The tracks finally broke on my mom's sunroof, so now it is tiem for em to fix it. I ordered the entire assembly from GAry Starr, Now I just need to figure out how to do it... HAs anyone attempted it? How do I get my headliner off? I have the contols on my roof with the 7 dummy lights and my interior lights. Thanks for any help...
Has Anyone replaced their own Sunroof tracks and how do I remove the headliner???
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257 Posts
I haven't a clue, but how much did you pay for the track? I might be interested.
G
Guest
·i may be stupid but why do you have to remove the headliner ? you should just be able to remove the rubber thing around the sunroof!
to remove the headliner
you will need to remove the pillars, that center over head console and the little rubber peice that goes around the roof, and your visors, pry the seabelt T section, you dont realy need to remove the whole thing, if you do you have to pop the seatbelts too and the rear door quarter panel peice.
in short alot of removal for a sunroof install.
to remove the headliner
you will need to remove the pillars, that center over head console and the little rubber peice that goes around the roof, and your visors, pry the seabelt T section, you dont realy need to remove the whole thing, if you do you have to pop the seatbelts too and the rear door quarter panel peice.
in short alot of removal for a sunroof install.
I know it seems like a lot of work but you do have to take the headliner out. The tracks run right above the headliner on either side of the sunroof opening. The screws and other things you need to get to to remove the tracks are being covered up by the headliner...It seems like it's going to be b!tch puttin this sunroof in.
Lusis-I payed 667.50 shipped. Not to bad sayin most dealerships want about $900, and hopefully I can install it myself.
Lusis-I payed 667.50 shipped. Not to bad sayin most dealerships want about $900, and hopefully I can install it myself.
G
Guest
·i will recomend your completly remove the pillars, but it is possable to just pry them away enough to remove headliner....
or
you could just remove the rear peices, if you can get away with not pulling the front down it wont be that bad, you will have to remove everything from the seatbelts back, the T section that holds your seatbelt has alittle pop screw just behind the rear quarter panel, to get to it you will need to pop that panel out alittle bit to get to the pop screw thingy,
everything else is basicly lego, snap on snap of, except the rear seatbelts which requires a torx screw and the little clothes hooks
if you need anymore info, just say so, i suppose i could put together a howto for you, with pictures explaining where everything is.
or
you could just remove the rear peices, if you can get away with not pulling the front down it wont be that bad, you will have to remove everything from the seatbelts back, the T section that holds your seatbelt has alittle pop screw just behind the rear quarter panel, to get to it you will need to pop that panel out alittle bit to get to the pop screw thingy,
everything else is basicly lego, snap on snap of, except the rear seatbelts which requires a torx screw and the little clothes hooks
if you need anymore info, just say so, i suppose i could put together a howto for you, with pictures explaining where everything is.
G
Guest
·The headliner was easy to take out.. I took mine out in like a minute whenever my rails broke... i took it all apart just to make sure it was the rails, and sure enough it was...
I'd love it if someone could give us a how-to on replacing it though... I have the slightest clue
I'd love it if someone could give us a how-to on replacing it though... I have the slightest clue
G
Guest
·well i am astonished, it still takes me about 30 mins to completly remove my headliner, i'll agree that once the pillars are off its easy,
Joined
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317 Posts
getting to the rails is actually pretty easy... i dont know if you need to drop the entire headliner to replace them... i dont think you do...
anyway, to get your roof off you open it all the way, then jam your head in the opening. You'll notice 3 little clip things in between the roof part and the roof liner you see on the inside of the car. Use a small flat head screwdriver and lift the the lever on each.. the front of your liner will then drop. Slide it forward to detach it from the moonroof assembly. Then you'll need to remove the 4 torque screws that attach the outside part of the roof to the rails. First mark where they are, then (with the roof tilted up but not open) you can remove them. After that your roof will be free!!!!
I'm really not sure if you need to drop the headliner inside the car to replace the tracks, but if so then you will need to remove your light assembly (pops down with screwdriver and then 2 torques inside) your a-pillar covers, and quite possibly the pillar covers in the back.
Hope this was some help
anyway, to get your roof off you open it all the way, then jam your head in the opening. You'll notice 3 little clip things in between the roof part and the roof liner you see on the inside of the car. Use a small flat head screwdriver and lift the the lever on each.. the front of your liner will then drop. Slide it forward to detach it from the moonroof assembly. Then you'll need to remove the 4 torque screws that attach the outside part of the roof to the rails. First mark where they are, then (with the roof tilted up but not open) you can remove them. After that your roof will be free!!!!
