Blog

Caring for Your Vehicle’s Sunroof

With Fall officially in full swing, now is the perfect time to take care of your vehicle’s sunroof. While sunroofs can make your drive more pleasurable – particularly on a nice, sunny day – they require regular care.

Here are some quick tips for maintaining your car’s sunroof:

Remove debris

It is crucial that you clean your sunroof on a consistent basis to ensure dirt and debris don’t build up. While this may not seem like a huge deal, too much debris can end up clogging your drainage tube and cause a leak.

How to clean

Cleaning your sunroof should be fairly straight-forward. In order to remove all dirt and debris, you should use a cleaner when wiping down the glass portion. Avoid using any products that contain ammonia, as these can be unsafe to use in warm conditions.

Next, open your roof and wipe down the gasket and seal using a damp cloth. This will remove any build-up and lower the chances of any leakage.

While it’s important to you remove all debris, it’s critical that you ensure all rocks and stones are discarded. If one gets stuck in there and you don’t notice, you could end up breaking your sunroof.

Test for leakage

If your vehicle is leaking, you’ll want to assess the problem as soon as possible. Close your sunroof and pour water over top of it. Have someone inside your car look for leaks, cracks or mold to determine where the leak is coming from.

While you may be able to fix the issue yourself, it’s still recommended that you take your vehicle in to have it looked at.

Listen closely

Whenever you open or close your sunroof, you should be listening intently for any strange sounds. If you hear any scraping noises, you should try to clean it right away to see if the problem persists.

If you hear a popping sound, you should have it looked by a professional right away, as this could be a sign that your sunroof may be about to shatter.

Take it in to a professional

Even if you consider yourself a do-it-yourselfer, it’s never a bad idea to take your car in to have it looked at. If your sunroof isn’t operating at all, there could be an electrical issue, such as a blown fuse. In this case, it’s better to have a professional fix the problem instead of trying to fix it yourself.

If you live in a particularly dry area, it’s recommended that you have your sunroof detailed on a bi-annual basis at minimum. Not only will a professional be able to remove any debris that you may have missed, but they’ll also be able to inspect for any leakage.

It may seem costly, but it will be less expensive than replacing your entire sunroof.