Hi all - new member in Ireland. I have a 1997 E230 W210 which has a glass sunroof which is stuck (thankfully closed!) I have checked the electric motor and switchgear which appears to be functioning ok so it appears that the problem is mechanical. It has been suggested that this is a common problem with this model which requires replacement of the frame or part of supporting the sunroof and to get to this may mean removing the entire interior to get the roof lining out - has anyone had this problem and what is the best solution?

I have the same problem. Mine opens half way then gets stuck. Luckly I can close it. Has anyone done the replacement? Is it a DIY item - the stealership is quoting about $2500

TIA

Ravi

Sunroof problems are very common on w210s. Also some DIY procedures posted on this forum. Good preventive maint is to keep them lubed with special MB sunroof lubricant. Do a search for Sunroof & w210 and you should get some info.

does the roof open a bit and then stop? then see if you can open it all the way by pressing with your hand. if u nudge it on and open it, then the repair will take about 10 mins. find a plastic piece on each side with a screw holding it down, take those off and find the long cables running. pull those cables out, and then install new cables and the updated plastic pieces with 2 screws. you're done!

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Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe

hmmm and i thought that was a problem on the W124's. can't mercedes just get this right for once !

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I second ProV1 solution. Note the repair will take about 10 minutes if you know what you are doing. First time may take a bit longer.

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Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

Helpful southern replied to my same thread, and he said that you can remove the cover plate without opening the roof.

if you're broke like me, you may get away with just buying the cables and not the plates.

i'm curious how the cables are installed, do they hook onto something on both ends? is it easier to install the cables w/ the roof open vs closed?

btw diagram to show the cables & plates;

__________________
Current cars:
2001 MB E55 AMG
2003 Honda S2000
2000 Honda CRV

Gone but not forgotten:
2004 BMW 325i 5sp sport
1999 BMW 540i sport
1997 MB E420
1995 BMW M3 coupe

I've worked on these but been awhile. I don't think the repair is all that easy, in that the motor has to be removed to slide the cables in or out, plus the glass has to come off to disengage the cables from the sliding jaws.
I've alse replaced the whole sunroof assm, lots of fun getting the headliner removed.
Gilly

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It's true I said that you can remove the cover plate without opening the roof but I don't recall if you can replace the cables with the sunroof in place since I removed mine when I replaced the cables.

Since the cables are around $85 and the newer designed cover plates are around $5, I recommend spending the extra $5 since the cables are much more expensive. The extra screw in the newer cover plates may help in keeping the flimsy cable from kinking.

After replacing my sunroof cables, it was no more difficult then replacing a radiator provided you have the information beforehand.

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Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

The ends of the cable attach to the sliding jaws, I don't think the screw that attaches the cables is accessable with the roof panel in place, I may be wrong though, been awhile

Gilly

__________________
Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

Click here to see a photo album of my '62 Sprite Project Moneypit (Now Sold)

Here is the link which helped me understand the removal of the sliding roof:

http://w210.pietrzyk.net/Default.htm

You will need to go to Body/Disassembly/Sliding Roof and watch the video clips.

My Firefox would not play the video clips but Explorer did.

Most important, save the information on the link to your hard drive or CD because once the link is gone so is the information.

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Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

How do i remove the sunroof if it is stuck?....the motor moves but the roof did not nudge a bit..