I'm really not sure if you need to drop the headliner inside the car to replace the tracks, but if so then you will need to remove your light assembly (pops down with screwdriver and then 2 torques inside) your a-pillar covers, and quite possibly the pillar covers in the back.
Hope this was some help
Joined
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5,423 Posts
I just did mine today so it's fresh in my mind;
http://www.newcougar.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1137940#post1137940
Tools you will need: Straight head screw driver, Philips screw driver, and what my grandfather called a Chevrolet screw driver(don’t know how to explain it but, it had about 6 sides and reminded me of an Alan Wrench with pointy sides. EDIT: Its called a TORX head screw driver. Thanks Trevor
Step 1. Remove passenger and driver side mirrors. The piece closest to the door you just pop the cover off towards the center of the car and there are 2 screw underneath it. On the other side there is a small square behind the part that holds the mirror. Just push that square up with a screw driver and pop out the piece. If you have mirrors with lights you will also need to pull back the foam that is around the wires and unplug them.
Step 2. Pull down the over head lights, and there are 2 screw that attach the plastic dummy lights to the roof, after you take the two screw out there are to clips you must unclip on either side of the screws you just removed.
Step 3. Take off your A pillars. Very easy. There are maybe 5-7 clips on each side. Just unclip them and remove the A pillar. You have to just pull on the pillar a little. I started at the top of the door and made my way down to the dash board. Also go ahead and remove the rubber piece that goes around the sunroof. IT covers part of the headliner.
Step 4. This step is kind of fuzzy. You can remove your inside rear quarter panels, so you can get the T piece that holds the seatbelts on. I just popped the T lose at the top near the headliner and then pulled the clips from the rear pillars.
Step 5. I don’t remember if you have to do this before you take the rear pillar out or not, but you will be able to tell when you are doing it. Remove the coat hooks from the pillar in back by popping off the bottom cap on each of them and unscrewing the one screw each has.
Step 6. The headliner is held up by 3 circular objects above the rear passenger seats, Get a straight head screw driver or knife and pop each of them out. There should then be 3 black screws that the circular pins went into. take each of them out the same way.
Step 7. After you have the front and rear pillars removed you can work the headliner. It is good to have some one inside the car to hold back the T pillars if you didn’t remove them(and I wouldn’t remove them, because it would add a lot of time.) Once you have it clear of the entire sunroof piece. you can stop pulling it back.
You will see the reason it costs so much to replace these things is because it is made as one piece.
Step 8. I put my key in the ignition and had my grandfather guide the roof out as I opened it. From there we popped the sunroof headliner out. It just pops in and out 3 prongs in the front and 3 groves in the back.
Step 9. You can then remove the roof from the by unscrewing the 4 screws that hold it on. 2 on each side front and back.
Step 10. Now you will see 4 tubes one connects to each corner of the sunroof tracks. They are drainage tubes. Take them all off. You will also see 2 separate groups of wires. I believe one has 6 wires and the other has 2 or 4...unclip them.
Step 11. Now you will see that the track is being held on by I think 11 screws. Unscrew all of the screws and now you can remove that old busted pieces of crap out of your car.
Step 12. Bring you new sunroof track and screw it back into the old spots. reconnect the 2 bundles of wires and the 4 drainage tubes.
Step 13. Turn key to where you can roll up and down the windows and try moving the sunroof back if it works you know you did it right.
Step 14. Leave the tracks up at the first stop before the tracks move backwards. Screw you sunroof back to the tracks, but leave the screw pretty loose just enough to hold it on. Now turn the key on again and lower the sunroof. Once it is all the way down. Get out of the car and make sure the roof is level with the rest of the car, If it isn’t then just push on the sunroof until it is all level. Now get in the car and tighten the 4 screw down.
Make a few trial runs and make sure it is opening and closing fine. And think how you just saved yourself at least $500.
Step 15. Now put the sunroof headliner back on. It has 3 groves on the back side and 3 pieces that stick into the roof on the front.
Step 16. Open and close the sunroof a couple more times with the headliner in just to make sure everything is working good.
Step 17. Pull your headliner back through to the front of the car. make sure you pull the dummy lights pack through the hole and make sure the cords that go with mirrors are through there hole. Once this is done, just go back through and put it all back together. Everything snaps right together. Just do it backwards from how you started...Step 7-Step 1
This should be everything you need to know. It was my first time removing any of the interior pieces of the car and we got it done in exactly 2 hours. Make sure that you have everything out of the way before you start trying to pull the headliner out. We just opened the trunk and pulled the headliner straight back until we could get to the entire sunroof track. There was one place where my headliner was glued to the roof of the car. It was right behind the sunroof opening. We just ran a knife at the top of it. It’s still holding up fine so I don’t think there is any need to re-glue it.
