I agree with hxpa on this issue. If your sunroof open and closes manually, you should be very happy! My cable broke, and I couldn't get it open manually from the trunk, so I decided to open it manually, from the interior. I found broken parts, worn felt gliders and no grease on the tracks. So I have been in the process of rebuilding my sunroof completely, now I'm at the point where I need a new cable to complete this task. I will be posting photos with notes soon, for those of you who know you can fix it if you only knew where to start first.

If the 17mm nut is striped so bad that a 6-point socket won't remove it, you may have to cut into it from one side with a dremel tool or attachment on a drill to open it up, or use a cold chisel and a hammer to unscrew it.

Good luck on it!