Sunroof stuck in a closed position

[ficho]

Hi, I have a 1987 W124 that has a sunroof problem, The sunroof won't open or tilt but can be moved up and down by hand. When i drive the sunroof tilts down in one corner because of vibrations. The motor seems to be working and i figured that i need to change the mechanism. I don't know how to disassemble the sunroof or remove the sunshade while it's closed because all tutorials that I have watched state that the sunroof need's to be opened to fix it.

My first question is do i need to remove the headlining on the car in order to fix it and will i be able to return it so that it is in original state, I am afraid that it will never be the same after removing.

Is there any other way to disassemble it that may be easier or better to do?

Does a kit from e-bay contain everything I need in order to fix that?


I would really appreciate your help with this problem because I love everything about that car and the sunroof is driving me crazy.

 

[gsxr]

You do not need to remove the entire headliner, but you DO need to remove the trim panel which attaches to the sunroof, to expose the mechanism and lift arms. Click here for a step-by-step repair guide.

If you cannot open the sunroof at all, this will complicate things significantly. See if you can manually operate the hex drive from the trunk in case the motor clutch is slipping (the plastic cap may break, if so rotate the metal piece below the cap). Be careful, don't force anything. To repair the sunroof mechanism, FIRST you need to determine what failed. You may not need new lift arms, but it's quite likely that your 1987 has the old (weaker) version and will need the new improved version lift arms.

The eBay kit is cheap offshore junk. If you do need new lift arms, only buy OE/Genuine parts... unless you want to repeat thid job when the cheap eBay parts break. New OE lift arms include all the pieces shown in your photo pre-installed, and are about $160 USD each from discount dealers in USA (sample vendor here). If you are located in Croatia, check the cost from European vendors.

 

[ficho]

Thank you for your answer, I am 100% sure that the mechanism is the problem since I already tested that. Can you explain to me the process of taking down the trim panel.

 

[r44raven]

You do not need to remove the entire headliner, but you DO need to remove the trim panel which attaches to the sunroof, to expose the mechanism and lift arms. Click here for a step-by-step repair guide.

If you use this link provided by gsxr, this provides you with full details on how to remove the sunroof trim, plus instructions on a full sunroof refurb.

 

[ficho]

If you use this link provided by gsxr, this provides you with full details on how to remove the sunroof trim, plus instructions on a full sunroof refurb.

Am I getting something wrong or does the tutorial state that I need to pull back the sunroof in order to take out the trim, my sunroof is stuck and it doesn’t move back at all even when assisted.

 

[r44raven]

Am I getting something wrong or does the tutorial state that I need to pull back the sunroof in order to take out the trim, my sunroof is stuck and it doesn’t move back at all even when assisted.

Ah, OK, sorry - should have read the details of your problems more carefully! Yes, the sunroof does need to be opened approx. 75% in order to remove the trim. I'm not sure where you can go from here as your roof is stuck shut. Maybe someone with more knowledge can chip in here?

 

[ficho]

Ah, OK, sorry - should have read the details of your problems more carefully! Yes, the sunroof does need to be opened approx. 75% in order to remove the trim. I'm not sure where you can go from here as your roof is stuck shut. Maybe someone with more knowledge can chip in here?

Yes, I was thinking I should try to pull it back by force but I think the end game is pulling the trim down and than just buyng a new one later.

 

[JC220]

Hi, I have a 1987 W124 that has a sunroof problem, The sunroof won't open or tilt but can be moved up and down by hand. When i drive the sunroof tilts down in one corner because of vibrations. The motor seems to be working and i figured that i need to change the mechanism. I don't know how to disassemble the sunroof or remove the sunshade while it's closed because all tutorials that I have watched state that the sunroof need's to be opened to fix it.

From memory I have removed the sunroof before in cars like this.

You have to manually press on the sunroof whilst a helper operates the switch and try to get it to move up fully at least. If you do that whilst it's very time consuming and awkward you should be able to access any and all nuts / bolts securing the sunroof lid.

 

[ficho]

From memory I have removed the sunroof before in cars like this.

You have to manually press on the sunroof whilst a helper operates the switch and try to get it to move up fully at least. If you do that whilst it's very time consuming and awkward you should be able to access any and all nuts / bolts securing the sunroof lid.

I think the only nuts you can acces by doing that are the ones that connect to the shoulders that go up/down, do you think that’s enough to take it off? Is there a possibility to unclip the trim and pull it back without pulling sunroof or does something prevent me from doing that?