Someone else with a sunroof problem

[Gabrielm]

Hi Guys,

Here's hoping you can help me, My sunroof is having issues. it will lift and close as it should, but when it is closing it doesn't stop where it should. Instead the lifting arms fully retract as they would if you were about to take the panel out.

I have no idea why this should happen. It's only started today!
Is there a relay that could be faulty? If so where? Help!

Thanks in advance

[Scott R]

Just sounds like one of your micrositches is out of adjustment.

Remove the trunk panel on the drievrs side and check that they are "clicking" in the correct stop positions.

[Gabrielm]

Thanks for the quick reply....

Huh? What panel?

Being in the UK we don't have trunks, That's in the back right?

To quote an a famous, old, dead dude. "England & America, two countries divided by the same language."
No offense meant he he he he....

Could you elaborate on what I should be looking for? If it is these micro switches how do you adjust them?

Thanks for your help

[944S Boyeee]

I JUST did this!!! Took me 6 minutes.......here is what to do.......

Open the back hatch.
Pull the carpet up on the left side, exposing the "hole" underneath (wheel well) - then pull the "side carpet" away from the side - it is held plastic with clips that just pull in and out. Unplug the wire that leads to the hatch interior light (two wires - big one with plastic clip at end and one small brown wire) - it makes it easier to pull the carpet all the way back. Once both pieces of carpet are pulled back, put something heavy on them to keep them from moving (makes it easier to work).
There should be a black plastic cover to the extreme left with some screws on top and on the front/bottom - remove the screws (I think there are 5 or six of em'). Pull the black plastic cover off.
Now you see the motor.
If you look at the top area of the motor, you will see two retangular boxes that should be white and red. They are about 3 inches by 2 inches big. These are the microswitches. They should have wires leading to them.
There should be a small screw holding them on.....this screw is almost impossible to get at without removing the motor....but don't worry about that right now.
These switches both get "hit" when the motor spins - there is a white plastic gear that spins and it has grooves that hit the lil' "wheels" on the microswitches (look at the front of the switches). When both switches are hit, they click. The top switch will get hit first, then the bottom one. Once both are "clicked" - the motor stops in what should be the locked roof position.

What happens is this "hard to get to screw" (the one that holds the switches to the motor) gets loose and the switches move out towards the hatch area. A movement of a mm will cause the switch to not be hit correctly, thus making the motor spin past the "locked" position and this is your problem.

Now before worrying about removing the motor - try pushing on the side of the switches with your finger - pushing them more towards the left. Only push ever slightly. They can only move as far as the hole that hold the screw will allow, but if you push them in too far, this will cause the roof to think it's "closed" to early and you will end up with a slightly raised roof when it should be closed. Try pushing the switches....they should move because they have to be loose in the first place in order for you to be having this problem. If they move, try moving them just a tad (as you push them, you should start seeing the hole under that screw - you can see how the hole is wide to allow the switches to be moved in and out), then try the roof out. If it keeps going past the closed position (the problem you have), then try moving them a bit more until it is just right. This should fix the problem.

If the problem comes back, you can just do this all over again......but if it comes back, this may mean that this lil' screw that hold the switches to the motor is too loose. You will have to remove the screws that hold the motor to the side of the car and pull the motor out some and then get at that screw and tighten it. Remember to set the switches where they work correctly before tightening this screw.

Try that out and if you have any questions as you're doing it, post back.

944S Boyeee

[Scott R]

Sorry, I meant open the "boot" and look in there.

[AaronM]

Originally posted by 944S Boyeee
I JUST did this!!! Took me 6 minutes.......here is what to do.......

Open the back hatch.
Pull the carpet up on the left side, exposing the "hole" underneath (wheel well) - then pull the "side carpet" away from the side - it is held plastic with clips that just pull in and out. Unplug the wire that leads to the hatch interior light (two wires - big one with plastic clip at end and one small brown wire) - it makes it easier to pull the carpet all the way back. Once both pieces of carpet are pulled back, put something heavy on them to keep them from moving (makes it easier to work).
There should be a black plastic cover to the extreme left with some screws on top and on the front/bottom - remove the screws (I think there are 5 or six of em'). Pull the black plastic cover off.
Now you see the motor.
If you look at the top area of the motor, you will see two retangular boxes that should be white and red. They are about 3 inches by 2 inches big. These are the microswitches. They should have wires leading to them.
There should be a small screw holding them on.....this screw is almost impossible to get at without removing the motor....but don't worry about that right now.
These switches both get "hit" when the motor spins - there is a white plastic gear that spins and it has grooves that hit the lil' "wheels" on the microswitches (look at the front of the switches). When both switches are hit, they click. The top switch will get hit first, then the bottom one. Once both are "clicked" - the motor stops in what should be the locked roof position.

