How to Unblock MX-5 (Miata) Internal Roof Drains
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- An essential part of looking after your MX-5 (Mk 1 to Mk 3.5, and I guess Mk 4 too?) is to keep the internal roof drains running freely. A blockage will mean your boot will get wet, as will the footwells under the seats.
Trombone cleaners SHOULD NOT BE USED! If you have gotten one stuck, this video includes a tip which may help you get it out.
I unknowingly bought an NC with this issue. The interior and boot were flooded after being parked outside in the rain. It took days to dry the carpet using an electric fan heater. Thankfully I read about this problem in an owners forum. I didn't have access to a trombone cleaner but did have a length of braided steel cable handy. I had a lot of trouble feeding the cable through the tube and it was evident that was completely blocked on one side. Persistence paid off and eventually I managed to eject the offending gumnut (eucalyptus seed pod, for those outside of Australia). Several years worth of debris quickly followed. I agree with other comments, the best method is to feed the wire all the way until you can pull it through from under the car, and check for effective drainage at every wash.
I agree the issue is the flaps getting stuck more than dirt in the pipes. While I had the chance I cleaned out the tray of the drain (under the visible panel with the little square hole) and found loads of gunk and the foam filter was all gunked up too, stopping the water flow. Believe this foam filter was added to stop dirt getting down in the pipes for the NC3.5 (2009) but it ends up reducing the volumetric flow so much that water backs up if the filter holes are clogged. Great vid and yes design flaw.
Ah that’s good to know! Why would they add a filter that can’t be cleaned?! 🤦♂️
The one-piece, screw-in metal aerial of the mk1 and mk2 Mx5s is perfect for clearing the drainage pipes.
My mk2 would often become blocked, so as you say regular clearing is essential.
In my opinion it's not the issue with trombone cleaners, but how to use them. You can't push it down, and then try to pull it back up. The flap blocks the end of the brush. The correct way to do that is to push the whole cleaner down, and pull it from under the car. I think that it's a better method. First time I cleaned the drain there was a lot of dirt on the brush.
I agree that is the way folks usually suggest the cleaner be used. I tried that once and just got to the point where it wouldn't go any further - the main body of the cleaner is not very stiff and it would bend to either side before I could get any pressure on it...so I chickened out and used the wire to hold the flap open and pulled the brush carefully out. Moreover, in my experience the problem was the flap, so 'cleaning' simply wasn't necessary.
@@RichardBuckMovies Anyway it's a good thing that we have more solutions to a common problem. Take care!
@@matns1382 You too - cheers!
Correct...
I managed to pull the trombone wire right through and out the other end, a lot of muck fell out. Now I have OCD and keep the hood clean & covered when parked up. No more soggy swamp carpets !! 😆
The flap is right at the bottom of the rubber tube (NA8) so it is easy to hook it open to release any gunk that is stuck there. My problem was that I got over zealous cleaning out the interior and actually pulled the hose off the plastic piece at the top. I was able to get it back on with vaseline as a lubricant and a short pry bar stuck in the hose to stiffen it up, but it was a pain. Just a warning that this could happen.
Dang that really would be a pain! Thanks for the warning! 🤙
Trombone cleaner worked fine with me in 6 yrs of MX-5 NC ownership (I now have a ND model) though. One error not to make is : push the trombone cleaner ALL the way through the drain and pick it up at the flap (so don't move it up and down); if you don't the flap risks to get stuck on the inside of the drain preventing draining anything at all.
Fully agree that Mazda should have made it more easier as it's a regular maintenance item - unfortunately, they made it more complex in the ND...
Crazy isn't it - the job should be as easy as filling up the screen wash...thanks for the tip!🤙
@@RichardBuckMovies sharing experiences with other MX5 enthusiasts is both a pleasure to do AND to read from others. It is a fantastic car, I traded in my beloved NC Niseko for a ND for the main reason that the tech gap with my daily driver became too big. With as a “highlight” rear ending the NC against the daily Volvo XC awaiting the beeps from the non existing parking sensors. Can advise the upgrade to the ND though 😀
@@ludosys4903 Oh no - reversing beeps denied!!! I do know what you mean - I drive three different cars on a regular basis and it does fry my brain a little...the location of reverse gear is somehow harder for me to remember than the presence/absence of a clutch pedal! I would love an ND...it's a daily struggle to resist! 🤣
You probably park indoors
@@richardmuirhead5428 hey Richard, at night indeed the car was parked indoors (now have an ND model), but while driving or parking the car somewhere the soft top can catch some rain & debris though.
