As you can see by the photo attached, I have a tear on two separate rubber seals on my panoramic sunroof.  This has happened this summer from the general operation of the roof.  It appears that the sun has deteriorated the rubber material causing it to tear. So far, no water ingress but this winter will be the ultimate test.

 

 

I have a quote from Westover Skoda in Salisbury for the inner rubber seal which would be the one i could replace myself; £64.35 + VAT (see part No.17 on attached diagram). The outer seal is the one that goes all the way around the inner perimeter of the panoramic roof (see part No.8 on attached diagram) and Autowork (https://www.autoworkvwaudi.co.uk/about-autowork), who serviced my Octy today, reckon that the entire panoramic roof would have to be removed to replace this rubber seal - an expensive pursuit!

 

 

Has anyone got any experience, or know of a reputable company in the Wiltshire area that could partake this job? 

 

Any comments are appreciated.

I’m surprised to see this.  Do you open and close the roof every day / many times a day?

 

Even so, if everything was lubed and clean, I can’t see how this would happen. 

 

Almost looks as if someone or something (ravenous or malicious seagull) has been picking / pecking at the rubber.  Mine’s a 2014 car too and, touch wood, seals seem okay. 

Daft one, we had this on Mrs R’s last VRs, couldn’t work out what caused it until the crows where she worked were spotted eating the sunroof seals as the car was parked in the office car park.

Needless to say when we ordered a replacement car, it was minus the sunroof option. Apparently they also like windscreen wiper rubbers and no it’s not 1st April. 

4 hours ago, Mr Rubble said:

Daft one, we had this on Mrs R’s last VRs, couldn’t work out what caused it until the crows where she worked were spotted eating the sunroof seals as the car was parked in the office car park.

Needless to say when we ordered a replacement car, it was minus the sunroof option. Apparently they also like windscreen wiper rubbers and no it’s not 1st April. 

Aha, so perhaps my seagulls idea wasn’t too far off. 

 

@west_244 are you sure your sunroof isn’t being eaten?? (never thought I’d type that!!)

&dunc68 I think the tear in the rubbers are too close to the leading edge of the vertical moving parts when the roof is opened. For this reason I am hesitant to blame rouge birds. 

 

I’ve seen on other VAG forums that similar problems have occurred. 

 

No solutions have been suggested yet however. Local and national windscreen repairers don’t want to touch it. 

Good luck with it mate! 

*UPDATE* - Solution Achieved.

 

After a couple of trips to Westover Skoda in Salisbury, I took delivery of a very expensive bit of rubber (£117!!!). This allowed me to replace the inner damaged portion but after a conversation with one of the Skoda Techs, the outer rubber seal which is bonded to the roof skin, would require the panoramic sunroof to be removed putting the job around the £800 mark with around 5-6 hours from a Skoda specialist. The solution i devised was to fill the hole with black silicone and smooth it off with my finger and white spirit. The picture below shows the end product, not perfect but a lot more affordable.

Good work. A bathroom fitter who works with silicone all day might be able to achieve an even better finish if it ever needs redoing. 

 

Good innovative fix though. 

Edited 2 September, 20187 yr by dunc69

16 reg Octy. All my panoramic seals got replaced under warranty . I had slight ingress of water after heavy rain. I had pics. The drain pipes were not blocked but the seals were drying out. The water runs down drivers side a pillar to footwell. Not good for a car that was 1.5 yrs old. The new seals inner and outer touch more making  slight noise. 

 

Anyone recommend a lube? Is ptfe only lube that does not rot rubber I think I heard?

 

Dealer had car all day then next to water test. They said glass had to come out.

 

Last month the rear electric boot struts were leaking oil. Again replaced under warranty. 

Hi 

I have a Superb estate with a similar problem, the rubber seal to the rear fixed part of the glass roof is torn and a section missing. The car was less than a year old but Skoda refused to fix under the warranty as they said accidental damage, difficult to see how the seal could be torn as it is at the back beyond the sliding bracket for the opening section. The thought of bird damage did occur as a friend had magpies ripping his wipers to pieces! The seal that is damaged is number 12 on the diagram. Does anyone know if this just clips into place for the whole perimeter, the side section appears to but I am not sure about the front as it only just accessible when roof is open?

I noted that there was a question about lubricating the seals, I think that the ptfe liquid that I use for my wife's Eos would do the trick, quite expensive though about £40 (eBay) for a tiny bottle about 6 years ago!

5 and a bit year follow up.

 

The drain hoses were growing black mould in the plastic blocking the flow of water that got past the sunroof seal. This was the real problem. A straw cleaning pipe cleaner used from plenum chamber under windscreen glass upwards solved this. 

 

More recently...

After a bout of below freezing temperatures and ice the front middle of the sunroof has split. It is a hollow outer rubber seal. Not caused by opening, closing sunroof, just weathering. Looks like water has frozen and expanded or cold made seal brittle. 

Car is covered from UV in summer or garaged.

 

Given it is a £800 job in 2018 according to earlier poster I suspect this job will cost over £1k.

 

Never had an issue on older cars with sunroofs. Seems Skoda can't made sunroofs with reliable parts.

 

I've filled in the cut with RTV. Photo looks better than it was.  

 

 

Q if water gets in the seal void will it enter the cabin?

 

It's important that peeps (inc myself) use the approved VW lubricant for the sunroofs that keeps all the moving parts working well and should hopefully stop the seals from tearing. Maybe also use some rubber and vinyl cleaner to keep the rubber parts happy.

I used Shin Etsu, an expensive silicone based grease developed by Honda for their cabriolet seals. I think on the S2000.

 

I had silicone paste already but you have to be careful what you use. Too much hydrocarbons and it will rot the rubber. Dealer didn't suggest any particular brand or product.

 

Gummi pflege is another grease people use.

 

The sunroof/panoramic seal is thin and hollow and the material is prone to deteriorating. Similar to certain ford focus door seals that fail and are seen hanging trailing from the closed door. The 2 year old seal from new showed signs of ageing and was one reason it was replaced under warranty. Now the 5 year old seal has been damaged by ice. 

 

Other cars I've owned have reached 20 plus years with their original sunroof seal. 

 

 

 

Edited 20 January, 20242 yr by bmbmdmb