Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Moon Roof Stuck

I have a 1998 SVT and the moon roof is stuck in the open and up position. The fuses are good and all I hear is a small click each time I press the moon roof switch. Its only 40 degrees here so I dont think that heat is the issue. Does anybody know how to manually close it. I have read some other moon roofs posts that infer that I could cause more damage trying to do that. Please advise.
Thanks, John

Remove the cover cover, remove th emotor for the sunroof, and use some pliers to manuall close it turning th egear. SOunds like the plastic gear is tripped. Happened to me yesterday,

Thanks,

It does not sound like I could make it worse by doing that. I may just leave it in the closed position. It sounds like the plastic gear is prone to failure. Are you going to fix yours?

John

Plastic gear is prone to failure. A good way to prevent this is to keep the sunroof oiled, gaskets and track (thats what Hebasto told me). Also, once it's fixed.. don't pop it up ALL THE WAY, or retract it ALL The way. SOmehting about getting to the final point where it can't open no more and the torque required to budge the glass just strips the stupid plastic gear. Once you remove that upper console, you'll see 3 torx bit screws.. think they are t-27 (not positive). After those come out, just pull down on the motor (not hard, it'll come right off) and you'll see the metal gear sticking down. Just turn it with a pare of vice grips with a rag and you can close it that way. I will get mine fixed.... it's covered under warranty for me. Someone tried to reproduce the plastic gear out of metal, but failed at it.


Oh yeah.. welcome to CEG. You'll find most of us very usefull.

get use to it, its gonna happen a lot

My school has a CNC type machine where my roomate makes pullies and stuff for his car. If some one is willing to donate a broken plastic piece I MIGHT, keyword being MIGHT, be able to get a couple made for those with broken gears. If intrested in donating the part PM me.

EASY fix. Take of the map lights and the plastic piece where the switch for the roof is, unbolt the sunroof motor, with it unbolted, use the switch. The motor has gotten in a bind. Once you have it closed, Disengage the motor from the stub and cycle the switch to "pop up" position and back to "closed". This will put the roof and the motor in phase again. Put it all back together. You will need Torx bits FYI.

Once you get in there it will make sense