'87 300D HELP! Sunroof just broke!

Since you plan to remove the headlining (which isnt hard but can get damaged once removed). You probably need to unclip all of the side trim on the pillars.

You may as well do a full overhaul on the lubrication .... probably the main reason why it broke.

The cable broke. Not a big deal. It could take you as long as an hour to instlal a new one. You don't need to remove the headliner, just the interior panel on the sunroof. You just pull the front edge down, hard and it snaps right off. Metal spring tabs hold it in place.

The factory manual has excellent instructions on how to replace it.

Yah - I plan on overhauling the slider once I can get to it - but my MAIN concern is removing the headliner since it'll be my first time. What's the easiest way to start it? I imagine that removing the handles over the doors will get me to screws (same with the pillar trim) but what am I in for after that? Clips all around the edges? What? I can figure this isn't a salvage job and that I'll need all new clips and I can deal with that; but I'm wondering what hard times I'll encounter getting it OUT. Thanks!

You don't remove the headliner. Read what Richard just posted above. It just snaps out.

Larry In the back yard, under the oak.

Hmmm ... wonder what ole Hanz und Franz would charge for this job. You should go find out.

mcbrue wonderingly under the bridge in the trailer down by the river (which does have many oak trees along the banks)

Larry & Richard -

Would you happen to know if the headliner need not be removed to repair the mechanism of a VW Jetta sunroof? In my daughter's 1995 the sunroof gave a "snap" while being opened, and left the track. (It happened the day I used the car, but don't tell her.) The shop was able to close it with a good seal, but it's non-operable, and she was quoted a repair price she can't afford.

I might go in and fix this if the headliner can stay in place.

Rey Barry

-snip->

Thanks! I pulled-off the slider's panel last night and there's a lot of slack cable behind it, so I figure that's what's wrong. Tonight I tackle the trunk-side of this thing and see what's there (like, maybe I just have to hook it back onto the spool/spindle/whatever?).

It looks a little cagey as to how the cable maintains enough stiffness (after it comes up the rear pillar) to push the whole thing forward for closing & lifting, but I guess it'll all work okay. I'll report back with what else I may find.

Your posting hadn't made it to Google when I typed mine.

Thanks again! :)

Rehi all (back from an unexpected trip and getting back-to-business),

Taking a better look inside the roof I now see how MB keeps the cable stiff enough to push the roof closed (ref my posting below) and see that the channel is bent in half and collapsed toward the back (hadn't understood what I'd seen the first time). To me it now looks like I'll now HAVE to drop at least SOME of the liner to get at the two securing screws that don't look like they're near the back courtesy light. True? ouch.

Also, failing to have a factory manual - just the Chilton's book which, while it gives plenteous instruction for a complete engine rebuild, says "too daunting for the backyard mechanic" and "take it to the dealer" (both paraphrased) when talking about the sunroof assembly (go figure) - does anyone have a "Cliff's Notes version" of the intricacies of cable replacement/rethreading?

thanks.

-snip-

One of the cables broke or one of the rails broke. Replace both ipairs and don't forget to time the pull on each cable so they pull the same amount. When Mercedes fixes the sunroof, they have this jig that mounts on top with dials so the technician can correctly repair it to factory spec. They also use the correct lubricant in the right places. P.

Wrong again, it is not the rail... if it was the rail, it would jam and he wouldn't be able to move it smoothly. It is most likely to be the clip that holds the roof to the cable. Cable snapping is extremely rare.

To remove the headliner for the sunroof, you need to slide it back 6"... use a trim removal tool and pry down the headliner... it is held in by metal snap clips... once you released it... move the sunroof back more and pull out the headliner toward front and up out of the roof.

Look for the big cable... and see where it is supposed to connect near the front of the sunroof... there is a clip that is supposed to hold that cable to the mount... using a clip that looks like a C and a pin in the middle... This is most likely the pin you need to replace... dealer can get them for you.