Boom! Bye bye sunroof!

[P3rks 11]

I joke you not. Just going down the motorway, it's fairly windy and Boom! The sunroof ripped off and flew down the motorway.

 

It was closed and just ripped off, all the brackets are there still, just broke.

 

What the actual ****?

 

Anyone got a spare sunroof in Newcastle and some tools I can borrow? I'm up visiting the g.friend.

[lilfuzzer 1]

pm'd

[tonedef 9]

Not the first time we've heard of this happening on here.......can imagine that was something of a shock???

[P3rks 11]

Not the first time we've heard of this happening on here.......can imagine that was something of a shock???

 

Really? That's mental. What's the reason for it happening?

 

I properly poo'd myself. I can't stop laughing though.

 

There is a little paint removed from the rear sunroof corners of the roof, other that that it's damage free.

 

I'll try and post some crappy iPhone photos soon.

 

But it's all taped up with duct, cardboard and a shower curtain! Haha!

[floppyman 0]

O no.......... Im going to do a 1300miles trip soon. Ive done it every year. I never thought of that

[Portent 0]

Does your gearstick flip up and have a little red switch underneath labelled ejector seat?

[emu 0]

WOW, sunroof is pretty well bolted together, never heard about them flying away.

[Jim 2]

Ditto. First time in all my years on here and the CCGB that I've ever heard of this! Can't have been properly secured?!

[tonedef 9]

That's odd Jim, you said just the same thing last time!!!! Knew I'd remembered reading it before:

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?29996-sunroof-gone!!!&highlight=sunroof+flew

 

No idea why it happens though, in fact never had mine out so don't even know how they're fixed.

[owen g60 10]

Wow I'm gonna go check mine now.

 

Intrigued to know how that happened.

 

They can withstand 150+ mph with no issues.

Must have been some rot or loose bolts for it to come away at motorway speeds

[Jim 2]

That's odd Jim, you said just the same thing last time!!!! Knew I'd remembered reading it before:

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?29996-sunroof-gone!!!&highlight=sunroof+flew

 

No idea why it happens though, in fact never had mine out so don't even know how they're fixed.

 

Hah! I have a terrible memory! :) To be fair that was 5 years ago!

[P3rks 11]

Well,

 

Nothing was worn, rusty or coroded. The brackets which a on the panel which slide in the runners physically snapped. All the left over metal are still in the runners.

 

I think the seal went and the air pressure just ripped it up.

 

Pics:

 

As found:

 

Runners and damage to the corners:

 

Poor pictures I know. But fresh broken metal brackets are still there! Shocking really.

 

Moonroof time I suppose.

[job705 10]

i am so glad my corrado has NOT GOT A SUNROOF, MY SONS MGZR WENT THROUGH 5 SUNROOFS IN 3 YEARS , ALL LEAKED BADLY

[Yandards 0]

i am so glad my corrado has NOT GOT A SUNROOF, MY SONS MGZR WENT THROUGH 5 SUNROOFS IN 3 YEARS , ALL LEAKED BADLY

 

That'll mostly be due to it being a Rover...

 

Interesting failure, a correctly set up sunroof should be 1mm lower at the front edge of the roof and 1mm higher at the back edge (IIRC), I wonder if yours was correct or if its just a case of an old seal failing as you suggested.

[Supercharged 2]

Blimey - never seen that before!!

[Portent 0]

Blimey - never seen that before!!

That's what Jim said... Twice!

[P3rks 11]

Well,

 

The sunroof seal was replaced not too long ago, less than a year iirc, but in anycase it looked mint.

 

The alignment was set up properly a few months back when I changed the motor for a working one i checked it all out. 1mm proud at the rear, 1mm below at the front.

 

The sunroof hasn't slid back for years as far as I'm aware and it's only been a few months where I've got it working. It slid back perfect with no issues as far as I could see, and this wasn't the first time I've done motorway speeds since.

 

The sunroof has always been a noisy one (comparing it to my last C), but this journy more so than normal - to the point the wind sound changed as the wipers worked. I even checked the sunroof was closed (pushing the switch and physically checking when I stopped at services). I just put it down to strong head winds and thought nothing of it. I was a good 100 miles into the journey when it happened.

 

It has been really wet recently so I'm wondering if the seal became saturated and was letting air in, or even if something had started to give since I've re-started using the slide function after all these years? It may have appeared good when visually checking when the car was stationary, but could have lifted a few mm when driving, letting air in and causing 20year old cast metal brackets to succumb to failure.

 

The panel was never retrieved as it was too dangerous to stop on the A1 so I'll never know the full story. When I get around to replacing the sunroof I'll take some High-Res shots and post them up. I'd like to get to the bottom of this to see if we can stop it happening to others in the future. Not only was it a poo in your pants moment, it's dangerous. Imagine if the panel hit someone's windscreen at 70mph+ ? It's not something worth thinking about.

Edited April 29, 2012 by P3rks

[KIPVW 0]

As you say Rich, sounds like the metal just failed after so many years :( a bad thing to happen to you mate but glad it's reasonably fixable and you are ok too.

[Supercharged 2]

How fast were you going in reverse??!

[KIPVW 0]

How fast were you going in reverse??!

:lol: not that fast as the car isn't a Storm

[Supercharged 2]

So are Storm sunroofs uprated for the extra reverse speed Kip?

 

Maybe that's why Judith's original one came without?

[bristolbaron 10]

thats nuts! as you said, so lucky there was no one behind you!

 

moonroofs are the future anyway..

[P3rks 11]

In all fairness I was gunning it.. But in my defense it was a beautifully straight section and no cars where around. What was I meant to do? :lol:

 

Just on the hunt for a moonroof now!

[owen g60 10]

You must have been really going for it... I have been doing a lot of late night/early morning motorway miles recently and have had a few top speed attempts:shocked!: there must have been something wrong with the panel/mechanism for it to pull off as 145mph doesnt seem to be an issue for mine

[KIPVW 0]

So are Storm sunroofs uprated for the extra reverse speed Kip?

 

Maybe that's why Judith's original one came without?

 

Apparently but only when reversing while going to see the girlfriend :lol: