Sunroof window exploded at -18C... see pictures
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Sunroof window exploded at -18C... see pictures
Ok on this cold morning of December 24th i got a nice little surprise this morning. My wife was going to do grocery with one of the kid when she came back in the house to say that there was ice in the car. Good thing we removed my daughter from the backseat because after we closed one of the back door, the roof shattered.
It was -19C this morning. I took the car to go to the office yesterday and it was around -9C - had no issue at all and obviously didn't open the sunroof. I have a single garage so we usually put my wife's Odyssey in there so it is warmer for the kids. My Q5 is always outside.
I was schedule for a 8000Km services the first week of January and they were going also to look at my sunroof because i was getting major rattles as soon as it was below 0C. Well guess i was write when i was saying something was wrong with my sunroof.
I have good faith that my dealer (Audi Lauzon) will make this right but i am pretty pissed that this happens on Christmas' Eve. I am also happy the kids were not in the car when the window pieces shattered.
This being said, this will not prevent me from enjoying the holidays with the family - in the end, this is just a car
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year.
Here is a quick video: http://youtu.be/0u0Ts5Mr8fo
And some pictures...
It was -19C this morning. I took the car to go to the office yesterday and it was around -9C - had no issue at all and obviously didn't open the sunroof. I have a single garage so we usually put my wife's Odyssey in there so it is warmer for the kids. My Q5 is always outside.
I was schedule for a 8000Km services the first week of January and they were going also to look at my sunroof because i was getting major rattles as soon as it was below 0C. Well guess i was write when i was saying something was wrong with my sunroof.
I have good faith that my dealer (Audi Lauzon) will make this right but i am pretty pissed that this happens on Christmas' Eve. I am also happy the kids were not in the car when the window pieces shattered.
This being said, this will not prevent me from enjoying the holidays with the family - in the end, this is just a car
Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year.
Here is a quick video: http://youtu.be/0u0Ts5Mr8fo
And some pictures...
#2
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That's totally crazy that the roof shattered on you. Glad to hear your family was unharmed. Definitely post and let us know if they find the cause of this when you bring it in. Happy Holidays.
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Sorry to hear about this and glad no one was inside when it happened. Guessing the root cause may be related to the rattles you were talking about, do let us know what the final verdict is. It's great you're taking this all in stride, but wondering about the what-if's...
#4
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Come on now -
You know you got mad at the wife when you saw all the gifts she bought and punched the sunroof !!!
At first wondered if something fell on it...
but that sure looks like it broke from the inside out as if it was under compression...
maybe water got along the sides and froze, expanding enough to push the glass in ?!?
but wait... is that a baseball bat on the floor board ?
How old is your boy ?
You know you got mad at the wife when you saw all the gifts she bought and punched the sunroof !!!
At first wondered if something fell on it...
but that sure looks like it broke from the inside out as if it was under compression...
maybe water got along the sides and froze, expanding enough to push the glass in ?!?
but wait... is that a baseball bat on the floor board ?
How old is your boy ?
Last edited by JohnBoyToo; 12-24-2011 at 06:32 AM.
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Funny thing however is that i thought the rattle was coming from the rear part of the panorama roof, not the front. The way the window broke, it is like if the pressure was on both sides, not from the back to the front.
Anyway, cleaned everything now with a shopvac and a cardboard box to remove the glass. Was a bit of a mess, a bit concerned that small pieces of glass may damage the leather eventually but i've removed everything i could.
Now just hoping the dealer is open between Christmas and New Year. Probably not...
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#8
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Weird...and holy smokes am I glad that it happened without your family in there. Scary.
The weird part is that...as far as I understand it... water doesn't expand more as it gets colder after freezing. In fact, it shrinks. I assume that this could have happened just as easily at -9 as -19 unless there was a feeze/partial-thaw buildup going on. I guess it could with periodic interior warmup and keeping it outside. If there are creaks then there is space for water.
The weird part is that...as far as I understand it... water doesn't expand more as it gets colder after freezing. In fact, it shrinks. I assume that this could have happened just as easily at -9 as -19 unless there was a feeze/partial-thaw buildup going on. I guess it could with periodic interior warmup and keeping it outside. If there are creaks then there is space for water.
#9
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It's a rare occurrence. I have heard of it happening and many times blamed on a tinter that scratched the glass while cutting the tint. Your glass didn't appear tinted so that won't be a concern. I hope you get it fixed soon...and Merry Christmas!!!!
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Something tells me that this isn't the end of the story. If the dealer replaces that sunroof under warranty I'll be very surprised.
-19c is -2F, I have to believe that Audi tested the entire car at temps lower than that, and if the roof in your car is imploding at that temp, Audi has a huge problem on its hands unless they can explain why it's a one off problem.
Were there any signs that something fell on the roof or someone hit it from the inside by accident? (not trying to be a jerk, but that's an awfully odd occurrence).
Good luck with the repair.
-19c is -2F, I have to believe that Audi tested the entire car at temps lower than that, and if the roof in your car is imploding at that temp, Audi has a huge problem on its hands unless they can explain why it's a one off problem.
Were there any signs that something fell on the roof or someone hit it from the inside by accident? (not trying to be a jerk, but that's an awfully odd occurrence).
Good luck with the repair.