It’s realy easy to clean the 2 drain holes of the NC, the trombone flush is cheap and YT provides you very useful tutorials. For me it is an important and straightforward preventive maintenance task since NCs are quite sensible for rust….
Thank you 👍
I also wonder why mazda didn't make this pipe easier to access. Still the same in the nd rf. I believe the rf doesn't have a flap and just drains out under the car. the soft top nd has a filter that can clog up. But in the rf, to access the pipe from the top, the roof mechanism has to be opened half way and then the pipe is clearly visible. I have tried the pipe cleaner method but the angle at which I'm inserting the flexible trombone brush is so difficult that it's impossible to tell if I'm doing it correctly. Only tried it once because it felt like the brush went into a soft pipe and i didn't want to damage anything. Pulled it back out and said to myself I'll never do that again. Apologised to my poor mx-5 as well.
There's also a drain pipe in the fuel filler cap. That one was much easier to access and i saw the brush come out the bottom.
But I think the best solution is to maybe mix some mild soap/car wash shampoo with warm water and slowly poor it down the drain holes to help keep the drain pipes clean, followed by clean warm water.
Just not sure what 'soap' or chemical is best to break down dirt without damaging the rubber/plastic drain pipes.
Great to hear how the ND works - I'm surprised the RF even needs an internal drain! 🤯
A filter certainly sounds like a bad idea - all they ever do is get clogged - that's their job after all! They really should just make access easier...
I agree that regular washing/irrigation of the drain is probably the best way to maintain good condition. I make a point of washing quite a bit of soapy water down the drain area of the roof during cleaning, and as I mentioned I've not had a problem now for over a year, so I think that's helped.
Thanks again for the ND confirmation - I'm very jealous!!! 😁All the best 👍
@@RichardBuckMovies I had no idea about convertible roof drainage until after I got it. Then I noticed all hard top convertibles have drainage, such as the IS250C.
Luckily my car is garaged almost always and I'm never parked under a tree for extended periods of time so nothing to make blockages a real issue.
Sounds like you won't have anymore water entering the cabin or boot as you're keeping it clean. Thanks Richard and all the best👍
I tried using the trombone brush. It went through but I couldn't locate it under the car. So I pulled it back up and apparently pulled the flap back up past the stop. I didn't realize it at the time and wound up doing the same on the other side. Now I'm stuck for ideas. I tried using a coat hanger, stiff copper wire, and a piece of antenna. No luck and looking for suggestions. I'm too old and crippled up to try going in and removing the tubes and so far I've had no luck finding a shop to do the job. Poor piece of engineering imho.
Argh that's a shame - I wish I had some advice for you...so have the drains stopped draining completely?
@@RichardBuckMovies Yep.
@@Paintppa1 Oh man...well, I guess if I were in your position I'd buy one of the drain parts - in the UK they're about £20 - and study how it works to see if there's something you can try. This comment actually describes how to replace the drain but it's a big job 😬 www.mx5parts.co.uk/cover-hood-drain-mazda-mk1-mk2-25-pri-1430.html?reviews_id=8021
Best of luck with it...
Does buying a Roof protector help with this? its like a car cover but fitted to for the roof only.
I had one of those exact things! It didn’t really help and was a pain in the wind as it would rise up and flap around. It also stopped it drying out. It was just a pain!
Several times I had 4cm water under the seats. Try to dry that in the winter...
Nightmare!!!
I made a video to show everything, mine was completely full of dirt/mulch.
thanks a bunch!
My drains are fine but every time it rains my trunk/boot gets water in it and I'm not sure where it's coming from. Any suggestions?
Hmm I wonder if you have a hole in the plastic drain tray? That runs right across the back and directs the water to the two side drains…
There is a gasket around the rear brakelight on top of the bootlid that fails eventually. The brakelight should be removed to access the gasket. There are several short YT videos on how to do this. Good luck.
@@frankkuijper6168 good to know thanks! 🤙
MX-4? 😇
Argh! Fixed - thanks! 🤦♂️
Where is the flap? Is it visible? Half way down the pipe? No video explains this
It’s not visible. You can just about see the hole but the flap is a few centimetres down it so that’s completely invisible.
@RichardBuckMovies so the flap isn't near where it drains out, but a couple inches from the entrance hole? Thx for reply
@@jumpninthedarkalley You got it. 🤙