Sunroof stuck open - even with motor out (1 Viewer)

[BigMaineWomen]

2004 LX. This is probably my fault for not exercising the sunroof enough. First warm day, kids wanted the sunroof open. I go to open it and its sticky BUT moving a little with the press of the button. After it opened about a third of the way, I tried to close it but it would go forward a quarter inch then backwards an inch. I ended up helping it travel backwards and got it all the way open. Then when I got home i went to help it shut and it would not budge. So i sprayed penetrating oil everywhere i could and decided to tackle it the next day.

Pulled the upper console and dropped the sunroof motor. It did NOT want to drop. Finally came out when i actually pulled the retaining clip out. Looked like the center hole was a little misaligned. Oh well i can slide the mechanism over a quarter inch. Went to pull the sunroof shut and it will not go. Moved maybe half an inch on the passenger side and a quarter inch on the driver side before hanging up. On the drivers side it feels absolutely locked.

What can i do to get this darn thing shut? I really have no interest in spending two days to drop the headliner and pull everything apart. Thanks!

 

[Bisho]

I'm afraid if you can't pull it closed with the motor out, you're probably SOL. Sounds like the cable is seized in the tube.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

I've been messing with the cables a bit to see how they work. The passenger cable is towards the front of the vehicle. It is NOT stuck. The drivers side cable is the rear of the pair and it IS stuck. With the sunroof in the rear position, the part of the tube that accepts the cable when the sunroof slides forward can be slid over and the cable end can be pulled out. I may be able to get vice grips on the cable and pull on it while someone pulls on the window and hopefully free it up enough to get it shut with the motor. If i can i think i'll disconnect the motor.

If i pull the headliner just in that corner to expose the stuck cable/tube, is there anything i can do with it? Any kind of access there to lube the cable?

 

[Bisho]

I've been messing with the cables a bit to see how they work. The passenger cable is towards the front of the vehicle. It is NOT stuck. The drivers side cable is the rear of the pair and it IS stuck. With the sunroof in the rear position, the part of the tube that accepts the cable when the sunroof slides forward can be slid over and the cable end can be pulled out. I may be able to get vice grips on the cable and pull on it while someone pulls on the window and hopefully free it up enough to get it shut with the motor. If i can i think i'll disconnect the motor.

If i pull the headliner just in that corner to expose the stuck cable/tube, is there anything i can do with it? Any kind of access there to lube the cable?

No, the only place the cable is exposed is at the motor.

The cable is coated with a rubbery plastic for lubricity. As you discovered, if water gets into the tube, the metal can corrode. I also wonder if petroleum lubricants can cause the plastic to swell. When I pulled down mine to fix it, the cable was so seized in there I had to cut it.

Given you were recently able to move it, maybe you could work it back and forth enough to get movement out of it?

 

[BigMaineWomen]

Given you were recently able to move it, maybe you could work it back and forth enough to get movement out of it?

Thanks for the info. Thats my plan. Unfortunately the motor will think that the sunroof is in the rear so in order to get it shut watertight I would need to free the sunroof up and put it back in the rear position. Then reinstall the motor and get it to go forward under the motors power, with pushing help. I suspect that is not going to happen but maybe if i can get it closed by hand i can just urethane it in and be done.

 

[Bisho]

Thanks for the info. Thats my plan. Unfortunately the motor will think that the sunroof is in the rear so in order to get it shut watertight I would need to free the sunroof up and put it back in the rear position. Then reinstall the motor and get it to go forward under the motors power, with pushing help. I suspect that is not going to happen but maybe if i can get it closed by hand i can just urethane it in and be done.

Getting the motor "timed" is an art in itself. If you are able to get it closed, just stick the motor back up there to hold it in place, and don't plug the wire in so it can't be moved until you're ready to fix it. There are a few threads waiting for you on fixing it and getting the motor set. I have a detailed write up in one or two of them.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

Thanks i did see a lot of your work in previous threads. If i can close the sunroof by hand and install the motor at that point to keep it closed, do you know if that would hold it tight enough to keep from leaking?

