How to minimize sunroof rattle...
#1
12-31-2009, 07:07 PM
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How to minimize sunroof rattle...
There have been a number of posts on how to minimize sunroof rattle but I haven't found any with pictures. This is what I did and it helps a lot.
Step 1: Open the sunroof so the back edge of the sunroof is tilted up.
Step 2: Remove the plastic cover on both sides of the sunroof by sliding the top piece of plastic back (towards the back of the car). See first thumbnail. I've added an arrow on which direction you should slide it. This is the US passenger's side shown. There are 3 snaps as shown in the second thumbnail.
Step 3: Remove the plastic cover. This is optional but it made it easier to see what was going on. To remove the plastic cover slide it forward (towards the front of the car) until the back edge of the lower plastic piece is no longer captive. Once this happens the piece should be easy to remove.
Step 4: Tighten the torx fastener in the center of the rail (shown in 3rd thumbnail) for both sides of the sunroof. There is some adjustment here if you need to align your sunroof with the roof of the car. The most important thing is to have both sides adjusted approximately the same as I can imagine that if you have them adjusted in different positions that you can add stress to the glass and could possibly break it.
Step 5: Open the sunroof to the all the way open position and tighten the torx fasteners in the top tracks. There is 1 fastener in the front (shown in the 4th thumbnail) and 3 fasteners in the center (shown in the 5th thumbnail). While you are there you might as well clean the track, grease it and make sure that the water drains are clear.
Step 6: Put the sunroof back to the tilted position and reattach the plastic covers. VERY IMORTANT: When putting the plastic covers back in place, make sure that you get all 3 snaps to snap in place. When I tried it the first time I only got the center and back snap to snap and didn't realize that the front snap wasn't snapped. This caused the sunroof to bind in the closed position and the sunroof would stop working until it would reset. The mistake I was making was I was trying to keep the bottom plastic part parallel to the car when in fact it is the top part that needs to be parallel to the glass (and the bottom part lifts up slightly). Once you get the 3 snaps to snap in place your sunroof should be a lot quieter.
I hope this helps someone!
Step 1: Open the sunroof so the back edge of the sunroof is tilted up.
Step 2: Remove the plastic cover on both sides of the sunroof by sliding the top piece of plastic back (towards the back of the car). See first thumbnail. I've added an arrow on which direction you should slide it. This is the US passenger's side shown. There are 3 snaps as shown in the second thumbnail.
Step 3: Remove the plastic cover. This is optional but it made it easier to see what was going on. To remove the plastic cover slide it forward (towards the front of the car) until the back edge of the lower plastic piece is no longer captive. Once this happens the piece should be easy to remove.
Step 4: Tighten the torx fastener in the center of the rail (shown in 3rd thumbnail) for both sides of the sunroof. There is some adjustment here if you need to align your sunroof with the roof of the car. The most important thing is to have both sides adjusted approximately the same as I can imagine that if you have them adjusted in different positions that you can add stress to the glass and could possibly break it.
Step 5: Open the sunroof to the all the way open position and tighten the torx fasteners in the top tracks. There is 1 fastener in the front (shown in the 4th thumbnail) and 3 fasteners in the center (shown in the 5th thumbnail). While you are there you might as well clean the track, grease it and make sure that the water drains are clear.
Step 6: Put the sunroof back to the tilted position and reattach the plastic covers. VERY IMORTANT: When putting the plastic covers back in place, make sure that you get all 3 snaps to snap in place. When I tried it the first time I only got the center and back snap to snap and didn't realize that the front snap wasn't snapped. This caused the sunroof to bind in the closed position and the sunroof would stop working until it would reset. The mistake I was making was I was trying to keep the bottom plastic part parallel to the car when in fact it is the top part that needs to be parallel to the glass (and the bottom part lifts up slightly). Once you get the 3 snaps to snap in place your sunroof should be a lot quieter.
I hope this helps someone!
#2
01-25-2010, 09:18 PM
#3
04-14-2011, 02:57 PM
Sunroof rattle - When nothing else works
Okay - I have an 02 s60. Sunroof was rattling like crazy when shut only. It would not rattle when tilted up. WHen you pushed on the glass when closed, you could feel play in the mechanism. When you pushed on the glass when tilted, no play. All four bolts holding the glass on were TIGHT. No brackets were "unglued" or anything like that. I became convinced that the play in the system was simply related to worn rails or worn mechanism. I determined my only chance at avoiding major $$$$ to replace the rails was to loosen the 4 screws holding the glass to the mechanism that are behind the accordian things, move the rear of the glass to the lowest adjustment (toward the bottom of the car) and then drive with the tilt slightly actuated. The adjustment was to make the top of the glass match the roof when the tilt was slightly actuated.
Well, this did not work. when i finished, the ?(*&$#@! thing rattled in the slightly uptilted position. HOWEVER - it did NOT rattle in the fully down position!!!!! So now my rattle was fixed but the top of the glass was goofy relative to the top of the car. So I slowly started adjusting the glass upwards in the back, bringing it more even with the roof, hoping my rattle would not come back. i got it up to Volvo geek acceptable position with the roof, and PRAISE THE LORD - still no rattle!!!!!!!! BLESSED SILENCE on craterfilled minnesota roads on my thin as paris hilton 50 series tires.
So when all the usual forum fixes DO NOT FIX YOUR RATTLE, start playing with the attitude of your glass until your test drive is rattle-less.
A new glass gasket ($1XX from Volvo) or a new glass ($6XX from volvo) would probably reduce the amount of FINESSE you need to accomplish this fix. If anyone knows where to get these cheap, i would like to know.
Well, this did not work. when i finished, the ?(*&$#@! thing rattled in the slightly uptilted position. HOWEVER - it did NOT rattle in the fully down position!!!!! So now my rattle was fixed but the top of the glass was goofy relative to the top of the car. So I slowly started adjusting the glass upwards in the back, bringing it more even with the roof, hoping my rattle would not come back. i got it up to Volvo geek acceptable position with the roof, and PRAISE THE LORD - still no rattle!!!!!!!! BLESSED SILENCE on craterfilled minnesota roads on my thin as paris hilton 50 series tires.
So when all the usual forum fixes DO NOT FIX YOUR RATTLE, start playing with the attitude of your glass until your test drive is rattle-less.
A new glass gasket ($1XX from Volvo) or a new glass ($6XX from volvo) would probably reduce the amount of FINESSE you need to accomplish this fix. If anyone knows where to get these cheap, i would like to know.
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