Moonroof - removal instructions

[harojs]

My 2006 4Runner moonroof is jammed.

Motor works, but get loud gear skipping noise when try to open or close.

I loosened the headliner and can get to inside bolts of the moonroof.

I want to remove the whole moonroof assy and see if I can lube tracks outside of vehicle if I find a track jamming.

Need procedure to remove the whole moonroof assy from vehicle.

Would like to carefully spray the tracks with lithium grease outside of vehicle.

Passenger side is free - driver side seems jammed.

Ideas?

John
Bellevue, WA

 

[eleven14]

My 2006 4Runner moonroof is jammed.

Motor works, but get loud gear skipping noise when try to open or close.

I loosened the headliner and can get to inside bolts of the moonroof.

I want to remove the whole moonroof assy and see if I can lube tracks outside of vehicle if I find a track jamming.

Need procedure to remove the whole moonroof assy from vehicle.

Would like to carefully spray the tracks with lithium grease outside of vehicle.

Passenger side is free - driver side seems jammed.

Ideas?

John
Bellevue, WA

Did you drop the headliner? I have a jammed sunroof (in closed position) and my research led me to believe the whole headliner needed to be removed before moonroof r/r was possible?

Happy to dig up links I've saved as well if helpful.

 

[harojs]

Yeah, I had to loosen the entire headliner so I could just get some free play around the moonroof assy.

I didn't have remove the headliner, just make it loose. Still, had to unclip all the trim panels.

A PITA, yes, but not too bad.

 

[harojs]

I am thinking I can lube some things if I could get the glass to fully retract.

Any ideas on how to do that?

Do you think my cables are stuck?, or part of the track is stuck?

I live in PNW, so things are not much rusted.

 

[eleven14]

I am thinking I can lube some things if I could get the glass to fully retract.

Any ideas on how to do that?

Do you think my cables are stuck?, or part of the track is stuck?

I live in PNW, so things are not much rusted.

Very common that the cables seize inside the channels they run through. In my case, after removing the motor, I could slide the glass all the way open with my hands. Yet, when reassembled, it would make that clicking sound when sliding to "full open" (which I think is the final adjustment that raises the wind deflector).

Are you able to fully open the moonroof by hand with the motor out? This post has a ton of useful reference.

 

[harojs]

Couldn't disconnect front of headliner

I never got my moonroof fixed because the headliner had some wires on the drivers side that I could not disconnect.

I may have to buy the track parts so I need to remove the headliner entirely.

I'm getting ready to try this again.

[Q] How do you disconnect the wires from the headliner to the dashboard? There does not seem to be a wire disconnect plug. The headliner wires just disappear into the firewall/dashboard.

 

[parsky1]

Mine started the infamous grinding when closing. I got it closed and disconnected the switch wires in the connector up behind where the sunglasses holder is. You just pull two crimps out of a connector and tape them up. It was the green and gray wire. The red is power for the lights and the two whites are grounds I believe.

 

[harojs]

Wires taped to the headliner

Thanks Parsky,

I need to totally disconnect the headliner and remove it from vehicle.

This will allow me to see if I can free up or replace the moon roof cables.

Problem now is there is a small wire bundle that is taped to the headliner.

Disconnecting at all the various OEM taped connections on the headliner does not seem right.

I heard somewhere that there is a main disconnection plug for the headliner harness that comes down the drivers windshield post into the firewall or instrument cluster so I can remove the entire headliner with its single pigtail harness?

[Q] Where is this main headliner connector? I can't find it in the firewall or fuse area behind the drivers side instrument cluster.

 

[eleven14]

I never got my moonroof fixed because the headliner had some wires on the drivers side that I could not disconnect.

I may have to buy the track parts so I need to remove the headliner entirely.

I'm getting ready to try this again.

[Q] How do you disconnect the wires from the headliner to the dashboard? There does not seem to be a wire disconnect plug. The headliner wires just disappear into the firewall/dashboard.

Here's a pretty thorough description for removing the headliner I had bookmarked for (someday) fixing my sunroof. If you get in there, take pics/notes for the rest of us!