My ‘86 300E sunroof unexpectedly stuck about three quarters closed. After working it back and forth with the switch and manual assistance I managed to get it completely closed. Initial research indicated the repair is extremely complicated and should be performed by a professional. Local MB specialists would not even consider the repair which left the MB dealer as my only option. More research found dealer repair costs from one to two thousand dollars.

Then I came across this site and the information found was enough for me to take on the repair. Convinced the problem was the sunroof motor I purchased a replacement on ebay. After removing the original motor I found the gears were worn but not the source of the problem. Unfortunately the new motor’s mounting bracket was different. Since everything was apart I decided to just use the gears from the new motor. Next I removed the headliner from the sunroof to inspect the bracket attaching the sunroof to the cable. The bracket was good so I detached the bracket to inspect the cable. With the cable removed the problem was discovered. One of the nylon ferrules on the cable was worn and binding in the tube. Having already spent a couple hundred bucks on a motor I decided to remove the worn ferrule and reinstall the cable. The cable and tube was thoroughly cleaned with brake cleaner and lubed. Using a rod with a bit of rag taped on the end I cleaned and lubed the rear portion of the tracks. After everything was back in place I found the sunroof moved faster and smoother then ever. The entire process was accomplished in about six hours.

I wish to thank the members of this site for the invaluable information they have provided, for giving me the courage to take on a repair, and saving me a considerable amount of money.

Way to go! Oh, what a feeling...

Best Regards,
Jim

That's good....

I am getting concerned with my sunroof on my 95 E320 ... With the nice weather out, and driving alot more, I have been using the sunroof daily open/close, open/close, open/close..... I imagine it has a usuable life and not sure how close I am to the end b4 I have a stuck sunroof.

What's mileage do you guys' sunroofs have started to give you headeaches ..?

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment

I lube the tracks on mine (93) annually (ML too).

So far, so good. But I suspect problems ahead, and this summer I am getting my headliner replaced. Good time to inspect the sunroof hardware and repair/replace where necessary...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

My 95 E320 wagon has 70k on it now, now problems. (It shouldn't) One thing I do quite frequently is clean the stainless steel rails which are exposed when the roof is open, clean those rails until they are shiny, and then lubricate with a light oil, like key oil or sewing machine oil. Also, tighten screws in the steel sliders because they can stick up and cause a jam. Lube the inner portions of the tracks and also the pop-up wind deflector. Doing all this, plus making sure not to open roof when there is snow / ice should cause the roof to operate properly for a very long time. It is a strange sunroof design, though, with the motor in the back of the car and the cables running the length of the roof. But it is silent in operation.

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2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic
1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon
2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 SE
1999 Audi A8 4.2L quattro

Get the MB sunroof past (Rusty at BuyMBParts sells it in 2 oz cans instead of the 1 kg size!). Please do NOT use oil or grease, the MB stuff is a dry detergentized lubricant. Oil or grease will simply collect dust and grit, and cause the sunroof to bind.

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!