schooner

Has anyone successfully had their E320 panoramic sunroof repaired?...local dealer informs me the entire unit needs to be replaced for $6,500. I am told there are NO servicable parts for the panoramic sunroof. It is stuck partially open...motor works but clicks like something is stuck in the tracks.

konigstiger

Interesting, PM your email address and I will send a copy of the WIS to adjust which will give you an idea of the many parts to inspect for repair not to mention clean & lubricate.

e50zero

i actually had just a similar repair done on my 03 E500...in the beginning i heard cracking in the tracks and one day i was closing it and one side of the tracks stood straight up after snapped...the repair was to change out one side and it cost approx 600.

schooner

This sounds like promising news. Did your MB dealer do the repair for you? If so, who is your dealer?

After informing me that the repair cost would be $6,500, and me telling them that it was unbelievable nothing was servicable on the pano roof...I was led to the new car sales department where I was told they could offer me a "pano roof repair adjusted value" of $6,000 for my trade-in. My 2003 E320 vehicle is loaded with options including Command voice system, keyless go, Parktronic, sport package, integrated telephone (bluetooth compatible using "puck"), panoramic sunroof and looks brand new...and has been regularly serviced by the local dealer since it came off the lot. I would rather keep it as a sunny day vehicle than pay $6,500 for a new pano roof or give it up for $6,000 as a trade-in.

e50zero

my dealer was fletcher jones in orange county.

SZMB

$6,500 for a roof!!! I won't open my roof anymore.
You may want to take the car to a MB/European indy shop and get a 2nd opinion.

novae500

seems like they wanted to bait/switch you to buy a new car...hate when they do this type of stuff.....

did you use the pano roof alot? is it from wear/tear from use, or just cause the age of the car? it is almost a year since i've had mine and used the roof maybe 10 times.

gaazmon

I'm thinking the same thing now.

JoeVal

*If it don't work, it's NDG.* Now, if the motor works, most likely is a a matter of linkage action that usually a little cleaning, TLC, and grease can take care.

Options are expensive and, as long as they are fixed as soon as they get inactive, they should work as represented by MB.

Cheers, JV


**: Overheard in Boston Commons during a conversation between two laureates of English literature coming from a Mensa meeting.

schooner

1. Had local independent mechanic look at it...spent several hours pouring over the panoramic roof with 3 other mechanics (I was gasping at their potential combined billing rates...adding them up in my head). Then mechanic informs me he can't fix it, but then I discover in the process he tore one of the side accordian baffles between roof and glass and broke the tabs off the overhead console (which needs to be removed to access the manual crank). He agrees to replace them at no charge (over $500 in retail part costs) and he didn't charge me for his inspection labor...very fair, if you exclude the dirty oil marks on the headliner from their hands (should be easy to clean). I am very happy that he was cool about the broken stuff.

2. Visited second dealership over an hour away. They have a panoramic sunroof expert who came out to look at it, and immediately said it needs a new motor with 90% confidence, as he has done dozens of these repairs before. $1,200 estimate, and I am feeling good (feel like I just saved $5,300!...may go out for dinner tonight and celebrate). PLUS: they can't begin working on my vehicle until Monday, so instead of making me drive all the way home and come back on Monday, then have someone drive me home again and come back when it is fixed (2 roundtrips, 4 hours, major inconvenience), my service rep gave me a complimentary loaner ('09 ML350) to use over the weekend and until my car is fixed...WOW, I am now feeling like royalty. They also said they would honor a $100 off service coupon from my local dealership (for repairs over $1,000). I had to pinch myself. Then he asked if there were any other serviced the car needed. I asked him to look up the online dealer service history, and he said it looked great for another 1,400 miles (then I will need a Service C).

3. I then went back to my local dealership and spoke to the service manager, explained my experience, and he agreed to mail me a refund check for the $160 diagnostic fee, and he apologized...again, fair enough and nice goodwill. He admitted even he didn't realize the panoramic roof was servicable.

Found this interesting and VERY SIMILAR MB service experience on the web:

http://www.noob.us/miscellaneous/rip...ership-ambush/

Will update again when I get my car back next week...in the meantime, I will enjoy my complimentary ML350 loaner. Seems like a weekend trip to Tahoe with "my new SUV" is in order!

novae500

what a relief for you. Go to another dealer thats somewhat honest and to also hook you up. Thats what i call great customer service from a benz dealership. Good thing its just hte motor and nothing else!

