Mk3 sunroof and other sunroof repair observations

[andrewchapple 0]

Hi,

I'm a long time lurker here and long time Corrado owner on and off for the last 15 years.

 

I've just completed the repair of my Storm sunroof and wanted to share my experience for the benefit of all.

I hope I'm not repeating the posts of others as even after scouring this forum for info, some of this was a surprise to me.

 

Firstly, fitting a Mk3 Golf sunroof:

Mine was from a late Mk3 (1997) and the mechanism fitted my late Corrado just fine and used the same motor.

However the fit of the glass panel was nowhere near right, there were gaps front and back so wind noise was terrible however I adjusted it and as mentioned in other posts, its convex so sticks up on the middle. Somebody posted how you could press down on the corners to reshape it but being glass I was suspicious and I couldn't see a difference even after jumping up and down on it as if it was a skateboard.

You can of course fit your Corrado's metal panel and from the outside this will look OK but the blind on the Mk3 is completely different and needs to be slid around by hand (unless you are sliding the roof back when it will slide back with the sunroof panel) and it doesn't tilt with the sunroof panel because it's not actually attached to it.

Somebody posted how you could bond the original Corrado blind to the sunroof panel to get it to open and close when tilting automatically but the problem with this is that when the roof is closed, the blind is still an inch or so open as the sunroof panel is only in its lowest position when it's dropped down under the roof skin.

 

So while the Mk3 roof is more reliable and is better than a broken roof, I felt it devalued my Storm and began the search for a good working Corrado roof which I picked up on Monday from a fellow forum member.

He demonstrated it working using the allen key method and it looked fine although there were some ominous cracking noises as he did it.

When I got it back I checked it over and found the rubber o-ring on the nearside locking segment (aka spring loaded slider) had worn so when opening the roof the two alloy pieces collided rather than fitting together. I replaced the o-rings with plastic vacuum pipe (I think it was old central locking pipe) trimmed to a couple of mm thick which worked a treat when I tested it using the allen key.

I removed the headlining and Mk3 roof and fitted the used Corrado roof in place and left out the blind but put on the sunroof panel and then tested it using the motor.

I couldn't believe it but as soon as the roof started to come forward to close, the sunroof panel was being forced into the roof skin! Luckily I hasn't had this repainted yet since it was damaged from by the old roof. It's possible I didn't notice what was happening before as I hadn't tested it with a panel fitted.

I took the panel off and carefully compared the good offside with the bad nearside and worked out that there was too much play in the nearside locking segment so instead of pushing the roof mounting frame forward, that was staying in place and it was instead pushing the roof upwards into the roof skin.

I googled the problem and eventually found this excellent page below where someone else was having the same issue and explained how the problem was caused by the mountings of the locking segment breaking.

http://corradog60project.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/dreaded-sunroof-repair.html

He didn't give a part number so I used VAGCAT and it came up with

1H0898019

repair kit for water guide plate / for steel sliding roof

left rear /

1H0898020

repair kit for water guide plate / for steel sliding roof

right rear /

 

I quickly rang VW who said they had 1 of each available to order at around £70 each, in desperation I said yes, put the phone down and had a brainwave. 1H0 is a Mk3 Golf part number so I quickly checked VAGCAT to see if they were the same on a late Mk3 sunroof which indeed they were! I had a quick look at them on the mk3 Golf mechanism I'd discarded earlier and they were identical different only by being black rather than the cheap cast look of the originals.

It's childsplay to remove them and fit them to the Corrado mechanism, once done I tested using then Allen key method and all good.

(yes I did call VW and cancel my order!)

