Open Mon–Fri 9:30–5:30 · Open Saturdays 10–3 54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe, Sydney NSW · minutes from Sydney Airport Call 0418 200 289
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The 12-point Roof Service · Arncliffe, Sydney

Convertible roof and sunroof
servicing, Sydney

Your car gets serviced every year. Its roof does not. A convertible top or a sunroof is the one system on the car that lives outside, full of drains, seals, pivots and, on many cars, hydraulic fluid, and almost every big roof bill we see started as something small that nobody was looking at: a blocked drain, a seal lifting at one corner, a cylinder weeping a drop a week. The Roof Service is a yearly check and clean, built for roofs over five years old, cars new to their owner, and anyone who would rather spend an afternoon than a month without their car. Three to four hours, a written report with photos, nothing repaired without your go-ahead.

20+ yrs in automotive repair 1000+ roofs serviced 4.9★ Google rating
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54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe NSW 2205 · minutes from Sydney AirportGet directions →

20+years in automotive repair
1000+roofs diagnosed & serviced
4.9★Google rating
  • Factory-trained technicians
  • OEM & premium aftermarket parts
  • Latest diagnostic equipment
  • Parts & labour warranty

What the service catches

Three small things
that become big bills

Roofs rarely fail all at once. They fail along three paths, each of which is cheap to interrupt early and expensive to ignore. The Roof Service walks all three.

Pattern 01

Blocked drains: the leak that is not a leak

sunroofs · panoramic roofs · folding hardtops · soft-top wells

How it shows up

A damp carpet, a wet seat belt, a musty smell after rain, or on some cars a dead module under the floor. Nothing wrong with the roof itself. Every sunroof and every convertible has drains that carry water away from the roof tray or the soft-top well, and leaf litter, jacaranda blossom and Sydney dust block them a little more each season.

Why it gets misread

Owners reseal glass and replace seals that were never the problem. By the time water shows inside the car it has usually been pooling in the tray or the well for months, and on cars that park under trees the drains can block in a single autumn. A blocked drain found at a service is a ten-minute job; found as a wet floor it can be a headliner, a carpet and an electrical fault.

What we do

All drains cleared and flow-tested, front and rear, the trays and wells cleaned out, and the car water-tested afterwards to prove the water goes where it should. What we see in your drains tells you how often your car needs this done. The full story is on the leak repair page.

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Pattern 02

Dry seals, dry pivots: the slow stiffening

soft tops · hardtops · sunroof panels

How it shows up

Wind noise that was not there last summer. A roof that takes longer to close, or needs a second press to latch. A sunroof panel that hesitates, or a sunshade that sticks halfway. A faint groan from a hinge when the roof folds.

Why it gets misread

Each of these gets lived with until the day the motor strains against a dry guide and a cable snaps, or a latch that closed but did not seat lets water in over the header. Seals that are never treated shrink and crack; pivots that are never lubricated wear and the roof stops sitting square. It is the mechanical equivalent of never changing the oil.

What we do

Seals cleaned, checked and treated so they stay supple; pivots, hinges, guides and cables cleaned and lubricated with the right product for the roof; latches and window index checked against the seals. Where a seal or a guide has already failed you get that in the report with a price, not a surprise.

Call about a stiff or noisy roof Submit an enquiry Submit an enquiry
Pattern 03

Hydraulic weeping: the drop a week that becomes a boot full

SL · SLK · Z4 · Boxster · E46 · Cascada · older soft tops

How it shows up

On a hydraulic roof the first sign is nothing you would notice: a faint oily film on a cylinder, a reservoir a few millimetres lower than last year, a roof fractionally slower on one side. Months later it is fluid in the boot carpet and a roof that stalls halfway.

Why it gets misread

Topping up the reservoir hides the symptom and feeds more fluid into the trim. A roof allowed to run low lets the pump cavitate and the remaining seals work harder. Caught early, a weeping cylinder is one rebuild; caught late it is a set, a pump, and a wet boot.

What we do

Fluid level and condition checked, every cylinder, hose and the pump inspected for weeping with the roof at the points of travel where seals show, pressure behaviour watched on a full cycle. You get told which cylinders are dry, which are watching, and which are due, with photos.

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The 12 points

What the Roof Service
covers, in order

The same list every time, adapted to whether the car has a soft top, a folding hardtop, a sunroof or a panoramic roof. You get a copy with the report.

