Giantviper

My sunroof electrics is very intermitent (some times it works sometimes it does not). Any ideas on what might be the problem or how to solve it? I am nervouse one day i will take the roof out or open it and it will not close and would like to prevent it.

Let me explain in mor detail what is going on:

A few weeks ago i went and washed my car and on the ride back from the car wash (don't worry I only go to the do it urself wash bays) i put my roof tilted up and then it would not close. I was pushing the button on the center console the whole ride back and when i was pulling back in to my parking lot i finally got it to close.

Then today I went to Wegmans but it was so beautiful out in Ithaca that i had to take the roof out and went for a long joy ride before eventually making it to the food store. When i got back i went to put my roof back in place and the rear latches on the roof would not electricly go back into place. After turning the ignition on and off a few times (not the engine just the electrical power) and hitting both the button on the center console and the actuator on the roof (the one on the front middle where the roof hinges in place) many times i was able to get it to lactch the rof back in.

Thanks for all your help in advance.

75ohm

Check your limit switches on the motor itself... I found that were mine was screwed down became loose and the switches rotated on their mount. Good luck.

TheMAXX

It sounds like the contacts in the switch need to be cleaned and maybe even the relay contacts. If you are very careful you can take the switch (sunroof up/down switch) apart and clean it. The mating surfaces inside the switch need to be cleaned and smoothed out so there is good contact to minimize arcing. Just realize that there are little tinny parts in the switch and if you loose them or put them back in the wrong places the switch will not work properly.

Do you have any friends who are into electronics? I assume since you are asking this question that you aren’t. Have them come over with a continuity checker and pull out the switch and have them test it. If they know what they are doing with electronics they will be able to handle this in there sleep. If they don’t know what I am taking about then they don’t really know electronics. If I remember correctly there may be a contact diagram on the side of the switch.

Your other choice is a new switch. You may luck out with a used one but it may need to be cleaned also.

When I first got my car 2 of the 3 power window switches weren’t working all of the time. The previous owner had just had one of the window switches replaced by the dealer. I think the part alone cost him about $45 plus labor. The power window switches and the sunroof switch are very similar if not exactly alike. My sunroof switch was cracked so I picked up a used one. There used to be a Porsche dismantler near me, he has since move down south. I cleaned up all of the switches and they work fine now,

Or maybe your actuator in the middle is dirty. I have never pulled one of those out. I would try the console switch first. If that doesn’t work maybe a tinny bit of the proper contact cleaner sprayed into the middle actuator switch might be the next step.

When electronics or electrical stuff is intermittent it is almost always a contact (or connection) somewhere that isn’t making proper contact. This includes bad solder joints.

If you can’t guess I make my living with electronics. I am an Audio Engineer, mostly live sound. So really helps to know how things work and how to fix most of it if it doesn’t work.

Brian 944

What about the microswitch in the middle?

Sysgen

Check the one between the sun visors, that was the problem on mine and the symptoms were as you explain. The microswitch was stiff and would make contact only if I pressed hard on it. I eventualy bypassed it by soldering the wires together.

I`d bet that`s your problem.

Stephane

Dave in Chicago

Yup, that little switch in the middle tells the circuit that the sunroof is actually in the car and in place. Mine failed. Be careful, bloody little plastic bits that cover it break easily.

Brian 944

Yeah, IMO that is a very dangerous thing to do.

The Roof Switch is what prevents the roof panel from being opened when the engine is running.

It also makes it easier to close without having to "Burp" the switch.

Why didn't you just bend the tab up more or take the switch off and have a look.

Removal of the switch is easy. A Small Flat driver in the tab and it will pop off. One screw holds it in place.

Sysgen

I don't see it as a problem at all. To remove the roof I still need to turn off the engine and put the key in accessory mode, so no danger their, and I do not need to "burp" the switch like you say, not sure why you say that.

The switch really was defective and the small plastic pin that keeps the switch in place was broken, so I would have had to find that whole peice. I did not bother.

From Clark's Garage

"The mirco-switch is also present on later sunroof systems and functions as a backup to Limit Switch III. This micro-switch is one of the more common failure items on the sunroof. It will prevent the sunroof from operating electrically in the open direction. This means that it can prevent the sunroof from moving from the locked position to the open position OR from the released position to the locked position. However, it should NOT prevent the roof from operating in the closed direction."

Giantviper

Thanks fopr the help. Actually my dad is very good with electronics as he owns his own camera and stereo business and repairs both cameras and stereo systems. We actually did open up one of my window switches and clean up the contacts in it and it now works fine. I am currently in college and was curious what you guys thought the problem was. I think i will just not open the roof again until i get home after graduation in about 3 weeks. (fun as the weather is starting to get great in Ithaca but i will deal wth it)

Brian 944

Cool. I didn;t know that..