850 sunroof refurb?

[kcodyjr]

The rearward edge of the sunroof has been sitting low, and letting water collect in the sunroof tracks. It's like clockwork; if it rained the night before, my head will get a little wet when I start moving in reverse, and really wet at the first stop sign.

Last night I moved my headliner into the basement to facilitate sunroof repair and ECC harness replacement. I can't see any signs that rust has gotten started; actually I don't even see any signs water has been in there. It must have only been in the sunroof assembly itself.

I've also got to reattach the headliner to the sliding sunroof cover, but that's a whole different fiasco in the making.

Question is, what am I looking for with that trailing edge sitting low? A worn gear or cam? A bent track? Simply off the rails?

Is there a standardized refurb/rebuild kit (or even just instructions) floating around out there?

If not, this is something we should figure out now, as our 850's ain't getting any younger.

[Roadrunner]

Sound like you are having the same problem I am having but mine is leaking from the front. All I can say is I did see a posting on how to rebuild the sun roof on this site but I do not know what it is called. As for me I was thinking about just getting some rubber gasket sealler and seal it closed. For on my trackes I did see some heavy wear for the rig that the slide use to ride on is now worn flat. But if you do hear about a rebuild kit that is not cousting an arm or a leg let me know will you?
Thanks Frank

[kcodyjr]

Well, I found the rear edge problem. There's an adjustment; a 3rd pair of torx bolts, not coincidentally toward the rear, that support the trailing edge by some kind of cantilever arrangement. Loosen them, shove the glass upward, tighten. Similarly, there was a degree or two of play toward the front, you might be able to address that the same way.

The seal looks to me like it's getting worn but not yet torn, and they're $170 from swedishautoparts.com; I'm going to hit the thing with some silicone spray and see how long it lasts.

The other thing I'm going to do is disconnect the drain hoses and push some compressed air through them. By the looks of things, even if there is leakage around the glass, the water should be carried out those hoses and not onto the driver's head.

If I see a real rebuild kit I'll be sure to post it. The thought of sealing it shut just grinds my gears.

[TWMn]

Mine is doing the same thing. Sits low in back when closed after being open. Sits high in back when closed from the vent position. Dealer has informed me that the metal frame around the glass has rusted causing it not to seat properly. The rubber seal has also gotten hard around the outer edge. My fix will be replacing the glass and frame. You can find used sunroof panels for around $165-$175 from Erie and other used Volvo parts suppliers. I'll be looking for one from as late of a model as I can find, like a 2000 V70. Much better than trying to repair what's in there, which in my case, dates back to 1994.

[JimBee]

Mine was low at the back edge when I bought it. The linkage on one side was broken, so it couldn't finish its travel to fully closed.
The trim around the edge of the glass was also rusted.

I got a panel from the junk yard and just replaced it. At the local UPull's (Minneapolis area) they are about $35 -$40, I think (motor included).

I've done two so far. You have to cut the wires that power the visor lights to remove the visors. Cut them about mid-pillar so you can work on them easily when butt-splicing them back together.

The headliner is a pain but while you have it out you can clean it with a soft brush and clear glass cleaner with ammonia. Go easy with the spray. Just mist it. Then brush. Mine cleaned up well. Some of the original glue along the front edge of the liner was toast. I carefully scraped it out, cleaned the surfaces and stuck it back together with two sided carpet tape. It has held up well.

There are posts on this site to guide you through the whole process.

[vjaneczko]

It may be as simple as removing the glass, cleaning out the detritus that collects in the area, and spraying down some silicone lube. Keep the drain hoses clean and you should be OK.

Adjustment of the front & back ends of the glass is noted by Volvo to be within tenths of a millimeter when closed. I have no clue how they can get that precise since you can only adjust it when it's open.

[TWMn]

The linkage on one side was broken, so it couldn't finish its travel to fully closed.
The trim around the edge of the glass was also rusted.

Update, finally got to this. Replaced the glass panel and frame with a rust free one from Southern VoVo. Discovered broken linkage on left track. Have to look for more parts. So, do you have to drop the whole pan to replace the tracks? Looking for more instructions on rail and headliner removal and replacement.

[TWMn]

Well, I found the rear edge problem. There's an adjustment; a 3rd pair of torx bolts, not coincidentally toward the rear, that support the trailing edge by some kind of cantilever arrangement. Loosen them, shove the glass upward, tighten. Similarly, there was a degree or two of play toward the front, you might be able to address that the same way.

Question, did you have to loosen the other two pair of forward torx screws to adjust the rears? Or, did you just loosen the 3rd pair by themselves and adjust? Assume you do this with sunroof in closed position?