Miata ND MX-5 mk4 Drain Filter Cleaning

Removing and cleaning the convertible drain filters on my Miata MX-5 ND. I remove and reinstall the filters (on both sides) first the hard way, and then using an easier method starting around minute 6:44
Clearing Miata ND Convertible Drains
• Clearing Clogged MX-5 ...
*TIP: One of my viewers used a dental pick to pull out the tab...Thank Julio!
**Third TIP from another viewer: Thanks naibafabdulkobor
Have the top fully up and shut (!) but the door open.
Stand right beneath the car, looking forward, pass your right arm between seat and top. Move your hand forward (towards the seat) and to the left as much as possible.
You will be able to easily feel the foam gasket/seal around the actual filter box/basket. You can also feel the foam attached to the little handle that can be seen in the video.
Next, gently push on top of the basket while pulling the handle towards the inside of the car. It is not even necessary to apply the pressure to the little plastic hook that's behind the handle. Just push anywhere. This will be enough to release the hook and pull out the filter.
In the very same way you can easily reach the foam filter, remove it and put it back in.
Check out www.ProfRobBob.com, there you will find my lessons organized by class/subject and then by topics within each class. If you wish to make a donation to help support my efforts please use the "Tip the Teacher" button on my channel's homepage / profrobbob

[@jz0h4d]

Thanks for both videos! I needed the help. My dealer charges 160$ for this and doesn’t even do a good job.

[@profrobbob]

That's exactly what inspired me to make these videos. That is ridiculous to be charged for what should be a regular maintenance item with an oil change. Since making these videos I have cleaned out the baskets and washed the filters on a regular basis. My drains have not clogged since.

[@marmac567]

Shame you didn't show where the press to release the basket while you had it out

[@lakaiyak]

Of course the best math teacher ever drives the best sports car ever :')

[@profrobbob]

You are too kind, thanks for the compliment and continued support. I never thought I would enjoy driving a 4 cylinder so much!

[@nunyabidniz2868]

The Miata is a roadster, not a sports car. RX-7, RX-8: those were sports cars... ;-)

[@FilixYerrrr]

@@nunyabidniz2868 Confidently Incorrect. Google Sports car and tell me what image they use.

[@NielsBohr107]

I’m not even in math this semester but I always love to watch the best math teacher I’ve never had! 😅 That’s one great car, must be a blast to cruise around in!

[@profrobbob]

I will be forever grateful KZbin allows me to share my passion for teaching beyond the four walls of my classroom. That Miata is so much fun, and inexpensive to run:)

[@willsowerbutts]

This is brilliant! Thank you for showing how the interior can be taken apart to access these drain filters. I would not have had the confidence to try it without seeing it done first. Thank you so much!

[@FlydreamMedia]

I came here to learn to clear my drain and found all these wonderful comments from your students. Thank you for teaching these kids and making such an impression

[@profrobbob]

And THANK YOU for taking the time to read them , the kind words and thank me...also for subbing! I hope you got your drain cleared too...lol I've been teaching for 25 years and still love it, although this year was a bit challenging I hope to soon have time again to make some new videos! I have another 5 years till I can retire and would like to continue to keep growing this channel till then as well.

[@Salehalanazi-7]

Glad to see you doing well sir!

[@profrobbob]

Thank you:) This was just a tough, though very rewarding school year. I am not bored with KZbin, just over worked at the moment.

[@RobotPlaysGames]

Your tip for accessing the drain saved me! Thank you!

[@camdcam]

Super helpful video. Especially from the 2nd half where you pull the plastic panels off. Worked exactly as explained and very quick and easy to do. I’ll be adding this to a quarterly maintenance routine. Cheers.

[@profrobbob]

Good idea...and Thanks for watching and I'm happy to hear that it worked for you just like I explained:)

[@paulfernandez1210]

Thank you very much for the very informative video as always :)

[@carsonfoy1546]

A mathematician and car enthusiast?? We have a winner ladies and gents!

[@profrobbob]

BAM!!!...and if I had more free time I also used to love photography, especially cars and nature...7 more years till I can retire and have time for that again:)

[@ariabakhtiar7998]

Hello sir, you helped me so much through my senior year and I really wanted to thank you for your efforts. I hope you can create more videos. You make math much more fun.

