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Thank you SO much! Those pictures are great and just what I needed. I guess I need to read my manual! And, where do I look for the hex key? I have added the washers and I will give manual operation a try as soon as I find a suitable hex key to use.
1/ I would not install the spare motor, if you are getting a grinding noise then the old motor is turning and the new one from the blinds side may not be as powerful.
2/ you need to free up the roof, its probably stuck to the rubber seals as it has not been opened for so long, maybe spray some wd40 or rubber lubricant along the edges and leave for a while.
3/ open manually using the hex key into the motor mount, don't use the electrics until you can open manually otherwise you may just grind more metal off the gears.
mine still working fine with the washers added, plus plenty of good quality grease on the rails. Its those sticky/dirty rails that add to the load that causes the warping in my opinion.
Good luck getting sorted, look on bright side, even if you can't open it its still nice to have a glass roof
See instructions for opening manually using a hex key or driver. Apply steady firm pressure it needs reasonable force also apply upward force, because its this gear that has dropped down and is not meshing properly. Once open first job is to 'GREASE THOSE RAILS'
The seal will cause the sunroof to stick, and the motor does not have the power to overcome this or break the seal from the glass.
Should be done often as the sun heating from the glass tends to want to weld the seal to the glass.
Silicone spray on your finger when you get it open around the whole seal.
Also I recommend the factory MB grease & liquid lubricant for the roof.
Thanks Dave. Bit of an update: So I added 3 washers to the spindle and my motor gear now reaches the worm gear enough so I can open it manually. Opening it manually was still tough, so I opened it partly, then greased the rails. I then was able to get it all the way open. I greased everything really good and used silicone spray. Now it opens and closes manually very easily (as it should). I plan to do this a few more times this week before attempting to operate it with the motor. In the meantime, I have a new (used) motor on order. Hopefully everything will be lubed up enough for the new motor to work. I believe my motor broke (plate is warped really bad) from all the extra stress put on the motor from the rails not being greased properly. They were really tight and didn't want to budge.
Originally Posted by drb930
The seal will cause the sunroof to stick, and the motor does not have the power to overcome this or break the seal from the glass.
Should be done often as the sun heating from the glass tends to want to weld the seal to the glass.
Silicone spray on your finger when you get it open around the whole seal.
Also I recommend the factory MB grease & liquid lubricant for the roof.
Thanks Dave. Bit of an update: So I added 3 washers to the spindle and my motor gear now reaches the worm gear enough so I can open it manually. Opening it manually was still tough, so I opened it partly, then greased the rails. I then was able to get it all the way open. I greased everything really good and used silicone spray. Now it opens and closes manually very easily (as it should). I plan to do this a few more times this week before attempting to operate it with the motor. In the meantime, I have a new (used) motor on order. Hopefully everything will be lubed up enough for the new motor to work. I believe my motor broke (plate is warped really bad) from all the extra stress put on the motor from the rails not being greased properly. They were really tight and didn't want to budge.
Use my re-inforcement plate on your new motor, otherwise it will warp too.
They are just chit junk pot metal castings.
Dave, great design by the way! I do plan to do that, but I have never used either of the tools you said to use to make it, not even sure if I have them. I'll have to look into those tools and how to use them. May just be something else I need to learn. :-)
Can you tell me more about the plate you got from Mercedes? The pictures were reduced in size so small that I can't really make anything out.
Crystal
Originally Posted by drb930
Use my re-inforcement plate on your new motor, otherwise it will warp too.
They are just chit junk pot metal castings.
Dave, great design by the way! I do plan to do that, but I have never used either of the tools you said to use to make it, not even sure if I have them. I'll have to look into those tools and how to use them. May just be something else I need to learn. :-)
Can you tell me more about the plate you got from Mercedes? The pictures were reduced in size so small that I can't really make anything out.
Crystal
Crystal,
It’s an electrical box cover plate.
Home Depot = like $.78
So happy to finally be able to open it. Even if only manually right now. Thank you so much to Dave for this thread and to Todd (essexbob) for the idea to use the washers. I agree the washers may only be a temporary fix, but it seems to work pretty well as a temporary fix. As I said, I ordered a new (used) motor anyway. Great idea Todd! Without the washers, I would still not be able to open my roof because my gear was hanging so low it just was not possible. Hoping to get my new motor in Thursday, maybe Friday. The seller still hasn't mailed it yet, but hopefully today since he created the shipping label last night, Priority Mail. Pictures attached.
C230 Sport Coup + 2006 W164 ML350 + 99 Ford Escort (What the heck, it gets 38 mpg!)
Seeing this thread...still alive and still helping people...
I'd been sending people the pano files one person at a time on request.
I took the time to upload to my website today, benzexpert.com, where I sell
believe it or not, Mercedes parts. All from my love of the brand, and what I've learned over the years from my own vehicles and
others and from being on the forums for 16 freakin' years. Gawd!
Here's the link for the approx. 20 Mercedes WIS sunroof documents related to the maint. and repair of your sunroof,
which between myself and Dave pretty much were the impetus of this thread.
