I just got a Crimson Pearl XLR last Friday. I noticed a small blemish in the paint on the roof (above the driver's door and about 3" in from the edge) when I got it home. After a couple of days, I noticed that the "blemish" was now a hole through all layers of the paint. Obviously, a piece of metal on the trunk hinge is rubbing against the roof.

In addition to this problem, the small triangular rear window on the driver's side seems to overly extend outward upon raising the roof. The driver's door window then raises inside (vs. outside) the rubber gasket and the driver's door won't open (not good). The solution is to lower the power window, tug on the little triangular rear window, and then raise the power window. Needless to say, this is not cool when showing your friends your new $80K car!

Of course the dealer says that I should bring it in and they'll "look into it". However, before I do, I'd like to hear if any of you have had similar problems and how they were solved. I am concerned that, with so few XLRs out there, that the dealers are winging it with these kinds of problems.

A number of owners have had trouble of one kind or another with this complex top mechanism.
If your dealer does not have an XLR pro, then invest the time to find a dealer that does.
If you are in Southern California I recommend Allen Cadillac in Orange County. :flag

The owner at the former dealership where I bought it, and mine, developed a similar nick. The roof needed to be repainted (under warranty) and hasn't re-emerged since.

Good luck!

PS. Any recommendations here in SF for a dealer as clueful as Allen? I'm going to have to try Putnam next...

I wonder if Cadillac Division would publish (or just release) the names of dealers selling the most XLR's. It should be reasonable to assume that they would be the best shot for service and other issues. :flag

I have been monitoring this site for almost 2 years, never heard of this exact malfunction with the top.

Most of the top problems are "getting stuck" and "stopping" in mid-function.

There was one case of the wing window getting caught and shattering. Wonder if yours is a similar issue.

Howevere, does sound like they need to fix it.

Had the sticking problem with mine shortly after delivery. They replaced a micro-switrch and its worked fine since.

Good luck.

likewise in reading the forum, I've never heard where the roof has been damaged, but that there are several adjustments on the wing window as to where it aligns and how it folds.

With easily over 1000 2-way cycles, mine has always worked perfectly, so don't get too discouraged.

I have a black 04 which has 4000 miles on it. When washing it the other day I noticed what looked like the clear coat coming up in very small spots only on the roof panel. I ran it by the dealer, whose body shop said it looked like the clear coat was coming up on the roof panel. (like I didn't know that already). Anyway, they are going to repaint the top free of charge this fall when I turn it in for my 06 XLR-V.

They would do it now, but since I rarely have the top up this time of year I decided to wait till fall.

Rick


I have been monitoring this site for almost 2 years, never heard of this exact malfunction with the top.

Most of the top problems are "getting stuck" and "stopping" in mid-function.

There was one case of the wing window getting caught and shattering. Wonder if yours is a similar issue.

Howevere, does sound like they need to fix it.

Had the sticking problem with mine shortly after delivery. They replaced a micro-switrch and its worked fine since.

Good luck.

I have also had the scratch in the same location (about three inches from the driver side on the the roof. At first I thought someone had walked by the car and scratched it, but it was an unusual round shape. I took it to the dealer who thought the same thing. They touched it up (not that great a fix). Later that week, I noticed the EXACT same spot was scratching out again. This time I knew it was not someone walking by scratching it since it was in the exact same spot as the tough up. I opened the trunk lid only to find a small amount of paint dust inside the trunk lid on the bracket located directly above where the scratch was located. I took the car to the dealer who said they would air brush the roof to fix the scratch (now under warrantee since it was caused by a malfunction in the roof folding down). It has been about four weeks and I have still not returned the car for the needed repair (been traveling every week and just haven't had time to take it in). The scratch has not worsened and I really don't know why it has not continued to recur. I plan to have the dealer adjust the bracket (tighten it) so it doesn't rub on the roof when the top is down. I will let them try to airbrush the scratch. If the airbrushing is not to my satisfaction, I will have them repaint the entire roof panel.

