Random Sunroof trouble

[geetarspaz]

Bad news via sunroof.

I made a video so it's easier to explain... It speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd9LNvlhLLY

[tiFreak]

you were saying earlier that you always have your sunroof popped right? it's possible something got inside the sunroof cassette and it's jamming against the panel. it must be up higher than it should be if it got scratched like that.

I have no idea how you would even be able to see in there unless you own a small boroscope though

[geetarspaz]

Yeah. Thanks man. This is going to be hard to troubleshoot

[hotmilk400]

Clearly, alot of junk is built up in the back.

When i first got my BMW, the sunroof had so much crap shoved in it that the whole thing broke.

looks like yours is on its way to breaking, so it would be a good idea to fix it before it does.

The tracks are not the issue.

It will be hard to get back there, but what i had to do was remove the sunroof panel. once it is removed, you can tilt it to one side, and all the stuff will slide out. (it might even be open on the top, i think you can just vacuum it out) I had about a handfull of leaves/seeds/ and a ton of other crap.


If you do not fix it, you will not only break the motor/gears, but worse, you could destory the rails on the inside.

what happened to mine is that the sunroof struggled like yours did. if you keep forcing it, it will break. the part that breaks is a Metal to Plastic rod that connects the motor to the platic sunroof tray. (hard to explain without pictures, but the part is right above the driver side mirrors behind the headliner)

if that part breaks, you basically have to buy an entire sunroof. mine broke, and the sunroof would not open or close fully. i got lucky and used about 4 bottles of epoxy (it is a serious mess up there, but 2 bottles did not work. we are talking ALOT of epoxy)

anyway, the motor also sounds like it is struggling, so best to take your sunroof apart and fix it before it is to late.

It is not to hard. if you remove the headliner, the sunroof is just bolted on the ceiling. you can do it all yourself, but trust me, it is ALOT easier with 2 people (since you need to hold up a 50lb sun roof with your head and feet while you lay on your back and use your hands to re-bolt it back in)

haha, i did it about 6 times now. not to hard after the 2nd time. i got it down to a quick science.

Hopefully those rods (that connect to the plastic sunroof frame) did not break yet. mine made that crazy sound when they broke, but it could also just be the motor's gears clicking since it is stuck on something.


if worse comes to worse, i have 2 spare 98 sunroof panels with motors. you would only need to swap the red panel with the black i have.

I think there should be a how-to on here about removing the sunroof/headliners.
If not, let me know. i can make a video/write up for everyone after this week. I have a parts car just waiting to be torn apart. =]


Best of luck. - mike

[geetarspaz]

Holy **** thanks mike! A lot! Now let me reread that a few times.

I'll try this out tomorrow ASAP.

[hotmilk400]

sorry if it is hard to follow. just hit me up with questions if you have any later.

Basically, if you remove the sunroof, you should be able to remove the massive amount of junk that builds up in the back of the panel that gets compressed every time you open/close it.

not hard, does take a long time, but just be careful not to lose or break anything. hence, 2 people makes it easier your first time.

[geetarspaz]

Thanks to Mike's help and me probably annoying the hell out of him through messaging, I managed to take my headliner off, removed the sunroof, found a quarter and lots of dirt in the back tracks, and put it back on so it at least opens and closes now. It doesn't pop up still, but at least it opens and closes a lot better than it did before. Still struggles here and there, but I'm happy it at least closes now. Here's a video update of what it looks and sounds like now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z26wTazq5c8

[teetime4one]

i bought parts for my cars sunroof recently. i went to install them and found that i needed the sliding clips at the front of the tracks. but, the lifting arms are 3/4 or more back and i can't seem to move them and the cross rail forward to insert them into the track.
has anyone ever figured this out?
i think i can get the front clips in the rail without any problems...it's just those lifting arm deals that want to fight me.
what do you guys suggest?
TIA
NOTE: it'd be easier for me to fix if i took it all apart myself. but Cindy and Eric took it apart in order to get the parts. that was back in 2009.

[geetarspaz]

here's the reason. FIRST, i found a quarter in the back track months back..

now a few months later coming back to this project, i find a NICKEL!

[teetime4one]

that's crazy! it only took 30 cents to screw up your entire system.
i got all of the parts installed in my sunroof.
if you need help...send me a PM.
right on

[geetarspaz]

thanks. working on it now! going to put it back together since my car doesn't live in a garage and will order the parts tonight.

looks like i just need #12
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...90&hg=54&fg=05

[teetime4one]

sweet...part #12 is the easy one to install.
part #13 is the one that gave me problems.
i ended up cranking the motor until the whole assembly moved to the front and could be removed through the slots.

[geetarspaz]

Hey man. I've got it to pop up and open and close fine now! Only problem, the sunroof sits a little high in the front .

[teetime4one]

there is a bar the you adjust. it bolts to the underside of the panel. you'll need to remove the cloth from inside...then you'll see it. it's about 1.5 inches wide and runs the length of the panel (side to side).
it had two nuts that you loosen and slide the blocks that are attached to the bar. re-tighten the nuts when you have it sitting where you want it. get out and look it over...adjust again if needed.

[teetime4one]

http://www.bimmerdiy.com/diy/e36sunroof/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVo1AuBdmzM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk2wv0Jc8cU