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A guide for owners · Sunroofs and convertible roofs, Sydney
Six kinds of business will look at a sunroof or convertible roof in Sydney: the dealer, a general mechanic, an auto electrician, a motor trimmer, an accessories installer and a roof specialist. Each is good at something. This page is about working out which one your roof needs, and what to ask before you book.
We wrote it because a fair share of the roofs we see have been somewhere else first. Nearly always the other shop was good at its own trade. The roof just wasn't its trade. The seven questions below apply to us as much as to anyone.
Start here
A roof is three things at once: fabric or glass, a machine, and a drainage system for rain. Different trades look after different parts of it, and most are honest about where their part ends.
A quick way to tell what any business is built around: read the list of services on its website or ad. If roof faults and car models fill the list, it's a roof workshop. If sunroofs are one item on a longer list, it's something else first. That isn't a criticism. It just tells you what they see most.
Ask before you book
Ask these on the phone. They take a minute. Our own answers sit next to each one so you can hold us to them.
Fault-finding is pattern recognition. A shop that sees a seized SLK guide or a blocked Tiguan drain every week finds it in minutes. A shop that sees one a year has to work it out from scratch, and that time goes on your bill.
All of it. Convertible mechanisms and hydraulics, sunroofs, panoramic modules, folding hardtops, sunshades. Same workshop on the Princes Highway for more than twenty years.
Roof faults are rarely where they show. Water on the seat can be a drain in the A-pillar. A silent roof can be a microswitch, not a motor. A price given before anyone has looked is a guess.
Yes, always. The car comes in, we test the roof with a scan tool that reads its control module, and leaks get a water test. We show you the worn part, or a photo of it, before anything is ordered. We don't quote from a phone call or a photo. We've been wrong that way before, and it isn't fair on you.
Most roof faults are one worn part in a system that's otherwise fine. Replacing the whole assembly fixes the fault and costs several times more. Sometimes replacement is the right answer: shattered panoramic glass, a rusted cassette. It should be a conclusion, not a starting point.
Repair first. Hydraulic cylinders are resealed and pressure-tested on our bench. Motors, switches, cables and guides are fixed or replaced one at a time, then the system is recalibrated. When replacement really is the better option, we say so and quote both ways so you can see the difference.
A pop-up sunroof, a panoramic module with two glass panels and a blind, and a convertible with hydraulic rams are three different machines. Knowing one doesn't mean knowing the others.
Mercedes SLK and SL vario roofs, BMW Z4 and 4 Series, Audi A5, Porsche Boxster and 911, VW Eos, Mazda MX-5, and the panoramic roofs on most European cars and SUVs. The full list by make. Ask about yours. If we don't know it well, we'll say so.
Modern roofs are run by a control module that logs faults and needs recalibrating after a repair. A good mechanical fix can still leave a roof that stops half-way if that step is skipped. Leaks need a proper water test.
Scan the module before and after. Cycle-test every mechanical repair. Pressure-test every rebuilt cylinder on the bench. Water-test every leak repair before you get the keys back.
A warranty in writing tells you the shop expects the repair to last. It also tells you exactly what's covered if it doesn't.
Parts and labour on every job, written on your invoice. The term depends on the job and the parts fitted, and we tell you what it is before you say yes.
A review about a great stereo install tells you the shop fits stereos well. It doesn't tell you much about a leaking panoramic roof. Reviews that name the car and the fault are the useful ones.
Our reviews page lists the car and the fault under every quote, and links to all of them on Google. Three of the most useful are just below.
When two quotes land close together, pick the workshop that showed you the fault. That's what you're paying for.
Straight answer
Some jobs aren't ours. We'd rather say so on the first call than waste your morning.
A sunroof for a car that never had one. That's an installer's job. We repair roofs; we don't fit aftermarket units.
Torn or faded fabric, or a rear screen that's let go of the canvas. That's a motor trimmer. We fix the mechanism underneath and can suggest a trimmer for the material.
A new car under manufacturer warranty. Go to the dealer and have the fault logged. If a large assembly quote turns up later, once the warranty is over, we're happy to give a second opinion.
A chipped windscreen or cracked rear glass. A glass specialist.
Saying no to the wrong job is part of doing the right ones properly.
Question 7, answered
Reproduced from public Google reviews, unedited apart from length. More on the reviews page.
★★★★★"Have a Golf Cabriolet and the roof wouldn't close completely and worked intermittently. Two other service centres couldn't fix it and then I took it to Michael and he sorted it out. Reasonably priced and with a friendly service."
★★★★★"My Audi Q5 sunroof got closed and stuck in a tilted position. It being an old car, I didn't want to get the whole unit replaced which would have costed thousands. I tried at least 2 mechanics before, both highly rated."
★★★★★"Was recommended to take my CLK320 to him to fix a faulty roof. Was quoted almost $2000 more by Mercedes to fix the same fault. Very happy with the price and workmanship. Would highly recommend for anyone with convertible issues."
Straight answers
If yours isn't here, call. You'll get the same straight answer.
Ask us directly Submit an enquiryMore reviews mean more happy customers, which is always a good sign. For your decision, the useful reviews are the ones about your kind of fault. Read for the car and the problem, not just the total.
Because we can't see the fault from a phone call, and a wrong number costs you either way: too high and you walk away from a cheap fix, too low and it grows once the roof is open. We diagnose first, give you a written quote, and you decide before anything is touched.
If the car is under manufacturer warranty, yes, and have the fault logged. Out of warranty, dealers usually fit complete assemblies rather than rebuild parts, so a second opinion before you accept a large quote is worth the trip. Some dealerships send their roof work to us.
Start with the installer, especially under their warranty. If they no longer support the unit, or the leak is in the car's drains rather than the unit itself, tell us the brand and age when you enquire and we'll say straight away whether we can help.
Look at their website: is your kind of roof, or your model, on it? Read two or three reviews that mention a fault like yours. Then ring and ask the seven questions above. Five minutes is enough.
Visit the workshop
