Your solar sunroof experience
 

Installed sunroof today from German donor car and never noticed how the sunroof is actually working.

I assume if I just sit in the car with ignition off it should start working immediately. Is that correct?

Is it noticeable at all? What is your solar sunroof experience?

If it's sunny it works until you turn the ignition on.
Just get in the car and you should hear and feel the fans "wafting" quietly with a speed that varies with the suns power.

Does the HVAC need coding for it as well as the wiring, or is it just a relay?

Never coded anything :)

Installed relay that toggles blower motor feed between 'the sunroof' and 'the battery' depending on 'sunroof request' wire that is connected to HVAC unit.

I will check this week hopefully these is more sun.

Mine was fairly active yesterday when I went to get something from the car.
Is this an early or late model panel?

I notice that my FL S8 with the later panel is much "livelier" than my PF was with the earlier design.

As an aside, I had been wondering whether to fit a cutoff switch so that it only operates on days when I want it to, usually when out for the day and parked in the sun.
Would that be relatively easy and where/how would you do it, presumably in the control circuit?

I have late model panel with 4 courses of cells.

You can easily install switch that will simply cutoff the "+" wire from sunroof before it enters the relay. I'm going to install that switch later, but will use it to toggle between trickle charging mode and blower mode :)

You can hear mine running on a sunny day. A switch is a good idea, cos they're not so good when it's cold and damp (but sunny) as it tends to mist up the car a bit.

Mine is whispering away right now; 9am and sunny though only 3C so rather pointless.

If you're not convinced it's doing anything you could shut all bar one of the vents to try and increase the flow of air to that one vent?

Is that just a low-power control signal and would that be a good circuit for a switch? Where does it run?

The panels, even the later 4 panel version, dont make the fan run particularly fast.

In very strong sun light, you will hear it running. In not so bright sunlight it might not be obvious at all, however it will still be trickling a bit of airflow, which is the whole point.

For testing, if you remove the cover for the blower motor under the bonnet, it is often easier to see the blower motor turning, than trying to feel or hear it +++