HELP!!! How the H do you get the Sunroof in?

Ric (IL) · 08-20-2002, 03:20 PM

Man, I must be an idiot. I can not figure out how to get the Sunroof together. All the plastic is broke anyway, but still. I need to find some good used or cheap new guides and latches.
The Sunroof never worked when I got it. One time I had the bright idea to hit the back of the roof with the palm of my hand. It popped it out, now I can't figure out how to put it back. I just today found out how to manually move the arms, but I can not figure out how to get the arms in the guide with the front in where it is supposed to be. It looks like if I take out the interior sunroof panel I could, but with the sunroof in I don't see how to put the plastic pegs back in to hold the panel on. What am I overlooking? I can usually figure things like this out pretty quick, but I have been fighting this all day.

BTW, 1986 944
Thanks!

mcavour · 08-20-2002, 03:59 PM

Ric,
at the risk of telling you something you already know....

Are u having trouble latching the roof in? If so you have to put the ignition key in the first position to do so...

Ric (IL) · 08-20-2002, 04:46 PM

I have the sunroof completely out of the car. I hit the sunroof in the back and it popped it past the lifters on the back side and then I was able to remove the whole top but I can't get it back in. I have just had it sitting on the car stoping some rain for the last couple years. I just got it running again the other day and started wrenching on it again. It is stumping me big time. I can slide it in from the front and it just sits on the back sunroof lifters. If I raise the sunroof vertical, I can slide the lifters on the broke guides on the back, but can't get it on the deflector that way. I got frustrated and quit, if I go back out now, I might get it first try. I did the same thing with the drivers side outside door handle yesterday. The one was broke when I got it and I got a replacment off of ebay and fought it for two hours. I took a break and went inside and noticed where you screw it to the door was broke off, so I took the two and made one. Went back out and it went in first try.

I still have to get all the latches and the guides that are broke, but I still want to know how it goes back together first so I can drive it and not have the sunroof fly off till I get the new ones.
I never have tried it with the key on, but it sure doesn't seem to do anything with the key on. The sunroof never worked when I got it. That will be next on the list if I can ever figure out how to get it together.

Sebastian · 08-20-2002, 05:01 PM

As mcavour wrote, if you turn the ignition to the on position it releases the lifters. When the ignition is turned further, (like when the car is running), the lifters just go up and down. When you only turn the ignition to the first position they should retract into the body. Then you can slide the roof onto the deflector and drop it in place. If they don't move at all you are probably going to have to repair the sunroof drive.

There might be a way to retract them manually. Maybe someone else knows how.

Ric (IL) · 08-20-2002, 05:18 PM

Ahhh, so what you are saying is, they are supposed to retract out of the sunroof on the first position. Then you could drop the sunroof in place and when the key is on, they go back into the sunroof guides? I don't think these do it, but I have something to look at now! I just went and took pictures. If you look on the second picture, it looks like retracted all the way in, they will still be in the sunroof. But I will check. Thanks!

Ric (IL) · 08-20-2002, 05:43 PM

You guys rock! That was it! It doesn't do anything with the key on, but I was able to manually back it off and it did the trick!!! Thank you very much! I suppose my next thread will be what to check to see why my top don't work!
Thanks again!