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I don't know what I am doing wrong or is there a specific procedure to re-install the transmission?
Problem: Sunroof refused to open this spring. First time in 22 years since I owned the car.
I read as much as I could and started with using the hand crank to open it.
It opened the sunroof effortlessly, i.e. no binding (I had cleaned the tracks about 5 years ago).
Next I removed the motor and transmission and when bench tested the motor ran and sounded strong but the
gear on the transmission did not rotate.
Fast forward to yesterday and my used transmission arrived from Arizona.
First I bench tested the new one and the motor operated the gear smoothly.
This morning I re-installed both and with the PS switch it only opens the sunroof about 1/2".
I hand cranked it again and it opened and closed the sunroof effortlessly again, meaning that the gear was properly installed into the two halves of the worm like thinghy (see pic below). Or is it?
I had removed the motor and trans with the sunroof fully closed and re-installed it that way.
Does it matter?
What am I not doing or doing wrong?
I am trying to not strip the gear or cause undue stress on the new transmission.
Please and thanks
Last edited by Koenig-Specials 928; 06-30-2020 at 01:04 PM.
Reason: corrections
I just got the sunroof working in my project 87 S4. I had the trans out while I worked on the sunroof. When I was ready to put it back in, I located the cables at the same starting position but when I put the trans in and the gear settled into the cables, the right cable would be 1 tooth further back than the left. This could cause the sunroof to pull to one side and stick. So I started with the right side slightly ahead of the left and when I got the trans back in, the right side had evened up with the left.
My experience is that the screw in the centre of the 'transmission' (the one you remove to use the sunroof tool) need to be very tight otherwise there will not be enough torque increase when the panel is fully open or shut to turn the motor off.
My experience is that the screw in the centre of the 'transmission' (the one you remove to use the sunroof tool) need to be very tight otherwise there will not be enough torque increase when the panel is fully open or shut to turn the motor off.
My 1990 S4 does appear to have an 'auto-off'.
If I press and release the button it opens all the way back. Once it gets to the fully open state the motor runs for 0.5s and then turns off. If the screw is not tight the motor continues to run and I need to press the button again to turn it off.
Different case when closing my sunroof as the button needs to be held down for it to close to the desired location or fully. If I hold the button down until after the sunroof is fully closed then the motor shuts off as per above.
Additionally, if I use the key in the lock to close the sunroof and windows in sequence then the sunroof motor turns off once closing is complete before it starts closing a window, without having to release the key.
YMMV
My 1990 S4 does appear to have an 'auto-off'.
If I press and release the button it opens all the way back. Once it gets to the fully open state the motor runs for 0.5s and then turns off. If the screw is not tight the motor continues to run and I need to press the button again to turn it off.
Different case when closing my sunroof as the button needs to be held down for it to close to the desired location or fully. If I hold the button down until after the sunroof is fully closed then the motor shuts off as per above.
Additionally, if I use the key in the lock to close the sunroof and windows in sequence then the sunroof motor turns off once closing is complete before it starts closing a window, without having to release the key.
YMMV
My experience is that the screw in the centre of the 'transmission' (the one you remove to use the sunroof tool) need to be very tight otherwise there will not be enough torque increase when the panel is fully open or shut to turn the motor off.
The screw in mine is so tight I've never been able to remove it to test the manual operation! Motor operation is fine and even faster since I referred entire mechanism. Motor also shuts off after running on for very short time after opening.
The screw in mine is so tight I've never been able to remove it to test the manual operation! Motor operation is fine and even faster since I referred entire mechanism. Motor also shuts off after running on for very short time after opening.
I took the trans out and put it between two 2X4s so the gear wasn't touching anything. Soaked the screw with aerokroil, then gave it a few smacks with one of those screw drivers that twists counter clock wise when you strike it with a hammer. Used medium blows. It came loose and then worked fine with the sunroof tool.
YMMV
The screw in mine is so tight I've never been able to remove it to test the manual operation! Motor operation is fine and even faster since I referred entire mechanism. Motor also shuts off after running on for very short time after opening.
There is a thermal breaker in the window/hatch motor if the button sticks in all of em, not sure now if auto off is a non-us feature or not.
06-30-2020, 12:57 PM
Sunroof motor & Transmission install help needed
