Drain holes

[mx5ash]

This has come up loads of times and i came across this pic today which speaks a thousand words and saves trying to describe it to someone over the phone whilst they break there back looking for them (no names medic!!)
So here you go,

[Steve]

Nice hole Ash...

[mx5ash]

Why thank you kind sir, i've been told that i have a large hole that is very hard to block.

[Paschal]

Went about clearing the drain channels as advised on the site. I don't appear to be able to clear one of them. The wire goes through as does the water, but it just builds up again. I understand that there is a flap in the pipe that prevents dirt from the road blocking it, could this be causing me problems? How does this flap work? Any ideas? Also, are there drain channels to the front of the car and if so, where are they and how do I clear them? Thanks for the help in advance.

[Stig]

Hope this helps..

http://www.miata.net/garage/tsb/images/sb034_94_1.gif

[Medic5]

I used a hanger for the drain holes behind the belts, and one of the wife's hair clips for the underside sills! There was some amount of water in the foot sills! Worked a treat, but an absolute b##ch to find! just kept poking in to holes until water came out! When I hit the right hole it just gushed out! They look like "creases" in the metal, rear ones were easy to find, front ones more tricky!

[Paschal]

Thanks for that guys. So I take it there is the "hose" which comes from the hole beside the seatbelt and exits onto the road ahead of the rear wheel (through the same hose) and then there are 4 "creases" in the sills, 2 to the front and 2 to the rear. Is that it?? Will go looking tomorrow. Thanks for help

[Medic5]

When you push the hanger through the seat belt drain holes, you will see a flap at the distal end, that is the flap that keeps the dirt out! When the hanger pokes through a load of muck and dirt will appear, followed by the water

[Reesy]

I use a bit of garden wire (less tough than a hanger, I worry that the hanger might damage the tube) with a small bit of rag tied on the end - I thread the straight end down thru from behind the seat, then pull the rag thru from below. Works well...

[shenab]

Hello gurus!

I got home from the run at the weekend and the next morning we had the beginnings of a damp smell in the car. "It's me drain holes" me thinks!

Sure enough I had a nice small pool of water in the metal area around them, I think it splashed around over the weekend nothing carpet wise was damp.

So, reading this and the Miata post I got myself a coat hanger and gentley got rid of the immediate threat.

However ..

I cannot seem to get past the first "valve" is it? I don't want to force it with the coat hanger and as it was lashing down last night figured I'd post this morning for some guidance.

Any ideas, PJ you say the way through is in the centre but I wasn't able to work my way through.

Am going to get some single core electrical cable today to have another go before I leave the office, where I have a covered car park but would really like pointers. The idea would be I suppose to push a long enough cable through the tubing and pull it out underneath?

I'd really apprecaite your help peeps!

thanks as always

Shena

[Medic5]

Sent you a PM regarding my experience of clearing holes

Here come the returns................

[leamyj]

Me first! Me first!............

I'm sure any holes you ever cleared were all in the cause of good medical practice

John

[shenab]

For those of you experimenting with what to use .. here you go.

I'm gonna try and make this clean but with your dirty minds that's going to be neigh on impossible! It's a bit like Goldielocks and the 3 bears.

I tried the coat hanger and felt I didn't have the necessary control to get it past the first valve. It was too thin and too stiff

Second attempt was with industrial thickness earthing cable. This was far too thick and didn't give me the necessary control

Finally, I stripped the ends off my trusty emergency cat5 computer network cable with the mini cable snips I always have in my boot and hey presto. Just enough stiffness to make it through the valve and enough flexibility to bend slightly when needed. Pushed the cable the whole way through the drain and pulled it out at the end.

After all this, I didn't get the deluge of gunk I was expecting, but there was some none the less. I reckon a leaf or something was caught up originally. I didn't get to flush through water, this I will have to do tonight when I get home.

Thanks PJ for your help.

S

[leamyj]

I'm speechless...for once

[shenab]