Sunroof seal and headliner problems...

[Hatterasguy]

Ok my sunroof is pretty much together, I have replaced everything except the motor and cable! So with all the new stuff it seems to work real well, but I have run into one problem.

I replaced the sunroof seal with an OE one last March. It never fit right and was always real tight up against the panal, to the point it stopped working. Today I ran into the problem as well, if I remove the seal the sunroof works perfectly. With the seal in place it gets hung up. What is the solution? I tapped the seal into place with a block of wood and hammer it is in place but still it jams the sunroof.

The seal should be the right one I purchased it from the dealer and those guys are pretty good. I will dig the part number out of my records and post it. But I think it is the right seal.

Secondly I havn't put the headliner in yet, are their any tricks that I should know about? It seems pretty straight forward.

I am talking about the SDL in my sig, thanks.

[J.HIDALGO]

My car was painted ans the sunroof seal was replaced. I have the same symptoms you have. I have not found a solutions yet and if you do, please let me know...
Good luck!

[Hatterasguy]

Well I am still stumped. I am going to lube the gasket with some sunroof grease. It isn't the best solution but it is the only one I can think of at the moment.

[Pete Geither]

I replaced the seal in our 400E when we painted it last summer and it is just now starting to work correctly, so that I don't have to pound on it to fully close it when I tilt the back up. I don't know what the trick is when they do it at the factory. I used a lot of tire lube to put it in and it always worked, but needed a little prodding to shut completely.

[richard28]

when you all replaced the sunroof seal, which side faces up, the smooth or the rippled? thanks.

[Hatterasguy]

Smooth, the felt covered side.

[richard28]

both sides seem to have felt; on the rubber seal that goes into the rail, one side is smooth, the other rippled; which one face up. Also, how to you determine front & back? Thanks.

[richard28]

I checked out the seal again; yes, felt side up is the same as the rippled side, with the yellow stripe, up. The seal really is two strips connected at the factory; on one strip, the lower lip of the rubber is longer than the other; this shorter lower lip goes into the rear rail. There are two seams where the trwo different rubbers are joined; these seams are on each side, about 2 inches from each rear corner; if you feel around on the rails you can find the "notch" where the seam fits the thicker lower lip.

This job was a PITA; I found broken rivets on the rear rail, which I revited again, and some rust clogging the groves, which prevented an easy fit, and I had to remove it. Also, in some places which were too tight I had to insert a wedge and tap it with a hammer to widen the groove. Finally done, and I hope it lasts the life of the car (its on my 1987 300e). BTW, the old seal, which cracked last year, was dated 4/99, so it lasted 7 years. Thanks, guys, for the input in the prior posts.

[Hatterasguy]

You should start a new thread. Your seal seems quite different than the ones they used on the W126's.