 

[Bisho]

Thanks i did see a lot of your work in previous threads. If i can close the sunroof by hand and install the motor at that point to keep it closed, do you know if that would hold it tight enough to keep from leaking?

It should. They do naturally leak, so make sure your drains are clear before you get it closed.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

Well I put vice grips on the cable and with my wife pulling on them and me pulling on the window it didn't budge. So I hooked a ratchet strap up to the vice grips and put my tractor on the other end and snapped the 400lb strap without it budging. GD.

so I need the cable guide case: 63221-60030
Definitely the left hand cable: 63224-60030
And probably right side too?: 63223-60030

And 2 days to do it? Wonderful.

 

[Bisho]

That's it. You may want 6325160062 weather strip as long as you're pulling the window out.

You may try to find the whole cassette from a junk yard or someone parting out a truck. That would be the fastest way. You don't need to remove the whole headliner, you can get away with dropping it back to the C pillar, although as I think about it, I don't think you'll be able to remove the glass, so that is going to be one heavy and awkward removal. It probably is better for you to pull the whole headliner so you don't trash it.

You might get away with cutting the cable after you drop the headliner back to the C pillar, then you could pull the glass forward and remove it, then take out the frame. Yeah - that would be my plan. Sorry for the stream of consciousness.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

No I appreciate the discussion! I don't need the sunroof to be functional. Do you think it would be possible to pull the headliner back, cut the cable and pull the sunroof forward then put everything back together? Id rather have the $500 than a working sunroof that I rarely use.

 

[Bisho]

No I appreciate the discussion! I don't need the sunroof to be functional. Do you think it would be possible to pull the headliner back, cut the cable and pull the sunroof forward then put everything back together? Id rather have the $500 than a working sunroof that I rarely use.

Maybe, but I’d be concerned it wouldn’t stay up. The back of the cable mechanism is essentially a cam to raise and lower the glass. If you cut it and are able to moved it, you could try clamping the exposed cable end when it’s in the right position.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

Well I took down some of the headliner today to access the cable and tube. I just want to get this thing buttoned up so I cut the cable where it comes out of the sunroof in to the tube. Turns out it is NOT stuck in the tube. The cable is stuck in the sunroof frame. So now I need to decide if I am going to try and chisel the sunroof where the cable track is and pull the cable out there. Or finish the headliner job to drop the sunroof and take it apart.

I can't access the entirety of the sunroof track from above so I'm afraid if I chisel it and it's seized most at the very rear, I'll still be out of luck and need to pull the entire headliner.

 

[Bisho]

Well I took down some of the headliner today to access the cable and tube. I just want to get this thing buttoned up so I cut the cable where it comes out of the sunroof in to the tube. Turns out it is NOT stuck in the tube. The cable is stuck in the sunroof frame. So now I need to decide if I am going to try and chisel the sunroof where the cable track is and pull the cable out there. Or finish the headliner job to drop the sunroof and take it apart.

I can't access the entirety of the sunroof track from above so I'm afraid if I chisel it and it's seized most at the very rear, I'll still be out of luck and need to pull the entire headliner.

Interesting (and frustrating). I wonder if it got some debris in there, and now its wedged in place. If that's the case, I'd bet its near the back of the glass.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

I'm guessing that you're right. As the cable sits in the slot, if I press in to it with a screw driver I can see pb blaster pushing up around it where I can access it. I think I'll just have to take the whole thing down.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

I decided to just strip the interior and it went pretty well. I'm sure going back in will be fun.

Still was a PITA getting the sunroof slid forward but I had some help and we were able to pry and pull. Reinstalling the sunroof, it is sitting flush in the front but the rear is down half an inch or more. There's no way to push it up from the bottom and when it was out it didnt want to pull up. I'll remove it tomorrow and mess with it but has anyone experienced this?

My only concern would be if that has to be pulled up by the motor actuation?

 

[Bisho]

The cables need to slide more forward to pull the “cam” to the up position. Just not too far, or it will be tilted up.

 

[BigMaineWomen]

Got it, thanks Bisho. I have access to both cables so maybe I can operate it by hand.