Rant of the Day - Sunroofs

So, I've owned a lot of German cars in particular, and while at the local MINI dealer yesterday asked if it was possible to order a car without a sunroof now, like I did with my 2009 Clubman S. The answer was sadly, no.

Not only do I have no use for a hole in the roof, I never open them, but I also hate the extra heat they bring into the car in summer. I'm not sure I notice the handling detriment of having the extra weight up there, but nonetheless, there is that factor too.

Audi, BMW(?) Mercedes - I don't think you can order a car without a sunroof anymore, or any highline car for that matter.

Here's my other issue. My 19K mile 2018 Audi Allroad is currently at the dealers, waiting on replacement sunroof drain tubes. Huh? you might say.....aren't they just pieces of tubing? Well, I assume so but my dealer insists that they can't clean them and that they must be replaced with factory Audi sunroof drain tubes - apparently they crack? Of course to even get to them requires removing the headliner.....a job I'm not keen to DIY.

One of ours is leaking, I found water back in the very rear compartment - my nose told me something was wrong as I started smelling mold when I got in the car that had been closed up for a few days, and then some electronical stuff started not working, leading me to that compartment in the left rear quarter of the car, full of water and expensive electronical parts. Since then while waiting for the tubes to come in (new and improved, and of course on back order now) the bride found a shorty car cover that only covers the top of the car, so it's easy to put on and off and that has managed to keep the important gubbins dry - but the smell remains even so.

The quote to replace the drain tubes is close to $2K, $200 of which is the tube itself, and they'll do both just in case and while they're in there. And of course they also found a few other things that I really should do.....replace the leaking motor mount (that's only $1000) and repair some corroded wires (back in the flooded compartment, I knew about those and I will DIY that) $1600 if they do it, and clean out the front drain tubes, those can be reached so that's only a $450 item. My total quote for today's efforts will be about $5K by the time you factor in shop supplies and $500 of tax.

All because of an option that I never wanted and never use.

Picture of what's in the previously flooded compartment...the tan connector with the broken wire is all corroded inside, and it's the one I'll be replacing - that little bit of plastic was $34 for both halves. Difficult to see but there is a fairly large and expensive computer body control module in there - it was under water. When I found it I dried it off and cleaned all the terminals with contact cleaner and it seems to be working still.....but I have a feeling I'll be getting one of those one day soon too. 

Every car I currently own does not have a sunroof. That was not an accident. I've owned a couple, and I'll never own another one. 

While I personally use the sunroof in my car quite a lot, I agree that there still needs to be a no sunroof option.

I’m with ya buddy - we open the one in the wife’s Honda Pilot 1x a year.  Ten minutes on that first warm spring afternoon.  Then not again. 

As mentioned, when I bought my 2009 Clubman I ordered it without a sunroof, but you can't buy a new MINI without one, nor an Audi. I don't know when Audi made it mandatory, but I think it was 20 years ago or more.....at least for US model cars.

I'm OK with the dealer not stocking them, but I would think you could order one with the option deleted as they're available in Yurup without the hole in the head.

I will insist that they give me the old tubes, I want see what my $2000 buys me. 

This car is the bride's, she does use the sunroof frequently, I never open the one in my Allroad.

Our driveway has a pretty good slope to it, I tried to talk her into parking it nose down to see if that would keep the water going out the front tubes, which I can reach to clean out but she wasn't having that.

Remember those glass panels that lifted up at the back at varying angles, and you could unlatch them, pull them out and put them in the trunk or back seat?

Those are the sunroofs I like. No other type is acceptable.

Peabody said:

Remember those glass panels that lifted up at the back at varying angles, and you could unlatch them, pull them out and put them in the trunk or back seat?

Those are the sunroofs I like. No other type is acceptable.

My Vega had one of those. It was probably installed in the 80s and the seals were so bad that it leaked like it was open. I had no luck finding replacement seals. 

I remember my stepfather installing one in his Chevette in the early 80s... it was crooked by a couple of degrees. 

Yup.

My 85 Skoda, and 87 Pony both had them.  Mine didn't leak, and I really liked the way they worked.

Modern ones, not so much.

The Datsun Z guys cringe at those aftermarket sun roofs.  
 

I'm, betting that the tubes have a formed end to fit into to sun roof housing and or molded on grommets when the tube exits the body.

I did a head liner and drain tubes ( and conveniently timed it with a windshield ) in my 97 Mercedes C280. the rubber tubes were plain tubing however their thin wall precluded me using stuff from McMaster -Carr ( They have everything )

My Europa has one of those cringe worthy sunroofs, the first owner saved the cut out and I will be glassing it back in (at some point in the future …..)

MiniDave said:

So, I've owned a lot of German cars in particular, and while at the local MINI dealer yesterday asked if it was possible to order a car without a sunroof now, like I did with my 2009 Clubman S. The answer was sadly, no.

I just checked the Mini web site

The convertible does not have a " sun roof  " , perhaps you can get one of those.

