Hard Top leaking? 2000 Jeep TJ

Hi Folks,

Has anyone experienced leaks from the Jeep TJ hard top? My rear floor
is soaking wet after rain storms. No issues up front.

The problem may be related to the rear window seal. Rust is forming
where the defroster wires attach to the windshiled. I was about to
re-seal where the foam meets the hard top, however the original factory
did not use adhesive at all.


I'm at a loss. Does anyone have advice on how to stop the leak?


Thanks so much,
Nick

Take it to an auto glass specialist if you have money. Otherwise the first
step is to positively find the source of the leak. A trick we used in the
Dodge dealership where I used to work may come in helpful. Sitting inside
the back of the Jeep, have a partner squirt the suspect area with a garden
hose, until you are sure you know where the water is coming from. If the
window seal is leaking, the best advice is probably to replace it.

Earle

"Nick Hughes" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi Folks,
>
> Has anyone experienced leaks from the Jeep TJ hard top? My rear floor
> is soaking wet after rain storms. No issues up front.
>
> The problem may be related to the rear window seal. Rust is forming
> where the defroster wires attach to the windshiled. I was about to
> re-seal where the foam meets the hard top, however the original factory
> did not use adhesive at all.
>
>
> I'm at a loss. Does anyone have advice on how to stop the leak?
>
>
> Thanks so much,
> Nick
>
>

Agreed.

Common hard top leaks are at the lower edge of the side glass, at the bottom and or
top of the rear glass, and at the front seal over the windsheild.


On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:12:32 +0100, "Earle Horton" >
wrote:

>>Take it to an auto glass specialist if you have money. Otherwise the first
>>step is to positively find the source of the leak. A trick we used in the
>>Dodge dealership where I used to work may come in helpful. Sitting inside
>>the back of the Jeep, have a partner squirt the suspect area with a garden
>>hose, until you are sure you know where the water is coming from. If the
>>window seal is leaking, the best advice is probably to replace it.
>>
>>Earle
>>
>>"Nick Hughes" > wrote in message
groups.com...
>>> Hi Folks,
>>>
>>> Has anyone experienced leaks from the Jeep TJ hard top? My rear floor
>>> is soaking wet after rain storms. No issues up front.
>>>
>>> The problem may be related to the rear window seal. Rust is forming
>>> where the defroster wires attach to the windshiled. I was about to
>>> re-seal where the foam meets the hard top, however the original factory
>>> did not use adhesive at all.
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm at a loss. Does anyone have advice on how to stop the leak?
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks so much,
>>> Nick
>>>
>>>
>>

I watched it leak when it was raining out. It appears to be the front
seal over the windshield, between the glass and seal. I'm not sure
what to do other then replace the gasket/seal. Maybe soak it in
silicone? Jeep wants $87.50 for a new rubber seal!

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Nick

You may be able to make a temporary fix by using the removable caulk such as
DAP's Seal & Peel if you can get the Jeep out of the rain and freezing
weather for 24 hours.
http://www.dap.com/docs/tech/00077136.pdf

"Nick Hughes" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I watched it leak when it was raining out. It appears to be the front
> seal over the windshield, between the glass and seal. I'm not sure
> what to do other then replace the gasket/seal. Maybe soak it in
> silicone? Jeep wants $87.50 for a new rubber seal!
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Nick
>

Thanks. The leak appears between the window and the rubber, not the
rubber and the hardtop. Do you think a layer of caulk on the outward
facing rubber would help?



Billy Ray wrote:
> You may be able to make a temporary fix by using the removable caulk such as
> DAP's Seal & Peel if you can get the Jeep out of the rain and freezing
> weather for 24 hours.
> http://www.dap.com/docs/tech/00077136.pdf
>
> "Nick Hughes" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>>I watched it leak when it was raining out. It appears to be the front
>>seal over the windshield, between the glass and seal. I'm not sure
>>what to do other then replace the gasket/seal. Maybe soak it in
>>silicone? Jeep wants $87.50 for a new rubber seal!
>>
>>Any suggestions?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Nick
>>
>
>
>

Nick Hughes wrote:
> Thanks. The leak appears between the window and the rubber, not the
> rubber and the hardtop. Do you think a layer of caulk on the outward
> facing rubber would help?

My soft top has the leak at the windshield header. I went to Home Depot
and got some Frost King X-Treme rubber weatherseal #V27W. It's 5/8" wide
by 5/16" thick by 10' long. I put a strip where the top meets the header.

No more leak. Total cost: $7.97 plus your local tax.

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 16:58:42 UTC "Nick Hughes" >
wrote:

> I watched it leak when it was raining out. It appears to be the front
> seal over the windshield, between the glass and seal. I'm not sure
> what to do other then replace the gasket/seal. Maybe soak it in
> silicone? Jeep wants $87.50 for a new rubber seal!

I've used a couple of different sealers made especially for
windshields with decent results. The one that worked best were
urethane sealers - messy as heck to work with but effective. I
usually find them at auto parts stores, but the best I found was at a
glass shop. The stuff was really thin out of the tube but it was
still holding when I sold the truck 5 years later. I had no real luck
with the silicone stuff but the urethane sealer worked well. Take a
thin putty knife or the like to pull the rubber away from the glass,
fill the crack and let the rubber back down. If it's a long run, mask
the glass next to the rubber so that you can pull off any excess that
squeezes out - that stuff is a bitch to clean once it sets. The
Dow-Corning brand I like cost me over $5 a tube but was well worth the
price.

--
Will Honea

I had the same type of problem.

Don't use silicone sealer. It won't work and it will cause corrosion in
your windshield frame.

Your problem isn't the outer rubber weatherstripping. That's nothing
but cosmetic, anyway.

The actual seal is on the *inside*, as Will states above it's a
urethane compound made specifically for auto glass. Get a tube of it
and run a bead all along the inside of your windshield.

Also check that the glass is firmly held in place. My windshield was so
loose I'm surprised it didn't fall out!

Folks,

Thanks for the suggestions, but I think some may have misinterpeted the
problem. This isn't the "front windshield". It's the rear hard top
hatch window. Very different. It closes to meet a rubber gasket that
runs the length of the hard top opening. Nothing to seal on the
window, only the existing gasket.

Some have indicated my hard top may be too far forward to create a good
seal. I will try to position it back and see if that helps.

Nick