Hi,

Sorry to repost but I am getting soaked!

Any help would be REALLY appreciated, especially since by reading threads here it looks like I could take a $$ beating. Where I dont know the exact name of a part I have put a (?) make but think I have described it well enough for someone to understand.

My 87 560 SEL sunroof has locked up with the sunroof closed but a little tilted up (it is a tilt-up type as well as slides all the way back normally). When it first locked up it was closed and I was able to push the switch back and forth and the roof would move slightly on the drivers side. The right side would not move at all. I could hear and see the unit sliding slightly. This made the sunroof slightly cock as it tried to move backwards. This made me believe the motor, etc works but there was a problem on the passenger side slide, angle (?) or other. After reading the posts about how you could take the sunroof liner/cover (?) off I tried to continue moving it back and forth in the hope that I could move it back enough to be able to get to the clips on the front of the sunroof liner, take it off and therefore see what was going on inside. After movement slighlty more I heard slight popping/cracking (I know, I know, bad, but I will pray that it is just what was already broken, breaking more), it moved a little furhter in the tilt direction and now the sunroof is not moving at all. I did not hold the switch for any length of time so I hope that the motor is still good but the roof is so locked up that the motor cannot move in any direction so I I dont hear any movement anymore. Any help would be really appreciated, especially if I could get the liner off first and then work on the right side.

Im am good with tools, good with cars but have not had much experience with MB yet since this is only my second and the first I have actually been working on. THANKS!!

I know how you feel. I was there recently. I have the same car. Mine also broke on the right side. Odds are, your car has never had the "sunroof mod". It ain't cheap. Parts are about $400 or more from a very friendly dealer. What probably broke was the lifting arm. There is one on each side. They run in a track on each side and the steel roof panel bolts to them.They are connected to each other by a piece of metal , about 4 inches wide by width of sunroof, that runs between them called a bridge. The cable from the motor connects to the bridge. The lifting arms break. When that happens, it is a bear to get the sunroof open to pull off the lower panel. On mine, when you tried to retract the sunroof, only the left side would drop in preparatin of sliding back. I had my young son operate the sunroof control while I worked the steel panel. As he would pust the retract button, I would "help" the stubborn side drop to proper position. Took a fair bit of my weight and several tries, but finally it did drop. then I helped it slide back. Once back, I cleared the broken pieces from the track and then was able to perform the mod. with help from the factory CD. Oh, and I will have to do it again on the 300E I just bought for my daughter. Seems a P.O. had had problems with that sunroof and just blocked it in position with a piece of wood and then used clear RTV to help seal it. Looks a lot better than it sounds but still a pain plus expensive. On your job, buy the right parts and take your time. You may want to order an extra set of the little felt shoes that go on the sliding feet on the front of the steel panel. Mine were bad and may have been a part of the failure to begin with. If you want, I'll try to dig up a list of the parts I bought. Just email me.