Could be a broken cable. You should be able to see the end of the cable where it bolts to the transport bridge, by lifting the center panel open and peering back in the center.

- Jeff

I do have a good motor and cable from my '91. If you find yourself needing one, PM me.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I just finished disassembling and reassembling my sunroof. Mine wouldnt pop up either, after some time of balky closing. In the end the small plastic guide that pops the roof up broke on the passenger side.

SO besides the cable, here are some other things to look at:

Clean leaves, sticks, and small orphan parts out of the channels. I found a trim washer floating around in the track.

My cable was good but the metal clip on the end was nearly broken. Replaced clip.

I removed the stainless steel tracks and cleaned them up-- they were gummy and all nasty.

I ran the detached cable into the passenger compartment, and greased it
with white lith. Then I fed it back into its little tube. On my 190d, this was a piece of cake, although I dont think its so easy on some other models, from what I read in this forum.

Penetrating oil on the pivot linkage that lifts the sunroof fully shut .

As mentioned, replaced the plastic slide that the sunroof follows to pop up: drive the rivets out of the old one without ruining the bracket, and without losing any metal, and reuse the rivets to put the new guides in.

All four corners of the sunroof are adjustable, and may need adjustment if you have to remove it for any reason. It should be snug, and in line with the body.

This is a nicely designed system, and is very repairable, which is the hallmark of a good machine.

MIne now works great!

On my 1995 E300 diesel I had the same problem, the sunroof was not all the way closed (down slightly in the rear). I was able to follow this tip to get it closed.

When I first picked up the car last week the sunroof would open and close but not tilt. No biggie. Then I was driving around with it open and it started to make this crazy squealing noise which I narrowed down to the motor assembly. I was able to close it (not completely) and the noise stopped. Then I could move it by hand when also operating the switch and it made a faint humming noise like it wanted to work.

Any clues as to what my problem is? Switch? Motor? Cable?

If it's at all like the 80's sunroof motor design, one of the gears in the motor assembly may have stripped or split. Relatively easy to replace once you get another, if that is the problem.

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...

I think my next course of action is to remove the motor and examine, need to find a good schematic of it. I pulled the knob out to disengage so I could manually close it, how do I get it engaged again? I tried pushing on it and don't want to break it.

Also I don't know if this is related somehow but I keep blowing the fuse for the front power windows. Should I start by cleaning out the switches?

Got the roof closed by yanking back the headliner for the sunroof and wedging it closed. I can get it repaired, but my mechanic says I need to be able to have the parts ready as he's working. How much am I looking to spend on parts costs alone?

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BLUE BEAST

Thanks for advice, replys, and suggestions!

1987 300SDL Turbo 308,000 miles
"seen better days"

First you need to pull the sunroof apart to see whats broken. I paid a bit over $200 each for new sliding mechinisms on both sides. I replaced just about every part, figure $600 in parts, and say $800 in labor if you pay someone to do it.

If this "mechanic" is the same one that messed up your ignition, your better off just shooting some silicone around it and forgeting about it.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Depends on what's broken ... I rebuilt mine and spent about $300 in parts. All I needed to replace was the lift arms and do a lot of re-aligning and adjustment. Not an easy job, but I'm no master mechanic and I did it, so it's possible. Depends on how much you like having a sunroof. Each lift arm was <$150 at dealer for me. You might also have to replace your slide rails depending on your manufacture date, but those are <$30 each if I remember right. If the cable is busted, it starts adding up. Labor will be your biggest cost, I'd say. Any mechanic is going to have to charge you a pretty penny for that job. If you have the time and sense of adventure, do it yourself. If you really booger it up, than you can go the "caulk it shut" route.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)