Sunroof issue.... common?

[Benfolio]

Well, I have read of a bunch of problems, so here's mine.

It tilts, it closes, but it will not slide open. I can hear the motor moving, but it don't go nowhere.

Possible broken cable?

How much of a PITA is it to dissasemble/diagnose/repair/replace it?

I have in the past avoided cars with sunroof like the plauge (except my '77 Firebord, that was cool. Undo the tilt handle and the front clips slide out and Boom! Instant hole in the roof to climb out of!) and if I had my choice I would leave it alone, as I will probably never use it anyways.

But just in case... what do ya think?

[Airgne]

well i do know you have to take out you headliner to get to most of the stuff. that would be at least a 3hr job if you have never done it before. also once you take it out it will never go in the same way or be the same. me i would be a lazy ass and have a dealer deal with it, but luckly i have famliy at a subi dealer that will do jobs at cost and not have to pay for labor.

[Benfolio]

Heh, it was in the 60's today and the sunroof was working. Didn't want to close the second time without help though.

Just gotta grease the track I guess.

Figures, one thing gets repaired and something else breaks.... CEL came on on the way home.

Back to the scan tool tomorrow!

[J-Rock!]

Yeah man like he said take it to the dealer ive done a few its not something you really want to do outside if its a wagon its not that bad just tedious and if its a sedan well good luck lol but yeah 3 hrs tops

[phung717]

i have the same problem with my BD, it opens, but not every time i want it to... it's weird... idk what is up with it... sometimes i'll try to open it and it won't work, try 30 mins later and it's fine... so on nice days, i never close my sunroof completely..

[GTDrifter]

mine does it too its its wet or too cold then i wont open...i figured that out myself lol

[GTDrifter]

and does anybody elses moonroof bounce up when you shut your door....i never noticed it before until the one bad wind storm ripped my moonroof open during the night...thank god it didnt rain

[gabsub018]

LOL....mine bounces too. My brother closed the passenger door when i got out and i noticed that it jumped up, then back down. And mine wasn't working when it was cold too. I wonder if thats normal. Next time it happens, im gonna shut the car off and then turn it on and try again. Or unplug the battery....maybe that'll help.....unless some of u already tried that.

[GTDrifter]

i think it doesnt work in cold or wet conditions...so nobody opens their moonroof with a lake on top of it and ruin the interrior

[Huffer]

The moonroof will move when you close the doors - if all your windows are closed, where does the air pressure release to? It's normal.

[gabsub018]

Ahh....true. I guess i should'nt worry anymore.

[phung717]

i had the same prob with my BD, it'll only open when it wants to... i figured out the other day if you stick your arm out the window to push down the glass while you trigger the open button... it should go right back... it's something to do with it not catching the guides or something.. hope that helps?

[GTDrifter]

no...im telling you its not broken or anything...i can sware its because of moisture...if its raining or the sunroof is fogged up then it wont open so you dont get the inside of your car wet...i can almost sware

[chuckthefuk]

i think it doesnt work in cold or wet conditions...so nobody opens their moonroof with a lake on top of it and ruin the interrior

nobody huuu... rain/slush/snow it opens.. dont ask why I'v opened it but I'v done it.

Sunroofs a sunroof. these are pre-2000 vehicle's they electronics are not intelligent. A pushbutton and a relay is all thats controlling your sunroof. If the sunroof wont retrackt then its one of two things.

1) The motor is shot.
2) The track is blocked.

-Chuck

[GTDrifter]

i think it doesnt work in cold or wet conditions...so nobody opens their moonroof with a lake on top of it and ruin the interrior

nobody huuu... rain/slush/snow it opens.. dont ask why I'v opened it but I'v done it.

Sunroofs a sunroof. these are pre-2000 vehicle's they electronics are not intelligent. A pushbutton and a relay is all thats controlling your sunroof. If the sunroof wont retrackt then its one of two things.

1) The motor is shot.
2) The track is blocked.

-Chuck

mine worked all summer but in the spring itll work during the day but not in the morning or night when it was fogged

[mrsankey]

...if you stick your arm out the window to push down the glass while you trigger the open button... it should go right back...

+1. I had the same problem and that fixed it right away. Just put your arm out the window and push down on the back of the glass and it should slide normally.

[LeggoMyLeggy]

Some aftermarket installaton companies offer maintenance and repair to stock sunroofs. They will clear the channels, water vent pipes, replace the seals and lube the tracks.

When my wife's Saturn had issues with leaking the dealer wanted to replace the whole thing for $1500. I took it to an aftermarket installation company and I spent less than $100.

[massdrewski]

mine was the same. 98LGT. If any kind of weight has pushed the roof ever so slightly down it will catch and it will not move while the motor is moving. Either that or something is blocking the track. These came Lubbed from the factory and 10+ years of use will loose its lubyness.