sunroof not working on the 100 series (5 Viewers)

[Todom711]

hello everyone,


I just recently sold my FJ80 and looking to get back into the 100 series. I have noticed many of them on the sunroof not working as a common problem. Is there an easy fix to this? Or is this something that needs to be overhauled and costly? I know its a very minor part on the truck but I was curious.

 

[jLB]

Not uncommon.

It's usually due to rusty cables.

The parts cost usually isn't that bad, but the labor costs to get to to it, is the problem (the figures I've seen are ~$2000-3000 total at the dealer)

The DIY fix:
Sunroof disassembly

 

[Todom711]

Much obliged!

 

[gatormark91]

Headliner has to come down to get at the sunroof mechanism to replace the cable assembly. It is bulky, and you have to take out all of the upper interior trim panels. Once the headliner is down, then you disconnect the sliding mechanism, cables, cable tubes, etc., and replace what you need to, then put it back together. Nothing terribly complicated about it, but it will take time.

Once mine went wonky, I just pulled the connector to the switch in the overhead and forgot about the sunroof. Not worth the $400+ in parts and all the effort to me to fix it.

 

[NHouston]

Unfortunately the plastic cables and guide rails are just a bad design in these early 100 series cruisers. You are going to have to pull the headliner down to get to the sunroof assembly. The parts are really expensive and you have to know what you are doing. You can break a lot of clips and delicate parts here. Best option is to find someone near you that specializes in sunroof repair and have them do it with OEM parts. Be sure to do lots of research and check reviews online with the shops you find. I had it done in Houston for around $1200, so mine should be good for another 20 years. I would expect dealer to run 2-3x that price. After repair make sure you clean those tracks and lube them lightly with a white silicone grease each time you change your oil.

 

[Ayune]

Sunroof maintenance is a fair bit of work but it is do-able. I removed mine last summer and overhauled it. It was stuck in the tilted-up position and not operating very smoothly before it got stuck.

To replace the broken cable you'll need to remove the whole sunroof assembly. Remove some interior panels and the headliner to get the sunroof assembly out. See the attached "headliner removal" .pdf. You can skip steps 3-11, I found removing the lower trim panels unnecessary. Tip: Plan ahead where to put the headliner once you get it out because it's huge and you don't want to f it up. I hung mine on a wall while it was out.

Once the sunroof assembly is out you can overhaul all the moving parts and make it like new again. The slides and cables are probably gummed up with old dried up lube. See attached .pdf for help.

Unlikely that you'll break any actual tabs during removal but you'll need a set of trim pullers. It also helps to replace the snap clips so they hold nice and tight after reinstallation. They can be bought in quantity pretty easily. The headliner only has a few push-in tree fasteners holding it up in the center and on the sides, it's pretty rigid and is almost self-supporting.

 

[Thingfisher]

Is there any preventative maintenance that can be done to minimize the risk of having to go through this (other than keeping the sunroof shut 100% of time)?

 

[slacker24-7]

Is there any preventative maintenance that can be done to minimize the risk of having to go through this (other than keeping the sunroof shut 100% of time)?

I think the best PM is to use the it fairly often. The ones I know that aren’t working properly were rarely used.

 

[Travip351]

Can you service them without taking the headliner down and removing the unit?

 

[williamkingrey]

Unfortunately the plastic cables and guide rails are just a bad design in these early 100 series cruisers. You are going to have to pull the headliner down to get to the sunroof assembly. The parts are really expensive and you have to know what you are doing. You can break a lot of clips and delicate parts here. Best option is to find someone near you that specializes in sunroof repair and have them do it with OEM parts. Be sure to do lots of research and check reviews online with the shops you find. I had it done in Houston for around $1200, so mine should be good for another 20 years. I would expect dealer to run 2-3x that price. After repair make sure you clean those tracks and lube them lightly with a white silicone grease each time you change your oil.

NHouston,

I know it’s 4 years later, but do you remember where you got your sunroof repaired at? $1,200 is a great price and I’m in also in Houston.

-Will

 

[DazzaMc]

As a new owner I picked up my 100 the other day, I noticed the sunroof would open - it would tilt but not open. On my 700 km return road trip home I stopped at a little area off the road for a little 4x4 time - I bottomed out the truck rather hard in a deep hole, sent a jarring shock right throughout - that fixed it! I basically gave it a whack!

Not a suggested path towards a solution - just my little story.

 

[HotSoup]

There is a clip with a retainer on the passenger side that prevents the sunroof from being removed any tips to get this thing off?

 

[HotSoup]

Took me about an hour but finally got it loose enough to get out. I ended up prying each finger with a pick until loose which was a time consuming endeavor.