First, open your trunk lid and see if there is any paint dust (or chips) on the trunk bracket on the inside right side (driver side) of the trunk lid. If so, then you have the same problem as me. Probably the best thing to do is to have the roof repainted and the bracket adjusted or tightened so it doesn't recur.

I'm still working on getting the problem fixed. When I brought it in for repair, the dealer said that they'd never seen the problem before. Then, the next day, another customer brought in an XLR with the identical problem. It seems that there is a retaining mechanism that is supposed to hold the roof down once it is retracted in the trunk. When the roof retracts, it is not being captured by this mechanism. (Note that, if you stop the retraction process at before the trunk lid closes, you can push on the roof and it see that it has about an inch of vertical play.)

Since the dealer now has two cars with the identical problem, they've called in the big guns from Detroit to help them solve the problem. I should know more in the next couple of days and I'll post another reply when I know more.

Hello,

Wouldn't you know -- right after I read these posts about scratched tops, I found a scratch.

If you're standing behind the car and look at the back window on the driver's side, there is a 4-inch scratch and it is located about 1/2 inch from the window itself, but about 8 inches down from the roof.

Does anyone have a scratch in that location?

Here's a photo I just took from the back of the car. To help clarify, the scratch is on the left side of the word "Scratch."

Thank you. Great forum!

I had the same problem as described above on my black 04 xlr. An adjustment with cadillac engineering assistance took care of the problem. They removed the roof and painted it and it looks brand new. Has anyone with an 05 had any similiar problems? I know there were virtually no changes in the 05 from the 04 so I assuming that the first year model issues were corrected for the 05s. Reason Im asking is Im thinking of trading up for an 05. Been made an offer I hardly cant refuse.

Trade from an 04 to an 05 with an offer you can't refuse. I can't imagine the trade difference being close. The 05's have been priced at 68K for two months. How can they justify paying more than 50 on a trade of an 04? That would still mean a gap of 18K. Enlighten me please> :confused

The difference between my 04 and 05 was $18000, including California sales tax of 8.0% :flag

I have the same problem, although, mine did not get as bad as yours. I have about a three inch scratch above my drivers door, but it appears to have only scrathed the clearcoat. I have a black month old '05'.

Just an update. The dealer now has three XLRs in with exactly the same hole in the paint above the driver's door. The factory repair rep came this week and was baffled. He's sent a request to Detroit for help in developing a repair procedure. Ughh! :confused

the repair procedure to correct the trunk problem is well known by cadillac engineering. Repairing the paint chip is simple. Either touch up or paint the roof.

I'm surprised that there are no more additions to this thread. After getting my roof fixed, the problem has returned - same hole ground through the paint on the roof. After the first time, they claimed that the problem was improperly functioning "sensors" in the roof mechanism. My car is back in the shop being re-diagnosed and re-painted. Is nobody else having this problem?

I have the same problem with my 04. You have correctly diagnosed the problem. When the cover lid goes into place after the top has supposedly gone down and locked in position it will "bounce around" and hit the top bracket screw post.

Cadillac does have some work to do in this area.

I also had the passenger wing window problem. I watched the technician fix this one. He loosened the window screws and moved it --retightened the screws and viola no more problem --yet.

I am a little more than furious! :banghead This morning while washing my beautiful white 08, I found a nick in the paint on the left side of the roof and two round blemished places (One on each side) on the roof molded area. An inspection of the trunk lid revealed three places that touches the lowered roof.

I saw that this had happened in early years of the production but was assured it could not happen anymore. I have had the car for several months but only have 1350 pampered miles on it. I strongly resent having to have it painted even though I am sure Cadillac will pay for it.

I live in a small town and my local dealer does not sell the xlr, nor are his techs trained on the top. Suggestions please.


Jester:jester

Hi Jester,

I too have a 08' White. Same issue. I HAD an 06' Starblack, same issue. I have never complained because I'm in no mood to deal with having the top repainted. I also feel a repaint will change color differently then the original paint when exposed to the elements (especially on white), so we might have a two-tone car. Sorry I have nothing good to contribute, just chiming in.

