Roof panel detached while driving

[dekyon]

That's exactly what mine looks like right now.

I thought I was looking at a pic of my car. I called GM and they were no help. At least you found yours. Who would think that such an expensive car would be built so cheap.

 

[luke]

2005

I thought I was looking at a pic of my car. I called GM and they were no help. At least you found yours. Who would think that such an expensive car would be built so cheap.

i just bought my 05 from a private party. yesterday while driving on the freeway, mine flew off. i've been chasing wind noise by the rear view mirror with tape. i guess i know now. i'm going today ,to try and find it, but its probably destroyed. will gm do anything? insurance? does anyone make an aftermarket skin. any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[V Happy]

Roof panel detached while driving 7

Luke
you posted on new members you were looking for a top panel that blew off your car. Look on eBay there was one on there a at 9:00 am. Gold mist used $600 free shipping out of Michigan. Just put in Cadillac XLR roof.
V Happy

 

[luke]

Luke
you posted on new members you were looking for a top panel that blew off your car. Look on eBay there was one on there a at 9:00 am. Gold mist used $600 free shipping out of Michigan. Just put in Cadillac XLR roof.
V Happy

i saw that. i'm going right now to look for mine. if i cant find it i will buy that one. hopefully that's just tape on the one on ebay and not scratches. thank you for letting me know.

 

[luke]

Hey guys, so i purchased the used top on ebay. does anyone think i would be able to get gm to pay for the labor to paint and install it, since it's definitely a adhesive failure?

 

[Army Al]

One less thing to worry about regarding my XLR. It doesn't come out of my garage unless the top is down. No need to cruise with the top up.

 

[ccclarke]

Hey guys, so i purchased the used top on ebay. does anyone think i would be able to get gm to pay for the labor to paint and install it, since it's definitely a adhesive failure?

I seriously doubt it. GM's current support for the XLR (especially where parts are concerned) leaves much to be desired, unfortunately. In this case, a Goodwill gesture on their part would be a minor miracle.

Your bumper-to-bumper warranty expired seven years ago.

There was no recall issued for a safety issue attributed to design or materials.

Car Top Systems (the vendor that designed and fabricated the Folding Top) closed their doors in Bowling Green when production ended, so support from them is likely non-existent.

This will be an expensive repair, easily reaching into the thousands. Obviously, the Top needs to be removed. Once partially opened, the headliner has to come out, the hydraulic cylinders for the header latch need to be disconnected along with some electrical connectors, then the fasteners for the roof must be removed. Not a horrible job, but still, a lot of work.

Any shims encountered must be placed in their original positions. A number of weather strip seals need to come out too; each has a separate removal/installation procedure

While you're at it, I would replace all the roof's weather strip seals. Those aren't cheap either, but after eleven years, they have naturally compressed while under load. Removing and re-installing the roof assembly will change the geometry slightly and new seals will minimize gaps for air and water intrusion. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.

Obtain a copy of the Service Manual and you'll note how long the chapter is for the Folding Top (292 pages!)

CC

CC

 

[luke]

thank you for all the information. you must be very knowledgeable. i want to ask your opinion on separating the skin from the used top i bought, and using super hi tech adhesive, bonding it on my perfectly working, and assembled top?

 

[pure zen]

What a nightmare,,,

" i've been chasing wind noise by the rear view mirror with tape. i guess i know now.

If I hear a wind noise where you describe, I'll detail the car to the max and trade it in asap

After reading CC's post on the fix and lack of GM's concerns...... think I would take the car to a car auction sales yard (top down and electrical fuses pulled) and let it go for the highest bid (no reserve)... [write it off as a bad investment and forget it]

It will make a good air-bagged, tire jumping, low-rider piece for somebody to show-off until it ends up in 'south' of the U.S. border. What a nightmare indeed.......

 

[ccclarke]

thank you for all the information. you must be very knowledgeable. i want to ask your opinion on separating the skin from the used top i bought, and using super hi tech adhesive, bonding it on my perfectly working, and assembled top?

As I mentioned, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Hopefully, I didn't scare you when I said you had to remove the top (just not in it's entirety.) You only need to replace the top part you bought. That being said, the right way to perform the transplant it is to have the piece you just purchased painted to match and remove the defective part - using the outline of the procedure I posted.

I would NOT recommend separating the outer skin of the part you just purchased and re-bonding it to the original. There's a big difference between making something work and making something work right.

