield replacement

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

That is a stupid looking roof rack... :-(

[@dironaa]

I actually prefer it to the factory rack

[@victorsaenz9452]

I live in Portland and I had the leak once after not driving my FJ for a month its been like 4 months and I haven't seen it again.

[@dironaa]

Hopefully it stays that way, you folks get plenty of rain!