 

Another tip is to treat the blind with the utmost care. It's attached to the mechanism by two little arms which are what run up and down a groove on the top of the blind and move it when in tilt mode. These are VERY fragile and care needs to be taken when removing the blind for whatever reason. I found the safest method is to have the roof in full tilt mode and carefully push the blind towards the back of the car by pressing on the blind on the edge that is now available because the inner section has been raised (I can't see why VW made a special tool for this that Edd China used). Dont push too hard as the raised piece of blind will hit the roof skin when it releases. Then very carefully make the blind flat (i.e not in tilt mode) and keeping it in position in the tracks of the mechanism, slide it out of the way. To refit, with the roof still in full tilt but sunroof panel not in place, if the blind isn't already in the mechanism you can slot the blind in from the top (I do it this way as means the mechanism is lighter when offered up to the car and prevents the blind getting dirty/damaged), it's tight but it will go in , then (usually once you've fitted and adjusted your sunroof panel) you just need to guide the blind gently towards the front of the car by sliding it along the tracks, no need to raise it manually into tilt mode as when it mates with those fragile arms it will start to raise by itself. When nearly all the way forward you will need to apply some more effort so the spring clips on the blind mate with the rubber coated prong mounting on the mechanism. It is essential this connection is secure as if not, the blind will detach from the mechanism when the roof is being closed and guess what? Yep those flimsy cast arms break off. How do I know? Yep, it happened to me but luckily my old Corrado roof failed in the same way but on the other side so yes I had to strip it all down again and swap the bits over.

I had tested it thoroughly but got caught out as when I put the headliner seal in place, it increased the resistance of the blind as it moved along the track and it stopped in around the half way open position while the rest of the mechanism continued towards fully closed.

It's best to practice refitting and removing the blind a few times before you put the sunroof panel in place as it will be the last thing you do once you've tweaked the sunroof panel's adjustment.

A final tip is if the rubber cover has worn on the prong where the blind clips onto the mechanism, heat shrink does a great job of replicating it.

 

I hope this helps someone out there!

Edited December 16, 2015 by andrewchapple

[GlosterOx 0]

Great write up, thanks Andrew!

[MikeVR6 0]

Great write up. It should be Pinned!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Great write up. It should be Pinned!

 

Agreed. It contains some great info, so it has been stuck!

[DGL 0]

An excellent description and you are bang on right about both the Golf sunroof and the flimsiness of the little arms that lift the blind - I have very recent and unfortunate experience of both!

 

If anyone has a sunroof that has broken on the passenger side (as they usually do!) I would love to have the drivers side cable.

[KARMANN 0]

Does anyone know the part number for the Mk3 golf motor that will fit a storm?

 

Cheers Fraser

[MikeVR6 0]

I'm not sure you can swap the Corrado motor for a Mk3 Golf one. I think a B3 Passat one fits though.

 

P.S. Have you joined --- The Corrado Storm Register on Facebook?

[MikeVR6 0]

Forget that. Take a look here...

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?88105-Sunroof-motor-late-3A0959731B

[g0ldf1ng3r 15]

Forget that. Take a look here...

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?88105-Sunroof-motor-late-3A0959731B

 

tidy thanks

 

does anyone know if there are specific steps needed to be followed to remove & replace a sunroof motor?

 

my VR current one works fine when I wind it manually, & it always closes on full closure, but often just does nothing when I try to open it on the button

 

I have a working spare to put in but not sure if it is a simple swap?

 

thanks in advance

[seanl82 23]

Yeah the motor is fine, its the mechanism thats not a 100% fit. The mk3 one won't tilt up the inner trim as it doesn't have the hooks the Corrado mechanism has.

[KARMANN 0]

MikeVR6-yes I'm on there, joined a few months back.

 

There's a MK3 unit on eBay I'm going to buy, so just checking it fits. My mechanism has been repaired before but needs a little adjustment.

 

Fraser

[davidwort 0]

I'd imagine very rare to find now but the B3 passat estate glass roof has the best profile to suit the Corrado roof IIRC, I remember extracting one from a scrap yard once

[Red McGregor 10]

Is it me??! I've embarked on the repair of my sunroof and from what I can work out the very problem that Andrew highlights with the small chrome pieces snapping has already happened on my roof and this is what I'm working to fix.I have replacements chrome levers and I'm all set to refurbish the sunroof it only i can get to it!! I was hoping to do this with the roof in situ, but I've hit an early snag.