[@profrobbob]

You are very welcome Aria and thank you for watching and supporting! I hope to have some spare time next school year to start making videos again...I had a very rigorous (but amazing:) schedule this year teaching IB for the first time:( Please be sure to sub in case you need any of my 600plus videos after high school...BAM!!!

[@chrisvernon-parry6882]

This is really clear and helpful. Many thanks for publishing this, it helped me no end in clearing the drains from debris from a nearby silver birch tree.

[@aaronrogerson2139]

Thanks for the reminder. These should be checked annually. I find it easy to get the baskets out by just reaching around, but yiu have a great alternative.

[@profrobbob]

Yes they should...and not be a $160 dealer charge like one of my viewers said he paid!

[@THE______TRUTH]

Its been years since ive taken calculus. I still recommend your channel to new undergrads. I have mad respect for good teachers like you because I struggled terribly in school. Stay awesome Mr. Tarrou😁

[@profrobbob]

Thanks for all the continued support!!! It's nice to know that even though you don't need my help that you are still sharing...if my subscribers were all like you I'd have a million of them by now...BAM!!!

[@davidhalsall948]

Brilliant video and explanation. I did it on my car - taking off the trim - and it worked beautifully. Many thanks

[@profrobbob]

Glad it helped

[@andrewbarton-willson495]

Thank you for your videos. As a result of viewing them and reading the comments I was able to complete these tasks and learn a lot in the process. 1. The hole behind the seat belt may be covered by a centre pull stud (same as those that hold the plastic panels on) 2. The one- ended trombone can be fished or fiddled down the hole but there are a couple of obstructions that make it hard to get it all through 3. Prising off the large circular stud (one of two low down in the panel behind the seat) allows access to an oval cover labelled out with an arrow pointing to the side of the car. On the other side is a catch which can be released with a short flat bladed screwdriver slid in horizontally along the axis of the ‘out arrow’ from the inboard side of the cover. 4. Reach in behind the cover and prise the white plastic tube off the vertical surface (there is one small lug held in a notch which holds the tube in place). Once the tube was held vertically I found I could fiddle the trombone cleaner right down and out through the sidewall. UPDATE: The passenger side is slightly different. The white flexible tube - that runs right down to the outfall on the vertical surface tucked in just in front of the rear wheel - terminates in an orange section (on the driver’s side it is white all through) which I found to be clipped in very firmly and I didn’t want to break it. Fortunately with a lot of fiddling I got the trombone cleaner to go all the way through and then I could pull it through easily from below). Having done this once on both sides of the car - and found no obstructions or detritus- I plan to check the filter cage and sponge regularly but use the trombone cleaner less frequently so long as the water flows through to the ground.

[@horizonbrave1533]

Bam! Wow, I don't know why but I LOVE that you posted this! After having been watching and rewatching your math videos over the last few months, you've become like my friendly neighbor! And I love the Miata in white! You need to do more like these, sort of random "house keeping" videos so you can impart not only your math wisdom, but your life skills wisdom as well! Also as an aside, I drie a Jeep Wrangler, and have a custom top, and I had a very similar problem. AFter it would rain, the passenger side and rear trunk would be soaked! I'd have to pull up the carpet and pull the drain plug to let the rain water out, and them sop up the water with towels every single time...I had to replace and re install the top, but finally I nailed it and now it's dry as bone after every rain!

[@profrobbob]

Glad to have great neighbors like you! I am going adjust the red pinstripe on the side of my car soon. Maybe I can try to make a video about how to lay down a tape pinstripe?! I have not played around with that since a kid, but added it to be a "power cord" for magnetic Christmas lights. After taking off the lights I liked the pinstripe. We got our first hard rain after cleaning the filters and later realizing I needed to unplug the drain tube, and the car was dry. Yeah!!! You should do a video on installing the top:) I had two people with convertibles tell me they just drilled a hole in the floor board as a last resort...lol

[@larryh9525]

Brilliant! On a couple of occasions, I've found a swimming pool in the driver's side footwell and for the life of me couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. While I'm not sure the debris was the cause of the issue (as I didn't find all that much), your video was excellent. In less than 20 minutes I was able to disassemble and clean both sides. It's my suspicion that the drainage system in the ND can't handle a high volume of water and when a cloud dumps an inch of rain in less than an hour what doesn't drain ends up inside the car. As opposed to chasing this, I'll just get a car cover for the nights we're expecting heaving rain. Many thank for taking the time to make and post the video.

