2000 Pontiac Sunfire Sunroof won't close

dont_look@me

2000 Pontiac Sunfire: The sunroof won't close all the way. I messed with it opening and closing it but the gap increased. I don't really care about fixing it, I just want it closed permanently.

mcparadise

Check the owner's manual. Some vehicles have an opening in the headliner through which you can manually crank the sunroof closed in an emergency.

If that's not the case, I suggest you consult a service manual for the vehicle, and see what it says about sunroof operation, or lack thereof.

edb1961

Check the side brackets/tracks for any debris. The sunroof on my 2000 Blazer would not close when a piece of the side bracket broke off and jammed the mechanic. To get access to the side brackets, I removed the glass by unscrewing four Torx bolts (one in each corner).

Ed B.

dont_look@me

I got this second hand about 7 years ago and for some reason I didn't get a manual.

When I removed the headliner I could see a red plastic turn as I try to open or close the sunroof. I suspected that I could use that to manully crank it close but was not sure. There is an opening in the center which looks like an allen wrench could fit.

Should I disengage the motor first before attempting this?

dont_look@me

Wohooo... It's fixed.. Here are the steps I took to fix it. It was the calibration that was off.

Note: This is assuming that nothing mechanical is broken the roof is not off track.

Tools used: 1 T25 screwdriver and lots of patience.

1. Checked the tracks if anything was blocking them. I did not find any.
2. Disconnect the wire connected to the reading lamps on the rear view mirror.
3. Pull out the 2 plastic retainers holding the headliner. 1 on each side of the switch assembly and I managed to break one in the process.
4. Use the T25 screwdriver to remove the 3 screws holding up the 2 sun visors.
5. Peal off the rubber that holds the headliner on the front edge of the roof openning and pull down on the headliner. You should see the motor/actuator assembly.
6. Remove the 3 T25 screws holding up the motor assembly.
7. Pull down the motor assembly and you should see some gears on the other side. The plastice gears seems to be a counter next to the sensor that tells the motor when to stop.
8. With the motor disengaged, press the switch to close position untill the motor stops.
9. Now, press the motor once and it should turn on for a few sec. That should be the vent position on the sunroof. Press it again and the motor should turn all the way to the open position.
10. Now push the sunroof all the way back untill it stops.
11. Re-install the motor assembly and try if it closes all the way. You migh have to do it a few times. It worked the first time for me..

And now it works again.

Thank you all for responding and all your tips helped...=)

mcparadise

You had to remove the headliner? Wow! Well, now that you're in there, go for it. I'd try an allen wrench and see if the sunroof moves.

My car has an allen wrench specifically for this purpose, and an access port near the rear window. Luckily, I've never had to use either of them.

edb1961

Thanks for the detailed post. It's rare that the board ever hears back from the OP, and very rare we get this level of detail in a post. My Blazer's sunroof is still working, but I rarely open it. Usually, I use the vent position instead.

Ed B.