PoorBenzie

Greetings all from the latest newbie on the boards. I'm the original owner of a brand new 1987 190e. I say brand new, because with only 47,000 KM (28,000 miles) on the odometer, the thing still looks, performs and even smells as if it just left the showroom. Never winter driven, so no rust. I'm currently in the process of replacing the original 17 year old tires due to old age as I just discovered tires aren't considered safe after 7-8 years. Pity, they still had 80% of the tread remaining. But I digress...
My problem is with the car's sunroof. A couple of weeks ago I suddenly began having to press the toggle switch a multiple of times to get the roof to open. Alertnating between open and close a few times would usually do the trick. Closing it was always accomplished with just a single press of the switch. Since yesterday, however, I haven't been able to get the darned thing to open. I do hear the motor whirring when I press the "close" side of the toggle switch. I had a similar problem when I bought the car in 1987. The dealer fixed it under warranty, so I haven't a clue what the problem was. Logic would lead me to believe that a faulty switch could be the culprit, but I'm puzzled by why it works perfectly to close the roof. Are there contacts on the "open" portion of the toggle switch that could be dirty or faulty? Or are there sensors or overides elsewhere that could prevent the roof from opening? I hope one of you more experienced and knowlegeable lot will help point me in the right direction.

mctwin2kman

You have two choices. Buy a new switch or take the current one out and take it apart to clean it. Mine did the same and I need to do my drivers window switch next as well. I cleaned my roof switch and all is well again with that one. You take it out of the dash then you need to carefully pop the switch off the top of the unit. There are springs and ball bearings inside so be carefull as they will go flying. If you want a new switch they have them online at http://europeanautomotive.com/

PoorBenzie

Thanks for the quick reply. I just took a short drive to order my tires and, of course, tried the sunroof. Played around with the switch, and voila, it opened up. Seems if I press the switch in its sweet spot, it works. Must be dirt or a weak connection. I looked at the fascia plate that covers the area containing the switch and I can't exactly see how to remove it. Seems kind of flimsy, and I certainly wouldn't want to crack or break it. If anyone has any clue or tips to share, I'd surely appreciate it.

mctwin2kman

Is your switch in the light or in the dash above the center vents? If above the vents then you need a flat thin blade to put between the switch and the plasitc dash panel. There are two little side on the switches. These need to be pryed toward the center of the switch on both sides and then the switch will slide out. There is a connector as well as a piece of fiber optic cable to light the switch. They should stay together.

PoorBenzie

It's in the dash. Many thanks for your explanation. I'm glad I won't have to worry about prying the fascia plate off.

mctwin2kman

Actually to get the plate off all you need to do is remove the two screws in the vents, remove the vents first by pulling them out, and one more screw. If I remember correctly all three are in the vents two on bottom and one on top, then the plastic piece comes right out.