[@profrobbob]

If you still find a puddle you may want to watch my other video I linked in the description. My drain was clogged as well.

[@chrisgrant4048]

Don’t have to move the seat, don’t have to move the top, don’t have to touch a panel. If you are doing it on the driver side (left side), face towards the car and snake your right arm into the opening and feel your way down the inside wall of the car. You’ll feel the little clip on the cup and right below it the foam padded pull tab. Push the clip, pull the tab and out it comes. Can have both sides of the car done start to finish in 5 minutes, 10 if you have to walk inside to use a sink. This is the easiest maintenance for a drain filter ever. Thank you for the video though. Without this, I was struggling to find the basket. I thought it was in the flat horizontal section inboard of where it actually is.

I'm grabbing my keys and going out to try, and I'll either curse you or praise you when I get back.

I am back and I did curse you haha. My arm, sadly, while thin enough, is missing a joint or two, and a few fingers growing out of my wrist, to be able to do this without pulling the plastic trim pieces. Thankfully it takes nearly no time to do so. I have come to the conclusion that either this car was garage kept and/or the previous owner was absolutely anal about cleaning out the filter.

[@StevenSummon]

Fantastic this is exactly what's happening to our 2019 red convertible. Could not understand it we thought one of the seals had gone. My girlfriend has only done 3500 in the car and its only a year old. Mazda should take note and give us some tips thats this could happen. The Mazda garage told us it could take 2 to 3 days for them to figure out the fault, ridiculous! Thanks again keep up the good work 👍

[@bryanhayes1432]

Thanks for the video, just done mine and it’s easy with your help!!

[@profrobbob]

Happy I could help!

[@Toyeah]

Thank you so much for the video! It solves one of the biggest mystery I have as a ND owner :)

[@profrobbob]

You are welcome. I felt the same as you, and when my car started collecting water I had no choice but to do more research. The quote from a local dealer was crazy 💵💰

[@iDrive512]

Whaaat. Been watching your videos for a while and picked up a 2019 just a couple weeks ago. This video made me way happier than it should have. Now let's get it some forced induction, BAM!

[@profrobbob]

You are going to love your Miata. I never thought I could have so much fun driving a 4 cylinder. I don't know if I will ever do forced induction, though I did put a muffler on it to make it sound like a race car:) kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWfKY3V9npp4iKs

[@fluf9941]

Hey I found your Channel after driving home from the Gibbs show! Glad to sub, and keep up the good work!

[@profrobbob]

THANKS for the sub and support...good to know the ad on the back is doing it's job:) Please share with everyone if you find it helpful...BAM!!!

[@jz0h4d]

Thanks so much for this. It’s easy when you know how.

[@vincentl5363]

Thanks, I would never have known about this without this video.

[@profrobbob]

You're welcome...since I had to figure it out on my own I felt it was my duty to share it with the world...lol ...since mazda didn't offer any help:(

[@kenster865]

I just bought one of these, a 2020 100th Anniversary Soft-top model. I was not aware that water would drain in this manner with the soft top... yikes! Ah, you love a challenge! I would just have the dealership do this clean-out. Shame on yours for not discussing this issue with you when you took it in for service over the past 3 years. I would call them out on it and let them know in no uncertain terms that you are not amused. I live in SoCal and keep my new baby under a decent car cover that "should" keep much if not all of any rain water out of my Miata. I'll know soon as today is Dec 28, 2020 and we're having a fairly serious rainstorm that included hail. Not typical around here at all! I never drive my sporty cars (I also have a 2017 Chev Camaro SS) in the rain.... they might melt! 😜 Thank you for a very informative video! Happy New Year!

[@lefty1024]

Great video thank you for making it as I too have an ND and had no idea this can and will be an issue

[@jonathanrouse]

We had an 08 and currently have a 16 and always check the filters every 6 months nowadays to make sure a new filter is added in! The same problem happened to our 08... we actually had to buy a trombone cleaner online to clean the filters and if you look in the comment section of the amazon trombone cleaners you might see a lot of miata owners on there talking about how it cleaned their car filters for them LOL.

[@Brockthedog315]

After owning an nc1 with soft top and bad drainage design, it’s hard to believe it looks even worse in the ND. I now have an Nc2 with a greatly improved design and a hard top. It is a pan area with a screen so nothing can get into the hole and plug things up. The drain tube sits directly above this pan. Never had a problem since. Just look every so often to make sure no big leaves are covering the screen.

