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How to Replace GM Power Sunroof Switch
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By NAPA
A sunroof is a wonderful feature to have in a vehicle. You get the open air feeling of a convertible with the weather protection of a hard top. But what happens when that sunroof begins to let the weather inside?
link hidden, please login to view are the results. Unfortunately a leaky sunroof is an all too common problem, but the solution is sometimes quite simple. Here’s how to identify and fix a leaky sunroof. Identifying a Sunroof Leak
Obviously if you are sitting in your car when it rains and water starts pouring from the area around the sunroof, you have a leak. But sometimes the leaks aren’t so obvious. You may notice water on the floorboard or wet carpet. A sunroof leak can let water flow through interior panels like the headliner and pillar panels where it is unseen. If you’ve ruled out a clogged AC drain or leaky door seals, you may have a sunroof leak on your hands.
Sunroof Leak Causes
You can track down most sunroof leaks to these common issues:
Clogged Sunroof Drain
One of the most common causes of a car sunroof leaking is simply a clogged drain. For many vehicles the area around the sunroof opening has a raised edge to catch any water that may get past the main sunroof seal. It is basically a drain pan with a sunroof sized hole in the middle. Water is supposed to flow from the catch pan into drain hoses (usually in the corners of the sunroof opening), which are routed through the body of the car and to the ground. As time passes, debris like leaves and dirt can find their way into the drain openings and clog the drain tubes. Once the drain tubes are clogged, the area around the sunroof will fill with water and spill over into the interior.
Damaged Sunroof Seal
The first line of defense against water is the seal around the sunroof panel itself. While most seals are not designed to completely stop water from getting into the area around the sunroof opening, the seal does hold back a fair amount of water from entering. Sun and heat can eventually damage the seal causing it to dry out, crack, deform or wear down at any areas that contact the body. When this seal is seriously compromised, too much water can get in and overwhelm the sunroof drains.
Damaged Mechanism
Your sunroof mechanism is a complex component that must both slide and lift/lower your sunroof panel in and out of position. It relies on
link hidden, please login to view working in perfect harmony. The sunroof track itself is also precisely designed for smooth movement and solid placement of the sunroof panel. If any of these parts are damaged, worn or misaligned, the sunroof panel will not move to the desired position. Often a sunroof motor will break and leave the sunroof open, making for a frantic manual override to keep out the weather. But the sunroof may also appear to function properly while not moving to the correct closed position. If this happens, there is possibly a gap between the sunroof seal. The sunroof panel may also not close flush with the roof causing a channel for water to travel. How to Fix a Leaking Sunroof link hidden, please login to view
Once you have investigated your sunroof leak and found the culprit, it is time to learn how to fix a leaky sunroof.
Cleaning the sunroof drains is the simplest car sunroof leak repair. Locate the sunroof drains. There is a potential of up to four drains depending on the vehicle with some not easily visible. Referencing a
link hidden, please login to view can help you find all the drain locations. It is tempting to grab a compressed air hose and blow out the drain tubes, but that is a mistake. Blowing compressed air into a clogged tube can cause the tube to pop off an internal connection leading to a time-consuming interior panel disassembly. The simplest method for clearing a sunroof drain is with a piece of link hidden, please login to view. String trimmer line is stiff enough to push through a blockage while also following the drain tube twists and turns. Now you can move onto your leaking sunroof repair: Dip the tip of the trimmer line in dish soap to help it slide along the drain tube. Feed the trimmer line into the drain tube opening feeling for any resistance. When resistance is felt, push gently on the trimmer line, then pull back gently. Move the trimmer line in and out of the tube until the clog is no longer felt. Remove the trimmer line and pour a small amount of water down the drain tube. The water should exit underneath the vehicle. If the water does not flow out, repeat the trimmer line technique until all clogs are removed. If the drain tubes are clear, turn your attention to the sunroof itself and the mechanism.
