Back in 2019, Jeep introduced the Sky One Touch top roof feature for their Wrangler series solely to make the soft and detachable top experience a bit more convenient and time-saving for their customers.
It was all nice and cozy until the automated top system started showing water leakage issues in some vehicles. If you’re a victim of Jeep Sky One Touch leaking issue, I understand how frustrating it can get on a rainy day or a casual car washing day.
Any sort of water leakage in cars can actually create bigger issues later on. Water leakage can cause short circuit damage in the electrical equipment, destroy your delicate music system, create molds and bad odors, and many other severe issues.
So, you can’t simply keep ignoring it. And the good news is, you won’t have to any longer.
I’ve scoured different official Jeep forums and discussion pages on the internet to learn the dos and don’ts when it comes to handling this issue. Let’s take a look.
How Prevalent This Issue Is?
It might give you some relief that you’re not alone in this pit. In fact, this issue is so prevalent that it has almost become a “Wrangler thing” to the community. Many people have been complaining in the official forums of Jeep about this issue since the feature first came out.
Thankfully, Jeep has been providing continuous and reliable customer service for resolving leakage-related issues.
Leaking of the Sky One Touch roof doesn’t always mean that the installation was faulty. It could also be some other issues like anything stuck in the roof system or malfunction in the control software.
What Is the One True Solution to This?
As the leakage isn’t always about the faulty installment, there isn’t any specific solution to this problem, unfortunately. If you’re not an automotive expert, the safest and most efficient solution would be to contact your dealer or vendor.
If you’ve bought the car relatively recently, you’ll still have the warranty and free service privileges.
Check the paperwork that came with the car and find out all the terms and conditions that may help you out. You might even get the full service completely free of charge or at a discount if you meet the conditions.
Alternative Tips and Solutions
Although getting repair service from the official vendors or any professional repair shop is the best option available, it can be pricy and time-consuming if you don’t have your warranty privileges.
Also, sometimes the issue can be caused by something totally different. And in some cases, the solution is actually quite simple. The following tips and solutions may help you find the source of your leakage issue and fix it easily. So, let’s dive in.
Find the Leaking Spot
Before running to anyone else, carefully check from where on the roof exactly the leakage is happening. Once you’ve tracked down the spot, understanding what’s going on and what you need to do would be easier for you.
Besides closing issues, leakage can occur from abrupt holes or damaged areas on the roof. Unless it’s too severe, most damages are very easily repairable.
So, identifying the source of the leakage is the first and foremost step in resolving leakage roof issue.
Waterproofing the Top
There are several ways of waterproofing your top efficiently. Below are the top 3 options you can try from.
1. Seam Sealer Tape
If you notice any damaged area or hole that is causing the leakage, you can easily fix them using any standard soft top seam sealer tape or glue. You won’t need any professional help to use these, as they’re fairly easy to apply.
2. Silicone Water-Guard Spray
A lot of the time, leakage occurs due to adjustment issues between the roof rack and the top. Utilizing heavy-duty silicone water guard spray can help you improve the adjustment condition between these parts.
Feel free to spray on the top heavily and after you’re done spraying, rub it all in using a terrycloth towel.
Rub it especially well around the joining parts for better cohesion between the rack and top part. Using silicone spray also keeps your roof rack rust-free and clean.
3. Seal Kits
If you feel your jeep top is too worn out to prevent leakage, buying additional seal kits is a great solution. Don’t forget to get a set of seal kits that is actually compatible with your jeep.
Replacing your old, worn-out seal kits with new compatible ones will not only stop the leakage issue but will improve your riding experience also, through wind control and noise reduction.
Keeping It Clean
If you don’t keep your roof rack clean enough, it may cause adjustment issues in the long run. Sky One Touch top runs on a delicate mechanism and requires a hurdle-free path for perfect closing.
Small particles like pieces of tree branches, pebbles, leaves, etc., can prevent the automated top from closing properly. And this improper closing can often cause leaks here and there. So, clean your jeep top properly and frequently.
Keep the System in Check
Sometimes the top doesn’t close properly because of problems in the system. In that case, seeking help from the experts is the only thing to do.
Things to Avoid
As I said earlier, the Jeep Sky One Touch is a very delicate mechanism. If you find out that a portion of the top isn’t properly closing because of some invisible reason, don’t try to close it forcefully because You’re probably going to do more damage.
Also, don’t carry too much stuff on the roof. This creates pressure on the roof’s mechanism and can cause both internal and external damage to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Sky One Touch Top worth it?
It’s true that the feature is a nice addition to the Jeep package. But in my opinion, the feature is a bit pricy for what it does. The leakage issue is a bummer as well. So, the feature might be worth it but it’s not cost-effective.
How fast is the automated top opening and closing?
Compared to manual tops, the Sky One touch Top isn’t that faster really. The top takes its time when opening or closing. The average time required to manually close a top is slightly more than the automated one, but the difference is so slim it almost makes no difference.
Conclusion
The Jeep Sky One Touch top system was intended to make life easier and more convenient. But the frequent water leakage problem is doing exactly the opposite. The issue not only ruins your riding experience but also poses huge life threats.
So, if your newly bought Jeep Wrangler is showing water leakage as well, try to resolve the issue as soon as possible.