Sunroof/inside roof catch-22
08-05-2005, 08:28 PM
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Sunroof/inside roof catch-22
Recently my sunroof decided that the left side wasn't going to open any more, which also prevents the right side from going very far.
I've been able to diagnose it down to the toothed cable that the sunroof motor engages. Basically the cable doesn't move at all on the left side.
My problem is this, the sunroof is totally stuck in place, it can not be opened. My efforts to try to remove the interior roof to get a better handle on the problem are at a standstill because I can't remove the part of the roof that holds the center to the sunroof opening.
All my experiences working on the car have taught me that there is almost always an "easy" way to take things apart in the car, but I have yet to figure out how to get at the sunroof rails and cables to replace them without actually damaging the interior roof. I've also spent a fair amount of time looking through the WSM but I haven't been able to find any procedures for removing the roof.
Thanks in advance for any help!
I've been able to diagnose it down to the toothed cable that the sunroof motor engages. Basically the cable doesn't move at all on the left side.
My problem is this, the sunroof is totally stuck in place, it can not be opened. My efforts to try to remove the interior roof to get a better handle on the problem are at a standstill because I can't remove the part of the roof that holds the center to the sunroof opening.
All my experiences working on the car have taught me that there is almost always an "easy" way to take things apart in the car, but I have yet to figure out how to get at the sunroof rails and cables to replace them without actually damaging the interior roof. I've also spent a fair amount of time looking through the WSM but I haven't been able to find any procedures for removing the roof.
Thanks in advance for any help!
08-05-2005, 08:35 PM
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If you take out the sunroof motor and transmission, the cables are exposed inside the guide tube.
You should be able to push the panel forward or back by hand then.
You should be able to push the panel forward or back by hand then.
08-06-2005, 02:09 AM
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I can see the toothed cable inside the metal tubing that houses them under the sunroof motor area. One of the cables is seized, one is not. With the cable siezed inside the tube, I can't move the sunroof.
This is why I've been looking at removing the inside roof to be able to have access to the cables etc. and try to either replace or unsieze it. However, this looks to be impossible so far without damaging the interior roof so I must be going at this wrong.
Thanks for the reply though.
This is why I've been looking at removing the inside roof to be able to have access to the cables etc. and try to either replace or unsieze it. However, this looks to be impossible so far without damaging the interior roof so I must be going at this wrong.
Thanks for the reply though.
08-06-2005, 05:05 PM
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Blue-87Shark Wrote:
"I can see the toothed cable inside the metal tubing that houses them under the sunroof motor area. One of the cables is seized, one is not. With the cable siezed inside the tube, I can't move the sunroof."
"This is why I've been looking at removing the inside roof to be able to have access to the cables etc. and try to either replace or unsieze it. However, this looks to be impossible so far without damaging the interior roof so I must be going at this wrong."
One of these threads might help.
http://www.nichols.nu/cgi-sys/entrop...mplate=default
My visualization is deficient. Is it cocked sideways and jammed? Could that mimic a seized cable? If so, I'd be thinking about using a softwood 2x2 and a small hammer for judicious tapping and straightening.
Good luck.
"I can see the toothed cable inside the metal tubing that houses them under the sunroof motor area. One of the cables is seized, one is not. With the cable siezed inside the tube, I can't move the sunroof."
"This is why I've been looking at removing the inside roof to be able to have access to the cables etc. and try to either replace or unsieze it. However, this looks to be impossible so far without damaging the interior roof so I must be going at this wrong."
One of these threads might help.
http://www.nichols.nu/cgi-sys/entrop...mplate=default
My visualization is deficient. Is it cocked sideways and jammed? Could that mimic a seized cable? If so, I'd be thinking about using a softwood 2x2 and a small hammer for judicious tapping and straightening.
Good luck.
08-08-2005, 06:51 PM
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Thanks for the links fogey, they helped verify that the way I thought it was supposed to come off is in fact the right way. However, it seems that in all the threads I've read, everyone was able to open their sunroof to some extent to gain access from the top.
This thread seemed to be the closest to what I'm experiencing, but again, he seems to be able to get access through the open sunroof.
http://nichols.nu/tip786.htm
As far as the siezed cable goes, it's a symptom. The cable could be siezed or the left side of the sunroof could be catching on something, I don't know. This seems to be an area that the WSM are kind of lacking in.
This thread seemed to be the closest to what I'm experiencing, but again, he seems to be able to get access through the open sunroof.
http://nichols.nu/tip786.htm
As far as the siezed cable goes, it's a symptom. The cable could be siezed or the left side of the sunroof could be catching on something, I don't know. This seems to be an area that the WSM are kind of lacking in.
08-11-2005, 07:16 PM
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I thought I would post a reply with the final results of this little problem should someone else be as unfortunate as well.
It seems that a small grain of sand managed to get stuck in between one of the cable "coils" or teeth at some point. After the sunroof was close it managed to jam the cable inside the metal tubing and forced the sunroof to stay closed.
The fix was a lot of manual encouragement on the metal tubing and lots and lots of oil.
Being at the position now where all I need to do to fix this is to replace the cable, I can honestly say with some confidence that if the cable had remained siezed the only way to fix it would have been to undo the rear interior cover and metal guide tubing and then physically cut the cable and manually push the sunroof back to expose the sunroof rails. With the sunroof stuck in place, there is really no way to remove or get access to the sunroof area or even to remove the interior roof.
Hope someone else finds this of some use.
Cheers!
It seems that a small grain of sand managed to get stuck in between one of the cable "coils" or teeth at some point. After the sunroof was close it managed to jam the cable inside the metal tubing and forced the sunroof to stay closed.
The fix was a lot of manual encouragement on the metal tubing and lots and lots of oil.
Being at the position now where all I need to do to fix this is to replace the cable, I can honestly say with some confidence that if the cable had remained siezed the only way to fix it would have been to undo the rear interior cover and metal guide tubing and then physically cut the cable and manually push the sunroof back to expose the sunroof rails. With the sunroof stuck in place, there is really no way to remove or get access to the sunroof area or even to remove the interior roof.
Hope someone else finds this of some use.
Cheers!