 

To gain access I need the inner sunroof heading panel out of the way, but I can't seem to get it out.

 

Right now, the situation is that the inner sunroof headlining stays flat when I manually tilt the roof (went the manual route to avoid any potential damage to the steel roof). The inner panel does not seem to be linked to the sunroof mechanism, I guess because the chrome piece I'm seeking to replace is broken/missing. My understanding is that I should be able to get the sunroof heading panel out and Andrew gives some good directions (see below) but no matter how I try the headlining panel will not shift. It seems to be pinned down at the front of the roof. Am I doing something wrong, should I take out the car's entire headlining or any other thoughts appreciated

Regards

Red

 

 

Another tip is to treat the blind with the utmost care. It's attached to the mechanism by two little arms which are what run up and down a groove on the top of the blind and move it when in tilt mode. These are VERY fragile and care needs to be taken when removing the blind for whatever reason. I found the safest method is to have the roof in full tilt mode and carefully push the blind towards the back of the car by pressing on the blind on the edge that is now available because the inner section has been raised (I can't see why VW made a special tool for this that Edd China used). Dont push too hard as the raised piece of blind will hit the roof skin when it releases. Then very carefully make the blind flat (i.e not in tilt mode) and keeping it in position in the tracks of the mechanism, slide it out of the way. To refit, with the roof still in full tilt but sunroof panel not in place, if the blind isn't already in the mechanism you can slot the blind in from the top (I do it this way as means the mechanism is lighter when offered up to the car and prevents the blind getting dirty/damaged), it's tight but it will go in , then (usually once you've fitted and adjusted your sunroof panel) you just need to guide the blind gently towards the front of the car by sliding it along the tracks, no need to raise it manually into tilt mode as when it mates with those fragile arms it will start to raise by itself. When nearly all the way forward you will need to apply some more effort so the spring clips on the blind mate with the rubber coated prong mounting on the mechanism. It is essential this connection is secure as if not, the blind will detach from the mechanism when the roof is being closed and guess what? Yep those flimsy cast arms break off. How do I know? Yep, it happened to me but luckily my old Corrado roof failed in the same way but on the other side so yes I had to strip it all down again and swap the bits over.

I had tested it thoroughly but got caught out as when I put the headliner seal in place, it increased the resistance of the blind as it moved along the track and it stopped in around the half way open position while the rest of the mechanism continued towards fully closed.

It's best to practice refitting and removing the blind a few times before you put the sunroof panel in place as it will be the last thing you do once you've tweaked the sunroof panel's adjustment.

A final tip is if the rubber cover has worn on the prong where the blind clips onto the mechanism, heat shrink does a great job of replicating it.

[Red McGregor 10]

Solved my own problem! I thought you needed to push back and up to take the liner up and out; nope int is straight backwards under there roof! Doh!

 

Sadly tunes out the piece male piece that those wee chrome actuators go on has sheared off completely. So having sourced a spare item there is nothin to fit it to. Fortunately in my collection of spares I have an entire roof cassette so a full change it now on the cards. In cleaning it up,a small round o ring was laying in the channel. see Andrew referencing an O ring, but where did it come from?

[KARMANN 0]

Now looking to get this sunroof working again. I have the headlining out and the lid out. I have managed to purchase a new slider. I've fitted it but when manually winding it back I noticed that both sides are not going back at the same time, one is about an inch ahead. How do I get them to be set equally?

 

Regards Fraser

[Red McGregor 10]

I'm unsure from your description if you have taken the roof out completely, I found it much easier to set it all up off the car.