TurboFource said:

My Europa has one of those cringe worthy sunroofs, the first owner saved the cut out and I will glassing it back in (at some point intone future …..)

 "All these roofs are yours except Europa. Attempt no sawing there. Keep them together. Use them in one piece." . . . .

Agree 100%. Hate sunroofs. Partly because I don’t fit in lots of cars because of them… also because glare and leaks. 

Not long ago I dug into a sunroof drain tube problem on a 2013 pathfinder (that I have since moved along). That one drained into a dead space in the cowl structure. You couldn’t see it to blow it out so I drilled holes to daylight the end that was plugged up. 

In reply to Masher_Mfg :

Actually, the convertible does have a sunroof - of sorts. When you open the roof, it will slide back quite a ways first - that's called the sunroof position, then it will open the rest of the way to be a convertible. 

How To Open and Close a MINI Convertible

This makes me think of the thread about designing a reliable automobile for the sake of making a profitable company. Sunroofs could be an example of an explicit design criteria incorporated on a broad scale to limit the longevity of automobiles? Most people I know never open them and would prefer not to have them but see them as a status symbol so slightly valuable in that regard. 

MiniDave said:

In reply to Masher_Mfg :

Actually, the convertible does have a sunroof - of sorts. When you open the roof, it will slide back quite a ways first - that's called the sunroof position, then it will open the rest of the way to be a convertible. 

How To Open and Close a MINI Convertible

Drat, and here I thought I could bring you out of the depths of despair.. .

Peabody said:

Remember those glass panels that lifted up at the back at varying angles, and you could unlatch them, pull them out and put them in the trunk or back seat?

Those are the sunroofs I like. No other type is acceptable.

I had an 84 Camaro in the Navy in the late 80s that I had one of those installed.  It didn't have AC as an option so I figured every bit of fresh air helped.  Plus it looked kinda cool & was handy to leave open in the sun when I was afraid to crack the windows and let the local thieves go for it.

I kept that car until late 91 when I got to New Orleans and decided no AC = no go.

I guess I am the odd one out. If it ain't raining and the temp is between 50 and 85 my sunroof is open. I love the bloody things. Every year I make sure to blow compressed air through the drains. That is it as far as maintenance goes. 

The only sunroofs I ever have issues with are the ones that were never used.. 

Ah yes... German car sunroofs... My Jetta wagon had one because it was mandatory for the GLS package which was required if you wanted leather seating.  I remember the recall/TSB for the sunroof drains... found out the "fix" was to use a razor blade to slice off the "pinched" end of the drain inside the door jams so the tube wouldn't get clogged with grime.  Due to my utter hatred for the dealer, I did that TSB myself. 

Clogged drains and berked electronics are a known issue with MINIs with sunroofs.  The main reason I bought the R53 I have is because it doesn't have a sunroof.

If a car has a mandatory sunroof, it means I won't be buying that car.  Simple as that.  Seems like every year, the list of new cars I might be interested in buying gets shorter... The irony being that I'm at a point in life where I can afford to buy a new car and now manufacturers won't offer anything I'd want to buy. 

The irony being that I'm at a point in life where I can afford to buy a new car and now manufacturers won't offer anything I'd want to buy.

Exactly. That's why I ordered my last MINI R55, I had a friend who worked at the dealership and he said "we have 200 MINIs in stock and you can't find ONE of them to buy?" Nope, they all were loaded to the gills with stuff I didn't want (or didn't want to pay for - sheesh that thing was expensive enough as it was!) so I ordered it exactly the way I wanted it, and kept it for 15 years and a whole ton of miles.

Now I can't replace it no matter what.

Trent, my wife agrees with you and her sunroof is open anytime it can be.....and guess whose car has the issue? Yep......hers. The issue with the rear drain is the sunroof end is hidden below the huge back half fixed glass, I couldn't even find it with a good LED flashlight it's so far back in there. And of course, that's the one that's giving the problem. I thought maybe I could find the drain end and blow it back the other way but quickly scotched that idea when I realized where any/all the crap that might get released would wind up.

Finally had a car of my own with one with the SRT 4. It was powered and would go up, but needed a hand on the outside to close, and the drains leaked into the A pillar so it would pee on my leg every time it rained. 

I prefer full on convertibles for an open air driving experience. 

Even 23 years ago, it was hard to find an new Chevy Avalanche with good options, but sans sunroof. The salesman was surprised that I was so adamant. I had never had one, but heard all the horror stories.

I'm all in on the Anti-Sunroof though. Jeep with nothing above or around but a bikini top to keep the sun off my head. I'll do that 8-9 months of the year.

MiniDave said:

I thought maybe I could find the drain end and blow it back the other way but quickly scotched that idea when I realized where any/all the crap that might get released would wind up.

No, don't do that.  What can happen if the clog is bad is the air pressure can blow the hose off the fittings. Then you WILL be in a world of pain having to drop the headliner to put it back together again...  Search: Sunroof drain cleaning tool.  They're really cheap.

I like sunroofs.