1 to 2 · Drains
Every drain located, cleared and flow-tested, front and rear; roof trays and soft-top wells cleaned out.
3 to 4 · Seals
Header, side, rear and glass seals cleaned, inspected for shrinkage and lifting, and treated. Window index checked against the seals.
5 to 6 · Mechanism
Pivots, hinges, guides, cables and latches cleaned and lubricated; soft-top bows, tension and fabric seams inspected (inspection only; we do not do fabric or trimming work).
7 to 8 · Hydraulics
On hydraulic roofs: fluid level and condition, every cylinder, hose and the pump checked for weeping, pressure behaviour watched through a full cycle.
9 to 10 · Electrics
Roof cycled with the control module live on the scan tool, fault memory read, switches, sensors, motors and sunshade travel checked; re-learn run where the car needs one.
11 to 12 · Proof and plan
Controlled water test with the cabin and boot checked dry afterwards; written report with photos, split into fine, watching and due now, and a next-service date.

Convertibles, sunroofs and panoramic roofs on most makes. Not sure if yours qualifies? text us the make and model or call 0418 200 289.

How a visit works

Four steps. No surprises.

  1. 1

    Book a morning

    Call 0418 200 289 or use the form. Three to four hours; Saturdays are available. Tell us the car and anything the roof already does that you would like us to look at.

  2. 2

    The 12 points, in order

    Drains, seals, mechanism, hydraulics and electrics, exactly as listed above, with photos taken as we go. The service is one fixed price, confirmed when you book, whatever we find.

  3. 3

    The report, before anything else is done

    Fine, watching, due now, with photos and a price for anything in the last column. Nothing beyond the service is done without your go-ahead, and nothing on the report is a surprise on the invoice. Every repair we do also leaves with a next-check date, so a roof we have fixed stays fixed.

  4. 4

    Water test, then a date

    The car is water-tested and checked dry before handover. The report carries a next-service date, usually twelve months or before next summer, and we will remind you when it comes around.

Straight answers

Roof service questions,
answered straight

If yours isn't here, call. You'll get the same straight answer.

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How often should a convertible roof or sunroof be serviced?

Most manufacturers say nothing, which is how roofs end up with twenty years of leaf litter in the drains. Our view after a thousand roofs: once a year, ideally before summer, and twice a year if the car lives under trees. A car that is new to you should have one in its first month regardless of age, because you do not yet know what the last owner ignored.

How long does the Roof Service take, and what does it include?

Three to four hours, and the twelve points listed above. The service is one fixed price, confirmed when you book, whatever we find; anything the report marks as due now is quoted separately and done only with your go-ahead.

My car is still under warranty. Is it worth it?

The service is a check, a clean and a lubricate; it does not alter the car. Dealer servicing rarely includes clearing roof drains or water-testing the roof, and blocked drains are the one roof fault that warranty rarely covers once the water has done its damage. If the service turns up a fault that is a warranty matter, the report says so and you take it to the dealer with photos in hand.

Do you repair fabric, canvas or headlinings?

No. We service and repair the mechanism, hydraulics, electrics, drains, seals and glass. If the fabric or a rear window seam needs a trimmer, the report says so and we will tell you who we would use. The buyer's guide explains who does what on a roof.

Can you do it while I wait?

Yes, on a Saturday or a weekday morning if you book ahead. Three to four hours; Arncliffe is a few minutes from Sydney Airport and the Princes Highway shops. If the report turns up work that needs parts, that is booked as a second visit.

What owners say

From the 4.9★ Google reviews

★★★★★

"Michael is the best. My Benz had a seized panoramic sunroof and the motor for the roof died. He had it fixed and working perfectly in three hours. And was by far the most reasonably priced."

Mercedes-Benz · Seized panoramic sunroof & motor
★★★★★

"It was an absolute pleasure dealing with Michael. With 29 years of experience, he really knows his craft. He was honest, friendly, and did a perfect job fixing the convertible top on my Mercedes. Definitely worth the 1-hour drive to get there. Highly recommended!"

Mercedes-Benz · Convertible top
★★★★★

"Michael is an amazing craftsman. For what would have taken us to get an entire large part from BMW and coordinate roof repair with expensive repair service, Michael created a small part for our car and fixed it then and there. He charges reasonably. I highly recommend his service and will happily be a repeat customer."

BMW · Roof repair

Visit the workshop

Bring it in, or start
with a text

Address
54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe, Sydney NSW 2205, minutes from Sydney Airport
Hours
Mon–Fri 9:30am–5:30pm · Sat 10am–3pm · Sun closed

Start an enquiry

A few details so we can tell you whether it's a job for us and how we'd approach it. By appointment; for most faults, we diagnose before quoting. For urgent enquiries or if we missed you — call 0418 200 289.

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