[@Sophie11121]

A very helpful video -- thanks!

[@profrobbob]

you're welcome...glad it helped:)

[@tylers.4481]

You have an awesome car Mr. Tarrou!

[@profrobbob]

Thank you:)

[@fogsmog9325]

Your my favorite knowledge man

[@profrobbob]

Thank you for watching and your kind words:)

[@jayant9151]

Wow, U are in such good shape like 6 years before

[@profrobbob]

BAM!!!

[@waleedbinalim]

It's been so long... Wow !

[@profrobbob]

I have never worked so hard through a school year, and I have never had so much fun:) This was my first year teaching in our school's International Baccalaureate program. The lady that retired taught the higher level math option, so I am teaching two classes I have never taught before at a harder level than anything I have ever taught. New videos will be coming.

[@michaelfishkin5189]

Thank you for the review. Good info to know.

[@profrobbob]

You're welcome :)

[@Flo430]

Great video!

[@profrobbob]

Thanks!

[@user-kv8vy4fy4h]

thank you very much, was looking for the filters location

[@profrobbob]

You're welcome...I had two look online to find it!

[@lukha225]

I stumbled upon your channel and really enjoyed it. 👍👏 Very informative! Mine I park in a garage. So this won't be a problem. But my biggest problem after my purchase is that big cars tend to cut me off, come over my lane or even come out right in front of my nose 😡. It takes away the joy of driving it because I constantly have to be in defensive mode. So, I don't drive it as much anymore. 😭

[@josephbasha1926]

BAM!! YOU'RE STILL PRETTY😍

[@user-um6yq5dt1j]

Glad you are back Mr.ProfRobBob

[@profrobbob]

I have never worked so hard through a school year, and I have never had so much fun:) This was my first year teaching in our school's International Baccalaureate program. The lady that retired taught the higher level math option, so I am teaching two classes I have never taught before at a harder level than anything I have ever taught. New videos will be coming.

[@alycat5719]

We love you!!!

[@profrobbob]

I love my subscribers too♥️ I got an awesome, but very difficult, new schedule of classes to teach this year. There has been no time for making new math lessons. Many will be coming this summer!

[@weichunglin5201]

Great information, thanks

[@muhammadaun5396]

Hi Sir, Keep posting videos love math bc of u and physics bc of Walter lectures. ... O man u still got the same ring that's precious like u .Love u and Walters a lot. I am so much willing to meet u .

[@profrobbob]

Thanks for watching, liking and supporting...we appreciate your support! I'm not familiar with Walters for physics...what is his channel name? I have a lot of students asking for physics help but I never took it in college. Please like, sub and share this channel with everyone...BAM!!!

[@muhammadaun5396]

@@profrobbob The name of his channel is ( Lectures by Walter Lewin. They will make you ♥ Physics. ) Btw feeling excited by a reply from a mentor in math subject . I can't stop liking you and your Amazon wife. (Gr8 Combo 😂) God Bless u and all of us. (BAM...) For u Amazon wife ❤️ > Car .(That's seems like an Prof Bob Equation . Is it not?

[@broti]

great vid, thank you!

[@profrobbob]

Thanks for watching!

[@adriancastaneda1335]

Thanks for videos

[@profrobbob]

You're welcome ...cheaper than a trip to the dealer!

[@nats50]

No wonder he looks familiar! I own the RF one, but I've gathered it also has this issue of cleaning or draining the back innards from time to time, especially after constant rain.

[@matthewcortez3033]

it’s THE Prof Rob Bob !!

[@profrobbob]

BAM! haha

[@kiwivda]

Thanks so much!

[@whiskyguzzler982]

There are times I want to like something 10x and this was one of them. My car parks pointing uphill, so my trunk was full of water. Since I live in the Seattle area, we get pine needles and endless rain. I tapped out both filters and washed out the sponges. Put them back in and now I am hoping for the rain!

[@profrobbob]

I have a video showing how I managed to unclog the drains too. One of my drains clogged twice in 7 years. If your drains are clear, the water will flow fairly quickly out under the car when you pour water down the rear quarter if the roof when up.

[@whiskyguzzler982]

@@profrobbob Mine clogged in about a year, but I live in a town called Lake Forest Park and they take the FOREST part seriously. The pine needles are brutal on those drains.

