how do you clean / grease the panoramic roof track

btrvalik · #1 03-10-2013, 03:18 PM

I'm having a problem with my roof not closing from the open position and have already tried doing the reset operation. If I try to close it from the 1/2 open position, it will continue to open all the way. Once fully open, it will not close unless I manually crank it a slight amount or give it a slight push back.. then it will close fine. The tilt mechanism work fine.

I'm thinking that I might have some debris in the track. It also tends to make a bit of a creaking noise as it opens - it's done that for a long time - perhaps since new.

What is the best way to clean / lubricate the track. It's not entirely obvious to me where lube should go. I can't see any debris when looking from the top, but I'm wondering is some pine needles, leaves, etc have been shoved down the track into the area under the headliner. What kind of lubricant should I use?

Thanks
Bruce

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JCL · #2 03-10-2013, 03:34 PM

Should be able to blow it out with compressed air. The old grease can get hard from years of baking in the sun, so clean it if you see old grease.

After cleaning it, I would use white lithium grease.

Do not use WD40, which is what a lot of people tend to want to use. It isn't a lubricant.

BMW sell a special sunroof lubricant, in small quantities. I don't have a packet to see the contents, but it will be a grease, not an oil.

btrvalik · #3 03-10-2013, 04:11 PM

I did have some needles in the track and was able to blow it out by putting a small piece of tubing on the end of my ari compressor blow gun. tried a reset again, still no dice. I did nice some grease in a small square channel, is that the only place the grease goes? I also notice something that looks a bit like a long spring, deeper in the assembly, should that get lubed?

btrvalik · #4 03-10-2013, 05:49 PM

Success! I hit each of the channels / tracks with a bit of white lithium grease spray. The spray seemed to work well since it doesn't clump up. It open and closes like a charm, and doesn't sound as strained. the resistance must have made it think something was blocking it from closing.

Qsilver7 · #5 03-11-2013, 11:09 AM

Great, you found something that works. I was going to suggest a small paint brush and some lubricant (I like Tri-Flow which contains TEFLON and helps with resistance to binding on surfaces that move against each other as well as repeling dirt/dust/grime...100% silicone is another choice).

The only thing that would make me hesitate about using a lubricating grease in the sunroof, is its exposure to dust/dirt/grime/decaying leaves/etc over time which may exacerbate gumming up the works in the future...hence my preference for the Tri-Flow (w/TEFLON).

When I lubricated the sunroof in my e39, I sprayed the lubricant in the cap...then dipped the brush in the lubricant and "painted" it on all the track and moving surfaces as instructed in a BMW PDF on how to clean & lubricate the sunroof:

BMW How to Clean & Lubricate Sunroof PDF: https://workspaces.acrobat.com/?d=tr...m5V*UKrQgFwlcQ

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