After 1 1/2 years I finally took the time to try to get my sun roof to fully open. Following the advice on multiple posts and threads I did the following.

Since it would only open about 1 1/2 inches and freeze even with a single person push, I cleaned as much I could reach in every crack, slot and track with a rag and Q tips. I then literally flooded both sides with WD-40 and cleaned again with rags and Q tips. Did this at least 10 times. Grime/dirt/old grease a plenty. Tried to open.. Nope! Friend came over and had him pull on two corners while I hit the open switch. Volia it opens. Then used WD-40 in the areas I had not hit before and repeated at last 10 times again. It closed and opened gagain. I then removed the WD by cleaning and sprayed everything wiith White Lithium grease spray. Lots more stuff comes out. WL is stickier than the WD. Repeated after cleaning several times.

Tracks are now spotless and it opens closes OK. However, I have to give the panel a "push" when I click the first time. I know this is a common problem, but has anyone found a cure other than removong the blasted thing?

 

I just ended up replacing my track on mine. the damn sunroof sent me to the hospital for 7 stiches in my finger. I tried to get the track off and my hand slipped and went right in to the sharp part of the track.

 

Give up.
Both my FC's need the love tap.
My red SE wouldn't even open.
I had to remove the WHOLE assemly from the car and clean it and lube it.

It still stopped afer that. It just needs that little push up and it will always work.

 

Keep moving it a lot.... Mine used to require a PUSH to open it, and a pull to close it... after using it and re-lubing it a few hundred times, I can literally tap it with one finger and it will come up, and it slides/closes all by itself now.

What are you using to lube it? I used white lithium grease (it's supposedly an anti-dust formula... according to the manufacturer anyway) it's called "White Lube" If that doesn't help, you play some pretty sick jokes with a tube of something called White Lube sitting around....

 

I'll just consider myself lucky. My sun roof, need a push, wd-40 worked for me.

 

WD40= sperm of the devil

(doubt me... hold a flame in front of it while spraying).

WD40 has suspended teflon in it, and a solvent to keep it suspended. It is just about the worst thing you can do is to put WD40 on teflon such as found on the sunroof slides and guides (as well as inside power antennas). It will start disolving any teflon surface it sits on. Add the other oil agents in WD-40 that are attractants for dust, and you are just asking for disaster.

Always make sure you remove all traces of WD-40 from plastic and teflon products with a brake cleaner or other plastic safe cleaner/degreaser. Then you can re-lube with white lith grease.

 

Icemark, I have taken to heart your warnings about WD-40 after reading them a few times over the past 2 years. I used the WD-40 at the begining cuz it is fluid and thus more inclined to easily get where it needed to. As I indicated in my thread I washed with the stuff. However, I then got as much off as I could with rags, screwdriver tipped rag in tracks, and Q tips. I then used white lithium grease not only to pick up the particulate junk the WD would not trap but to absorb the WD. Went thru the lithium process about 6 - 8 times. Feel comfortable that most if not all of the WD i history.

Digit, using white lithium grease (spray can) cuz its easier to get where you want it than the solid stuff.

 

To keep the sunroof from sticking, keep the tracks clean, don't park the car with the sunroof open under a tree and don't use silicone on plastic .
If it is sticking, you need to align it again. The car flexes and the sunroof gets misaligned . It's a really simple 10 minute job. Tilt the roof enough for you to reach the nuts. Pull off the liner . There's 4? snaps that hold the headliner. Pull the front down first. Be gentle and pull down at the tabs. If you're rough with it, you might rip off the tab inserted inside the liner. Loosen the 6 10mm nuts. Pull on the sunroof forward and tighten the nuts. It may need some left to right adjustment but when it's aligned, it'll open with ease and less strain on the sunroof motor.
And yes, use lithium grease.

 

From the first day I picked my car up at the dealer with 4 miles on it, May '89, it's always needed that little, as someone said above, love tap to get it started. Never got any worse, or any better in 14 years. I sure wasn't going to let the dealer screw around with it, evn if it was under warranty.
Might enjoy this-As the front air dam on the TII's were shipped inside the cars, the dealer needed to do the install. When I picked my car up, first '89TII into that dealer, they installed the air dam UPSIDE DOWN!!!
Begining of the nightmare at the dealership.

 

hmmm...that reminds me, I should get all nasty with my white lithium grease on my sunroof.

As of right now, it works fine without a love tap at all, but I want it to always be this way! I did look in the tracks the other day, and there's certainly a decent share of grime in there.

Ahhh...preventative maintenance...so much fun

 

mine wouldnt even want to open ...

 

Sunroof? I don’t have a button for that . Hehehe but on another note when I had my 86 GXL I found that the rubber around the edges were the cause of my sticking. Once I cleaned that and lubed the tracks it worked. I miss that car

- Dana "The GTUs don't need no stinking sunroof "

 

I just replaced the sunroof motor and oiled the tracks that solved everything



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