1. Ensure the sunroof is fully closed. It must be fully closed to get to the bolts correctly.
2. From inside the car, remove the tanish rubber seal around the sunroof opening. It pulls off easily.
3. Look into each side of the sunroof. There is a rail that holds the metal part of the sunroof to the sunroof frame. There are two silver colored bolts that go into the rail on each side. Use the flashlight to find the bolts. These must come out. They sit in a small opening that allows them to be removed when the roof is fully closed
4. Remove the 4 bolts by using a T25 torx bit. They are really tight, so don't strip them out. If you do then you will be [email protected] Once you have those out the sunroof should lift straight up. Ahhhhh, light once again.
If you look at the rails you should be able to see how the whole thing works and be that much smarter! My sunroof broke on the
passenger side front slide.
5. Get some allen wrench bolts with the same threads and similiar in size to make it easier to install and remove quickly.
Note:
If you cannot get to the torx bolts with ease due to the tan carpeting cover, DO NOT force it. The cover needs to come off in this case. Mine was off already off when I installed it.
To remove the cover:
1. open the roof (you may have to help it open)
2. there are three clips in the front of the cover underneath
3. put your fingers under the cover in the front and pop them loose
4. the back is held in by to metal slots which are visible
5. pull it towards the front until it is free, and then remove
6. close the sunroof in the fully closed position again
If this doesn't allow you to get to the bolts then remove the whole assemlby by removing the overhead carpeting
Removing the headliner
1) Pull the coat hanger clips out from the pillars. They are above the front seats.... The things that you would hang clothes on if traveling...
2) Remove the screws behind them.
3) Pull the pillars off. They are held in with clips. Just pull and they will come right off.
4) Pry the dome light out of the upper console with a small screwdriver. Take out the screws that are behind the light and remove the upper console.
5) Pull out the 3 black plugs that go across the rear of the headliner. They are about 12" before the end of it in the back. You will know what I am talking about when you are looking at it.
6) Take off the visors. The little cover that is over the screw just pops off. Be careful though - they break really easily! The cover that I am talking about is the part the you see right before the headliner starts. It is the last part of the visor that you see before it goes into the headliner. Just pop off the cover and remove the screws. unplug the wire harness for the mirror lights if you have them - and you are all set.
http://www.newcougar.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1137940#post1137940
REPLACING THE SUNROOF
Tools you will need: Straight head screw driver, Philips screw driver, and what my grandfather called a Chevrolet screw driver(don’t know how to explain it but, it had about 6 sides and reminded me of an Alan Wrench with pointy sides. EDIT: Its called a TORX head screw driver. Thanks Trevor
Step 1. Remove passenger and driver side mirrors. The piece closest to the door you just pop the cover off towards the center of the car and there are 2 screw underneath it. On the other side there is a small square behind the part that holds the mirror. Just push that square up with a screw driver and pop out the piece. If you have mirrors with lights you will also need to pull back the foam that is around the wires and unplug them.
Step 2. Pull down the over head lights, and there are 2 screw that attach the plastic dummy lights to the roof, after you take the two screw out there are to clips you must unclip on either side of the screws you just removed.
Step 3. Take off your A pillars. Very easy. There are maybe 5-7 clips on each side. Just unclip them and remove the A pillar. You have to just pull on the pillar a little. I started at the top of the door and made my way down to the dash board. Also go ahead and remove the rubber piece that goes around the sunroof. IT covers part of the headliner.
Step 4. This step is kind of fuzzy. You can remove your inside rear quarter panels, so you can get the T piece that holds the seatbelts on. I just popped the T lose at the top near the headliner and then pulled the clips from the rear pillars.
Step 5. I don’t remember if you have to do this before you take the rear pillar out or not, but you will be able to tell when you are doing it. Remove the coat hooks from the pillar in back by popping off the bottom cap on each of them and unscrewing the one screw each has.
Step 6. The headliner is held up by 3 circular objects above the rear passenger seats, Get a straight head screw driver or knife and pop each of them out. There should then be 3 black screws that the circular pins went into. take each of them out the same way.
Step 7. After you have the front and rear pillars removed you can work the headliner. It is good to have some one inside the car to hold back the T pillars if you didn’t remove them(and I wouldn’t remove them, because it would add a lot of time.) Once you have it clear of the entire sunroof piece. you can stop pulling it back.
You will see the reason it costs so much to replace these things is because it is made as one piece.