Hi Jester,

I too have a 08' White. Same issue. I HAD an 06' Starblack, same issue. I have never complained because I'm in no mood to deal with having the top repainted. I also feel a repaint will change color differently then the original paint when exposed to the elements (especially on white), so we might have a two-tone car. Sorry I have nothing good to contribute, just chiming in.
SUGGESTION: Try the touch up paint. I am like you I don't want my top resprayed.
go to the dealer and twist their arm to get you some color matched touch up paint for free since they don't have to repaint your roof (definitely more expensive for them) Then shake the small container real well and use the brush in the lid to dab a very small amount on the area. Don't try to fill it up on the first attempt. Allow it to dry over night and do it again if necessary and you will be happy.


Regards

There's a lot of good information contained in these threads, but the descriptions of the various components (ie: the "roof") appears to be interchangeable, which can lead to confusion. Maybe this will help.

From the repair manual:

The (basic) top components are the trunklid, tonneau, (the panel that folds under the trunklid) the front folding top panel, (roof) and the rear folding top panel (section with the rear glass window.) There are also two rear quarter windows. If we keep the names straight, we'll get less confusing info from these threads and hopefully be able to diagnose (or understand) the problems with a higher degree of accuracy.

For example, a lot of the scratches appear to be located on the left side of the rear folding top, and others on the tonneau.

I hope this helps. :seeya

CC

Thanks to all who have answered so quickly. :thumbs In my case, the top means the forward roof section which, when top down is up (my what words). The trunk lid comes down on top of it. I can send photos it it will help.

There are three marks. One is a hole in the paints caused by a hinge of sorts. The other two are round circles, one on each side of the more or less rain gutter. They are caused by some pads in the trunk lid.

I can polish out the circles, but I would have to touch up the hole. My question is how do you keep it from reoccurring?

Thanks,
Jester:jester

I just checked my top and don't see any circular pads that would leave marks like you described. Do post pictures so others with the same problem can relate.

As for troubleshooting, here's what I would do:

Take some double-backed foam tape and apply enough alchohol (rubbing, not good scotch!) to one side to reduce its adhesion. (Just enough to keep it in place but not to adhere too much.)

Place the tape over the spots that are getting scratched. Peel off the other side of the tape, and move the top. Since the outside is much tackier, it should stick to the mechanism in the spot(s) that's causing the problem when you cycle the roof back. See if that points you in the right direction, and tell us the results. It might be an easy mechanical adjustment (or not.) Either way, way when you take it to the dealer you'll be more knowledgeable with the cause of the problem.

Good luck!

:cheers
CC

The "hole" is on the left side of the roof. This problem has also been addressed under the thread "paint issue in one spot." Something under the trunk lid hits the roof when its retracted, "in the trunk" and causes a chip in the paint on the drivers side of the roof. The two "circles," in the same spot on opposite sides of the roof, look like they're cause by rubber stoppers, a little larger than a pencil eraser. I had the same issue on my 06'.

Starblack is absolutely correct. :cheers I have identified the culprit pieces, I just need a competent dealer who can make the adjustments to correct the clearance. I don't really think it is my responsibility to have to deliver the car a minimum of 100 miles to get that done. Meanwhile no top down until then.

(I keep forgetting the Lexus dealer comes down here, leaves my wife a new demonstrator, takes hers for service and returns it.:D ) Lexus has certainly learned how to cater to the ladies. Cadillac are you listening?

Jester:jester

Starblack is absolutely correct. :cheers I have identified the culprit pieces, I just need a competent dealer who can make the adjustments to correct the clearance. I don't really think it is my responsibility to have to deliver the car a minimum of 100 miles to get that done. Meanwhile no top down until then.

(I keep forgetting the Lexus dealer comes down here, leaves my wife a new demonstrator, takes hers for service and returns it.:D ) Lexus has certainly learned how to cater to the ladies. Cadillac are you listening?

