Sunroof Stuck

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A local sunroof installer (Sac Valley Sunroofs) confirmed what the dealer told me about my sunroof - the cable is broken on the driver side rail. The only fix is replacing the entire mechanism which involves dropping the headliner.

The rails sell for about $375 each (and the suggestion is to replace both as PM since taking the headliner down is such a pain). Apparently there is not a big supply of rails around so expect a delay in getting parts.

The sunroof dealer estimated it would take him 8-10 hours of labor.
 
I've pulled a headliner in an 80 once. PITA but can be done with basic hand tools:mad:. If you have a safe place to store it, I would pull the headliner before going to the shop:hhmm:. It would save you 4 to 5 hours of labor and also give you the chance to clean it while it is out.
 
I have not had the time yet to pull the glass back out, remove the slide/tilt parts, and look at the cable connections. I have looked online at salvage yards and sunroof assemblies are relatively easy to find. I found one local and will try to look at it tomorrow and have it removed. FYI, the price is in the $100-300 range depending on the salvage yard so this seems a much cheaper option than buying new rails from Toyota at $300/each (plus you get everything but the motor).
 
After posting I decided to look at the sunroof again tonight. I removed the glass and pushed the tilt mechanism forward on each side with a screwdriver. After doing this I could see the cable attachment point that Blue Bomber illustrated. It is broken and looks just like the picture in post #14. Therefore, it is not necessary to follow steps 2 & 3 in post #10 to verify that the cable connection is broken.

Now, I will definitely go buy a salvage sunroof assembly to replace the rails.

One note, I realized by moving the tilt mechanism with the screwdriver that it can be manually positioned (tilted) so the sunroof will seal properly along the back edge without using shims, etc. All that is needed is to move the bushing (shown in post #10) into about the middle of the slot.

I'll update in a day or two after finding a used sunroof assembly. Looks like the next step is to remove the headliner which seems like a good weekend project...
 
Good work :meh:......thanks for that info !

:cheers:
 
I bought a used sunroof assembly today. Here is a pic with the glass removed. I'll probably start removing the headliner by the weekend. Since the headliner is coming out I'm considering filling the rack holes in the roof and adding a rear interior light behind the 3rd row seats. I might even do something with the speakers. Any other thoughts on what to do while the headliner is out?
salvage_sunroof_assy.webp
 
Tapage said:
can you take a pic of the piece on your new ( for you ) sunroof asembly .. ?
Click to expand...

Do you mean the cable attachment point? If so, I can shoot and post it in the morning.
 
Tapage, here are a couple of close-up pics of the cable connection (one side) on my salvage sunroof. I have been delayed in posting because I dropped the headliner Thursday night.

Removing the headliner takes about 2 hours and then I spent another hour re-attaching the door trim and seatbelts and organizing screws so I can use the truck while the sunroof is being replaced.
DSC03299_102408.webp
DSC03306_102408.webp
DSC03291_102408.webp
 
When you're done, can you evaluate if the cable can be removed and *repaired*, or is the total swap out the best alternative? I think that if you could disconnect from the cable, the part could be repaired on a work bench.
 
Blue Bomber said:
When you're done, can you evaluate if the cable can be removed and *repaired*, or is the total swap out the best alternative? I think that if you could disconnect from the cable, the part could be repaired on a work bench.
Click to expand...

I'll likely find out in the next couple of days. From looking at the FSM and the actual parts, I'm pretty sure you have to drop the headliner and sunroof to fix the cable. Since the cables are attached to the rails, I don't really see how else you could do it. Note: you can remove the rails from the sunroof pan, so I will investigate the possibility.

On the bright side removing the headliner is a fairly simple job and only takes about 2 hours. It can be removed with simple tools by yourself except the actual removal from the truck.
 
strong_toy said:
Tapage, here are a couple of close-up pics of the cable connection (one side) on my salvage sunroof. I have been delayed in posting because I dropped the headliner Thursday night.

Removing the headliner takes about 2 hours and then I spent another hour re-attaching the door trim and seatbelts and organizing screws so I can use the truck while the sunroof is being replaced.
Click to expand...

thanks a lot's men .. that a great info on pics ..
 
mainemike said:
nice write up. I hope I never have to do it!

While that is out.... it's the perfect time to replace the foam insulation with some dynamat or similar stuff?
Click to expand...

Thanks. I think I'll write a detailed post after I get the sunroof back in.

Do you have experience with the dynamat (or similar) on the roof? I am considering it, but not sure if it will make that big of a difference since it is the roof. I could see it being more helpful on doors or wheel wells because of road or tire noise.

By the way, I am in the process of installing the sunroof assembly back in the truck today. I ran into a hitch with the driver's side rear drain while trying to check for blockage. Apparently someone cut the hose behind the pillar at some point and added a coupler. I tried pulling the hose out and the coupler is now stuck in the pillar but it's too big to pull out from the bottom. I'm working on removing it from the top of the pillar.

FYI, it took about 1.5 hrs to swap the rails from the salvage sunroof to mine. That also included time to take pics and clean the pan, rails, etc. Barring another issue, I should have the sunroof installed tonight.
 
I do not have experience with dynamat or similar stuff. I've been wanting to do my cruiser for road noise deadening and temperature control (no major sound system here). I think the roof would make a difference in hot and cold, if that is important to you. We like to sleep in the cruiser so I've been looking at ways to insulate it better. I do recall seeing a post about it, but I couldn't find it.

I did dredge up this one in case you want to research materials:

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/217215-sound-dampening-material-our-80-a.html
 
MyCrush said:
Since it will be full-blown winter here soon, I wonder if anyone sees a way to just seal it back in it's most forward position, and just wait 'till the next thaw'.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I have the same problem. I bought my LC in May with this problem. Everything else about the truck was perfect.

I found this thread 2 weeks ago after the sunroof button magically started working and my wife opened the sunroof.

With rain forecast for the next three days I went out to the truck to find a fix.

With the sunroof closed, with a screwdriver, I was able to get the sunroof back in place. Just push the mechanism forward (towards the front of the truck) until is stops. Just gently go below the flexible metal bar with a screwdriver and push the part behind it forward.

I needed a few tries to hunt for the spot but it worked. The photo below is where the screwdriver ended up when the sunroof was back in place.

 
My sunroof died last night and it looks like this is the culprit. Are there any differences in the sunroofs between years or will any sunroof fit into my '93?
 
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