Roof panel separating on an '04

[KevinJ62]

The dreaded roof separation has begun on my 2005 XLR! Just a 6" area in the center of the front edge, but there won't be any highway driving with the top up any time soon. Can't find any good reattachment videos on Youtube. Has anyone done this repair at home, or was it all done through the dealership.

 

[jekincer]

2004 Burgundy Cadillac XLR 47,800 miles..... Recently purchased and on Day 1 of ownership, Day 1`, the roof top flys off after criving past a loaded semi going about 75. I was going 60-65 at the time. Either way, I had been experiencing some wind noise but thought it was the seal of convertible hard top. Texas DPS trooper assisted me in putting top back in trunk after I found it. In all fairness, Car has been in Texas heat for almost 20 years. the adhesive ( panel bondin adhesive ) I believe was very brittle at best. Amaxing that it didn't fly off sooner. The gentleman that I purchased the car from rarely drove over 45 mph. I have contacted socialmedia@gm.com and reached out to my local dealer. I have been a Chevy customer for years and am hoping that they will resolve the solution and make everything better. I will be contacting Cadillac HQ also to either praise or inform of underperformance. The situation was very scary as it felt as if the whole top was affected. I am also now experiencing slight issues with the top not opening and closing properly. any advice ?

 

[Bill S.]

Hey

Most likely ,in order for the repair to be done correctly, the entire roof skin will need to come off and then reattached with the proper approved adhesive from GM (the dealer) . Remember, the cheap, she comes out expensive. If you don't have time to do it right the first time how will you find time to do it again?

Bill

 

[mickeytee]

You can buy a later 06-09 roof panel daily cheap and is a best bet on having it done properly. Good luck getting anything from gm. Most likely not going to happen as they already got a decision in their favor that no recall is needed. Funny thing, a few have made insurance claims and got it paid for but its not a covered loss. Unless you lie and say something hit it. Its called inherent vice. Which is excluded. It means it was an improper design and like everything subject to failure at some point.

 

[KevinJ62]

Well. Contacted GM as recommended by some members here, and got a response within 24 hours. Not sure what's going to come of it, but I was surprised that they even bothered to respond to the top 'jettison' feature on my '05.

Worst case scenario is I just have to pony up the money to get it fixed by a local shop [VERY good body shop!], but my fingers are crossed that GM will cover the cost to reattach the top with some better adhesive than what was used back in '04/'05. Not holding my breath! LOL!

I'll post the ultimate outcome for future 'victims'.

RE: [EXTERNAL] '05 Cadillac XLR Roof separation.​

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GMCACUpdate@gm.com​	Wed, Aug 9, 10:21 AM (23 hours ago)
to me

Hello Kevin,

Thank you for reaching out and bringing this to our attention. We certainly regret to hear of the concern you are having with the roof of your XLR and would like to assist in getting you in contact with a certified dealership to receive a diagnosis. Should this be of interest to you, please send us home address, VIN, current mileage, and the name of your preferred Cadillac dealership. If you do not have a preferred dealership and would like us to locate options near you, just let us know.

To learn more about GM’s Privacy Policy, please visit Privacy Statement | General Motors. The information you provide may be monitored and recorded and is subject to the GM Privacy Statement.

Best,

Erin M.
GM Customer Care
9-10443968643

 

[mickeytee]

The adhesive they used was not the problem. They used a primer on the part that did not adhere. The same bonding material is still being used as was used in the late 90's going all the way back to Saturn roof panels. still cheaper and better to buy a later roof panel. And swap out. L interesting that GM is fully aware of the issue and why they would waste your time going to a dealer to "diagnos" the problem.

 

[mickeytee]

So fill us in on what the dealer said?

 

[jekincer]

My ‘04 top flew off at 70 MPH. It was amazing that it didn’t hurt anyone or cause any damage. More amazingly the top is in almost perfect condition sans a few superficial scratches that will buff right out. Cadillac customer care wasn’t helping but did suggest taking it in for the diagnosis. I blew that off and had my experienced guy remove all old adhesive and apply new panel bond adhesive. I think it was 8115. Anyways, it’s on and seems to be ok. My issue now is that the top is giving me issues going up and down. We put some hydraulic oil in the reservoir in the trunk and it worked a bit, but it’s moving too slowly. Is there any chance that the top flying off could have an effect on the way the top Is currently working ???? Curious. Asides from this issue, I love the car. ‘04 XLR Burgundy with 48,000 miles.

 

[mickeytee]

The top panel should not have anything to do with the speed of the top operation. I would suck out the fluid clean the desk lid and the strainer. Do not use carb cleaner just use a tiny tooth brush . refill with new fluid. Open and close the shut off valve a couple times. How does the trunk operate when just opening the trunk? The 3m panel bond is not the recommended product but should work. Its not the bonding agent as you most likely found it was left in tact on either the roof panel or the metal structure. Proper preparation of the two bonding surfaces is the needed step.

 

[rlkelch]

My ‘04 top flew off at 70 MPH. It was amazing that it didn’t hurt anyone or cause any damage. More amazingly the top is in almost perfect condition sans a few superficial scratches that will buff right out. Cadillac customer care wasn’t helping but did suggest taking it in for the diagnosis. I blew that off and had my experienced guy remove all old adhesive and apply new panel bond adhesive. I think it was 8115. Anyways, it’s on and seems to be ok. My issue now is that the top is giving me issues going up and down. We put some hydraulic oil in the reservoir in the trunk and it worked a bit, but it’s moving too slowly. Is there any chance that the top flying off could have an effect on the way the top Is currently working ???? Curious. Asides from this issue, I love the car. ‘04 XLR Burgundy with 48,000 miles.

XLR roof top systems use a specific type of hydraulic fluid. If the hydraulic oil you added is not AC Delco 10-5056 it may affect the performance of your roof top system. I think Mercedes also uses a similar type of hydraulic fluid in their roof top systems.