Panzer A4

to replace all the broken plastic pieces in the sunroof?

Mine jammed open. Right side would start to move, left side stuck. I tried everything but could not get it closed. Brought it to the dealer and somehow they got it closed. They said they couldn't tell me what was broken but it would be about $1,200 to remove and repair.

I'll tackle the job myself if I an find all the parts AND don't have to remove the headliner. So the following parts list is correct???


Part numbers for stuff you should replace while doing this service.

#5 in illus 8-77-00 in etka
guide pieces... iirc they come as a set of 4.
4B0-877-165 (updated supersession number)

#13 in illus 8-77-00 in etka v6
guide 8d0-898-153 (I think this is a kit of 2 pieces. As the qty per model specified for this kit is 1....)

#17 in illus 8-77-00 in etka
small parts kit 8d0-898-058
order 2 kits... one for left, one for right.

#18 in illus 8-77-00 in etka
small parts kit 8d0-898-058-a
order 2 kits... one for left, one for right.

WithanF

05 A6. Sunroof stuck this summer. Got it closed and left it that way, since I almost never use it (a few times a year on really hot days I'll park it with the sunroof tilted up, but that's it). Anyhoo, took it to the dealer today to get a beeping brake light fixed and asked the dealer to look at the sunroof while he had the car. He called and asked me what was wrong with it, and I told him it got stuck tilted up, then wouldn't close. I fished some plastic parts out of the track area along with the rubber side shield piece. He told me it would cost $100 to have the sunroof looked at, but if I needed a whole new track, which is what it sounded like, the part is $1800. The part - not the installation.

I told him not to bother looking at it since I didn't need to spend $100 to diagnose a problem I won't pay him to fix anyway.

kidrocking79

I'm having a problem with mine where it doesn't close onced opened. It tilts up just fine.. and can close from being tilted up. It's only when I go to close it from fully open that it doesn't wanna move.. It's almost as if it gets stuck on something... To get it back closed from when open, I have someone put the switch in close position and I have to pull it hard to help it close.

I'm also missing the rubber moulding around the sunroof. Anyone know where i can find that?

Panzer A4

pull off the plastic covers over the side rails. Look at the guide rails with a flashlight and see if any of the plastic is cracked or missing. If so, you will need to replace the rails. If not, there's a good chance one or both sides of your sunroof cable have snapped.
I found that out the hard way after replacing my rails. The cable is thick so if it's broken it can push the sunroof but it can't pull it.
A broken cable means the whole sunroof has to come out to either repair or replace.

Placebo

I know this is an old thread but trying to do this and stuck trying to remove guides so gonna ask incase someone can respond. I was able to remove the c clips but not sure how to remove the last spring portion of the guides. The spring wraps around a post and I cannot see how to slide it off the post.

Let me know what I am not seeing if you have done this. Many thanks.

David.Norton

When I did this I first thought I could pull the guides without pulling the sunroof, but alas no, those springs didn't clear. I ended up dropping the sunroof. BTW I didn't need to pull the back trim, I just let the headliner hang from the rear of the car. When you get it out there will be a couple of plastic parts that you need to unclip at the rear of the tracks. It is very easy to break them, so take care, it is hard to describe how to undo them, you just need to look. Also, before you unbolt the sunroof from the roof mark the locations of the slides so that you can put them back in exactly the same place when you put it back in, otherwise you loose the synchronization between the sunroof and the switch.

Placebo

Thanks for the info David. Reading through the instructions, I thought could just pull the guides and reinstall, somehow missed the need to remove all the other junk to get the access.

After looking at the prices of the guides and the PIA to do, decided on a plan B. I removed all the plastic off the guides (broken and unbroken) and fashioned pin sleeves to fit snug within the now all metal guide rails. The sleeve is made from the cutoff end of a rivet that had a center pin about he same diameter as the pin for the guide rails. The outer diameter is nearly the right size to fit the guide rails. Had to use a round file to enlarge the inner diameter a bit so the guide rail pin would fit in the sleeve.

Sunroof is now much better and fully functional. I still have a little bit of wind noise so may have to play with trying to adjust the glass or remake the pin sleeves from some other material for an even better fit.

The approach is much easier because all you remove is the glass and then the center pin c clip, put the sleeve in place and push the pin through it and reattach the c clip.

Hopefully I can perfect the approach.

David.Norton

Should work, I cleaned all the broken plastic out and used it as is for years. Eventually I got tired of the rattle on bumps and put new guides in. I'm thinking you will want to use steel rivets as the aluminium will wear fast, and keep it greased. I also wonder if there isn't some shock damping that comes in from the plastic track, road bumps might end up in the pins rather than then the plastic cushioning. If you could find something like delrin tubing to make your sleeves out of I think it would work well.

Placebo

good idea about the tubing. will try that if the aluminum wears too much but it quiet now so don't want to mess with it.

I do have a related problem though. If I fully retract my sun roof, the shade gets stuck and hidden away. I can get my hand back there and get it forward but wondering how it is supposed to work as I can't see any mechanisms that pull the shade forward with the roof when closing the roof.

Any ideas on how the shade is supposed to work and not get stuck on the headliner?

David.Norton

There are some clips that screw to the topside of the shade, and they work loose. If you pop the glass out and slide the shade closed you will see them. I had both on one side come out, found the screws on top of the headliner and fished them out with a magnet. If they are missing I don't believe that they are expensive or hard to get.