Strange sunroof gremlin
#1
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Fuse 24 Assassin
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Now this is an odd one to deal with. My dad took the 928 to work this morning and came back home only to tell me that the sunroof had got stuck closing. It had opened fine and when he tried the switch to close it, the sunroof didn't move at all. We checked the switch...hmmm all wires were there where they belong. clicked it, no power going to the motor, yet all connections were made correctly to the main sunroof motor mechanism itself.
So I decide to manually close the sunroof. Unfortunately since my car didn't come with the manual sunroof crank I was gonna do it with a flathead screwdriver trying to get off the screw on the main drive mechanism. My dad tries the key again and "WTF, it closed?" Yup. The sunroof had closed perfectly normal, a little stressed but normal?
Anyone had this happened to them? Could it be a faulty switch or somewhere along the lines of a bad sunroof motor?
This one is mind boggling. The fuse and relay appeared to be fine when I cracked open the case.
Andy
So I decide to manually close the sunroof. Unfortunately since my car didn't come with the manual sunroof crank I was gonna do it with a flathead screwdriver trying to get off the screw on the main drive mechanism. My dad tries the key again and "WTF, it closed?" Yup. The sunroof had closed perfectly normal, a little stressed but normal?
Anyone had this happened to them? Could it be a faulty switch or somewhere along the lines of a bad sunroof motor?
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Andy
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Hmmmm....
I'm still not sure if "THAT SCREW" was the fabled tension screw for the
'clutch' tension between motor and sunroof transmission -GURU's?-, but,
a quick test would be to loosen said screw and see if it opens and closes.
What's a few minutes to find the TRUTH?
The other -and more common- problem is the switch will at times decide to start rubbing on the AFT side of the console trim. A little filing/sanding on either or both pieces seems to cure the problem.
If you have the old style Euro -ceramic & external copper fuse element - fuses and the element is looking a little thin you might want to replace it.
Let us know what you find!
I'm still not sure if "THAT SCREW" was the fabled tension screw for the
'clutch' tension between motor and sunroof transmission -GURU's?-, but,
a quick test would be to loosen said screw and see if it opens and closes.
What's a few minutes to find the TRUTH?
The other -and more common- problem is the switch will at times decide to start rubbing on the AFT side of the console trim. A little filing/sanding on either or both pieces seems to cure the problem.
If you have the old style Euro -ceramic & external copper fuse element - fuses and the element is looking a little thin you might want to replace it.
Let us know what you find!
#3
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Occasionally, my switches don't produce any response. I push and push and wiggle and jiggle and nothing. Then I simply take a small blade screwdriver and pry the switch from below to lift it higher in its seat. Instant response.
I think you can push it so hard that it gets shoved down into the seat and won't "throw" sufficiently to send power to the circuit. It usually happens with my passenger window. Anyway, that works for me, and is easier than taking them apart, which takes me a long time and gripes me no end.
I think you can push it so hard that it gets shoved down into the seat and won't "throw" sufficiently to send power to the circuit. It usually happens with my passenger window. Anyway, that works for me, and is easier than taking them apart, which takes me a long time and gripes me no end.
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#4
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taking the switch out probably did also contribute to a response, all I know is that I'm not touching that sunroof switch with a 10-foot pole for the sake of not paying my mechanic to trouble shoot an electrical issue :bangead:
Andy
Andy
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Had my 86.5 do a similar thing when I was test driving to buy. I think that it may have been a switch thing , but I also have a theory that there is a thermal overload in the motor, when it heats up it opens the connection and no movement happens. So, I think when I openned the roof the switch continued to try and open, eventually tripping the o/l. Then after releasing the open signal on the sticky switch the o/l reset after a reasonable cooling time we get a closing sunroof. I have used contact cleaner on the switch and worked it back and forth and in the last 3 years have not had a repeat performance. WHEW !!!!
Richard
Richard
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i have the same prob with my 86.5. im looking into my switch now. have not used any contact cleaner yet. my sunroof opens but sometimes does not close. i also dont have the manual crank so i took off the screw then manually pushed the sunroof closed with my hand. to get it up to its final positon i turned the rubber piece until the sunroof was fully closed.im further investigating this prob i will let you know what i find. good luck - if you find an answer let me know as well.
v-tach
1986.5 928 5sp
v-tach
1986.5 928 5sp
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i was looking into my sunroof switch. cleaned it with some contact cleaner that i purchased from radio shack. the switch pretty much worked the same. easy to open the sunroof but slow to close, sometimes not working at all. other times only closing when i push real hard on the switch. after some time i noticed some light smoke from that switch and then it stopped working entirly open or close i have to check my fuse which i have not done yet - but im now looking into what someone said about overload. any thoughts ?
v-t
1986.6 928
v-t
1986.6 928
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#8
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V-TACH:
Read my previous post, and then be certain that you are not pushing the switch too hard which will drive it further into its receptacle. At that point it becomes difficult to make contact and you will keep pushing harder and so on and so on. Take the switch out and re-insert it lightly so that you get full distance with light touch and then don't push it hard again. If you must push hard, something else is wrong and you won't make it any better by hard actuation.
Read my previous post, and then be certain that you are not pushing the switch too hard which will drive it further into its receptacle. At that point it becomes difficult to make contact and you will keep pushing harder and so on and so on. Take the switch out and re-insert it lightly so that you get full distance with light touch and then don't push it hard again. If you must push hard, something else is wrong and you won't make it any better by hard actuation.