I did this fix last week. It's a pain in the *** to get that back screw, otherwise it's all pretty straightforward. I just added a metal strap to hopefully minimize flex in the future. Sunroof is back to working now!
Hello guys, my sunroof is also acting up. I have noticed the warped cover and will reinforce it, however, the small gear engaging with the roof is badly worn out. I've seen plenty of website selling the replacement gear.
Has anyone replaced the gear itself?
Hello guys, my sunroof is also acting up. I have noticed the warped cover and will reinforce it, however, the small gear engaging with the roof is badly worn out. I've seen plenty of website selling the replacement gear.
Has anyone replaced the gear itself?
This is a great find to be able to replace the gear.
I would imagine that the gear is just sewaged like a hammer head is.
Please post how it is changing the gear.
I did this fix last week. It's a pain in the *** to get that back screw, otherwise it's all pretty straightforward. I just added a metal strap to hopefully minimize flex in the future. Sunroof is back to working now!
Sorry, but I don't like this fix and think the cover will still move and in a sideways direction which won't be good.
I have been meaning to post these for a while.
I just did my 2005 cause the SR was acting slow.
Re-enforced the motor just because I had it off.
Need new grease was the major problem, at 140K miles was very dry.
I know some of you don't have a lot of tooling, but here's what you can do with just a drill and a grinder/files. Finished re-enforcement ready to be installed, I was thinking after i finished this it could be installed in the car without even removing the motor. Parts from Home Depot and finished motor.
Wondering if anyone has had any luck replacing only 1 panel from a windoscreen or glass fitter? Im in Australia but interested in hearing about the process and pricing from anywhere.
I was having the same trouble with my 07’ E63 NOT being able to close the Panoramic Blind(s) which resulted from the Motor on the drivers side popping/clicking at the very end of its “closing function”. Although it enabled me to open/close the glass, it would, as another forum member succinctly mentioned, apparently NOT close fully. Therefore, the Motor for the Panoramic Blind(s) would never engage. After removing the upper control panel and rear view mirror, Sun Visors, grab handles, A- Pillars, I was hopeful that would enable me to lower the front section of the Alacantara (sp?) Head Liner enough to allow me the room to get the Motor(s) out. But without removing at least the B-Pillars as well, the effort was dead in its tracks!
So at the very least, I removed the one T20 (M5-07) bolt ( I mention this as I tried to fit the bolt in a M4-07 Dye Kit, but it wouldn’t fit? Maybe because practically every other bolt in the E63 is a size larger! ) on the Glass Motor that was accessible and cut a strip of 1/4 wide X 2” long piece of Aluminum Tape and wrapped it around the bolt so as to effectively add some girth to fit more securely within the worn rubber bushing. Then I put a dot of Blue Locktite on the threads and added an M5 Spring Washer, tightened it back up and Lo and Behold! It was all I needed! At least for now, I’m feeling lucky! That said, it wouldn’t surprise me to find this gremlin revealing itself further down the road! I had purchased those same galvanized conduit covers and was prepared to put in the time to do it right, but it would have most likely required my removing the whole headliner!
Before I’m done, however, I’ll be sure to lube-up the rails, using the thimble sized Krylox for the rubber slide, but I distinctly remember while pulling out of the driveway whilst closing the sunroof hearing something sound funny, like something had disengaged? Most likely it was my perhaps not lubing things up enough, although it was not all that long ago that I did just that and I keep my ride garaged, so it very well may be my lack of using that way overpriced Mercedes Grease for the slide rail’s that faffed it all up? Otherwise it’s all very clean up there?
@drb930 great thanks! just another quick question which needs your expertise. I have gone through the process of removing and reinstalling the motors so many times now that I can do it blindfolded ! even bought another motor from eBay as I couldn't replace the small metallic gear that the motor mechanism has. the small metal gear of the 'new' motor seemed to be straighten out without and issues. the cap of the motor seemed to be straight as well. after installing it the roof goes all the way back without any issues but closing it requires my other hand to be pushing the glass forwards. I did add some grease to the rails as well. where do you think the problem is ? tracks, wires, motor ?
Is the gear skipping? If so then you need to look at the screw tracks.
If it is just stopping like because the motor doesnt have enough power then you need to grease and lube everything really well
Did you do the motor reinforcement plate?
Don't assume that the other motor you got that is flat on the bench is staying flat under the torque of moving that sunroof.
Is there a Part # for the electrical plate? I'm about to do this mod to a new motor this week.
Originally Posted by drb930
Today I went to OSH Mercedes department.
Picture- and bought a Electrical Cover Plate (it was cheap and already had a hole in it!), some Allen bolts, Washers, and Grommets, for a total cost of about $4.00.
Picture- I used the cover as a template and cut the plate.
Picture- Cover plate fitting.
Picture- Cover plate installed and motor ready to be re-installed in car.
Picture- Sunroof Motor re-installed in car.
Picture- Sunroof works perfectly, but I am going to do the clean and grease procedure now.
Thanks! You said you got it at Mercedes, right? If I ask for electrical plate, will my Mercedes know what I am talking about? I just ordered a new motor and I am going to add this plate to it.
11-09-2018, 04:05 PM
