Front roof panel sealant

[td83]

Hi all, I've noticed that the sealant around the passenger side of the front roof panel seems to have perished. It means the panel is loose on that side and is making wind noise at high speeds. Our van is a T5 SE 2011.

I've sent others have described problems with corrosion of the panel itself, but our panel looks fine- it's just the sealant. Is it possible to fix this myself?

 

[WelshGas]

Hi all, I've noticed that the sealant around the passenger side of the front roof panel seems to have perished. It means the panel is loose on that side and is making wind noise at high speeds. Our van is a T5 SE 2011.

I've sent others have described problems with corrosion of the panel itself, but our panel looks fine- it's just the sealant. Is it possible to fix this myself?

View attachment 140077

View attachment 140076

I believe you have had the VW repair for Galvanic Corrosion of the front roof crossmember. This is an aluminium alloy crossmember bolted / welded into position during the build.
When affected by the galvanic corrosion it was stripped back to bare metal , affected areas cut back. A zinc rich primer applied, filled in and then a colour coded plastic cap stuck on with a black sealant . There have been a number of cases where the sealant has failed and water has leaked.
Basically the cap should be removed carefully , mating surfaces cleaned and rebonded with a waterproof compound mastic/sealant.

See here

VW California Roof Corrosion - Key Facts

This information has been kindly supplied by @Ewan from Wild About Scotland Roof Corrosion Key Facts

vwcaliforniaclub.com

VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion

Blistering Paintwork Front Roof Pannel Hi All, Anyone else have blistering paint work on the front pannel of the roof? I'm talking about the metal body pannel thing that meets the windscreen and forms the 1st part of the roof at the front. There's another thread about this sort of thing, but...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[td83]

I believe you have had the VW repair for Galvanic Corrosion of the front roof crossmember. This is an aluminium alloy crossmember bolted / welded into position during the build.
When affected by the galvanic corrosion it was stripped back to bare metal , affected areas cut back. A zinc rich primer applied, filled in and then a colour coded plastic cap stuck on with a black sealant . There have been a number of cases where the sealant has failed and water has leaked.
Basically the cap should be removed carefully , mating surfaces cleaned and rebonded with a waterproof compound mastic/sealant.

See here

VW California Roof Corrosion - Key Facts

This information has been kindly supplied by @Ewan from Wild About Scotland Roof Corrosion Key Facts

vwcaliforniaclub.com

VW California T5 ONLY Roof Corrosion - General Discussion

Blistering Paintwork Front Roof Pannel Hi All, Anyone else have blistering paint work on the front pannel of the roof? I'm talking about the metal body pannel thing that meets the windscreen and forms the 1st part of the roof at the front. There's another thread about this sort of thing, but...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Thanks, I a had assumed my van hadn't had that repair but that's very helpful!

Do you think this is something I could do myself? Or could I use some kind of tape in the interim?

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks, I a had assumed my van hadn't had that repair but that's very helpful!

Do you think this is something I could do myself? Or could I use some kind of tape in the interim?

Ideally the whole cap should be removed, surfaces cleaned and rebond it. But if it is just that area that has lifted I, personally, would gently lift it up and inject some bonding agent underneath especially around the edges then position it and apply weight, sandbags or a padded strap across the area and around the vehicle for 48hrs or so. Silkaflex , various types, seems to be a well recommended bonding agent.

 

[Dyddi]

Many thanks to Welsh Gas. My 2012 T5 has twice had the front panel replaced by VW dealers and now it's seeping rusty water. I cannot face another trial by ordeal with VW so the remove, clean back, reseal suggestion sounds better. Anyone know a reliable and trustworthy, sorry VW not you, restorer / body worker in the Bristol/Bath area?

 

[WelshGas]

Many thanks to Welsh Gas. My 2012 T5 has twice had the front panel replaced by VW dealers and now it's seeping rusty water. I cannot face another trial by ordeal with VW so the remove, clean back, reseal suggestion sounds better. Anyone know a reliable and trustworthy, sorry VW not you, restorer / body worker in the Bristol/Bath area?

Can't recommend anyone I'm afraid but I would look for a small business that specialises in body restoration rather than a large firm that does predominantly accident repairs for Insurance Companies.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

Many thanks to Welsh Gas. My 2012 T5 has twice had the front panel replaced by VW dealers and now it's seeping rusty water. I cannot face another trial by ordeal with VW so the remove, clean back, reseal suggestion sounds better. Anyone know a reliable and trustworthy, sorry VW not you, restorer / body worker in the Bristol/Bath area?

My 2012 has been in VW body shop since June 16th to repair the failed repair and severe corrosion on the A pillars caused by the original repair. At least VW are paying for it. So worth a shot to get it sorted at their expense.