Jester:jester
Jester:

SETTING YOUR DISPLAY--Do you have your display (at the bottom of the page) set for the standard default 75 days??? If so use the pull down and reset it to "The Begining".

You will see a ton of postings on this issue.

YOUR PROBLEM---The culprit that caused the ding in your top is a long screw in the hinge assembly.

I showed this to the plant manager at BG II on a new car coming off of the assembly line. I am not sure what he did for the newer cars but you can see the match up if you manually lower the trunk to the top as you watch.

Here's what happens---The top goes down but ....on occasion....doesn't completely seat itself in the trunk. The indicators show that the top is seated but it isn't. If you open the trunk and pull up on the top it will move up and down enough to cause the screw end to ding the top if you were driving the car.

The round circles you will find are coming from the rubber biscuts that are on the end of the folding panel adjusters to prevent more paint dings.

I am of the opinion that ALL 2004 and up XLRs need the latest top operation software and the new solenoid switches. I have had no problems with my 2004since the software was reloaded and the new switches were installed.

At least this was true in my case.........

Check the following tread. There are pictures of the damaged area and one of the causes.

http://www.xlrforum.com/showthread.php?t=4679

Although I did not have roof damage yet, I filed down the tip of those screws about 1/8 of an inch.

Good luck.

SilverX

This may be of help.

xTooltipElement
Service Information 2006 Cadillac XLR | XLR (VIN Y) Service Manual | Document ID: 1987864
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#PIC4547: XLR Roof Does Not Latch At Rear Corners In Stowed Position - keywords latch loose mid open potentiometer retract stow trunk - (Jun 13, 2007)


Subject: XLR Roof Does Not Latch At Rear Corners In Stowed Position


Models: 2004-2007 Cadillac XLR and V-Series




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

Condition/Concern:
Some customers may comment of a mark in the paint on the roof panel. This mark may be on the drivers or passengers side of the roof and typically the size of a pencil eraser. Further inspection of the retractable roof may indicate when the roof is stowed, the rear corners of the roof are not secured in trunk area. This may be the result of a misadjusted roof panel.

Recommendation/Instructions:
Lower roof into trunk as far as it will go. Stop when trunk starts to close. Check to see if the rear roof latches engaged the lower support.
Scribe the current position of the rear roof panel pivot bracket bolts. (See Attached Picture). These marks may be needed if the panel moves more than needed. The position should only change about .5 mm (one half mm).
Loosen both of the rear roof pivot bracket to rear roof panel fasteners one turn (both driver and passenger sides). These only need to be loose enough to allow the bracket to slide under the bolt shoulder. Do not allow the shims (if present) to become mis-positioned.
Manually lower the panel so the rear latches engage and latch. Lightly bump/thump the rear corners of the roof panel above the latches using your open palm.
Re-tighten the previously loosened fasteners to 18 Nm or 13 lb ft.
Cycle the roof and ensure that it latches properly in both the up position and down position with out assistance. If it does not latch in the up position the strikers can be adjusted.




(1) Front Of Vehicle

(2) Loosen One Turn

Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.

WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION


© 2008 General Motors Corporation. All rights reserved.


Bruce :)

The latching or - not latching of the top in the down position can also be operator / owner sensitive. If you are cycling the top from the up position to the stowed position and you interrupt the cycle, (finger slips off button / on the phne etc) the rear of the the front roof where the 2 hooks are that latch to the metal casting may raise slightly and when the cycle is continued by re-pressing the button, the roof is too high when the latch hooks rotate into the latched position missing the casting and not securing the front roof.

Now when the trunk closes, the bolts which are actually a part of the rear tonneau may come dangerously close to the class a sruface of the roof panel. The kicker is with everything stowed but not latched and the trunk closed. you If you then drive the car, road loads will allow for the roof system to bounce up and down. this is where the majority of the damage to the panel is coming from.