stiffly moving and sometimes stuck sunroof

[hocky4711]

My sunroof is not going along as normal. It gets stuck half way and I have to hold the button and shove it to make it go. Was ok until it was left with someone for 2 months to help sell it. Think someone has been playing with it or got something stuck inside like a small tree branch or twig. Can't see anything inside stuck. Afraid that if it rains and I cannot close it, the car will flood. So I don't open it now. It also doesn't tilt without a hefty push from below at the trailing edge. It will untilt without any fuss. If left open, it won't close fully. I have to try a few times to get it close to the fully shut level and push from below. Broken something inside? Brackets? Pulleys? Cords? Motor? There was a burnt smell for a short while at first try last week, but could have come from somewhere else. Please help. 2 years ago same thing, but Merc dealer used merc grease all over the rails and it got better andwas fully operational until recently(June 04). Thanks buddies , please help. :cry:

 

[mike65]

Ouch! It sounds like you may have part-fried the motor!

Mike.

 

[paulcallender]

You don't say which model of Mercedes it is, but, if its a W124 estate, then the sunroof motor is located on the left hand side in the boot, next to the spare wheel.

There is a 17mm nut on the motor, which means that if it does get stuck, you can manually wind this clockwise, to close it.

There is also a knurled knob next to this, which adjusts a clutch. Try a couple of turns anticlockwise on this, it has no doubt gotten stiffer with age.

Also, of course, liberally grease the metal runners, cable if you can get to it, etc.

 

[hocky4711]

stuck and stiff sunroof

Thanks Paul and Mike. Sorry for not mentiuoning my 1994 C 180 Elegance sedan. Think the motor is in the roof somewhere and I do have a steel Z shaped "thingamagic" which can be used to close the sunroof in distress times through the plastic opening in the front roof lamp set. Possibly the motor has not been fried, but who knows? That burnt smell was suspicious. Sunroof fixes here are very expensive. Hope I will resolve this one in a cheaper way. Has anyone seen a "magic wand" on E-bay lately? LOL.