 

When inserting the cables (the slider mechanism) push both cables fully forward and use plenty of silicon lubricant, not ordinary grease, you will need to take the motor off, both sides should line up equally. If you have done this, then this is the correct setting as far as I can establish. It is possible that the replacement cable you are fitting is itself defective. I have found this with secondhand near side cables. Even though a cable may be complete, it seems that the unit can be worn in parts and this can cause the two sides to rise out of synch, which is very frustrating. To overcome this, I have replaced most parts with items from a Golf Mk 3 sunroof. Not all the parts are into-changeable (the piece with the chrome rocker is not if you want to retain exactly the same functionality). I hope this is some help,

Regards G

 

 

 

I have found that when changing the cable mechanism (the slider I'm guessing from your description) i

[KARMANN 0]

It's still in the car, I have however been messing around with it at times with the motor out. If the mechanism is in the car and I remove the motor can I then line both sides up or do I need to remove the whole unit from the car. I'd rather not remove the whole unit.

 

Fraser

[Red McGregor 10]

Fraser, it's surprisingly easy to remove the whole cassette unit, it is just 8 nuts (if i remember right) and you gain far better visibility. It also makes it easier to de-grease and re-grease the unit which should make it run better and easier, which will be less stain on the motor. Having cleaned mine up it really needed cleaning. If you go down this route, prepare to get filthy, old clothes and plenty of floor covering!!

[KARMANN 0]

All sorted, I removed the motor that then let me adjust both sides to be in alignment with each other. All good now.

 

Fraser

[Red McGregor 10]

Good news Fraser, glad to hear you got it sorted

[fla 9]

mine stopped sliding back recently and as the roof liner is out i thought i'd investigate.

Well firstly the chrome arms havent yet broken fortunately. the problem i can clearly see though is this: the spring loaded arms need to attach to the brackets at the front but at exactly the right angle. There is a small wheel of sorts on the back of the chrome arm which looks like it has worn out on the base causing the arm to spring up too high and not engage.

 

I'll be taking the cassette out to clean and regrease and somehow replace or build up the worn wheel to get the right clearance. I'll take some pics to post up too.

 

I think the main thing is if your sunroof make any kind of abnormal noise, stop and check that the mechanism is moving correctly. These cast pieces are just not strong enough, although to be fair they are over 20 years old at the very least!

[Red McGregor 10]

Yes those wheels dower out; search Google and you'll find a youtube video of someone suggesting you can use araldite to build up the wheel an then re-shape the wheel into a curve. It may work, personally I changed the units for ones from a Golf Mk3

[daniboy1_2_3 0]

Hi there does anyone know what parts are interchangeable from a mk3 golf mechanism? I've been told the motor is but not sure what else. I wish to retain its original look and functionality. Cheers.

[Red McGregor 10]

I simply took the guide assemblies from the Mk3 3 and mix and matched it to the two I had removed from my Corrado cassette, cleaned everything up, lubricated with synthetic grease and re-inserted into the original Corrado cassette. From memory the Golf Mk3 cassette in its entirety is not a match. There is much online about the repair, as a moderate DIYer I'd say it is time consuming and dirty but not overly complex, it is simply a matter of working through everything methodically (a space to get everything laid out is useful and it is a dirty job, so probably not best to be in the house!!)

 

This link may help: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1355481-The-Ultimate-sunroof-repair-post

[Mardecconor 10]

I simply took the guide assemblies from the Mk3 3 and mix and matched it to the two I had removed from my Corrado cassette, cleaned everything up, lubricated with synthetic grease and re-inserted into the original Corrado cassette. From memory the Golf Mk3 cassette in its entirety is not a match. There is much online about the repair, as a moderate DIYer I'd say it is time consuming and dirty but not overly complex, it is simply a matter of working through everything methodically (a space to get everything laid out is useful and it is a dirty job, so probably not best to be in the house!!)

 

This link may help: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?1355481-The-Ultimate-sunroof-repair-post

 

Hi

I have the same problem where my sunroof is stuck in the up tilt position (I have also posted some questions on the same subject)

while in my local scrappy at the weekend looking for a Mk3 golf sunroof I cam across a 1996 Passat B5 with a sunroof (rare) and a mk4 golf with a sunroof. does anyone know if the mechanical parts would fit the Corrado