Step 8. I put my key in the ignition and had my grandfather guide the roof out as I opened it. From there we popped the sunroof headliner out. It just pops in and out 3 prongs in the front and 3 groves in the back.
Step 9. You can then remove the roof from the by unscrewing the 4 screws that hold it on. 2 on each side front and back.
Step 10. Now you will see 4 tubes one connects to each corner of the sunroof tracks. They are drainage tubes. Take them all off. You will also see 2 separate groups of wires. I believe one has 6 wires and the other has 2 or 4...unclip them.
Step 11. Now you will see that the track is being held on by I think 11 screws. Unscrew all of the screws and now you can remove that old busted pieces of crap out of your car.
Step 12. Bring you new sunroof track and screw it back into the old spots. reconnect the 2 bundles of wires and the 4 drainage tubes.
Step 13. Turn key to where you can roll up and down the windows and try moving the sunroof back if it works you know you did it right.
Step 14. Leave the tracks up at the first stop before the tracks move backwards. Screw you sunroof back to the tracks, but leave the screw pretty loose just enough to hold it on. Now turn the key on again and lower the sunroof. Once it is all the way down. Get out of the car and make sure the roof is level with the rest of the car, If it isn’t then just push on the sunroof until it is all level. Now get in the car and tighten the 4 screw down.
Make a few trial runs and make sure it is opening and closing fine. And think how you just saved yourself at least $500.
Step 15. Now put the sunroof headliner back on. It has 3 groves on the back side and 3 pieces that stick into the roof on the front.
Step 16. Open and close the sunroof a couple more times with the headliner in just to make sure everything is working good.
Step 17. Pull your headliner back through to the front of the car. make sure you pull the dummy lights pack through the hole and make sure the cords that go with mirrors are through there hole. Once this is done, just go back through and put it all back together. Everything snaps right together. Just do it backwards from how you started...Step 7-Step 1
This should be everything you need to know. It was my first time removing any of the interior pieces of the car and we got it done in exactly 2 hours. Make sure that you have everything out of the way before you start trying to pull the headliner out. We just opened the trunk and pulled the headliner straight back until we could get to the entire sunroof track. There was one place where my headliner was glued to the roof of the car. It was right behind the sunroof opening. We just ran a knife at the top of it. It’s still holding up fine so I don’t think there is any need to re-glue it.
Another Version
1. Ensure the sunroof is fully closed. It must be fully closed to get to the bolts correctly.
2. From inside the car, remove the tanish rubber seal around the sunroof opening. It pulls off easily.
3. Look into each side of the sunroof. There is a rail that holds the metal part of the sunroof to the sunroof frame. There are two silver colored bolts that go into the rail on each side. Use the flashlight to find the bolts. These must come out. They sit in a small opening that allows them to be removed when the roof is fully closed
4. Remove the 4 bolts by using a T25 torx bit. They are really tight, so don't strip them out. If you do then you will be [email protected] Once you have those out the sunroof should lift straight up. Ahhhhh, light once again.
If you look at the rails you should be able to see how the whole thing works and be that much smarter! My sunroof broke on the
passenger side front slide.
5. Get some allen wrench bolts with the same threads and similiar in size to make it easier to install and remove quickly.
Note:
If you cannot get to the torx bolts with ease due to the tan carpeting cover, DO NOT force it. The cover needs to come off in this case. Mine was off already off when I installed it.
To remove the cover:
1. open the roof (you may have to help it open)
2. there are three clips in the front of the cover underneath
3. put your fingers under the cover in the front and pop them loose
4. the back is held in by to metal slots which are visible
5. pull it towards the front until it is free, and then remove
6. close the sunroof in the fully closed position again
If this doesn't allow you to get to the bolts then remove the whole assemlby by removing the overhead carpeting
Removing the headliner
1) Pull the coat hanger clips out from the pillars. They are above the front seats.... The things that you would hang clothes on if traveling...
2) Remove the screws behind them.
3) Pull the pillars off. They are held in with clips. Just pull and they will come right off.
4) Pry the dome light out of the upper console with a small screwdriver. Take out the screws that are behind the light and remove the upper console.
5) Pull out the 3 black plugs that go across the rear of the headliner. They are about 12" before the end of it in the back. You will know what I am talking about when you are looking at it.
6) Take off the visors. The little cover that is over the screw just pops off. Be careful though - they break really easily! The cover that I am talking about is the part the you see right before the headliner starts. It is the last part of the visor that you see before it goes into the headliner. Just pop off the cover and remove the screws. unplug the wire harness for the mirror lights if you have them - and you are all set.
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