davidgalvin518
New member
Yea, I'm picking up my first 4runner and being able to see a few images of this would be helpful IF I might be able to prevent it from happening.
Found Rust on the Sunroof Frame
- Thread starter 92879
- Start date
Yea, I'm picking up my first 4runner and being able to see a few images of this would be helpful IF I might be able to prevent it from happening.
OK I found this thread from a Tacoma that says that removing the moonroof glass and frame is simple:
Rust under moonroof seal - Page 2 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
I then verified on my 2008 4R that his instructions seem to apply.
During my next oil change in a few weeks, I am going to try removing the moonroof, cleaning up the frame of rust and cleaning as much of the rails/tracks that are visible before reinstall. Will post back with an update.
Rust under moonroof seal - Page 2 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
I then verified on my 2008 4R that his instructions seem to apply.
During my next oil change in a few weeks, I am going to try removing the moonroof, cleaning up the frame of rust and cleaning as much of the rails/tracks that are visible before reinstall. Will post back with an update.
DEF4Runner
New member
I think I read in some of your previous posts that you don't really use your moonroof. That said, I imagine it depends on how bad your rust happens to be and how much longer you want to own your runner. You could walk out one wet morning and find the rust has given you a permanent hole to deal with.
That sounds like a rather extreme step. Even if you never use your moonroof (I never either, opened it for the first time in years recently and noticed the rust), the right and safe thing to do is to take it apart, treat the rust (wire brush, rustoleum) and then reassemble.
I am not 100% sure yet, but if you see my post above, it seems there is a way to take apart the frame and glass even if your motor is jammed, treat it and reassemble. Replace any worn weather striping while you are at it.
Covering up the problem with silicone will only make it worse in the long run, and any necessary fixes extremely hard when you do need to address the problem.
Last edited:
Thought I'd add my moonroof rust cleanup experience here, it's not that bad.
When closed, the entire moonroof pops off with just two torx screws on either side. Real simple, as explained here:
Rust under moonroof seal - Page 2 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
I went ahead and popped mine off, and boy was it bad. I know, 8 years of neglect in New England weather will do that.
I scraped / wire brushed off as much of the rust as I could and hit it with some rustoleum. This only delays the corrosion by a few years, I will eventually need a new moonroof.
Then it was time to clean the heck out of the tracks. I hit it with repeated sprays of WD-40 to wash out all the sand/rust flakes/dirt, then hit it with spray on non-stick teflon lubricant. Both when the moonroof was off (tracks not deployed) and with the moonroof on (tracks deployed).
Couple of tips:
Be gentle, after cleaning and lubing, open and close it many times to get it going again. Good luck.
When closed, the entire moonroof pops off with just two torx screws on either side. Real simple, as explained here:
Rust under moonroof seal - Page 2 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
I went ahead and popped mine off, and boy was it bad. I know, 8 years of neglect in New England weather will do that.
I scraped / wire brushed off as much of the rust as I could and hit it with some rustoleum. This only delays the corrosion by a few years, I will eventually need a new moonroof.
Then it was time to clean the heck out of the tracks. I hit it with repeated sprays of WD-40 to wash out all the sand/rust flakes/dirt, then hit it with spray on non-stick teflon lubricant. Both when the moonroof was off (tracks not deployed) and with the moonroof on (tracks deployed).
Couple of tips:
- Be careful with the moonroof seal when placing it back in. It's a tight fit (obviously) and I used a knife to guide the seal back into place. In hindsight, I would have replaced the entire seal with a new one, you should, if you plan ahead.
- This one is very important! When reinstalling the torx screws from the inside, put all 4 on hand tight, then ask an assistant to really push the moonroof outward/upwards while you tighten them down. This ensures the moonroof has maximum clearance while operating. I didn't do this the first time, and the moonroof wouldn't close right, it would hit the front deflector and retract back no matter what I tried. After I pushed it up on the tracks, it works well.
Be gentle, after cleaning and lubing, open and close it many times to get it going again. Good luck.
07V8
Member
My challenge to that is since it's only the frame of the sunroof that rusts and not the actual car body, I don't really care if it rusts through. It's cheap enough and easy enough to replace in the future.
DEF4Runner
New member
Which seal are you referring to in your first tip?
Not really. Once you pop off the moonroof and look inside, you will see the corrosion / sludge buildup is more than just on the frame of the moonroof. If your drain is clogged (and it most likely is), there will be water and dust and grime pooling on your roof around the moonroof assembly. I was lucky that in my case, it was all just dirt and when cleaned, it was back to new, but you should check that area (particularly towards windshield in front of car) before assuming problem is isolated to moonroof frame.
The rubber weather striping that goes around the moonroof. I haven't looked, but I imagine that part is available, and should be easy to slip the old one off and put a new one on.
DEF4Runner
New member
After some research, I found that's an unreplaceable piece. You have to buy new glass to get a new seal.
Can also confirm this. The seal comes with the glass
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Thanks for the info. That sucks.
I'll keep an eye on local junkyard 4Runners to see if I can pickup an entire moonroof for cheap. That's probably the way to go.
Anyone know if any other car's moonroof is interchangeable? i.e., GX, camry, etc.?
FL_URB_RNR08
New member
theory
Luckily mine is good shape so far.
Looking at mine there was some uneven discoloration around the inside frame.
I'm guessing it might be condensation forming on the inside from the temp difference between the air in the car, the air in the area between the sunshield when closed and the glass, plus the air temp outside. with no where for the moisture to go because of the good seals it just condenses and stays inside. I now leave my sunshield at least partially open to fully open most of the time.
Luckily mine is good shape so far.
Looking at mine there was some uneven discoloration around the inside frame.
I'm guessing it might be condensation forming on the inside from the temp difference between the air in the car, the air in the area between the sunshield when closed and the glass, plus the air temp outside. with no where for the moisture to go because of the good seals it just condenses and stays inside. I now leave my sunshield at least partially open to fully open most of the time.
