![\"replacing-sunroofs\"](\"https:\/\/glass-production.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/blog_images\/30e20322e987451f8cc4df30025cdc5c.jpg?v=63657256487\" "\\"Light")
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Sunroofs<\/h2>\n
According to George Weller, operations manager for City Auto Glass<\/a> in South St. Paul, Minn., the good news is that factory-installed OEM sunroofs are relatively simple to replace. He says these generally are a \u201cplug-and-play\u201d affair for the glass technicians. It typically just involves bolting the unit into the roof of the vehicle. Clean-up, he says, might be a bit difficult, simply because when the glass breaks, it can shower<\/a> the interior with glass. Safety is always top priority, so if your sunroof<\/a> has broken, be sure to clean the interior thoroughly to avoid injury from\u00a0broken glass. On the other hand, aftermarket sunroofs can pose more challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of style changes, and models [that] are discontinued,\u201d Weller says. \u201cSome are here today and gone tomorrow. Many times I\u2019ve had to break the news to a customer that parts are no longer available. It leaves them only one option\u2014find a specialty shop and hope that the opening can be cut to accommodate a similarly cut model.\u201d<\/p>\n Another safety consideration is removal of all the glass particles from the tracking area, as these can cause severe damage to the sunroof. As a precaution, experts advise leaving the sunroof in the closed position until you bring the vehicle into the shop. Jeff Reddell, owner of PACE Glass in Texarkana, Texas, says many sunroof replacements are due to a recall, such as the case of a\u00a0blown out sunroof. \u201cFor the rest of these customers, we are mostly dealing with leaks and doing new seals, etc. Sometimes the drain holes get clogged up or the seals are old, so you do have to do some trouble-shooting. Occasionally, we\u2019ll do a full replacement,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n There are also cases where slider sunroofs need to be replaced. These, too, can be challenging. Jeff Olive, training manager with GlassPro in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., explains that in some cases the framework is attached to the slider, which is bonded to the body. \u201cIt makes it difficult to cut the urethane loose. Some are power units and require the removal of the backseats. You need additional time if you are removing the backseats \u2026 it can take 2.5 hours to complete.\u201d<\/p>\n Have you suffered a\u00a0shattered sunroof<\/a>?\u00a0If you have, you\u2019re not alone. Beginning a few years ago, reports of spontaneously shattering sunroofs started\u00a0appearing in the news,<\/a>\u00a0and industry experts began to take a closer look at the problem.<\/p>\n Bob Beranek, CEO of Automotive Glass Consultants Inc., says the breaks could be linked to sunroof redesigns or greater pressure inside the vehicle. He also says some carmakers believe they are impact breaks \u2013 and that can have insurance implications.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the higher-end cars are covering it under warranty if the customer says, \u2018I wasn\u2019t even in the car, I wasn\u2019t even driving it,’\u201d Beranek says. \u201cThose that say, \u2018I was driving down the road and there was no reason for the sunroof to blow out and it just did\u2019 well then the manufacturers are going to say it is impact related. Until injuries occur vehicle manufacturers still have the option to charge the customer for the replacement. If they can pass off the cost to the customers, they\u2019re going to.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Beranek says it\u2019s nearly impossible to get an impact break on top of a car.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rock would have to bounce straight up and come straight down with such a rate of speed that it would cause tempered glass to break,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s very difficult to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Beranek gives clues for diagnosing possible causes.<\/p>\n If the breakage pattern points to the edge, then a faulty mechanism might be the cause, Beranek says. If the breakage is in a specific spot, then it\u2019s probably impact damage. If it implodes without a discernible pattern, the culprit could be pressure.<\/p>\nSliders<\/h2>\n
Shattering Sunroofs?<\/h1>\n
![\"Sunroof](\"https:\/\/info.glass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/sunroof_format2.jpg\" "\\"Sunroof")
<\/p>\nThe Root Causes<\/h2>\n
Determining Why it Happened<\/h2>\n