link hidden, please login to view with a soft cloth and apply silicone lubricant spray to help it stay flexible. Observe how the sunroof moves while it opens and closes, noting any places where it stutters or does not move smoothly. If the movement is not smooth give the sunroof panel tracks a spray with the same silicone lubricant spray. If the sunroof does not close flush with the roof panel, it may need an adjustment. If there is no time for proper repairs, a temporary fix for leaking sunroof problems is to simply seal it shut. Good quality
link hidden, please login to view works just fine. Masking tape will hold through a rainstorm while you make plans for an adequate car sunroof leak repair. Masking tape also releases easily and reduces the chance of harming your vehicle’s finish. Once the sunroof is taped shut, you can place a piece of masking tape over the sunroof button to remind yourself not to use it. Sunroof Leak Repair Costs
So how much does it cost to fix a leaking sunroof? If you are a DIYer with a stocked garage, the cost of repair is possibly only your time for something simple like a clogged drain. But if the issue is more serious, the sunroof leak repair cost could reach into the hundreds or even thousands. Modern vehicles with panoramic sunroof panels are wonderful for feeling the sun on the road, but these are very complex mechanisms. A leak in one of these mammoth panels could take hours for a technician to repair.
You may wonder if car insurance covers leaking sunroof issues, and the answer is “maybe” depending on your insurance coverage. Read your insurance policy carefully, consult with your insurance agent and weigh the cost of your deductible. In some cases, damage caused by a sunroof leak is covered by insurance, but the likelihood is small.
Check out all the
link hidden, please login to view available on link hidden, please login to view, or trust one of our 17,000 link hidden, please login to view for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on how to fix a leaky sunroof or figuring out how much does it cost to fix a leaking sunroof, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your link hidden, please login to view. Photo courtesy of
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By Counterman
Bosch announced that its Hydro-Boost power brake assemblies are now available in the automotive aftermarket.
The program covers millions of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including popular Ford and General Motors models. Bosch Hydro-Boost parts are originally manufactured in the United States and provide OEM quality and performance, according to the company.
“It’s important to us that independent repair shops and DIYers are supported and have access to the highest-quality parts, so they can provide the best service possible to their customers,” said Jonathan Wong, Bosch product manager. “Opening up the Hydro-Boost brake-assembly program to the automotive aftermarket will give shop owners, technicians and DIYers access to a 100% new product manufactured using original-equipment-quality materials.”
The Bosch Hydro-Boost program offers 21 part numbers and covers 21 million vehicles across truck and SUV applications in popular Ford, GM and Dodge brands. These include the Ford F-250/F-350, GMC Sierra 2500/3500, the Ram 2500/3500 and more.
Hydro-Boost are designed to provide optimal brake-system performance to vehicles up to 8.7 tons. Bosch manufactured these systems to exceed 500,000 strokes to ensure OE quality and performance, increasing safety and peace of mind, according to the company.
For more information on Bosch Hydro-Boost power braking assemblies, visit
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By Counterman
I love this topic. Unfortunately, many brake rotors end up unnecessarily in the scrap pile. But I also know the reasons why, and if I’m looking to place blame, well, we only can blame ourselves. But is it bad? I’ll get into that down the page, but let me set the stage first.
Types of Rotors
Up through the mid-‘70s, the majority of all brake rotors “on the road” were hubbed rotors. What this meant is that the hub was cast into the rotor. Most cars and trucks up through that time were rear-wheel drive, and if they had disc brakes as an option, 99% of the time it was on the front only. The front wheel bearings of these cars were housed in the hub of the rotor. The rotors were very heavy and expensive to produce, and the wheel bearings were the tapered style of roller bearing that required regular cleaning, greasing, adjustment and seal replacement.
As front-wheel-drive cars grew in popularity in the mid-‘70s, so did the hubless or “hat” style of brake rotor. Hubbed rotors remained in regular use up through the mid-‘90s, but their popularity steadily declined until the hat rotor became almost the sole design choice of auto manufacturers. Hat rotors were far easier to service, with the front wheel bearings being sealed units mounted into the front steering knuckle. Hat rotors simply slid into place, and they were lighter-weight, less expensive and easier to manufacture.