SZMB

Great story, great experience. Sounds like you're going to have a great weekend. It sounded fishy to me when the roof couldn't be closed and the whole roof needs to be replaced. I know the Germans are not as good as the Japanese in electronics, but they couldn't be that dumb in designing a roof that's not serviceable.

Fastgreek

those fluckers.....

gaazmon

Just because of the creaking noise the pano roof has, I will probably not get one on my next car. It can be quite annoying, but most of the time I have the music up so muffles it out.

The only reason I really like it is because of the exterior look it gives.

schooner

I picked up my car today, and after replacement of the motor and two "bridges" the pano roof was repaired as promised...works perfectly. For those in the Bay Area, I can now highly recommend Smythe MB in San Jose. My service rep was Charlie Fish and their pano roof specialist (with over 12 years MB experience) is Nick. Absolutely fabulous work...even cleaned up the grease marks on the headliner from the independent mechanic who previously tried to repair the roof. Even more, they repaired for free the clip for the overhead console, which my local MB dealership said had to be replaced in entirety for $500+. Word to the wise, do your research and always get a second opinion...I saved thousands of dollars. It is a relief to find smart/honest people in the MB dealership world. BTW...I had the '09 ML350 loaner car for nearly a week and "no charge".

Barry45RPM

Always good to hear a good report on an honest, well run dealership. Usually the "goodness" runs from the top down and it affects every person in the Store.

I'd send a short note to MBUSA telling them of your exceptional treatment there. It will get back to the dealership.

SZMB

I agree that the service dept in Smythe European San Jose is absolutely outstanding. I bought my 2004 CPO there, and took my car there for services & repair a few times. It's got several repair floors, that place is HUGE!!! And they're building a brand new 5-story service department in the next 2 yrs. That place is got many master techs. They have fixed all of my problems on the first try: SBC noise, vibration at high speed, 1st-2nd gear transmission problem, rough ideling, navigation malfunction, radio problem, shocks, oil leaks.... you name it.

konigstiger

FYI

Smythe European San Jose current customer appreciation discounts: $500-749 = $75 discount, 750-999 = 100, and 1000 or more = 150 expires 11/21/09.

CharlyE500

Hi Konigstiger, can u pls send me the info for how to clean and lubricate the pano-roof..... this is scaring.... I better treat it nice before break.

Thanx !

stickygreen

Slightly off topic, but do not use Mercedes Benz of Walnut Creek! We had been using them for years and though their general greed and incompetence was always apparent, it wasn't bad enough to justify making a trek to another dealer.

Without getting into details, I now absolutely refuse to take anything to MB WC and we now take our new Bluetec to Julia at MB Pleasanton, where the service has been fantastic thus far.

BTW, MB Walnut Creek runs their service cars through an ancient machine wash that is supposedly very hard on paint, as was admitted to me by one of their employees.

CEDIMAN26

i HAD A 300E WITH SUNROOF PROBLEM TOO BUT WHAT I DID WAS I TOOK OUT THE SHADE OR COVE UNDER THE SUNROOF COMPLETELY AND IT NEVER GAVE ME PROBLEMS

anthony85

$6500. What hell is mercedes smoking! I know I will not be looking for a panoramic roof at all!!!! Oh hell no!

anthony85

I know the Germans are not as good as the Japanese in electronics, but they couldn't be that dumb in designing a roof that's not serviceable.[/QUOTE]

Very true!!!

martelo1

Hi Guys,
I'm new at this but . . . looks like I need some help too. Any kind of help! My Pan Sunroof makes noise but won't move. MB mechanic wants $ 1,070.00 (very reputable) to replace motor and rack. I've done some repairs on my E320 before and I am thinking of looking into this one. Does anyone have advise, comments or schematics for this task? Thanks everyone and anyone. Jaime

sl600_pilot

Does anyone have the instructions of how to take the roof apart and what to service. I use rusty's for parts, he is great better then dealer by 20-40%!
I went to the Dealer in Erie PA. Had a couple of issues, one was the roof. 4700 plus 20 hours of labor and something about taking the window out was extra in case it broke... By the way stay away from this dealer took a full week to replay my water pump!, and no owner loaners!
Please send any instructions to maci@usa.com.
Thank you very much for any and all help.
Ps.
Seems like Mercedes should recall the motor, expensive option to work what 200 +/- times I opened the roof...