[@barneygermany530]

Good instruction👍 What do you think about a litle vacuum Cleaner with tube from the top!?🤔 Greetings from Germany

[@nawmean]

I am looking to purchase my first MX-5/Convertible within the next few weeks here but have been reading horror stories of rust buildup due to clogged drains. I noticed you had quite a buildup in the basket with leafs/twigs/dirt, do you park your car outdoors? How often do you clean out the drain pipes?

[@willburrito9710]

It was frustrating at first to get the basket out, but if you just press the tab then grab the middle flange on top covered in black soonge and simply pull inwards, it comes right out. No hassle. Lots of crud in the basket and beige sponge. I used a small turkey baster filled with water to confirm a clean opening to the bottom of the car before I reassembled it.

[@baktitsonnas6717]

love u sir from sambalpur india

[@profrobbob]

Thanks from Florida...please share the love and this channel with everyone:D

[@clamdad]

Thank you very much for such a helpful video. Our 2017 Lusso, just started collecting water during this past weekends storm. I will be using your video to fix the problem. I noticed in many "Fixing Clogs" postings, the wet carpet and padding never seems to be addressed. Is there any concern about mold occurring after mopping up 2+ inches of water out of the passenger seat compartment? Thanks again

[@profrobbob]

In the summer heat with black interior, I have found the water evaporates with the top down in the Sun.

[@dusanskulavik1878]

Nice vid, I will check my drains,too. Please what Recaro seat covers have you got in your ND?

[@profrobbob]

I have the stock cloth seats that are in the Club model. They are not Recaro seats. Thanks for watching.

[@francisgabriel372]

you should make more tutorial videos on the MX5 man!

[@ThePlotts]

Which roll bar is that? Thanks for the video!

[@adn.schrod]

Thx for the video the best one I found. but after cleaning it all, right now the car is still getting flooded with all the rain falling ... You said something interesting about a hole that's maybe clogged under the seat belt but I don't really see where it is. All of this is happening only driver's side. Could you help me please!

[@matthewsantiago2827]

Came for stats got the info, now I'm enjoying non-math videos lol super cool Miata would love to own one as like a project/weekend car. How does it shift and how is the wear on your clutch. My neighbor has a red Miata and we live near DC so it's all stop and go traffic but I swear he is always replacing his clutch.

[@profrobbob]

Awesome shifting and I love driving mine...it only has 19,000 miles on it and showing no signs of clutch problems to date:) Thanks for checking out one of my other interests too...BAM!!!

[@maxshelton2479]

thanks vince gilligan

[@richardbarrett7544]

Rob. Would that not get done at each routine service by the garage?

[@joeyspemce1436]

Thanks just bought a fiata and needed to know where there at.

[@profrobbob]

Glad I could help. Hope you have years of fun times in your Fiata!

[@maxpayne6243]

thanks

[@profrobbob]

Happy I could learn and share :D

[@ianbird8617]

Nice vid cheers any advice for cleaning drain pipe past the sponge I've tied a trombone cleaner but the canñot get it past 10 inches cheers

[@profrobbob]

The only access hole I could use is a very small hole at the end of the horizontal portion of the plastic drain which ends, NOT CONVENIENTLY, under the rolled up seatbelt. I fished down a medium stiff craft wire my wife had which thankfully cleared my clogged drain. I have seen videos of people using pipe cleaners in older Miatas that would never fit through the hole I found.

[@RJMarkey]

@@profrobbob why can't i find that very small cleanout hole?

[@rickames846]

I bought an NA Miata in Florida a few years back; its drain cups were clogged with a dark wet gouk of decaying pollen and road grime.

[@profrobbob]

We have a lot of oak trees where we are so that's understandable...just happy I figured out how to clear it on my own instead of paying the service charge the dealer wanted to try to "figure out" what the problem was!!! Hope you are enjoying the ride:)

[@julioblanco]

On my 124 Spider I use a dental pick from Harbor Freight to grab the tab and push it down

[@profrobbob]

Thanks @Julio Blanco I added your tip to the description!

[@dlewisjohnson]

would this cause the floorpan on the passenger side to get wet? It seems that I have water dripping from under the dash and wonder if its a clogged ac drain line or maybe this

[@profrobbob]

The conduit carry in the water from the side of the car to the drain is just a collection of pieces of plastic. If the drain is plugged the water backs up and seeps out of the connections of the plastic of the conduit. If the water is coming from underneath the dash it is not from your convertible drains. But more than likely it's coming from behind your seats into the floor pan.

