C230K sunroof mystery spring, malfunction

FStephenMasek · 04-22-2012, 11:05 PM

I searched and found many panoramic sunroof threads. It sure would be nice if there was just one big one! As there is not, it seems best to start a new one, as I did not find any mention of the mystery spring in the others.

We drove the car someplace Saturday morning and it was fine. On the way back, there was wind noice. I found a loose spring about 4" long on the passenger side at the front of the sunroof track area. I removed it, and the roof closes better, with less noice. The roof only opens about 5". Any ideas on the problem? Where does the spring go? Is there a link to diagrams of the mechanism?

I signed up at startek and do not see the spring in the parts diagrams. As far as I know, the service manuals are very expensive, so I don't have them.

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samaritrey · 04-23-2012, 01:07 AM

Take a picture of said spring

FStephenMasek · 04-23-2012, 06:56 PM

Here is the spring, with a hollow metal slug inside near one end:

FStephenMasek · 05-08-2012, 11:45 PM

No ideas?

FStephenMasek · 05-10-2012, 11:51 PM

I finally had time to work on it today. The spring goes inside the attachment for the windscreen which pops up when the sunroof is open. There is a plastic cover which fits over it and retains it. That broke. The spring came out, and the square shaft over which the spring is installed stuck up and caught on the front edge of the roof, preventing it from opening fully. I fixed it by using curved needle nose pliers to slide the spring back on the square shaft, then put the assembly down into the channel into which it fits, with the string stopped against some bumps formed on the sides of the channel. I did this with the attachment screw removed. Then I held it all together with the plastic cover over the spring, and installed three small plastic ties wraps to hold it together, with the wrap end connections up. M-B should not have used plastic for the part which failed.

FStephenMasek · 05-12-2012, 05:44 PM

Here are photos to show what and where the repair was made:

04-23-2012, 01:07 AM	#2
samaritrey Super Moderator 2001 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: McLean VA Posts: 3,695 Drives: THE C320	Take a picture of said spring __________________ Trey's Car History 87 Suzuki Samurai Gone :( 99 KIA Sportage 2Door Sold July 20 2009 97 J30 given when 16 Has been passed down to sibling 01 C320 Got at 16 as of 2-22-13 has 189,000 miles with Eurocharged Tune, AMG Style Trunk Spoiler, BIX, NAV 2.0, Tein Springs with Renntech Shocks Next car G55 or SLK55 All About Trey and Cars Thread

05-12-2012, 05:44 PM	#6
FStephenMasek Newbie Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 10 Drives: C230K, Ford Explorer	Here are photos to show what and where the repair was made: Last edited by FStephenMasek; 05-12-2012 at 06:02 PM.

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04-23-2012, 06:56 PM	#3
FStephenMasek Newbie Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 10 Drives: C230K, Ford Explorer	Here is the spring, with a hollow metal slug inside near one end:

05-08-2012, 11:45 PM	#4
FStephenMasek Newbie Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 10 Drives: C230K, Ford Explorer	No ideas?

05-10-2012, 11:51 PM	#5
FStephenMasek Newbie Garage is empty, add now Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 10 Drives: C230K, Ford Explorer	I finally had time to work on it today. The spring goes inside the attachment for the windscreen which pops up when the sunroof is open. There is a plastic cover which fits over it and retains it. That broke. The spring came out, and the square shaft over which the spring is installed stuck up and caught on the front edge of the roof, preventing it from opening fully. I fixed it by using curved needle nose pliers to slide the spring back on the square shaft, then put the assembly down into the channel into which it fits, with the string stopped against some bumps formed on the sides of the channel. I did this with the attachment screw removed. Then I held it all together with the plastic cover over the spring, and installed three small plastic ties wraps to hold it together, with the wrap end connections up. M-B should not have used plastic for the part which failed.

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