Stevespn123

I had my car in today for a noise coming from cam cover. My mechanic looked at it and told me the person who did timeing belt change, 6k ago, but a 944S tension roller in, instead of the regular 8 valve 944 tension roller. As a consequence, the timing belt is coming off the sprocket a bit and needs to be replaced. HAS ANY EVERY HEARD OR HAD THIS PROBLEM?

Also, I strippped the gears on the sunroof. How much is usual parts and labor to fix this problem?

Thanks

IceWater

About the sunroof, the parts cost almost nothing but its a fairly time consuming job. I had two estimates both around $320. Definitely find a place that has done the repair before or they will probably screw it up. Or you could do it yourself, there is a good description at the Pelican Parts website.

Good luck.
Tom

Adam Richman

Do it yourself, I costs around 30 bucks for the gears.

Gord

If the teeths have been stripped, then its approx. $3.00 for the plastic gear and 15 minutes labour. Check the archives for instructions.

Gord 88' 944 S

Dan in Pasadena

Just got my '87 944 and haven't had the sunroof off. I hate to sound stupid but the two times I've tried it felt like I was going to break something so I didn't push it. Care to advise this amateur how to take off the sunroof? I know, how stupid can you be, huh? While I'm at it, the sunroof works perfectly and I want it to stay that way. Any lubricant suggestions or is the spray silicone or white lithium I was planning on using okay? Dan

PSUice944

Dan,
If it's making horrible grinding type sounds YET still moving the roof, all should be ok! That grinding is the "clutch" working... like that means, no stripped gears to replace (I was once in your shoes).

Ok, for removal, turn the key to the first accesory notch, press the switch to open, undo the front latches, and the lifter arms should have retracted. You lift the rear and slide backwards off of the wind deflector, careful not to break the front latches in your manuvering. If this doesn't work, then the limit switches in the rear mechanism are out of adjustment and I don't have the experience to help you there.

You mention painful sounds, I got those when trying to "vent" the roof. This is also tied to limit switches. The easiest to tinker with, and also in my situation, was the front center switch (under the upward hooking metal piece on the sunroof itself). It would sound as if its stripping gears, making all kinds of racket. Turns out that it was still trying to open the panel... so some allen key adjustment, or the occasional tug down on that metal piece, and the grinding stops.

Hope this helps, these sunroofs with all their gears and switches are a bit of a PITA

Gord

Here is the link below:

Goto the 944 Garage Shop Manual and select # Body-04 (Sunroof-plastic gear replacement)


944 Garage

Dan in Pasadena

Chris,
Thanks for the reply but my posting must have been confusing. The sunroof works great. No noise, no grinding, nothing. I just don't know how to remove it on a nice day! I have raised the rear of it with the motor and un fastened the latches but after that, what? If I try to disengage the lifting arms manually it feels like I'm going to break something, so I have stopped trying. Am I an idiot or what? Are these lifting amrs supposed to disengage by themselves in some way that I'm not getting? I'm sure this is a LOT easier than I'm making it. Ordinarily I can manage to chew gum and walk, not to mention rebuild engines at the same time. But for some reason I've got a mental incapacity to remove a 944 sunroof and I'm more than a little annoyed by this thing. Any help apprecited and try not to laugh too much over the idiot that can't take off his perfectly working sunroof!

PSUice944

Dan,

Well, lets try my second paragraph again with a little more clairification...
So basically, the roof doesn't "go up" when you do this, in actuality, the lifting "bars" retract from their notches in the sunroof, sliding into their housing (in effect, going reverse of the lifting direction). This releases the back portion of the roof, in which you, outside the car, push up on the rear of the sunroof as it is no longer attached. Then, releasing the front latches, and sliding the roof backwards... and viola, toss the top into the rear deck and enjoy your convertable!

Now, if the rear doesn't release from the lifting pins after turning the key to the accessory switch and pressing the roof switch, then you indeed have a problem with the system that surpasses my available knowledge! listen for sounds of the mechanism doing something

It is a goofy mechanism/procedure, so don't feel bad for being confused, it took me a while (w/o instructions)

PS, to put it back on, get it all in place, but you then have to put the roof to "vent" and then close normally (with the key in the "on" position), this is to engage the lifting pins in a latched and locked position.

HTH

Gord

Dan,

If the above instructions didn't help then the lifting bars has to be removed and properly aligned. The whole procedure will only take 30 minutes.

1. Make sure the sunroof button depressed is at the lowest (closed) position, it should automatically stop

2. Remove the upper back headliner

3. Remove the cover to the gear box, the lifting bar should drop out or in your case still held in place within the groove of the sunroof ( good time to check if the teeth of the plastic gears need replacing)

4. Realign the lifting bar so it does not make contact with the sunroof.

5. Reassemble

Now this is the open position of the sunroof, to lock, depress button so the lifting bar makes contact with the sunroof, to vent, open fully.