Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

After having no issues with the use of my sunroof, I removed it yesterday to soak up the sunshine - which was pretty cool!

When it came to reinstall it I followed the procedure in the manual but the two rear hooks wouldn't extend again to lock the sunroof down. After much button pushing & hair pulling I disconnected the battery and manually "closed" the sunroof so at least I can drive around without the thing flying off.

The problem is now the sunroof doesn't work at all - when I push the button the motor whirs but nada. I'm po'd cos it was working fine (going up and down) before I removed it. Does this thing have to be reset somehow too?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Nope no reset, you are trying to lock in at ignition pos. 1 aren't you? Otherwise it could be slipping clutch but I assume you put a spanner on the clutch drive nut to close it, this rules out most of the mechanics.

I had a similar problem with my 924S when the guy who bought it brought a mechanic! tto check itout he removed the sunroof to check the frame, rather than check with the roof in place and open. He removed the sunroof checked all he wanted to then re-installed the roof, however the sunroof arms would no longer lock into position when closed and so always retracted fully leaving the sunroof ready to remove.

I suspect he broke the micro switch that is under the roof lining near the interior light and lets the sunroof motor know when the roof is back in position. Maybe you have a variation on this problem.

BTDTTTS If that switch is open then the motor does not run at all. OP said the motor runs?

I had this exact problem on mine. The microswitch tells the sunroof system when the sunroof is fully open and as such stops you over opening it. If it fails to make when not fully open the sunroof wont open/return from removed position. A quick fix is to short out the microswitch, just be carefull you dont try to over-open the sunroof.

The front microswitch is actually a "roof in place" switch & operates when ever the roof is installed. It ensures that the arms don't operate when there is no roof in place. Position is set on the switches by the ,motor on the left of the boot carpet.

ok - latest is that if I manually tilt open the roof winding the motor the sunroof closes perfectly using the dash switch but then will not tilt open again... where is this microswitch you speak of guys?

In the triangle just by the sunroof & adjacent to the interior light. It has a plastic triangle covering it, which unclips very carefully with a screwdriver. Prod it with a finger & you'll see where the pivots are, that is the bit that unclips. The microswitch has a metal arm on it. Bend the arm so the switch stays more closed if that makes sense. Reassemble & try it.

PS Sounds like this something to go over at Gaydon on the Q & A

Try puting a bit of persure on the triangle while your closing it. A few times b4 taking it apart. Would say some thing but don't want 2 jinks it.

good idea, so many owners aren't aware of how the sunroof works, must had advised 10 owners whilst on the tipec stand at the NEC in november

Even better, might not bother replacing it then... Doesn't seem like an important function really, even if you did operate the arms without the sunroof in place I can't see that would cause any problems.

Hi,

If you've got a copy of All Torque Issue 77, pages 20 and 21 go into great detail about the operations of the sunroof and repairing them.

http://issuu.com/tipec/docs/all-torque-77-issuu/21

Or click the above link.

Ben

the roof also locks in place automatically if you forget to and drive off (guess how i found that one out ) , so useful to have the switches working.

thanks for the link. Got to bookmark that.

right - I read the article and clarks garage and I'm no closer to a fix on this.

I removed the roof manually and checked the front microswitch - it definitely clicks with and without the little triangle in place.

With the roof off I manually extended the bars to simulate the roof being open. Then I pushed on the microswitch & turned on the ignition to position 2 (ie all warning lights on), then pushed the down button and the arms retracted - just as it had done before with the roof installed. I switched the car off and on to position 1 still holding the plate on the microswitch (so the system thought the roof was installed), but pushing the button did not lock the roof in place.

So I turned the ignition to position 2 and tried to raise the roof, but the bars didn't budge either - all I heard was whirring from the motor. Ignition off.

Thinking this may have something to do with a "slipping" clutch I tried the adjusting screw and lock nut in various depths but always got the same result - whir but no movement.

I then manually locked the roof in place and tried to raise the roof but nothing - just whirring.

As the mechanicals seem fine (I can raise and lower the roof manually) and the microswitch does seem to identify that a roof is installed (cos it will lower correctly) - where do I go to now?

My car has the old style roof motor in the back but works on the post Feb '86 ignition operation.