Sunroof

Ever wondered how to gain access to the sunroof mechanism? Well, it had me stuck for a while. Here’s how:

1. Operate the roof to raise and tilt it forward.
2. From outside the car, look in the gap. You should see two wire clips holding the vent flap onto the sunroof. Release them from the roof by pulling the clips backwards. This detaches the trim panel.
3. Inside the car, operate the roof to move it half way back. Looking at the leading edge of the roof mechanism, you can see two metal clips holding the trim panel to the roof. Lift the clips and slide the trim panel backwards. You may need to hold the vent flap shut to get it to slide right the way back. In the picture below, the trim panel is the ugly black bit to the left (there’s no trim on it).
4. Tada! Now you can see the main mechanism and sunroof attachments.
5. There are four 8mm bolts securing the sunroof panel. Remove them, taking care to collect the oval-shaped adjusting washer.  
6. The roof is now held in place by two “fabric” bands. Carefully lift the roof panel, and slide it forward a couple of inches. This reduces the tension on the bands, allowing them to be released.
7. Lift away the roof panel.

With the roof removed, operation of the mechanism should be fairly obvious. Check for any bent or cracked parts, lubricate the moving bits and check it all works smoothly. To remove the trim panel, proceed as follows:

1. From outside the car, remove the two small allen bolts securing the plastic cover to the rear of the sunroof opening.
2. Slide the trim panel forward, and carefully ping off the four runners with a screwdriver.
3. Lift the panel clear.

Refitting the roof is more or less the reverse. To line up the roof panel, just replace the mounting bolts finger tight. Then lower the roof. With one hand on the outside of the roof to feel the alignment, raise or lower each corner of the roof panel to get a flush fit. Then tighten the bolts properly.