My latch works OK. It seals properly.
When I pull the handle down and turn it 180 to unlatch, that's fine.
When I pull it back to open the roof, it now angles back toward the back of the car while it used to be vertical and give me more leverage for the slide back.

Upon closing the roof, the handle stays vertical as it should.

Has this happened to anyone here?
Is there an adjustment to be made somewhere to get it "tight" again?

It is OK to leave it and not do damage to the mechanism?

Many thanks in advance to other owners of the manual sunroof.

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

I wish my headliner was as tight around my handle as yours is. It is lifted at the front, so when the sunroof is open it blows under the headliner and stresses/lifts it. Therefore, it remains closed.
Nice chrome, by the way.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Does you handle go back like mine is doing now?

__________________
85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

I believe all W123 300TDs have the manual sunroof.
Please help me out on my opening handle position by seeing the original post with photos above.
This is also a bump.
Many thanks!

__________________
85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

Whoops, post got moved down and I didn't see your question. I'll look when my drivable vehicle takes me home.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Let me think.......I haven't used my sun-roof since early september, but I'm pretty sure it acts the same way as yours does. I haven't had a problem with it working.

BTW do you still need those cross-bars off my wagon??

__________________
-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
---
1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

The latch should remain vertical, not angle toward the back.

As for repair, I have no idea, but I'd take it apart and look if it were me.

Good luck

neither of my wagons did that. the '85 I still have stays perp. to the sunroof when opening/closing. Not sure what would cause yours to do that without taking one apart...

__________________
Cannondale ST600 XL
Redline Monocog 29er
2011 Mini Cooper Clubman
2005 Honda Element EX

www.djugurba.com
www.waldenwellness.com

checked mine out, and it doesn't do that. I wonder what could have happened to yours???????

__________________
-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
---
1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

my latch used to stay perpendicular to the roof when i pull it back.. but when i had the car in for a full body repair.. when i got it back.. the latch already goes back like yours.... and that was way back in march last year... up till now i cant figure out what was missing or wrong and why it wont stay perpendicular to have more leverage it pulling it back...

your guess is as good as mine..

__________________
Mike

----------------------------------
1975 200 - Sold (no pix);
1978 200 - Sold - http://www.pbase.com/hboy/redbaron
1979 300TD - Sold
http://www.pbase.com/hboy/greenwagon
http://www.geocities.com/hboy726/300TD.html
1985 230E - now my daily driver...

Mine has been the same way since I got my car a year ago... I used the sunroof all the time last summer, pretty much every day that it wasn't raining. Until I saw this post, I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Maybe there isn't!

Nate

__________________
1985 300DT, Classic White, California, 159K
1982 240D, Metallic Silver-Blue, Manual Everything, 376K
1981 240D, Orient Red, Parts Car/Engine Donor, 145K

"When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. Hmm?" - Yoda

I don't pull on the handle. I didn't think it was designed to be pulled on.

Thanks for the replies, but I'm still nervous about this.

I've got just about a 50/50.
Some say theirs act like mine and appear to work fine.
Some say the handle is supposed to remain perpendicular.
I think it's supposed to be perp, as it was until recently.

New request. Same subject.

I'm reasonably sure someone here has taken apart the manual sunroof latch.
If someone who has could give me the rundown on how to do so without any surprises like springs, or little balls or some such popping out, I would greatly appreciate it.

Oh, I also did pick up a set of the coveted crossbars from another member here. They lack the black rubber rings, but I like the cleaner all chrome look.

__________________
85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

pull the latch down.. you'll see a screw in the middle.. remove that with a screw driver.. .. then use a small pointed object and look at the base of the handle.. it has a pin that you push to the side to be able to remove the handle itself from the sunroof... when you have pushed this.. dont lose it... remove the handle.. and you'd be able to remove the chrome cover on the suroof part...you'd be able to see the insides..

if you are at it.. might as well check the whole thing... remove the rooflining on the sunroof (sunroof must be fully open).. by using a flat screw driver and prying the locking pins on the front of the liner.. i think there are five that are evenly spread out.. once you have the liner pried from their locks.. just pull it towards the front.. you'll be able to see the base of the sunroof.. check them out for problems...

__________________
Mike

----------------------------------
1975 200 - Sold (no pix);
1978 200 - Sold - http://www.pbase.com/hboy/redbaron
1979 300TD - Sold
http://www.pbase.com/hboy/greenwagon
http://www.geocities.com/hboy726/300TD.html
1985 230E - now my daily driver...

As soon as the snow's gone and I get a nice day when family obligations don't come first, I'll go with your description for slight disassembly/inspection and let you know.
It may be a few weeks, but thanks!

__________________
85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."