Solar Sunroof

[Ink]

First of all, hi all, I registered here almost a good year ago, but never felt the need to post anything except a photo of the MEOWDI in the thread with the user rides. There's just so much great info scattered all over these forums that it answered most of the questions that I had without me even needing to post anything.

Now, I do have a question for you all. The solar sunroof. What can you tell me about it?

I have a 1998 A6 2.8 and am absolutely in love with the solar sunroof option. Even in scorching heat it keeps the interior nice and cool, however here's where my questions come in. From what I understand, the solar sunroof first appeared as an option on the 1999 A8. It came as a hot/warm weather package and that included the manual shades on the rear windows (not sure about the large automatic shade on the rear window). However this A6 has also a winter package (heated seats) - and I've never seen any cars of this generation come with both a cold and hot weather packages. Heres where it gets even more weird, while I have the solar sunroof, I don't have the rear window/door shades. Basically it's contradicting the existence of the said hot weather package.

On top of all of that another question for you all. I looked at, by now probably thousands of C5 A6s on this, and other forums, on eBay, CL, dealerships etc. Of all those I saw less than a handful of other A6s with the solar sunroof option - all of them being of 2002-2004. With it being such a feature that I literally can't live without these days, why do so few people have it? How expensive and rare of an upgrade was this? Also does this mean that the sunroof on this one got retrofitted at some point? Finally for those of you who have the solar sunroofs on your C5s, how much does it open for you? Does it open all the way like a regular sunroof, or only 2/3rds of the way like mine. When mine opens, at that one point it comes to a sudden and complete halt almost as if something is blocking it from going further.

[Audi4.2]

I have a solar sunroof in my 2000 4.2, i have the rear shades and heated seats/steering wheel. The sunroof tilts and opens all the way, it disappeares completely when opened all the way. Its a pretty cool feature! The only thing that kinda sucks is that its not look through. other than that its just like any other sunroof that opens/tilts but also cools your car.

[williamr91]

Good question, I am buying an allroad it has heated seats (thus cold weather package) and sun shades for all the rear windows and lift gate, so the sunroof should be solor correct?

[Ink]

I have a solar sunroof in my 2000 4.2, i have the rear shades and heated seats/steering wheel. The sunroof tilts and opens all the way, it disappeares completely when opened all the way. Its a pretty cool feature! The only thing that kinda sucks is that its not look through. other than that its just like any other sunroof that opens/tilts but also cools your car.

Yum at the heated steering wheel! The A6 was in the shop a little bit ago and we were borrowing a 528i from a friend. Fell in love with the headed steering wheel. Shame the rest of the car is so mediocre at best. Also, a random question I had. Few days back I saw a C5 4.2 on the road. Had the regular 4.2 wheels, but they seemed to be quite a bit wider placed than on 2.7/2.8/3.0 variants - the wheels were almost flush with the fenders. Is that how all 4.2s are by default, or did the owner have spacers installed?

But back to the sunroof. Hmm, so then I guess something is blocking mine from opening all the way? Other than completely tearing up my ceiling, do you think there's anything I can do?

Good question, I am buying an allroad it has heated seats (thus cold weather package) and sun shades for all the rear windows and lift gate, so the sunroof should be solor correct?

Yeah, basically what I was wondering about. What features are supposed to go in what package seem a bit inconsistent :p

[Audi4.2]

Yum at the heated steering wheel! The A6 was in the shop a little bit ago and we were borrowing a 528i from a friend. Fell in love with the headed steering wheel. Shame the rest of the car is so mediocre at best. Also, a random question I had. Few days back I saw a C5 4.2 on the road. Had the regular 4.2 wheels, but they seemed to be quite a bit wider placed than on 2.7/2.8/3.0 variants - the wheels were almost flush with the fenders. Is that how all 4.2s are by default, or did the owner have spacers installed?

But back to the sunroof. Hmm, so then I guess something is blocking mine from opening all the way? Other than completely tearing up my ceiling, do you think there's anything I can do?



Yeah, basically what I was wondering about. What features are supposed to go in what package seem a bit inconsistent :p

maybe debree in the tracks or dirt or something? My 4.2 wheels are not flush, and i run 255s on them. There is about a 10mm gap so the guy you saw had probably 10mm spacers. I think the solar sunroof was an extra option.

[MNR4.2]

Hmmm, I wish mine had a solar sunroof. Is it possible to put one in? Anybody know what else might have to be swapped to get it to work as well? As far as the cooling goes.

[williamr91]

[QUOTE=Ink;6656558]Yum at the heated steering wheel! The A6 was in the shop a little bit ago and we were borrowing a 528i from a friend. Fell in love with the headed steering wheel. Shame the rest of the car is so mediocre at best. Also, a random question I had. Few days back I saw a C5 4.2 on the road. Had the regular 4.2 wheels, but they seemed to be quite a bit wider placed than on 2.7/2.8/3.0 variants - the wheels were almost flush with the fenders. Is that how all 4.2s are by default, or did the owner have spacers installed?