Bonding is a very specialized skill that goes way beyond a few clamps and applying a bead of from a squeeze tube of ACME super-nuclear-space-age adhesive. The adhesive needs to be matched to the materials being bonded, compatible the loads it will be subjected to (vibration, stress) and the temperatures encountered. Proper cleaning, prepping, and curing conditions are also required. There are no shortcuts.

Even the pros who put the car together make mistakes --see the other related posts of owners in a similar situation. If you attempt to do something like this to save time and/or money, you could end up in an even worse situation -like if the seam yielded, the skin flew off, and struck a vehicle behind you. In the dark, in the rain, on your birthday. The Fickle Finger of Fate is just that. You can do it right, or you can do it over, but in the end, it costs more to do it right the second time. in both time and money.

Replacing your new part is do-able and much cheaper (labor-wise) if you're handy with tools, and have the factory Service manual to guide you. You'll need an assistant to help support the old top during removal and the new one during the install.

And don't forget to replace the weather strip seals. They may have contributed to the problem in the first place. The windshield header and rear top seal are most deserving of replacement and the best time to do both is after the old top is removed from its support brackets. I know it isn't cheap, but peace of mind for a well-done job is priceless.

Just my .02,

CC

 

[luke]

thank you. the reason i even thought about that, is because the new top i'm installing still has the same bonding as the one that failed. i thought that maybe they have improved the bonding agent, and process since 2005. i also noticed yesterday while looking at the frame, the front middle didn't even have any bonding on it. i'm going to try to post a picture, to show you want i mean. that is the area i was hearing wind noise.

 

[luke]

thank you again for your responses.

 

[ccclarke]

Nice pics.

All parts are created equal . . . well, sort of. While both (top panel) parts may be from an '05, it doesn't mean the new(er) roof panel will suffer the same fate. Combined, the number of 2004 and 2005 model year XLRs outnumber the rest built up to 2009. While horrible, your problem isn't common, so I wouldn't really worry about a repeat performance - unless the bond joints are showing signs of splitting. I would definitely replace the windshield header weather strip at the bare minimum as a precaution.

The headliner ought to be easy to remove (easy access from the top!) but make sure you place a tarp across the entire interior for protection. If you do the job yourself, take lots of pictures and use a Sharpie marker to highlight alignment points - it can easily be removed with IPA. (The other kind is for drinking.) Don't place any undue strain on the hydraulic lines to the header latch and Folding Top when removing components. They can become brittle over time and any spilled oil will trash the interior.

CC

 

[luke]

thank you again. i appreciate all the information you have giving me, to help me get this fix done.

 

[Rule62]

One less thing to worry about regarding my XLR. It doesn't come out of my garage unless the top is down. No need to cruise with the top up.

Funny you should post this Al. I was almost 100% the same way until yesterday and today when circumstances forced me to drive my V. It's been just too hot for top down driving so after almost 2 years of ownership, I finally got to experience it with the top up. I'll be damned if it doesn't make a fine little coupe'! Who knew?! [emoji41]


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[Rule62]

Wouldn't this type of repair be covered under an the warranty I negotiated with Lexus when I purchased the car. Not to imply that I have this issue, but I'm just wondering out loud.


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[pure zen]

Wouldn't this type of repair be covered under an the warranty I negotiated with Lexus when I purchased the car.

Not to imply that I have this issue, but I'm just wondering out loud.


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Ruler,,,, If you have an extended warranty on your car,,,best read the agreement details in full. Don't know about your specific warranty, but many "exclude" appearance items being covered. It might be claimed that the top portion segment of the roof is an appearance item,,,since the rest of Luke's roof is still intact? > Luke still has a roof, just not all of it <
That may sound crazy to us reading this thread,,,but nothing would surprise me when it comes to warranty claim denials

Hoping you never have to contest a claim like this situation......

 

[luke]

if you start getting wind noise you will know what it is. i wish i read about this issue a week earlier.

 

[pure zen]

continuing saga of the missing roof panel,,,,,

Luke - " i wish i read about this issue a week earlier"

Meaning?

You wouldn't have bought the eBay roof panel and now knowing the expense involved in doing the job right,,,,,

OR

got rid of the car once you heard the wind noise above the inside rear view mirror.....as I posted previously?

We feel your pain,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Army Al]

Funny you should post this Al. I was almost 100% the same way until yesterday and today when circumstances forced me to drive my V. It's been just too hot for top down driving so after almost 2 years of ownership, I finally got to experience it with the top up. I'll be damned if it doesn't make a fine little coupe'! Who knew?! [emoji41]


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Perhaps 1 day, I'll have that shared experience. But I hope NOT.