My 1990 300d Turbo 2.5's sunroof opens and closes just fine, but for some reason when I pull the switch downward to make it pop up, it sort of pops up on the left side but refuses to pop up on the right.

Pushing up on the right side doesn't result in it popping up, although I could push a whole lot harder, I suppose. I try not to get violent, as this tends to break stuff. I dislike breaking stuff.

I assume that this means something is worn, broken, twisted or needs lubrication. I would very much like to fix this myself, as this would really boost my ego and also save me from having to pay someone $58.00 per hour. I feel that I have already done my part on this score. About $5,000 to repair the AC, replace the injector pump, injectors, glowplugs, computer and other things I do not wish to think about, just this year. But I am not a Diesel mechanic.

My message to anyone considering buying a used Mercedes: get it checked out by a mechanic FIRST: the fit and finish of these cars is so good, it is easy to miss expensive electronic defects. The AC and the Diesel systems can appear just fine, but have problems lurking under the surface, waiting to waylay a poor dummkopf's pocketbook. My car seemed to smoke just a little bit too much when I bought it.

I have overhauled simpler cars before and routinely fiddle with my other car, a simple Hyundai Excel.

Danke alles!

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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)

Hi everyone! My first post and I was hoping it wouldn't be for something like this...

Anyway, I've got the EXACT problem that Richard had and was disappointed to not see an answer...so, I'm hoping that resurrecting his post might spur an answer. I have searched the archives for sunroof but there are so many issues and just now found this one.

Fortunately, in the "valley of the sun" (aka phoenix) I don't need to worry too much about rain leaking in but I expect we may be getting some soon so would like to get fixed!!

Thanks for all your help!!

"Newbie" Mike

1990 300D 2.5 (dark blue--is that midnight??)

"Newbie" Mike has resurrected my ancient sunroof problem. After not finding a response or answer to this, I took the problem to a mechanic friend of mine, who gave me a L shaped broken-off piece about 3/4 " on the shorter leg and 1.75" on the longer, that he said was blocking the track. I think it was actually part of the track. But it still didn't pop us, so I opened it and sprayed it with WD-30 and ran the sunroof back and forth about 12 times. Each time it got easier and easier to do. When it stopped getting easier and faster and less noisy, I pulled down on the thingie, and it popped up!

Of course, I still had the piece of what appears to be pot metal or some zinc-aluminum blend, and took it to Finish Line, who sell all sorts of German car parts here in Miami. They said that the factory had decided that the sunroof design on the 124 was deficient and had come out with a kit to correct the breaking track problem. The kit is said to cost around $60 to $80. At $72 per hour for installation that Gunter and Helmut will charge me for their always useful expertise, I am quite content to leave the money in a fund where it might earn $72 by the time I really need to fix it or get out the duct tape.

But since my sunroof now pops up and opens and closes and does not leak, I have decided to ignore the fact that a piece has broken off, since everything works and all I need to do is to spray all the pieces that appear to move with WD-30 every month or two.

As I recall, I needed to push gently upward on the right side or the sunroof in mid-pop for the first two or three times, and now it needs no help from me. I suppose that the lubricant needed time to ooze in.

So you can get the kit from the dealer, or try to fish out the broken part, and don't forget the WD-40.

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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)

Hey all:

You have a broken lifting angle, and the other one will break soon if you don't replace it, or the actuating bridge will get sidways and jam (open, of course....!).

Repair is pretty easy so long as the roof still opens.

Open roof, remove liner by unclipping the four clips about 2" back from the front edge and sliding out from above. It doesn't fit out the bottom unless you bend it.

Remove the two chome rails (crosshead screws -- leave the slotted screws alone, they adjust the height). close roof, undo the two screws on the angle brackets on each side, and remove the roof panel. Unscrew the three screws on each side of the bridge that hold lifting angles to the bridge. Lift the angle brackets and unhook the rain gutter (fits into the back of the roof panel and under the rear of the opening) -- take care not to force it or you will break it.

The lifting angles (or the remains thereof) hook under the side rails. Remove, clean out all the junk, then replace with new ones ($90 each, alas, but worth it, they are MUCH better than the originals!).

Lubricate the sliding pads with MB sliding sunroof paste -- you will need to beg this, it only comes in a 500g can -- get your indy to sell you enough to do the job. Nothing else works properly, WD-40 especially.

Installation is the reverse of removal. You will need to have the lifting angles all the way forward, but not tilted up, to re-install the roof panel. Shove it all the way forward into the seal when you put it back on, or it won't open or close properly (it will run up on the rear seal).

Don't shove down on it to close it, you will either break the other lifting angle or jam the bridge at a funny angle, in which case you cannot remove the liner from the top, and will likely damage it taking it out from the inside.

Messy job, but not hard.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!