Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

Hey guys. I just wanted to share this with everyone. If you've never cleaned your drain holes behind the seatbelt towers....OMFG you definitely should!!!

I was browsing through some old threads here and on m.net when I read about these drain holes for the first time. Well today I cleaned them. I should have taken pictures....that's how bad it was. And I'm guessing this is why I had water in the trunk. Took me 5 mins on the passenger side and about 20 on the driver side.

I dremeled the ones by the jack points years ago, but never knew about these ones and how bad they could be. I imagine that most people might not either, maybe I'm wrong....but I wanted to share anyway.

Vash-

urgaynknowit

iTrader: (5)

go take pictures, im afraid to even look

cjernigan

iTrader: (13)

There are drain holes for the top by the jack points. Which ones are you talking about?

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

By the jack up points on the frame there are small cutouts/holes that are drains. When I bought the car they looked a little smashed so I dremeled them open and whoooosh. I'd say about a 20oz bottles worth of water came out of both sides.

I think 94' or 95' and up have actual drain holes. The earlier miatas have slits that should be opened up more, that's why I dremeled them.

Vash-

04 Miata

The drain holes at the jack points keep the rocker panels from filling with water but the drains by the seat belt towers act as a drain for leakage from the top. Lift the carpet behind the seatbelt tower and you will see a plastic pan with a hole in it. The hole drains through a rubber tube into the rear wheel well behind the removable plastic panels. These tubes can clog because they have a rubber flapper at the bottom to prevent water from coming back up them. Run a thin wire through them after you have cleaned out the plastic tray and you might be surprised at the water than runs out the wheel well.

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

I used a 3ft miata specific drain cleaner on these. These are the drain holes I was referring to. I swept up the mess, otherwise I'd post pictures. There was ALOT of **** in there, so much that it was kinda hard to poke all the way through.

Yea, the other holes by the jack mounts are for the rockers.

Vash-

urgaynknowit

iTrader: (5)

hey vash, if i ever get to stop by, remind me, to have u show me how to clean them

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

Hmm.. I wonder if there's any reason to do this since I have a hardtop..

miatamania

iTrader: (9)

You want to send that priority...and I'll send in back in a week...I'll give you the 3 dollars to do it

RotorNutFD3S

iTrader: (33)

If they haven't been cleaned out before, maybe a good idea. But otherwise, no. Having a hardtop means these drains are not being utilized.

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I'll give it a shot anyway.

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

Yea man why not. If you guys wanna pay for postage, I'll ***** it out. Its great guys, its like I'm not dirty anymore kind of feeling.

PM me your details.

Vash-

Torkel

At least on the early NBs, the rubber hoses that lead the water down to the wheel well are fairly loosly attached to the plastic tray behind the seat belt tower. That means that they can come loose if you jerk around too happily in your cleaning frensy. Beware, since they are a pita to put back again.

Ziploc

How do you clean the front drains?

I also had no idea that there was a second drain other than the soft top one for the rear of the car. Its probably why I have my passenger side rocker rusting out.

I allways check that my soft top drains are working properly. But I had no idea the other drains existed.

RotorNutFD3S

iTrader: (33)

Sorry to resurrect the thread, but I got the Team Miata brush and I cleaned out the drains on my gf's 2000. The passenger side went great, got to the driver's side, the brush went through the tube fine the first time, pulled it back up and could still feel crap in there, so I sent it down again, and this time it got stuck on something and wouldn't go any further, so I quit. Ran some water over the top, and it drains great now, but I'm worried that I messed something up. What does it take to get down in there to make sure everything is ok?

Dark Wanderer

iTrader: (2)

I did mine, to be sure, just get the clips of the black plastic trim (the one with the hole) off and pull it off with the tube, you'll see if there is **** in there. I had a little 10mm nut in one

But for the front drain, it is just before the windshield, so it is ok the see if it is clogged. But where are the top hole for the rear? I can't find them at all....