Sunroof operation

[KBrian]

Alright, my turn for a stupid question. Opening the roof with the tilt button gives only a few degrees of tilt above horizontal, while using the open button and stopping the roof after full tilt but before it slids backward, gives twice as much tilt.

Is the roof supposed to tilt so little using just the tilt button?

Believe it or not, I use the roof all the time, both open and just tilted. Just never looked closely while parked with the roof tilted/open.

 

[joeym509]

Little tilt is normal, I believe to just help increase air circulation. I am like you and wish the tilt would be more like when it first opens. I use mine all the time as well.

 

[KBrian]

Thanks Joey. Awesome 5. Did you get the sills from ebay, the Hong Kong site?

 

[joeym509]

Thanks. I have added a couple more updates to my five since my avatar pic, I hope to get her washed this weekend and put up some new pics. I did get them from eBay, but they came from a seller in LA. I searched a lot for them as I wanted the ones that go all the way down onto the lil windows in front.

 

[A1an]

Mine does the same thing. I'm guessing they figured out that was enough to allow sufficient airflow without sacrificing aerodynamics. I'm sure there is also the law of diminishing returns here. I'd guess that after a certain point you don't get much more air by tilting it further forward. I'm no physicist though...so I'm pretty much just pulling that out of my ass.

I'm curious why Mazda has it one touch to slide it back but not one touch to slide it back forward? Not a deal breaker but it is one of the many little annoying things with these cars (one touch down only on driver window, doors don't automatically lock when you start moving forward, etc).

 

[njaremka]

I'm curious why Mazda has it one touch to slide it back but not one touch to slide it back forward? Not a deal breaker but it is one of the many little annoying things with these cars (one touch down only on driver window, doors don't automatically lock when you start moving forward, etc).

you can thank the US lawyers for not allowing auto-close on the roof or windows. something about children (or stupid people) getting stuck or something.

 

[ljmattox]

Other Mazda models (at least one, the CX-7 that we just returned) have these features. I miss auto-up as well as auto-down on my new 5.

 

[Robotazky]

My old F150 had a one-touch open and close function. On my 5, I use the open button briefly to open it more if I don't want any wind at all but need more air flow than the tilt function.

 

[A1an]

you can thank the US lawyers for not allowing auto-close on the roof or windows. something about children (or stupid people) getting stuck or something.

Combo of that and lazy automakers who don't want to add pinch protection (stops the window if it feels resistance) to meet these safety standards. My wife's '07 Rabbit and my old '04 Passat both had one touch up/down on both front windows. Moonroof on the Passat was one touch as well.

 

[Robotazky]

Combo of that and lazy automakers who don't want to add pinch protection (stops the window if it feels resistance) to meet these safety standards. My wife's '07 Rabbit and my old '04 Passat both had one touch up/down on both front windows. Moonroof on the Passat was one touch as well.

I just realized that both my old F150 and my current Focus have auto-close. It's not a legal issue.

 

[theprotege99]

think of the lift action as more of a tiny hole to let air escape. If you notice, when other cars have theirs lifted it is only very minor as height clearance may become an issue with garages and shopping centers and such.

 

[skyhawk]

If you notice, there are no microswitches that tells the sunroof motor when to stop opening. It just stops when it is fully opened. Or when the tilt amount has been reached.

The question for the electronics people is how does it do it? Like how does it know the sunroof has reached the maximum opening. Or how does it know where the tilt position is? It was a microswitch, I can easily move it physically to give more opening.
But there is no microswitches. Not for the tilt open position not even for the fully open position.

 

[KBrian]

I have begun opening the roof with the slide button to give me max tilt. I just stop the roof before it starts to slide backward.

 

[Robotazky]

If you notice, there are no microswitches that tells the sunroof motor when to stop opening. It just stops when it is fully opened. Or when the tilt amount has been reached.

The question for the electronics people is how does it do it? Like how does it know the sunroof has reached the maximum opening. Or how does it know where the tilt position is? It was a microswitch, I can easily move it physically to give more opening.
But there is no microswitches. Not for the tilt open position not even for the fully open position.

Most use revolutions of a mechanical part to determine position. There is a procedure that can be done on almost all of them to reset the zero distance point of the mechanical measurement system with the computer. I remember my F150 manual stating something about that.

 

[SonicBoy]

gotta be careful with the manual open to get more opening. You might find that down the road, you have to perform the relearn process to recognize the full limits of open and close.

 

[Stavesacre21]

I have begun opening the roof with the slide button to give me max tilt. I just stop the roof before it starts to slide backward.

This is exactly what I always did with the RX-8 and never had a problem with it. Technically, it should be no harder on the cams or any other part of the track it's on. It always baffled me as to why it barely even cracked with the tilt button.

 

[Robotazky]

This is exactly what I always did with the RX-8 and never had a problem with it. Technically, it should be no harder on the cams or any other part of the track it's on. It always baffled me as to why it barely even cracked with the tilt button.

The only problem you may have is, per SonicBoy, the memory of the mechanical measurement system. Just be familiar with the procedure to force it to "re-learn" the positions of closed and open.

 

[njaremka]

for the tilt function, all you want is a very slight opening to provide airflow. and it really doesnt take all that much opening to provide sufficient airflow out of the roof opening. the object is to create a low pressure zone behind the opening, without disturbing the airflow over the top of the roof. raise the sunroof panel too high, and you may actually cause a drop in airflow out of the roof panel. more isnt always better.

 

[Robotazky]

From my Focus manual, which obviously will differ somewhat from ours:

Relearning function: In case the moon roof does not close properly
anymore, follow this relearning procedure.

• Tilt the moon roof into the vent position as far as possible. Release the
switch.
• Press and hold the same switch again for 30 seconds until you see the
moon roof move.
• Release the switch and immediately press and hold it again. The moon
roof will close, open fully and then close again. Do not release the
switch before the moon roof has reached the closed position for the
second time.

 

[njaremka]

From my Focus manual, which obviously will differ somewhat from ours:

Relearning function: In case the moon roof does not close properly
anymore, follow this relearning procedure.

Tilt the moon roof into the vent position as far as possible. Release the
switch.
Press and hold the same switch again for 30 seconds until you see the
moon roof move.
Release the switch and immediately press and hold it again. The moon
roof will close, open fully and then close again. Do not release the
switch before the moon roof has reached the closed position for the
second time.

i'll have to see if that procedure works on my protege and mazda5....