It’s All About the Metal
Brake rotors get hot during braking, and they need to dissipate heat quickly. Functionally, all a brake rotor really does is absorb and dissipate heat. If a rotor gets too hot, it will cause brake fade and may easily warp, diminishing braking performance and causing severe brake vibration. The heavier the vehicle or the faster you’re going, the larger the rotors need to be, because the harder the brakes work, the more heat they produce.
So, the size of a brake rotor is proportionate to the type of braking it will be required to do. What’s a larger rotor? It’s more metal. What’s a thicker rotor? It’s more metal. And what determines how much heat can be absorbed and dissipated? The physical amount of metal. When a rotor wears, the diameter stays the same, but they get thinner, and when you resurface them, you’re removing even more material. The less metal you have, the less heat the rotor is able to absorb and dissipate.
How Brake Pads and Rotors Interact
Under normal braking, the surface of the rotor will become grooved to varying degrees based upon the pad material. This doesn’t affect the braking; because it occurs as a result of the contact between the brake pads and rotors, the surface of the two remain contoured. However, this surface is not acceptable when installing new brake pads and prevents the correct break-in of new pads, and it causes uneven pad wear and noise. “Pad slapping” is the comical term we use to describe replacing brake pads without resurfacing or replacing the rotors.
New brake pads have a break-in or “bedding” process that consists of repeated moderate braking. The purpose of the process is to bring the pads up to high temperatures in a controlled manner. When this occurs, the pad and rotor will transfer a thin layer of friction material to each other, allowing them to properly seat together. This is a very important aspect of brake service, as it ensures maximum braking and prevents brake fade, and this process only will occur correctly when new pads are mated with new or resurfaced rotors.
Turning the Rotors
We call it “turning,” because that’s the name of the machining process in which a workpiece is rotated against a fixed cutting tool. Any surface irregularities, including any grooves formed from normal service and also any rust or pitting, can be removed by turning the rotor.
In addition to surface condition, rotors often suffer from different forms of distortion. Lateral runout is the side-to-side movement of a rotor, measured with a dial indicator while rotating it by hand. Parallelism is the thickness of a rotor measured at multiple spots around the circumference for comparison. When describing this to a customer, we generally use the basic term “warped” rotor. These conditions will cause a vibration during braking, and in some cases, just driving at higher speeds.
Either one can be caused by normal wear or by incorrect mounting or installation of the rotor and wheels. Customers know what it means to have a warped rotor, and few of them care about the more technical terminology. Turning a rotor will correct these problems as well.
Turning a rotor involves a number of steps, the first of which is measuring it to determine if it still will be above the minimum thickness afterward. In most cases, the minimum thickness is cast or stamped into the rotor, but often it’s rusty and difficult to find, so we generally have to look up the specification anyhow.
Typically, when you turn a rotor, you’re going to remove a total of about .015 inches to .020 inches (15 to 20 thousandths of an inch) of material. It may be less on a really clean rotor, or more on a rusty, pitted or warped one. After measuring the thickness of the rotor and assessing the condition, you’ll know whether you have plenty of material left to turn it, or whether it’ll be too thin when you’re done.
If you determine the rotor can be turned, the next step is to remove it from the vehicle and mount it on the brake lathe. Hat rotors require a thorough cleaning and rust removal from the mounting surface to ensure they seat properly on the brake lathe. The mounting surfaces for a hubbed rotor are the wheel-bearing races, from which you can just wipe away the excess grease.
When the turning is complete and you’ve taken a final measurement to ensure the rotor is still at or above minimum thickness, the next step is to put a non-directional finish on the brake rotor, which aids in proper break-in. The most popular method is to use an angle-grinder with a cleaning disc, and it literally only takes a few seconds per side.
The final step includes washing the rotor in a mild soap-and-water solution. Though not visible, small metal particles remain on the rotor after turning, and these particles will embed themselves in the pad and prevent an effective break-in. Washing the rotor removes these particles. Hubbed rotors will require removing all the old grease, since a wheel-bearing clean and repack is a normal part of this service.
