Sliding Roof Stuck Open 1989 300 D

[and11]

Just having a fiddle with buttons and when closing sliding roof i tried it in tilt but now its stuck, got rain forecast too. Any tips would be super but i've checked fuse and it's ok.

 

[television]

Only to spray where you can with some WD40 and try again, you should have a manual key to close it in the tool bag.

Once the roof is operating again spray some silicon/ptfe on to the moving parts as WD40 is not a lubricant.

Malcolm

 

[and11]

no key that i recognise, where would it fit?

 

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

the manual close should be in the boot on the left (passenger side), you'll probably need to pull back the lining just under where the hinge for the bootlid is.

 

[and11]

Looks like someone been there already, little flap is open with some electrics and a white wheel which looks like a screw, now my torch has gone flat, but have to keep trying, is their an altenative to this key?

 

[television]

Looks like someone been there already, little flap is open with some electrics and a white wheel which looks like a screw, now my torch has gone flat, but have to keep trying, is their an altenative to this key?

Sorry there is not,its a very low geared device,lots of turning, doing it by hand is slow.

Malcolm

 

[and11]

so i presume the key is already in position ready to start turning?

 

[and11]

well' i'v been turning the small grooved plastic wheel by hand but the roof isn't moving, the wheel, which has two arrows on on it with words in german turns quite easily when pulled out slightly, it clicks into a middle possition, if i pull it a bit further it clicks again but doesn't turn, so unless shouldn't be pulling it out it doesn't appear to be working?

 

[television]

there should be a hole where this key fits into,its only like a wire with handle, perhaps Bolide will come on again tonight,he is the expert on these cars

http://www.w124.co.uk/

Malcolm

 

[and11]

ok, thanks

 

[Bolide]

well' i'v been turning the small grooved plastic wheel by hand but the roof isn't moving, the wheel, which has two arrows on on it with words in german turns quite easily when pulled out slightly, it clicks into a middle possition, if i pull it a bit further it clicks again but doesn't turn, so unless shouldn't be pulling it out it doesn't appear to be working?

That wheel sets the end stop adustment. Push it back in and leave it

You need a 13mm socket (from memory) on the white plastic hex to wind the sunroof shut. If it's really stuck you'll shatter the plastic and will need to get some mole grips on it - it's round with one flat

In general I advise opening the roof (with the motor) and closing it in stages whilst "helping" it along by hand. If the motor is U/S use the white hex to move the roof. If the white hex won't move it you have a problem

Normally the problems revolve around the drive cable & guide tube rather than the sliding mechanism itself. Neither is easy to fix as the entire headlining has to come out to access them

The guide tube goes up the C pillar, then runs transversely across the roof before making a gentle 90 degree turn to enter the roof mechanism longitudinally in the centre. Typically the tube (actually a nearly-closed C-section) opens up, when the torque of the drive motor can't push the sliding roof, forcing the bowden cable out of the guide. Bad news!

The other end of the guide tube runs right to the back of the car about 3 feet behind the motor - this is why the motor is so hard to move when the bolts are removed. Bear in mind that trying to move the roof mechanism without winding it via the motor drive (using the motor or the white hex) won't work. The motor uses a worm (motor) & gear (spiral drive cable) mechanism which is non-reversible. IE you can't drive a worm using a gear

The drive mechanism is a guide tube containing a core cable (bowden cable), attached to the sunroof slide, which is wound with a spiral drive cable. The longitudinal gear (spiral drive cable) is driven by a worm in the motor to push & pull the sunroof slide. The white pull-out thing sets the end stop so the roof stops when open. It also sets the point at which it stops sliding & starts tilting

Try moving the roof back & forth in baby steps whilst cleaning & lubricating the chrome guides for the roof. If all else fails, carefully remove the headlining to expose the mechanism and fault-find from there. Please only do this as a last resort!

One more thing: there's a relay plugged into the motor assembly (hanging down, underneath at the rear) which does fail. Replacing it may solve the problem. Early cars had a slightly different wiring setup to later ones and I think this relay may exist in two versions. Certainly there are two types of tilt/slide switch in the interior light assembly. Note part numbers before ordering replacements

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[turnipsock]

There is a relay/module in beside the manual closing thing. Pull it out and clean the pins with WD40 and your sunroof will be like new (if you can remember that far back)

 

[and11]

DONE IT! thanks very much for that info, the socket was 11/16 and it only took a few turns to close. I was wondering about that plastic nut but i left well alone and started on wrong one! It was a bit stiff, there is no power at all from the motor, one minute roof was working fine next dead. Another issue i have is a small buzzing which lasts about a minute with ignition on, tha sound comes from passenger air vent and from front interior light area? Andy.

 

[and11]

There is a relay/module in beside the manual closing thing. Pull it out and clean the pins with WD40 and your sunroof will be like new (if you can remember that far back)

Yeah i did pull that off and the pins were like new, i'll try some wd40 anyway.

 

[and11]

Yeah i did pull that off and the pins were like new, i'll try some wd40 anyway.

ps. hey, she's only going on 18 and looks new!

 

[television]

So pleased you got it done, at times like this with 124's we could not manage without Bolide.

Malcolm

 

[shj]

Does the 95 w124 have the same system for manual closure of the sun roof?
Thanks

 

[Bolide]

Does the 95 w124 have the same system for manual closure of the sun roof?

AFAIK they're the same for all models, apart from detail differences as noted

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[and11]

Along with the sunroof, the rear windows and the heated seat switches no longer light up when switched on.

 

[and11]

Fixed!

Finally got round to buying some new fuses and it turns out the fuse for sunroof had blown, works fine now but rear windows still same, need to spend a day or 3 on old workhorse.