Sunroof Binding

[charlierh2]

Hey guys hanvt had time to be on the board much lately, but Ive been having issues with my sunroof and it finaly got so bad i cant open it.

 

The problem is that the rear edge of the sunroof is binding on the sheetmetal of the roof so it cant move down before it retracts. It will pop up fine and if I get out of the car and push on it i can get it to go down. So my question is has anyone ever adjusted one of these and if so can it be done without dropping the headliner. It looks like this problem has existed for a long time because the seal is totaly worn out. At least it doesnt leak i guess.

 

Its a 97 legacy lsi btw, Thanks Charlie

[Legacy777]

Is the roof pushed in at all?

 

Anyone else have any ideas?

[gbhrps]

In the last 2 months I've had my headliner down (02 OBW LTD) to track down a sunroof water leak. I took the headliner down myself, lots of work, but not rocket science. (I hate paying someone to do something I can do myself.) The dealership then, through a TSB, tracked down and sealed the leak, spider cracks in the paint of the sunroof opening of all things! I then reinstalled the headliner. My advice would be to see a dealer and discuss what they will have to do to readjust the mechanism. Then decide whether you want them to do it, for the money. When I had mine apart (2 sunroofs), it struck me that by loosening the side brackets that hold the entire assembly to the roof supports (each bracket, there were six or eight in my car, had a single bolt to the roof support but two bolts that held the bracket to the sunroof side rails, you might be able to slide the entire assembly towards the front of the car slightly, enough to cure your binding problem, but no guarantee. I can't say that it would work for certain, but I have a feeling that in your case it might just be possible. If you decide to let the dealership tackle it, remove the headliner yourself. After removing overhead light assemblies, grab handles, sunvisors, various push in plugs, undoing the seat belt anchors on the upper B pillar, and the A, B and C pillar mouldings, the headliner will drop down once you pull it down from the velcro fasteners that surround the sunroof opening itself. The only thing to be careful of on reassembly is to ensure that the pillar moulding clips and pins are aligned with the openings they snap into before you slap them into place. (Don't want to break any of them.) Good Luck! By the way, if you were to decide to replace that seal on the sunroof glass itself, be aware that in my car the seal is sandwiched between a metal frame that is glued to the glass. The only way to replace the seal would be to cut the sealant between the two to remove it, much like they do to install a new windshield. Not something for the average person to tackle!

[charlierh2]

Thanks for the help. I was hoping for a solution that didnt involve dropping the headliner, i wont have time for anything like that in the next month or so. Oh well ill keep playing with it and see if something works.

Thanks guys, Charlie

[brus brother]

I once had a problem with the internal shade on my double moonroof on 2000 Legacy GT. By standing on door sill, I was able to visualize the screen out of the track and persuade it back on the straight and narrow. If you haven't tried this vantage point, it might help.

At least it's not leaking??

[simbey1982]

How much is it binding?? wouldnt a thin layer of some non rubber eating grease work?? just a thought

[charlierh2]

i have thought about greasing it up any recommendations?

[cookie]

On BMWs silicone spray is often used.