W123 280CE Electric Sunroof Problem

[JimW9]

The electric sunroof on my W123 280CE is very difficult to operate. It will only work when it has been sat in the sun and if you give it some serious manual assistance.

It probably just needs lubricating but I have no idea how to go about this, any ideas?

 

[paulcallender]

There's a cord which runs inside a sleeve and this transmits the mechanical effect, really its this which would need lubricating. But its really hard to get to - you'd have to take the headlining off, I think? You could lubricate the sunroof runners with white grease or something, it could help a little. Also, any moving parts you can see in the motor and mechanism.

I think there's also a 'clutch' mechanism you can adjust that means the motor provides more torque, before the 'clutch' slips to save it burning out or whatever (or slicing the head of a cat, for example). You could adjust this. I have a W124 and a W114, no doubt someone with a W123 could supply details on this particular model...

 

[Kelvin]

sunroof problem

I too am having problems with the sunroof on my 1982 230E. The motor and winder mechanism are in the boot and I have dismantled them to discover that the large nylon cog inside winder has all its teeth worn away. Every thing else works OK but of course there is nothing to pull on the slotted cable!

I have no idea where to get a spare cog - Merc want 200 pounds for new - and I have been warned that any second hand piece will probably have the same worn component.

Jim, I would be very careful not to strip the teeth inside your motor by operating a very stiff sunroof. It is relatively simple to detach and examine the motor in the boot and lubricate the workings. Harder to lubricate the cable as it is buried within the headlining. I have greased the sliders either side of the roof opening which helps.

You can wind the sunroof open and shut with the aid of a ring-spanner if you remove the plastic hexagonal shape cover. You will need to remove the plastic boot lining form the near side boot well to find the motor up inside the wing. If you wind it to and fro a few times by hand it might loosen up a bit (clockwise opens it) - just be careful not to lose those teeth!

 

[pascal]

Kelvin,

Put the words Nylon Cogs' into google. This is an example of what I got:
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=253

Pascal

 

[tom7035]

The electric sunroof on my W123 280CE is very difficult to operate. It will only work when it has been sat in the sun and if you give it some serious manual assistance.

It probably just needs lubricating but I have no idea how to go about this, any ideas?

I had a similar problem with my sunroof being very reluctant to slide and even sticking regularly, and finding that greasing of the runners/guides didn't help much, just on the off-chance it might help, liberally sprayed magic WD40 into both sides of the roof area where the runners disappear with the aid of the straw-like extension on the can - bingo! Been OK ever since (6 months).

 

[shrekky]

and the cog that needs replacing............i know the original is nylon,but i dare say if you take it to a small local engineer they could make you one out of soft steel for a fraction of the cost............just a thought

 

[uksjim]

I had a similar problem with my sunroof being very reluctant to slide and even sticking regularly, and finding that greasing of the runners/guides didn't help much, just on the off-chance it might help, liberally sprayed magic WD40 into both sides of the roof area where the runners disappear with the aid of the straw-like extension on the can - bingo! Been OK ever since (6 months).

I sprayed in silicon grease using 3 nozzle tubes fixed together to reach in under roof.Roof slides as new now.

 

[television]

I sprayed in silicon grease using 3 nozzle tubes fixed together to reach in under roof.Roof slides as new now.

Hello young man and welcome to the forum,after many years here tom 7035 is no longer with us,,he is alive I hope, but moved onto something else.

Silicon is very good a is somewhat water proof so you should be OK foe a few years now