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Sunroof 'exploded' today on 2016 GTI. That was fun.

ArcticFoxMN

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Salt Lake City
Car(s)
2016 GTI 6MT PP Auto
OK...another update.

Trip #2 to the shop, they had the tools, and glass appears to be all out. The sunroof functions perfectly in terms of opening and closing smoothly.

HOWEVER...it is making noise (when closed). After messing around, I noticed some of the bolts (connecting the sunroof rails to the glass) were loose and the washers jingling (OMG that is the worst). I tightened those, tested functionality and everything good. HOWEVER, I am still getting some random noise on certain bumps (think the sort of noise a dry baseball glove would make if you wore it...more of a creaking that metal-on-metal).

I need to do some more playing around (driving with the roof open, closed, seeing if there is a specific thing that makes it stop.

So I am close...but not quite there.

I think I would have rather have had a front or rear bumper ripped off than dealing with this sunroof BS.

If you have and sunroof noise troubleshooting advice, I am all ears. Yes, I will try to get the glass or body shop to deal with it, but the body shop is a 100 mile round trip (if I drop off the car and drive home in a loaner), and on my second trip there so far.

Thanks!
 

mopar22

Autocross Newbie
Location
Michigan
Car(s)
16 GTI
OK...another update.

Trip #2 to the shop, they had the tools, and glass appears to be all out. The sunroof functions perfectly in terms of opening and closing smoothly.

HOWEVER...it is making noise (when closed). After messing around, I noticed some of the bolts (connecting the sunroof rails to the glass) were loose and the washers jingling (OMG that is the worst). I tightened those, tested functionality and everything good. HOWEVER, I am still getting some random noise on certain bumps (think the sort of noise a dry baseball glove would make if you wore it...more of a creaking that metal-on-metal).

I need to do some more playing around (driving with the roof open, closed, seeing if there is a specific thing that makes it stop.

So I am close...but not quite there.

I think I would have rather have had a front or rear bumper ripped off than dealing with this sunroof BS.

If you have and sunroof noise troubleshooting advice, I am all ears. Yes, I will try to get the glass or body shop to deal with it, but the body shop is a 100 mile round trip (if I drop off the car and drive home in a loaner), and on my second trip there so far.

Thanks!
When driving "vent it by clicking the button very quickly, don't open it all the way but more so to help see if it's the frame rubbing. If so it would just need a good cleaning most likely
 

ArcticFoxMN

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Salt Lake City
Car(s)
2016 GTI 6MT PP Auto
Thanks, will try that. I ran out of daylight (after finding, tightening the loose fasteners). If it is just as simple as lubing it up (giggle...) that would be awesome.
 

oddspyke

Autocross Champion
Location
Delaware
Car(s)
2016 GTI, 2018 ZL1
Thanks, will try that. I ran out of daylight (after finding, tightening the loose fasteners). If it is just as simple as lubing it up (giggle...) that would be awesome.
Gummi fledge on the rubber seal fixed that particular sound on mine
 

SnailPower

Autocross Newbie
Location
North NJ
Car(s)
2017 GTI MT, PP, LP
pano sunroofs breaking in summer heat happens all the time. similar thing happened to my mom's mercedes last year while she was cruising down the fwy, a somewhat common issue on those cars as well

the glass probably expanded in the heat and a bump in the road caused the chassis to flex enough in a way the glass obviously couldn't handle

with that said i love my sunroof and never worry about it breaking. if it does break i'll get it fixed, most likely for free, and then continue to enjoy it opened ~6months out of the year

Reading up on this thread to continue to scare me into not using my sun roof often, lol. Beyond that though, it sounds like the damn thing can suicide itself even if I don't use it.

Do you think it's worth getting the window deflectors so in summer, can leave windows cracked rather than shut all the way (I live in fear of rain coming out of no where, because Jersey...)? Like, would that probably reduce the chance of the heat build up inside the car being that strong it could cause the glass to shatter? I didn't really want to get them but if it can help prevent this situation, I might look into it.

Never thought having a sunroof would be such a PITA. My last car with one was the Srt4 which gave me zero issues and I used it every single day during the summer. I also had one of those, what they call them? Moon roofs? The ones that just slide into the roof but don't actually lift out and sit on top of the roof? That was on my first car, 1990 Celica, lol. zero issues with that one.
 

Subliminal

Autocross Champion
Location
Vegas
Car(s)
Slow FWD VW Hatch
Reading up on this thread to continue to scare me into not using my sun roof often, lol. Beyond that though, it sounds like the damn thing can suicide itself even if I don't use it.

Do you think it's worth getting the window deflectors so in summer, can leave windows cracked rather than shut all the way (I live in fear of rain coming out of no where, because Jersey...)? Like, would that probably reduce the chance of the heat build up inside the car being that strong it could cause the glass to shatter? I didn't really want to get them but if it can help prevent this situation, I might look into it.

Never thought having a sunroof would be such a PITA. My last car with one was the Srt4 which gave me zero issues and I used it every single day during the summer. I also had one of those, what they call them? Moon roofs? The ones that just slide into the roof but don't actually lift out and sit on top of the roof? That was on my first car, 1990 Celica, lol. zero issues with that one.
they might help, but i think direct sunlight is the bigger culprit.

just use it when you want and don't worry about it, unless it actually becomes an issue
 

SnailPower

Autocross Newbie
Location
North NJ
Car(s)
2017 GTI MT, PP, LP
they might help, but i think direct sunlight is the bigger culprit.

just use it when you want and don't worry about it, unless it actually becomes an issue

That sucks. My car is literally parked out in direct sunlight every single day, lol. I don't have a garage and there are no trees to give it some shade by my apartment. Similar at my job. Zero shade, parked out in the beaming sunlight. I use sun shades for the dashboard, but that's it...
 
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Subliminal

Autocross Champion
Location
Vegas
Car(s)
Slow FWD VW Hatch
That sucks. My car is literally parked out in direct sunlight every single day, lol. I don't have a and there are no trees to give it some shade by my apartment. Similar at my job. Zero shade, parked out in the beaming sunlight. I use sun shades for the dashboard, but that's it...
1631898476816.png
 

SnailPower

Autocross Newbie
Location
North NJ
Car(s)
2017 GTI MT, PP, LP
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