The Sunroof Fix Thread

[nike001]

Well, I don't know how, but whenever I think of things to fix in my car.. I always overlook my sunroof. The cover thing has been off it's track almost since I got it and for some reason I've made no attempt to fix it (other than trying to pop it back on)

I stumbled upon this kit at ECS and was wondering that if this is what my sunroof visor thing needed? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Interior/Sunroof/ES156736/

How would I even go about fixing this? I thought I heard before that the whole headliner needs to be taken out? Surely some of you are having the same problem I am.

[Hornung418]

Stu (Zell) knows how to do it. He's our resident sunroof expert.

[nike001]

Stu (Zell) knows how to do it. He's our resident sunroof expert.

I just found his thread on sunroofs (I knew this couldn't be the first sunroof thread) and found the DIY he followed. Now I just have to find out if the kit I linked above is what fixes it. At least I don't have to take the headliner out! That was one of the reasons I kept overlooking this fix.

Here's the DIY he followed in case anyone else is looking to do the same as I am:http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1388821

[Meric]

I'm having the same problem sometimes it opens closes fine but %80 of the time my sunroof thinks theres something between the glass and the car.

[Stu]

I just found his thread on sunroofs (I knew this couldn't be the first sunroof thread) and found the DIY he followed. Now I just have to find out if the kit I linked above is what fixes it. At least I don't have to take the headliner out! That was one of the reasons I kept overlooking this fix.

Here's the DIY he followed in case anyone else is looking to do the same as I am:http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1388821

For me, that kit gave me almost everything I needed to fix it. I did need to get two new passenger's side clips which are not included in the kit:

P/N 5413824602

They're moronically expensive, by the way. $16 each! Check to see if you still have yours before buying them. They're on the right side of the shade.

I never ended up using the new sunshade driver, as apparently BMW had switched to this new type of driver for later model years. My sunshade driver was actually jammed in the back, but I was able to pull it from the back using my old water channel. Bent the bejesus out of the old water channel as a result, but out of 4 makeshift tools, it was the best one for the job. Good thing the kit comes with a new one! My sunshade driver is slightly bent and doesn't move perfectly smoothly, but it's not bad at all. I am saving my new driver in case I need to get into my sunroof cassette one day.

In my case, I needed a new sunshade. The right sliding pieces clip into metal holders that are riveted to the sunshade itself. Unfortunately, one half of one of my metal holders got ripped out catastrophically at one point, so the clip could no longer properly stay in place. With a little jerry-rigging, I can probably fix it, but I'll do that later.

Once I put in the new sliding pieces, sunshade, and lubricated the living hell out of the entire sunroof track and the actual driver itself, the sunroof was completely fixed and has been working flawlessly since.

It is very important to lubricate the tracks with some non-smelly white lithium grease, and make sure no parts of the track are bent. I had a few bent sections of the track, but I fixed it by taking a flat-head screw driver and undoing the bends, making the track flat again.

Make sure you lube the track probably once a year at the very least. Takes only about 30 seconds and can prevent a catastrophic failure. Especially lubricate the driver, as it has the most resistance in the mechanism - just spray the whole thing really good.


I'm having the same problem sometimes it opens closes fine but %80 of the time my sunroof thinks theres something between the glass and the car.

This could be one of two things.

1. Your motor is not calibrated all the way. Hold it until it closes, then hold the button to close it for 30 seconds. This should calibrate it.

2. Your sunshade driver is giving a lot of resistance, meaning the track or the driver itself is not very lubricated. If this is the case, lubricate the track and driver, slide the driver around, and it should fix it. When I first fixed my sunroof, it did the exact same thing as soon as it encountered the driver. When I lubricated it, the problem ceased.

How I know all this stuff:

Two seriously frustrating days of fixing my sunroof :eyetwitch

[Dual]

Suggestions as to what the problem is with a sunroof that is starting to occasionally close only halfway, requiring a 2nd button push?

[GotZHP]

Calibration?

Is you have the BMW scanner 1.4 im sure there is a way to adjust the setting.

Did you try the hold the button down for 30 seconds on the second push?

[Dual]

Thank you for this. Yes, I just tried it on having found this thread today. I guess we'll see if it works! I had no idea if it was appropriate for my problem, but have given it a try.

[GotZHP]

I need to fix my sun roof liner. It was in the trunk where the spare tire should have been when I bought the car. One of the the clips broke off in the headliner and starts to rattle a lot depending on the position. I just bump the roof liner with my fist until it stops... sophisticated fix right there

Luckily, the sun roof operates as it should thought. Just waiting for that clip t end up in the wrong spot and cause a jam

[Simmsled]

Stu, is there any way you could take a pic and post where the ideal lubrication points would be?
Also, do you have a recommended non-smelly lithium grease spray?

Thanks!!!