My first post. I've had this '93 850 GLT manual for about a month now. I get the impression that it wasn't used for a while before I bought it but I've fixed most of the annoying little problem.
When I got it, like most 850s, the headliner was coming off the sunroof shade, so i shoved it closed and left it there, and the sunroof worked perfect (I don't like air con so use it a lot).
The other day it was really hot so I closed the shade (black car gets really hot) when I parked it. At the end of the day I got in and opened the sunroof without first opening the shade, and about three inches from being fully open, there were two crunching sounds, a plastic sounding one and a metallic one, and the thing wouldn't move. I closed it with the emergency screwdriver thingy, and it made the same crunching sound as it closed manually, but it closed. I bought a new motor as the old one was shot, and installed that. when i finally got it installed i pushed the switch to make it pop up, it made another, different loud crunching sound, and the driver's side of the glass went up as the passenger side went down, and the new motor broke the same as the last one, only now it won't close manually, it won't budge at all.
Suddenly it started pouring with rain. so its sat outside my house with a doormat on the roof... hence the username



So, how do I fix this, i've searched all 14 pages of suroof postings on this site?

 

Hi Door Matt and welcome to the site.

Something is broke. You can remove the sunroof by pulling the guides and removing the 4 retaining screws. Then look in there to see what's broke. Not sure where you'll go from there but you will likely need to drop the hood linner, get a new sunroof unit from the salvage yard or somewhere.

This may help... Sunroof removal on a Volvo 960

 

Thanks for the link
I thought I broke something by being careless
There are loads of junkyards near me, I think i'll go and practice on a car there as well as filling my pockets with fasteners and screws and other stuff i'm likely to break or lose. The closest yard wants $25 for a full sunroof if i can find one.
How interchangeable are the sunroofs between the different models? Are all 850s the same and are they interchangeable with the newer volvos?
Sorry for all the newbie questions, my first volvo, always had saabs and oldsmobiles, think i need to take Volvo 101!
Thanks,
Matt

 

Hey Matt, I think all the 850's, S70's and V70's prior to '01 will fit. Good idea of hacking away at the cars at the yard. I do that myself sometimes.

Here is your 850 101 link:
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...s-s-v70s-9266/

 

Anyone got any ideas of how I can make it move to get it to close properly for now? it won't budge at all, just jammed in the same position

 

Take the glass out and then try to move it.

 

Well the junkyard gods were smiling on me today
Came across a nearly intact '97 850 that had only been there overnight
It had all the same trim as mine, so I grabbed the complete sunroof and some other bits, walked out with everything for 45 bucks
I'll install it on Saturday if the weather holds, and I may do a thread on how to swap as I couldn't find one for an 850...
rspi many thanks for all the help

 

Man, that car has been hit hard for being there over night. I did that once with a 850 R wagon. It was there less than 6 hours before I tore it apart. LOL

You are welcome.