Has anyone had their fixed glass roof swapped over for an electric sunroof after the car has left the factory? Is it possible to get this done and approx how much would it cost? I would appreciate your thoughts before I contact a dealership. Thanks!

Prohibitively expensive i would have thought unless you're comfortable doing the work yourself and also can get hold of a second hand roof kit. You'll obviously need the full electric roof kit and glass, a new headlining, switches and wiring etc. I could be wrong here but I think changing over the headlining also involves a bit of messing with the airbags. Fairly sure the roof ope is standard. You then have to have existing removed and the entire new system installed, wired and aligned.

Blimey. It's only £260 if added as an optional extra. Back to the drawing board!

My TA (2014) has an electric sunroof and air con... don't bother fitting one as above 45 mph it's very noisy and gets windy. Pootling along country lanes is fine, but otherwise nice but not that nice!

We have one, and I can't see that we'll ever open it. We tried it when we bought the 500, but that's it. If we'd bought the car brand new, I wouldn't have asked for one.

We have a Clio we've had since brand new, she's just had her 14th birthday. It's an Initiale model ie with all the extras and gizmos, air con, leather, the lot ............ plus it has an electric glass sunroof. I doubt if it's been opened half a dozen times in it's life.

Also, a couple of years ago, we started getting damp and wet inside her. Eventually traced to the sunroof seals where is fits to the steel of the roof. I had to take it completely off and use new sealant. One heck of a job!

Give me a fixed glass roof or no sunroof at all. Why do you want an opening sunroof if you have air con? Seems daft to me.

Regards,
Mick.

Mick F said:

Give me a fixed glass roof or no sunroof at all. Why do you want an opening sunroof if you have air con? Seems daft to me.

Regards,
Mick.

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Why would you want opening windows if you have A/C? It's not that daft; a sunroof isn't incompatible with A/C, they are complementary - and A/C is also useful for demisting. We have two 500C's with air and there are times when it's too hot to have the roof open (in this country anyhow) so we close it and turn on the A/C.

Mick F said:

We have one, and I can't see that we'll ever open it. We tried it when we bought the 500, but that's it. If we'd bought the car brand new, I wouldn't have asked for one.



We have a Clio we've had since brand new, she's just had her 14th birthday. It's an Initiale model ie with all the extras and gizmos, air con, leather, the lot ............ plus it has an electric glass sunroof. I doubt if it's been opened half a dozen times in it's life.



Also, a couple of years ago, we started getting damp and wet inside her. Eventually traced to the sunroof seals where is fits to the steel of the roof. I had to take it completely off and use new sealant. One heck of a job!



Give me a fixed glass roof or no sunroof at all. Why do you want an opening sunroof if you have air con? Seems daft to me.



Regards,

Mick.

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yes it's a bit like saying who needs a 500C when you have AC. I wouldn't be without mine AND I have climate control. I guess you either like them or you don't.

Air con should be left on for the life of the car.
Just coz it's air con, doesn't mean it has to chuck out cold air. We have air con in the Clio and she's done 95,000miles over the 14years and the aircon works perfectly and never been switched off or had any issues.

The 500 has Climate Control. It's switched on and it won't be switched off.

Windows are for opening for access to speak to people or pay a toll at a bridge or give hand signals, or any myriad of other reasons, but never for cooling or ventilation. That's what air con or climate control is for. Sunroofs are for what? Maybe for creating leaks when the car gets old?

Not sure why anyone wants a 500C. I can understand a real convertible car - one that is designed to be a convertible - a proper roadster - but not a hatchback with a slide-back soft top.

It takes all sorts I suppose.

Cheers,
Mick.

Clogs said:

My TA (2014) has an electric sunroof and air con... don't bother fitting one as above 45 mph it's very noisy and gets windy. Pootling along country lanes is fine, but otherwise nice but not that nice!

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I did a little mod on mine which prevents the wind deflector from rising fully and it's quite effective at reducing the whooshing sound at speed.