Back in the Day
There was a time when the hum of a brake lathe was almost as constant as the ticking of the clock on the shop wall. Hubbed rotors were big, heavy and expensive, and they lasted a long time, because they could be turned and reused multiple times before they were too thin to put back in service. The expectation of customers during this era was that their rotors would be “turned” during brake service. Even with the additional cost of labor, it still was far more expensive to replace them.
As the hat rotor slowly became the predominant rotor in use, many other changes were taking place in the automotive industry. Auto parts stores were opening up to meet the demands of the increasing number of cars on the road, and parts were being manufactured overseas. Price competition was high, and the more parts that were produced (hot rotors included), the less expensive they became.
At the same time, technician salaries were increasing, and suddenly, the labor cost to turn rotors was increasing. Then there was the process of turning the rotors. My intent in describing the process was to provide an indication of the amount of work involved, but any machining process requires very specific knowledge and procedure as well.
Turning a rotor is a machining process that can be done wrong as easily as it can be done right. Traditional hubbed rotors were very heavy, and as a result easier to turn because the weight inherently reduced vibration, and mounting them on the lathe was easy and straightforward.
Two things kill a rotor when turning it. One, vibration; and two, incorrect mounting. Guess what? You probably figured this: Hat rotors are lightweight, so it’s much more difficult to prevent vibration, and they’re commonly mounted incorrectly on the lathe. Most of this happens because of incorrect training, or simply a shop not having the proper lathe adapters, or both. But that subject can be reserved for a whole different article.
The trouble involved with turning hat rotors was sort of a nail in the coffin for the whole process. In today’s shops, you rarely hear the sound of a brake lathe. A good majority of the rotors that are scrapped could be turned and returned to service. But a new set of rotors is less expensive than the labor to resurface an old set (hubbed rotors being the exception). Then when you factor in the reality that they quite possibly could be machined incorrectly – causing a comeback – it simply doesn’t make sense.
Replacing them is quicker, a shop makes money on the parts, technicians make more money on labor and they can get onto the next job quicker. It’s easy to think it’s wasteful when the old rotors could in reality be turned, but on the other hand, maybe it’s good for the economy. Shops make more money and parts stores make more money too. And the old rotors don’t end up polluting a landfill; they’re one of a scrapper’s favorite metals.
They provide a source of income for scrappers and metal-salvage yards. Some shops save them and haul them in for scrap themselves. It’s good pizza money for the shop … or perhaps a cold beverage of sorts.
When and Why
Technically speaking, any brake rotor only needs replaced when it can no longer be resurfaced and remain at or above the minimum thickness specification. In the real world, as you can see, this really only holds true for hubbed rotors, which for the most part we only see on older cars and trucks. Resurfacing these rotors are the only ones we can justify, when you compare the expense of replacement.
However, even if a rotor can be turned from the standpoint of thickness, there still are two other factors that can deem it scrap instead. One is cracks that occasionally result from the continuous heat-and-cooling cycle of a rotor. If a rotor is cracked, it should be replaced. The other is hot spots, which occur when rotors aren’t broken in properly. Pad material is deposited unevenly on the rotor, and these spots cannot dissipate heat properly, causing brake vibration.
Hot spots are easily identified by an obvious discoloration on the surface of the rotor. In some cases, these can be removed by resurfacing the rotor.
Selling Your Customer
Your customer probably just wants a quick answer about replacement. Here’s an easy approach: Due to the critical importance of breaking in new pads, which relies on the surface of the rotor, any time you’re replacing pads, the rotors should be replaced as well – unless it makes economic sense to turn them. And that’s the key. With any rotor problems, unless it makes economic sense to resurface, replace them. As with any brake work, don’t forget to make sure caliper and pad slides are clean and working properly, and always torque those wheels.
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By NAPA
If you drive a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, you can think of the battery like your vehicle’s beating heart. The battery cables act like arteries running a current to the alternator, which powers electronic systems such as the ignition system, the ECM (Electronic Control Module) and the lighting system.
