VermontRX7

iTrader: (3)

Well I went to try and open the sunroof yesterday, it worked last november when I put it in the garage, now it will not open.

I hear the motor running when I hit the button to open it, yet it moves 1/2", then stops, I still hear the motor at this point.

How would I go about opening it now? What could be the issue with it not opening.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Hazard15301

iTrader: (5)

Directly behind the sunroof is a round plug. This will give you access to the sunroof motor's manual control. Find an allen key that fits the bolt and crank it. Don't force it though, you might do more damage.

The problem is that the long springs in the sunroof are filled with dirt, dust, and old grease. You actually have to rip the whole thing apart, clean it thoroughly, re grease and reassemble. There is a really good write-up somewhere on the boards, I'll see if I can find it.

2g3n7

or you can try giving it some help i have to push up on mine to go up and to come down and hold the spring loaded part down for the sunroof to go down i need to find that write up too

VermontRX7

iTrader: (3)

Maybe mine is a moonroof then, it slides back into the roof. LOL I have only used it 1 time on the ride home, after I bought it.. Its not the glass type, its metal. I do believe it goes into the roof though.

if you find that writeup that would rock, thanks..

2g3n7

nah the sunroof pops up and then slides back over the roof

JDamon

iTrader: (2)

Yes, it pops up and slides back. On my 7, I have to give the rear end of the sunroof a little push to help it pop up, then it can slide back and forth good. Maybe yours is just stuck and can't pop up?

VermontRX7

iTrader: (3)

Yea, it starts to move, I guess up, like I said I only used it once and didn't pay much attention to what it did, but then it just stops.

Ill check out that manual use of it later today.

Thanks all for the help so far...

MrGoodnight

iTrader: (1)

it might be broken, as in physically broken. My old sunroof would move open just a little bit, so i removed it to clean it just to find several plastic parts on the sunroof track were broken and cause it to get stuck, i ended up going to a local juckyard and picking one up for about 20, greesed it and reinstalled it.

TIIFC3S

I had a problem with my sunroof that I fixed earlier this year, but rather than explaining it all again, here's my thread which covered all my sunroof issues:

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/sunroof-question-905800/

TenthYear

iTrader: (1)

haha on my car I have to give it a little push on the back side to get it started too. Sounds like a new thing to add to the "you know you're a rx7 owner if..." thread, if it's not already there.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

if it wasn't a 10+ year old issue that is.

i have been pushing my sunroof up by hand for about 9 years now, it's just too detailed to go into for a repair that i never spent enough time that someone would have been willing to spend on repairing one. basically the motor is too weak in addition to dirty run channels over time requiring full disassembly of the whole assembly, in short about a full day's work to fix.

most people just live with the fact that they have to pop it up by hand.

i have yet to see a real writeup that actually fixes the problem for more than possibly 1 year. lubricating and cleaning the tracks is a temporary fix and the root issue is usually when opening the sunroof the rear edge of the sunroof seal catches the body of the car and gets hung up due to weathered, stiff rubber in conjunction with the dirty channels and weak motor due to age and wiring resistances added in over the years.

i have tried all the temporary cleaning fixes and it usually helps for a period of time to only pop back up rather soon. it's simply more detailed than that to reliably fix them. the easiest method i can think of is simply rewiring the power to the motor to give it more "umph". just like how the power windows on these cars get old and sticky and drag ***, the main issue is the power to the motors, not anything particular to do with the windows themselves.

VermontRX7

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for all th responses.

Today I went out, if I push it up while holding the button, it will go up, then it will slide back on its own. But when I go to close it, it moves a tiny bit, then stops again, I have to push it closed with hitting the close button.
Then push it down to close it all the way.
Oh well, not a big issue. I will live with it for now as I have many other more important issues to deal with going on with the car..

But many thanks...

89rtry

I had the same issue, but I underestimate how strong I really am and broke the sunroof clean off both sides. I was then forced to cover my sunroof with trash bags (because someone kept stealing my plastic tarp). So I finally found another sunroof. This one was rusted as all getup and didn't work, or seal. So I found one on Craig's list... It seals; but doesn't work. I then just happened to find one with a pacific glass sunroof . So I have 4 sunroofs... And will be rebuilding at least two of them. And I plan on documenting every step. I started to take one apart but stripped a screw. After it warms up here Ill do the work and post it. Believe it or not; they aren't very complicated.
The main thing is just getting to it.