Mick F said:

Not sure why anyone wants a 500C. I can understand a real convertible car - one that is designed to be a convertible - a proper roadster - but not a hatchback with a slide-back soft top.

It takes all sorts I suppose.

Cheers,
Mick.

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Indeed it does. I didn't want what is just another FWD hatchback, even a cute little 500 (with, or without, a sunroof!). I like my 500C because it's different to the "real" convertibles. There is, in this country at least, nothing similar.

It sure does take all sorts. Personally I love my convertible and have the roof open a lot. Best is when the roof and windows are all open. I can't understand why on a nice day you would want to isolate yourself from the outdoors. I assume you have glazed over your garden and have that air conditioned as well!


500C TA 105

haha the fiat 500 AC is more than useless with the sunroof or glass window option at any temperature above 30c. I guess you guys in the UK dont have to worry about it!
I was thinking of getting the windows tinted, the lightest tint i can put on the car lets 73% or so of the light in the car. Now given that normal car windows let 95% of the light in the car gives about 68% so 2% less than legal = )
This is of course for the front side windows and 75% for the front windscreen, the rest you can do it as you please

ahmett said:

haha the fiat 500 AC is more than useless with the sunroof or glass window option at any temperature above 30c. I guess you guys in the UK dont have to worry about it!

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Right now in Bournemouth it's 11C . Put the heater on this morning.

In 2013, there was only one day when the temperature went over 30C; July 18th, when it reached 31C.

jrkitching said:

Right now in Bournemouth it's 11C . Put the heater on this morning.

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27 here in the shade but with a UV index of 9 out of 10 today you are cooking in the sun, even more so in the Fiat 500 with glass window as the cream colored interior visor is not that effective. Seriously considering tinting the windows to escape, but it is 220 euros to get the job done and i am fed up spending money on this car

I prefer a sunroof.

You can pop it open, especially at low speeds. The airflow is stronger than having the fan on.. and since it draws air through the car, you can have the fan/climate off. It doesn't let rain in or as much road noise as opening the window. I'd take a sunroof over air-con, if I could only have one or the other...

Ralf S.

We're in sub-tropical 14degC here!

Sitting here in the living room and considering lighting the fire.

Mick.

One big advantage with a sunroof, or soft-top for that matter, is that you can leave it partly open in hot weather so the car interior doesn't build up too much heat. Bit safer than leaving a window open anyway.

Our summer was pretty mild this year, only hit 40C a couple of times, unlike last year with a string of days around 44C. The 500's A/C isn't really up to that sort of challenge I have to admit. Interestingly the stalling I experienced on the hot days last year didn't re-occur either.

Even so I don't use A/C much - the last car I had with A/C sucked petrol like it was going out of fashion when the air was on and the memory lingers even though I know the 500's system is far more efficient.

I guess sunroof is a kind of a Marmite question: you either love it or hate it! I haven't spoken to anybody who is 'meh' on it... I had a car with sunroof once and hated it! But I do not like strong sunshine in general and I'd rather be sitting in a darkened room if I was experiencing high temperatures! I've been avoiding visiting my mum back in Serbia in summer as it can easily go over mid 30C! My current car is all black inside, including roof lining, dash, seats - everything - and absolutely no sunroof

I would be very surprised if the roof panel of the bonded glass roof is the same/compatible with a sliding glass sunroof, I would have thought the roof of the car would need cutting out and replacing with the version from a sliding roof car. You'd certainly have to pay a fortune just for the parts to do the conversion

Mick F said:

Air con should be left on for the life of the car.

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Absolutely, especially if you like adding 5-10% (and occasionally much more) to your fuel bill just for some ideology. Biggest A/C hit I ever saw was going from 13l/100km in a Mercedes to 18l/100km with the A/C on. UFI won't do 100mpg with the A/C on either. My current daily, a 1.6 petrol goes from 6 to 7l/100km (tank average) even with my judicious use of the A/C.

I guess it really does take all sorts