Hi folks,

I'm looking at an '09 c4s on ebay and went to see the car in person and the sunroof won't close properly... opens fine, then when you hold the button to close it half way it gets stuck and opens again... almost like the anti-pinch is sensing something... I looked and the drivers side sunroof track has metal shavings all the way up and down the track. Its at a non porsche dealer and they tell me its no big deal. Porsche tells me its $1,100 worth of parts plus $1k in labor at MINIMUM...

I like the car however am a bit freaked... Anyone run into this??? Costs?

Thanks!!!

 

The dealer sounds about right. I had a BMW 325xi that this happened to - the track got bent and the entire frame of it needed to be removed/replaced. Cost $1,800 on a BMW and that was 6 years ago.

 

Check here for an idea of parts costs: http://www.jimellisporscheparts.com/...String=sunroof

Best case you just need an adjustment, four screws loosened (#4 in the image), the top panel adjusted (#1 in the image), and the screws tightened. It's a DIY job with no parts costs.

Worst case the frame needs replacement (#28, $1200). Sunset Imports in WA is often a lot lower than these prices, maybe 20% lower or so. Do a Google search for their website. You will need to email or call them for pricing though, they don't list it online.

Or look here in the marketplace for a used frame. People doing track car conversions will often remove the sunroof mechanisms and weld the cover in place.

.

 

Can't help with a fix, but I will offer a suggestion.... Have the seller repair the car with documentation of what, who,how much, etc. THEN, continue with your due diligence, negotiation, and decision making.

IMO, the Sunroof issue could be symptomatic of a much bigger issue such as body damage/repair that was not done properly. Plenty of caution would be prudent.

 

Get a PPI at minimum. Two weeks ago I was one step from signing on the dotted line at a high end dealership for a 2009 C4S they had taken in on trade. The car looked excellent with no signs of trouble and even drove great. The PPI found a leaking front differential, a leaking AC line, and a bulge on the inside tire wall. I offered to buy the car if the problems where corrected.

The High end dealership's shop could not located ANY of the problems found in the PPI (including a tire bulge!). They offered the car "as-is" and suggested I buy an after market warranty, wait thirty days until it took effect, and claim a new front differential and AC line on the warranty. I walked. The car is still for sale, unrepaired, with known undisclosed issues.

 

maybe, where is this, a little heads up for others...?

 

Any dealership with that level of deceit as they are truing to sell a car will be a huge nightmare after you own the car and experience problem. Run from them.

 

If your comment is in response to mine...

I recommend a PPI to everyone considering the purchase of an expensive used car. The PPI wasn't cheap but, I consider it money well spent. I would like to thank Sonnen Porsche in San Francisco for doing the PPI and discovering the problems in the 2009 C4S I was considering from another non-Porsche dealership.

 

Why are you 'freaked'? You have not purchased the car.

As others have mentioned, it needs to be fixed BEFORE you buy the car, or a huge adjustment needs to be made in price for you to fix it.

The bigger concern is 'why' is it the way it is.
Was there a bigger impact that flexed the body causing this misalignment?
Was the prior owner just that negligent with maintaining the car?

Either point to mother/more issues coming to the fore over time and reason for concern.