[@jamesdecambra8154]

I have a 2017 hard top, moisture on windows, water collecting in the trunk - hoping this is the fix! Thanks!

[@profrobbob]

Check out this forum page, forum.miata.net/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=150 The hard top drains are not exactly the same. I know for instant there are no filters.

[@businessmanph]

i just checked the driver side. nothing was in the filter/sponge. was a pita to put back.

[@marmac567]

You think it might guide you in this in the owner manual, I just bought a brand new Kizuna and it doesn't mention this in the maintenance section 🤔

[@kebongski]

how come your drain filters have become so clogged? do you use this as your daily driver year round? maybe park it outside all the time?

[@profrobbob]

The answers are yes, and yes.

[@gillardbulst5153]

Damn that facial hair lookin fine sir

[@frouchitude1916]

He is 15? 60? We don't know. . .

[@chumadoshi6987]

Hey, it's ChrisFix here 😀

[@profrobbob]

Awesome channel, thanks for the tip:)

[@hellaacapella]

Is this a problem in the RF models as well or just the canvas top??

[@profrobbob]

It is my understanding that the hard top does not have filters on the drains. But it is still possible for those drains to become clogged.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

How much noise can you live with? I'd take it for a spin w/o either the foam [noise baffle] or the plastic basket [leaf filter; it's only purpose is to keep the big stuff from totally clogging the foam noise baffle] in place to see just how badly the NVH is impacted. If you can live with the added noise [I'm old & already somewhat hard of hearing] then it's probably easier to just leave all that stuff out & use the shop air-hose to blow out the channel every wash...

[@daftvaper3129]

Just done my, 2018 ND2. There are three clips on the ''quarter'' panel, otherwise its the same and I still have all my fingers! RESULT!!!

[@profrobbob]

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on the finger save:)

[@esedess]

Does the RF get the same issue?

[@f.d.6667]

2 years later... I know! You might want to invest in a shop vac that's capable of handling liquids and 3D print a dedicated nozzle to get ALL the crud out (depending on the plastic you are using, you could put heat shrink tubing around the end, so not to scratch the plastic)... also, vacuuming out the water from the carpet will prevent mold and weird smells...

[@ialastairi115]

What about the rf? Is it the same process?

[@alanwong8307]

Is this an issue if you don't park under a tree (but instead in a garage)? What kind of other debris make it's way into the filters?

[@profrobbob]

If you park your car in a garage, I doubt you will ever have any trouble. But, anything that falls into the base of the cloth top will eventually flow into the drains.

[@alanwong8307]

@@profrobbob Thank you for posting this video and answering my question.

[@profrobbob]

@@alanwong8307 thanks for watching and your appreciation!

[@camhd1200]

Just bought a used ND and would rather not have water soaked carpet. Thank you!

[@Steeeezie]

So I currently have this issue. My wiring harness was flooded. 6 inches of water somehow. Cost me $3k after insurance to get a new wiring harness and a bunch of other electronics. Car was in the shop for 40 days because of it. Now I have the car and after a day the rear windshield is already fogging up partially. I have a 2017 ND RF, and I don’t have a basket like that. Probably why it’s clogged so bad lol. Insurance didn’t cover getting the clog out, only the repair, so I’m trying like crazy to fix it

[@Steeeezie]

Update: I seemed to have fixed the issue! There are two water drain pipes on either side of the RF roof that drain water through the car from the windshield. The water drain pipe on the passenger side was disconnected, so instead of draining water through the car, it just brought it into the car lol. Now I just have to drain any excess water that may be in the floorboard and keep an eye on it. Before this, I could hear water pooling into the car somewhere during an automatic car wash. Now that I’ve reconnected it I shouldn’t have that issue anymore! I just wish I figured this out before the car got completely flooded out and fried

[@profrobbob]

OMG. I feel horrible for you and your flooding issues. That sucks. I still have my car and love it, but the drainage system could use some big improvements.

[@RJMarkey]

Is there any pic video or diagram that shows where the tiny cleanout hole under the seat belt actually is? I can't see it or find it. I can confirm my drain is completely clogged below the filter. Tested with water, overflows immediately.