Bad Battery Cable Symptoms
Just like in other areas of your vehicle, the components of your battery system will wear out and fail over time. Symptoms of worn or frayed battery cables are like that of a dying battery:
Dimming or flickering of interior lights or headlights Engine hesitation when starting Clicking noises If you notice a buildup of flaky white or blue crust around the top or sides of your battery, that’s corrosion. It’s a common problem caused by small amounts of escaping hydrogen gas or leaking electrolytes on the top of your battery or the battery cable terminals. Corrosion can develop on older batteries that were overcharged, undercharged or exposed to certain environmental factors.
The NAPA Network can show you how to replace battery cables in your car, as well as
link hidden, please login to view, your link hidden, please login to view, your link hidden, please login to view and—depending on the extent of the damage—your battery tray and link hidden, please login to view. If you determine your battery has good voltage by using a link hidden, please login to view and doesn’t need replacing, then it’s time to check your link hidden, please login to view. Start at the cable terminals attached to the battery posts. Inspect both the positive and negative cables for fraying, knicks and splits. If you see anything that doesn’t look right, it’s time to replace the cables.
Replacing Battery Cables
Just like any good at-home automotive repair, you should start with all your tools ready to go, as well as safety equipment such as
link hidden, please login to view and link hidden, please login to view. Replacing battery cables is straightforward, and you’ll need the following: link hidden, please login to view A Socket Wrench link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view Step 1 – Using the screwdriver or socket wrench, gently disconnect the battery terminals from the battery posts—starting with the negative cable—then disconnect the positive to avoid shorting and potential danger. Trace the path of the negative cable to the chassis, then trace the positive cable to the fuse box. Make sure to take a picture or otherwise note the course so you can route the new cables correctly.
Step 2 – Use the ratchet to loosen the negative ground nut, then remove the nut that holds the positive cable to the fuse block. Inspect these for corrosion and damage and replace them if the metal is soft or the threading is deteriorated. Inspect the terminal posts on top of the battery and use a
link hidden, please login to view to remove any corrosion. Step 3 – Install the new cables starting with the negative. Reattach the negative ground nut to the chassis and the nut that holds the positive cable to the fuse block. Make sure the nuts are tight and snug.
Step 4 – Route the cables the way you originally found them and connect the terminal ends to the clean battery posts starting with the positive cable, then the negative cable.
Step 5 – Start your vehicle and ensure the electrical systems work properly.
Removing corrosion, cleaning your battery terminals and replacing worn battery cables is a part of routine vehicle battery maintenance that most at-home mechanics can do. However, this job involves the electrical system of your vehicle, so if you don’t feel comfortable doing the replacement yourself or can’t find the time, we are here to help. Just find a friendly local
link hidden, please login to view near you, and one of our ASE-certified technicians will replace the battery cables in your vehicle for you. We can even help you with an link hidden, please login to view to help you budget for your repairs and get you back on the road in no time! Photo courtesy of
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By Counterman
JKF Americas Inc, a subsidiary of JK Fenner (India) Ltd., has introduced its extensive Top Drive line of power-transmission products to the North, Central and South American markets.
The launch of the Top Drive brand is especially timely for businesses that have seen delays and shortages in the supply chain, within the context of the emerging sourcing model across the world, the company noted.
“The parent company has been at the forefront of nearly every advancement in drive belts and power-transmission products for decades, serving industries around the globe,” said Mohan Seshadri, business head – industrial and automotive products & exports. “The company and brand are aligned to deliver quality, performance and value that customers demand.”
Top Drive industrial power-transmission products include:
Belts – Classical V belts, wrapped belts, raw-edge cogged belts, poly-V belts, banded belts, synchronous belts, harvester belts and specialty belts V cool pulleys, couplings and SMSR Hydraulic and industrial hoses The Top Drive automotive-product line will debut at the AAPEX Show (Booth A33001) and includes:
Belts – Poly-V belts, stretch poly-V belts, double sided poly-V belts, raw edge cog belts Hoses – Radiator, air intake, branched, silicon, fuel Auto tensioners For more information, call 919-922-8794, email [email protected] or visit
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