W201 sunroof

[jgrainger]

I'm just in the process of looking at issues to sort on my late grandads 93 190D. One irritating thing is the non-working sunroof.

Some time ago a golf ball landed on the roof, leaving a dent. It was removed and the roof resprayed. I seem to remember it working to some extent after the work, it doesn't work now and hasn't for at least a while.

The motor seems to work. From inside the car, pressing the switch results in a clunk and a little bit of movement in the different directions. When pressing the forward/ closing direction, the roof seems to go a little past the proper position and slightly tilt - making me think the timing may be off.

I wonder if something's worked loose and jammed from the roof repair work. Do these sound like symptoms of a typical problem? Does an out of time sunroof entirely stop it functioning / is that easy to fix?

Thank you,
Jonathan

 

[star]

Normally the cast ali slide/tilt mech snaps.

 

[jgrainger]

I'll have a look for a sunroof on ebay - maybe refurbish then swap.. can the panel and tilt mechanism interchange between the electric and mechanical versions?

 

[star]

Don’t think they are.

 

[roadhog]

Parts from the manual slide and electric tilt/slide roofs are not interchangeable. Well, a couple are but to all intents and purposes they are very different setups.
Have you tried moving yours via the manual override at the motor? Use a 17mm socket and turn the plastic adaptor in the pic below. Be warned, the plastic gets brittle with age and the thing splits. I find it easier to remove it and use some mole grip pliers on the flats of the spindle. Whichever way you choose and providing the mechanism is sound, you should be able to operate the roof from there. Gently does it, don't force it!


From your description however, I'm guessing you're looking at a jammed cable in which case the above won't work. It's there to provide a means of closing the roof in case of a failed motor.
Access to the cable at the roof panel end is a little tricky as you really need the roof to be partially open to remove the lining.

 

[jgrainger]

Sounds like there's just going to be no nice ideal solution to this problem. While I'd like the sunroof to work, the other thing is there's the early sign of some rust forming in a small area at the edge of one of the corners of the sunroof seal, on the roof.. so it needs to be opened at the least, to fix the rust.

If doing that, it seems like a sunroof refurbishment is sensible. There are some used options on ebay, and lots of repair kits.

Would the following kit take care of any likely broken parts in the tilt mechanism?

Sunroof Repair Kit Set Stroke Angle Mercedes W124 S124/190 W201 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sunroof Repair Kit Set Stroke Angle Mercedes W124 S124/190 W201 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

- leaving just cable parts and some seals to source?

 

[jgrainger]

I haven't tried moving it at the motor - the motor works and turning the plastic adaptor didn't seem likely to diagnose much at the other end.. I've had another play with the switch after spotting the rear of the sunroof had sunken (sometime after being set to what seemed a closed position from the inside). It seems the outer panel ends up in the correct position once closed from one (but not the other) partially open position, while the headliner looks to be slightly wrong when the metal panel is in the correct closed place.

 

[roadhog]

That eBay kit should fit but whether it'll cure your problem is anyone's guess. I'd hold off buying it until I'd confirmed the cause.
If you're planning on removing the sunroof seal to tackle some rust you'll have to remove the whole sunroof assembly for access. I'm not sure this can be done without opening the sunroof. There's a trim strip at the front of the headliner held in by screws which you're not going to get to with the roof closed.
If this was my car, I'd sacrifice the sunroof lining to get access and take it from there.

 

[jgrainger]

Have been a bit busy with other jobs this week - fixed a manifold leak and made a new down pipe clamp bolt at work.. a turbo was fitted a long time ago making the job a bit more involved. Have also decided to do the sunroof sooner than later.

I'll probably get a couple of Mercedessource videos before tackling it then post back with an update.