Sunroof wont close

janwolff79 · Post by **janwolff79** » 19 Jun 2010, 12:02

Hi please could someone help me my sunroof wont close ive checked for any debris there is none it closes about 2" and then opens again It might rain soon.

Post by **JimBee** » 19 Jun 2010, 16:52

This is not a fix, but if I had the situation and saw rain coming, I'd round up a piece of 4 mil plastic or some waterproof sheet material (Menards), get it over the roof, drape it inside the doors and close them to hold it. If it has been working and is suddenly only partially working, I"d be looking at the motor—assuming all the linkage seems in tact and isn't jamming. You could have a broken link in the cam part that rides up in a track along the sides. That would probably cause a stoppage. Or those sliding parts might be binding.

Edit: also check to see if the motor mounting screws are tight and the motor gear isn't slipping. You'd probably hear it if it were. You can snap out the lenses over your reading lights and remove two small screws to drop that panel so you can watch the motor operate.

powersct · Post by **powersct** » 19 Jun 2010, 17:45

Had this problem on a friends '97 850 wagon recently. Turned out to be broken pieces on the right track. Was able to get the entire assy. from Tom's foreign for $75...pull the headliner, 6-8 bolts and you're done.

peacock · Post by **peacock** » 19 Jun 2010, 18:38

powersct wrote:Had this problem on a friends '97 850 wagon recently. Turned out to be broken pieces on the right track. Was able to get the entire assy. from Tom's foreign for $75...pull the headliner, 6-8 bolts and you're done.

how hard is a new headliner to put on

powersct · Post by **powersct** » 19 Jun 2010, 18:56

Wasn't bad at all- pull all the grab bars, the panel in the front middle (lights), the visors, all the plastic from the A and B pillars (and surrounds) pull it forward slightly and it drops. I didn't have to take it all the way out, but in the wagon it would have pulled right out the back- I suspect on a sedan you would have some contortions to get it fully out...

Post by **JimBee** » 19 Jun 2010, 20:23

powersct wrote:Wasn't bad at all- pull all the grab bars, the panel in the front middle (lights), the visors, all the plastic from the A and B pillars (and surrounds) pull it forward slightly and it drops. I didn't have to take it all the way out, but in the wagon it would have pulled right out the back- I suspect on a sedan you would have some contortions to get it fully out...

Well, I've done it and it's not a trivial project. Removing all the trim without breaking it is challenging if you don't know how. Before you attempt that, you can pull off the black plastic covers that are over the linkage. Those slip back, I think. I had to drill a quarter inch hole in the middle of mine, insert a pointed tool ( I used a needle nose pliers) and hit them toward the back with a hammer to release the cover from the clip that holds it. With them off, you can see the linkage. To get further into it, you can remove 4 screws and take out the glass. I'm not sure about operating the motor with the glass out. You'd be able to see what's happening with the linkage. Then, with the glass out, open the door, you can stand up there and see everything that's going on with the linkage. That's a good time to clean and lube it. Silicone might be good. Those areas pick up quite a bit of atmospheric dirt, twigs, whatever. You won't need to drop the whole panel to any of that.

If the cable drives that get motor rotation to the linkage are locking up, then you might want to hunt for another panel and replace the whole thing. They're probably o.k. if the glass runs back and forth most of the way. You could also put a little light lube on the motor and worm gears at the motor ends of the cable.

powersct · Post by **powersct** » 19 Jun 2010, 20:36

Not disagreeing with what you have said; however, the symptoms described are exactly what I had. As it turns out, the right track was shot. As I recall, you have to be able to close it fully to get it into the vent position to remove the glass- which is impossible if it won't close...

Post by **JimBee** » 20 Jun 2010, 11:13

Mine was stuck in a fully forward but down in back position. Linkage was broken on right side. I actually did replace the whole panel but made the mistake of pulling the drive motor to make it lighter and lube the gears THEN couldn't seat the motor back in because everything was too tight. I need to drop the panel again I guess and flip in upside down to work on it.

As for the side trim covers over the linkage, if they can be slid back an inch, then grabbed with pliers they can be pulled out. I'd try that first.

In Janwolff79's case, I wonder if the motor is reversing. I thought I understood exactly what it was doing, now not so sure.