What happens is this "hard to get to screw" (the one that holds the switches to the motor) gets loose and the switches move out towards the hatch area. A movement of a mm will cause the switch to not be hit correctly, thus making the motor spin past the "locked" position and this is your problem.

Now before worrying about removing the motor - try pushing on the side of the switches with your finger - pushing them more towards the left. Only push ever slightly. They can only move as far as the hole that hold the screw will allow, but if you push them in too far, this will cause the roof to think it's "closed" to early and you will end up with a slightly raised roof when it should be closed. Try pushing the switches....they should move because they have to be loose in the first place in order for you to be having this problem. If they move, try moving them just a tad (as you push them, you should start seeing the hole under that screw - you can see how the hole is wide to allow the switches to be moved in and out), then try the roof out. If it keeps going past the closed position (the problem you have), then try moving them a bit more until it is just right. This should fix the problem.

If the problem comes back, you can just do this all over again......but if it comes back, this may mean that this lil' screw that hold the switches to the motor is too loose. You will have to remove the screws that hold the motor to the side of the car and pull the motor out some and then get at that screw and tighten it. Remember to set the switches where they work correctly before tightening this screw.

Try that out and if you have any questions as you're doing it, post back.

944S Boyeee

3 inches by 2 inches? You've got huge microswitches in your car then. Mine were maybe 0.75 inches by 1.5 inches and about 0.25 inches thick. And that's erring on the large side.

Anyway, this is one of those things that is so easy to do once you know it and so hard to describe to someone else, isn't it. I know that I suck at describing these things. You've done an excellent job.

As for tightening that hard to reach nut, I actually was able to use an ignition wrench. The wrench was only about 2.5 inches long and I could fit it right in. Hopefully that method will work for others too.

Aaron

[944S Boyeee]

Ya Aaron - when I was typing the write-up, I hadn't gone out and done it fully yet. I was going on memory right up until the microswitch part. Once I started typing about the microswitches, I couldn't remember which one had to get hit to make it close right, so I ran out to take a look and ended up adjusting mine while I was there (it took this post to get me off my lazy ass to fix it). I was guessing on the microswitch size. I was way off, eh?

I actually kinda liked it when the microswitch was out of adjustment. That way when I wanted the roof locked - I would just stop "closing" it when I saw the arms starting to retract to far. And I could retract the arms all I wanted to when needed without having to put the key in position #1. What having an out of adjustment microswitch means is that you can basically bypass using position #1 for the key.

944S Boyeee

[AaronM]

Originally posted by 944S Boyeee
Ya Aaron - when I was typing the write-up, I hadn't gone out and done it fully yet. I was going on memory right up until the microswitch part. Once I started typing about the microswitches, I couldn't remember which one had to get hit to make it close right, so I ran out to take a look and ended up adjusting mine while I was there (it took this post to get me off my lazy ass to fix it). I was guessing on the microswitch size. I was way off, eh?

I actually kinda liked it when the microswitch was out of adjustment. That way when I wanted the roof locked - I would just stop "closing" it when I saw the arms starting to retract to far. And I could retract the arms all I wanted to when needed without having to put the key in position #1. What having an out of adjustment microswitch means is that you can basically bypass using position #1 for the key.

944S Boyeee

Eh, given the differences in our cars' ages, it's fully possible that Porsche changed suppliers for the microswitches between '86 and '88. Both of my switches were grey too so now that I think about it, this adds to the probability that we might just have slightly different versions of the switches.

I'm happy to have it adjusted properly. I don't trust myself to be smart enough to watch and make sure that it latches.

Aaron

[Gabrielm]

thanks for all the advice, 944boyee I really appreciate the write up. I'm gonna give it a go tomorrow (it's about 10pm here) and will report back on my success (or not)

Once again thanks....

[Gabrielm]

Just a follow up to your advive. Stripped it all out found the microswitches (mine were white and about an inch long by 1/2 an inch wide)

Did some tweaking like you guys suggested and VOILA! Sun roof works better than ever.

Once again. Thanks for the help

[944S Boyeee]

Good stuff!!!

Not that hard when you know where to look......but that's usually half the battle.

944S Boyeee