Technical Fiat 500 roof trim panel flew off the car

[Caboz]

I recently bought a 2008 Fiat 500.

Yesterday wile driving on the highway the roof trim panel flew off the car.

I mean the black plastic part between the windshield and the sunroof.

It was a hot day, outside temperature was around 36 Celsius.

After I stoped the only thing remaining was some sort of grease that came off with a tissue, this was the original glue completely degraded and fluid.

This may become a safety problem with all glued parts on these cars as I found reports of rear spoilers coming off in the United States.

Did this happen to anyone else? How should I glue the new trim?

 

[varesecrazy]

Not something I have read much..

Uk based forum .. ( cold and wet..)

Possibilty is had been removed before? for a replacement screen ??

 

[Caboz]

Not something I have read much..

Uk based forum .. ( cold and wet..)

Possibilty is had been removed before? for a replacement screen ??

The screen is original and the car has 74k kms and kept on a garage most of it's life...

 

[John202020]

There has been a post like this before long time ago

 

[z rider]

Try glue/sealant for windscreens. Go to a glass man and ask if he has a rest of it left over from a screen glued in.

 

[AndyRKett]

If I had to guess I’d say there should be some clips holding it down and someone at some point has removed it, probably broken the clips then glued it back down

Those blobs of glue are not uniform enough to be done by fiat in the factory

 

[Caboz]

Try glue/sealant for windscreens. Go to a glass man and ask if he has a rest of it left over from a screen glued in.

Great idea! I'll do just that! Thanks!

 

[Caboz]

For what I see in the images it is flat plastic pice without any clips.

 

[AndyRKett]

For what I see in the images it is flat plastic pice without any clips.

Seems odd that there is nothing at all on the back of this. It is an OEM part with a fiat part number?

In any case some Tiger seal or similar will stick it back down and then it will never come off again.
A local car window fitting firm might be kind enough to glue it back down for you with what they use to stick car windows in, in that case the glue will long outlive the car.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Most of this sort of thing are held on with automotive double sided tape. This stuff is very strong and long lasting. If in doubt use JB Weld it and some tape in alternating places. That yellow stuff is almost certainly not factory glue.

 

[chris3234]

Most of this sort of thing are held on with automotive double sided tape. This stuff is very strong and long lasting. If in doubt use JB Weld it and some tape in alternating places. That yellow stuff is almost certainly not factory glue.

Definitely not especially with that uneven application pattern

 

[Caboz]

And today I went to the stealership and found the part costs 400€! I felt back in the Volvo dealership...

Now I need to sort one somewhere that doesn't brake the bank!

 

[z rider]

I must say that the yellow glue blobs seem to be from factory. Found a foto from a breaker of a whole sunroof where same panel was missing and it had the same yellow blobs.
Look here: https://www.ebay.de/itm/35475069477...V5pRoCR1vjANdEAQYAiABEgLNXPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Caboz]

I talked with a Fiat parts specialist that confirmed that it is not the first case he has heard of.

The glue in the pictures is from the factory, I confirmed with the previous owner and no work was done on the panel, sunroof or windshield.

This is probably a problem on the first cars that are exposed to hotter environments. Hope Fiat changed the glue at some point or this will become a thing...

 

[Caboz]

The part number for the panel is: 77364620

I have ordered one new from eBay (276€ inc shipping), I'll share pictures of the glue back process.

 

[Caboz]

The roof panel just arrived and... it is metal.

This is not a plastic part but a heavy pice of metal.

 

[Caboz]

For what I see in the images it is flat plastic pice without any clips.

View attachment 425984

View attachment 425985

It's not plastic, but it is flat!

 

[Caboz]

And I just fond out I need a rubber seal between the glass roof and the panel... 195€ at the Fiat (it's only sold as a kit of two rubber seals).

My Mercedes is much cheeper that this!

 

[AndyRKett]

And I just fond out I need a rubber seal between the glass roof and the panel... 195€ at the Fiat (it's only sold as a kit of two rubber seals).

My Mercedes is much cheeper that this!

Is this what attatches an otherwise flat piece to the roof.

Maybe the 200€ price tag is why the old one was only glued on.

 

[Caboz]

No this kit has two rubber seals, the one between the glass and the opening on the roof and the one between the glass and the metal panel that flew off.