[@profrobbob]

@Ray Markey On my 2016 the access hole is just BELOW the rolled up seat belt...try unrolling it completely to get a better view! Hope this helps:)

[@RJMarkey]

@@profrobbob there was one of those push plugs in that hole. I popped it out and used some moderately firm crafting wire to clean it out. It didn't feel like anything happened and I didn't see anything push out the bottom - but I ran water through the channel and sure enough it drained out what appeared to be three holes underneath... mission accomplished!

[@profrobbob]

@@RJMarkey That is awesome! Glad to hear your persistence paid off. I can't imagine why they would cover that hole other than keeping car owners from doing their own service.. I have since cleaned my filter baskets and sponge filters on a regular basis and have not had the drains clog again.

[@williamcarpenter9452]

Are there drain boxes on right and left sides

[@profrobbob]

Yes

[@praneshbalasubramaniam8749]

please make more car videos as well!!

[@profrobbob]

There are sooo many good car reviewers out there. I will make a few how to videos here and there. You can count on a lot more math videos in the future though, a benefit of teaching two new math classes this year.

[@praneshbalasubramaniam8749]

@@profrobbob yayyy!

[@guattodaddo]

Seeing water under the floor’s carpet is freaking scary! Further proof that you don’t want to leave your miata outside

[@profrobbob]

Scary YES but since I figured out how to clear this problem it's never been wet since! Mine has been outside for 6 years in the Florida heat and still looks great :)

[@guattodaddo]

You sure solved the problem! But I'd still be very very unease leaving a miata outside in a wet/rainy environment 😱

[@drumtwo4seven]

👍

[@wiltonjayguitap1921]

Idol

[@profrobbob]

Thanks for watching!

[@saulw.adelman4865]

Been there. Take out the panel behind the seat. You can get right to it.

[@paulhughes3961]

What I don't get is why they put in a filter. From 2015 back we have drain tubes that are much easier to clean. Instead of removing a box and foam filter you just run a trombone cleaning rod down the hole a through the tube to the bottom of the car.

[@shiftintohigh5564]

👍👍👍👍

[@TheGeraldpenangzaii]

I didn’t install roll bar and the plastic trim is blocking the access. How do you remove the plastic trim?

[@profrobbob]

I don't remember having to remove any plastic trim....sorry.

[@opmike343]

While you have it out, I think I'd douse the sponges and other parts in mold/mildew inhibitor.

[@profrobbob]

That is not a bad idea! Thank you for watching and the good suggestion.

[@fanfeck2844]

I’m in the uk, and they don’t do it on service here either, which I think is a disgrace

[@profrobbob]

Yes I think it should be part of their standard services to check! Good thing we have youtube for that:)

[@ChrisHornberger]

I assume the NC is similar enough. Also, you look like Dominic Cooper (actor).

[@profrobbob]

From what I have seen on KZbin the NC’s are easier, especially clearing out the drains. Check out some other videos, but thank you for watching mine😄

[@zmohp.2060]

I just got my first new 2020 Miata 6 days ago and it got me anxious after seeing this video. Did I just made a mistake buying a Miata? Hopefully, you'll make another video in more informative way to address this issue. This is a design flaws from Mazda and why they did not address this all these years? They could have put a bigger drainage hose or pipe from the top going straight to the ground for the water. Great video though...

[@profrobbob]

This is just a regular maintenance item, and the dealer should tell you that. There has been no problems since. I just emptied my filters this weekend actually. You are going to love your car. Have fun and don't worry!

[@zmohp.2060]

@@profrobbob Actually they did not disclose this kind of issues on the Miata. It's been raining 3 days here in CA and it's really bothering me. LOL

[@profrobbob]

@@zmohp.2060 It is only a problem if the filters clog up and the dealer did not tell me to service these filters either. I park outside with large oaks in my yard. Your drains will flow out the water as fast as the rain falls. No worries. I am glad I can help owners of soft-tops now with these videos I made instead of paying the dealer to clear the filters and drains😂🙂

[@liljfunk21]

Makes me wanna get the RF instead

[@johntechwriter]

Right after I get the roll cage fitted and do the gonzo pin striping, I’ll get to work on those pesky filters. Yeah! As if!

[@red5standingby598]

you should have got the Rf, I did and I don't have that problem. :)

[@profrobbob]

forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=683270 Great choice but you still need to be aware. Check out this thread.