Yeah I'd say he had spacers, there is a super nice 4.2 in downtown South Lyon, I've never talked to the owner but think I might just show up one day and hope he's not crazy hahaha. His car for sure has spacers and is lowered with the S-line package and some nice 18' fat 5's....if you are on here look/hear a b5 S4 downtown and go outside to wave!!! haha.

[Auda]

My question is. How do i activate it? Never tried because i dont't know.

[Ink]

Hmmm, I wish mine had a solar sunroof. Is it possible to put one in? Anybody know what else might have to be swapped to get it to work as well? As far as the cooling goes.

It's technically possible, just not the easiest thing in the world. You can get them for like 2-300 USD on eBay, but as you may imagine for any sunroof work you basically just need to tear up your whole ceiling - AND unlike with an Avant where you can tear it off and pull it outta the back, in the sedan you're frankly pretty screwed unless your windshields are gone and you can pull the ceiling out though either the front or back as far as I know. So can you do it, yeah, but it's not exactly an easy DIY :D

My question is. How do i activate it? Never tried because i dont't know.

There isn't a way to activate/control it - it's just on all the time whenever your car is turned off and it isn't dark outside - it then just keeps on sucking in air at low speed and releasing it via all the open vents in the cabin. If you want to see wether it works or not, just turn off your car and pull out the key. After about 5 seconds you should feel a light breeze coming out of the vents.

[Scotty@Advanced]

Retrofit--

It's possible to retro the sunroof, but you have to remove the dash, to run wiring and change the climate control head.

As for cars that came with the solar roof, most of them were the V8 cars. I've got a 2001 Audi A6 4.2 with hot weather package but didn't have the solar roof, and very few V6 cars had the solar option. It's also possible that your 2.8 had the solar roof installed early on in it's life. I've never heard of a 2.8 car with a solar roof and one heard of one 2.7 with a solar roof, but that doesn't mean they were not installed from the factory.

[Ink]

Do you by any chance happen to know what was the original price on such an option? Seems like no-one has their original window stickers any more :p

[redneck truck]

I've got a 2001 4.2 and have all the options mentioned except for the solar sunroof ...and I have the window sticker.

[Ink]

Missed the best option available? :D

[spyder101]

sunroof frame needs to be swapped out too. there are contacts points built in it, which allow power to travel down to the relay, wiring and control unit.

[mithril]

The solar sunroof. What can you tell me about it?

Even in scorching heat it keeps the interior nice and cool

The first thing to tell you is "no it doesn't". All it can do is keep the interior close to ambient temperature since all it does it use the HVAC fan to circulate fresh air in from the outside of the car. Tilting open the sunroof does a better job of cooling the car when parked in the sun that the solar sunroof does. It also has the unfortunate side effect of sucking cold/moist air into the car in the winter time if there's enough direct sunlight to activate the panel.

However this A6 has also a winter package (heated seats) - and I've never seen any cars of this generation come with both a cold and hot weather packages. Heres where it gets even more weird, while I have the solar sunroof, I don't have the rear window/door shades. Basically it's contradicting the existence of the said hot weather package.

My 2000 4.2L has both Cold and Hot Weather packages including solar roof, manual and electric sun shades. My guess would be that a previous owner of your vehicle swapped the solar roof in. I know that all the D2 A8's came pre-wired for the solar roof regardless of whether they got the option or not so all you needed to do to enable it was swap in the panel and track, I would guess the A6 may have been the same way.

How expensive and rare of an upgrade was this?

The documentation I've been able to find online indicates that the Hot Weather Package option added about $1000 to the sticker price. Overall it's a pretty rare option because most original purchasers didn't see the need for it unless they lived in a smoking hot desert area.

How much does it open for you? Does it open all the way like a regular sunroof, or only 2/3rds of the way like mine. When mine opens, at that one point it comes to a sudden and complete halt almost as if something is blocking it from going further.

Pretty sure mine slides all the way back until it is fully recessed into the roof. I also never slide it all the way back though because the wind deflector doesn't shift the airflow enough to prevent a harmonic noise in the cabin. I generally slide it back to the split point indicated on the slider dial to minimize that noise. If yours isn't sliding back fully you may want to remove the solar and cloth panels to have a look at what's binding in there.

Removal is very easy. Slide the panel back just enough to fully expose the leading edge of the panel. Slide you fingers between the solar and cloth panels, pull down and back on the cloth panel to disconnect it from the solar panel. Slide it back into the roof to get it out of the way. Now put the panel into tilt, there are 3 #10 torx screws on each side that attach the panel to the frame. Remove those screws and lift the panel out. Slide the cloth panel back forward. IF you need to remove the cloth panel you'll need to carefully flex it to pop the 2 spring loaded guides out of their tracks. Reinstall is the reverse.

[mithril]

According to the option sheets it looks like the solar roof was included in the Hot Weather package for the 4.2L in 2000 and then became a separate option starting in 2001 when the manual and electric sun shades became part of the Premium Package offered on the V8 cars.

[Ink]

thanks a ton! gonna try that either later today or tomorrow. I rarely even open it, but it's more of a matter of principle where I want everything to work exactly as it should instead of halfassedly :)