Stuck moonroof cost me $1200.00!
- Thread starter JPL
- Start date
CookieRoe
Senior Member
Lubrication
Sunroof: Sprayable white lithium grease.
The spare tire hanger: ummmm........my first thought would be WD40. That may wash off with weather though......Lithium grease is used for "smaller stuff such as sunroof, door hinges, etc. so that doesn't apply here. Regular grease would be too thick IMO. Suggestions ??
Note: I bought my 4Runner used and lowered my spare tire I think for the 1st time since its left the factory. The wheel was in MINT condition and the chain looked pretty good.
Jerrydog
New member
Sorry to hear about what happened, it shouldnt happen nore should it be such an expensive fix. Id be pretty upset if this happened especially with all the other common expensive fixes like callipers etc. I have to say, I'd ditch all toyota products after that and stick with honda and nissan....
Mine did the same last year o
03 but I just looked up how to manually close it. Same estimate I was given.
Mine was a jammed cable as well. Something to do with rain and rusting the cables.
They told me I didn't use it often enough and now its as useful as keeping the rain from coming in...
03 but I just looked up how to manually close it. Same estimate I was given.
Mine was a jammed cable as well. Something to do with rain and rusting the cables.
They told me I didn't use it often enough and now its as useful as keeping the rain from coming in...
JPL
New member
I was told there is no manual override on an '06......
Scoobs
Member
I do use the white lithium based grease on both. For the spare tire hanger I just put a lot more on. When the wheel is cranked up its somewhat out of the way. I check mine 2x a year, once in fall and once in the spring, and there is always still a bit of the white grease left on the hanger even after 6 months. I suppose if you think the white grease is too light you could try a grease containing molybdenum.
RickC
New member
This is starting to be my complaint with Toyota. They never fix anything. They know of the problem, but they simply don't fix it, they keep using the same designs for years. I think I have bought my last Toyota for this reason. And Toyota knows I am not happy.
BlackWorksInc
New member
To be fair, A LOT of car companies do that...
Ford with their Triton Engines and their blowing spark plugs because of too few threads
GM & Chrysler with exploding intake manifolds
BMW has moved onto the 16th revision of HP Fuel injectors for their GDI engines, which the customer has to shell out for if they want to fix that misfire because it out of warranty and or not covered.
and so on... All car companies do this, its a matter of how much they get away with it. Look at Chrysler, they made a crap product and had crap service and now they're owned by Fiat.
You have to realize that we own rather out-dated vehicles, our generation of 4Runner is slowly slipping out of what the company cares to constantly update and repair. TSBs are a big help, but most TSBs are formed because of constantly reporting the same design/flaw by the customer and/or the repair shops. You also have to factor in that the service you recieve at a certain dealership is not always the same from dealer to dealer.
Not trying to rag on anyone or defend Toyota, just trying to point out that yes it sucks that they aren't taking care of obvious issues and so on, its not always easy to fix every single problem that comes up on millions of cars spread over a couple dozen model lines/configurations and trims.
Ford with their Triton Engines and their blowing spark plugs because of too few threads
GM & Chrysler with exploding intake manifolds
BMW has moved onto the 16th revision of HP Fuel injectors for their GDI engines, which the customer has to shell out for if they want to fix that misfire because it out of warranty and or not covered.
and so on... All car companies do this, its a matter of how much they get away with it. Look at Chrysler, they made a crap product and had crap service and now they're owned by Fiat.
You have to realize that we own rather out-dated vehicles, our generation of 4Runner is slowly slipping out of what the company cares to constantly update and repair. TSBs are a big help, but most TSBs are formed because of constantly reporting the same design/flaw by the customer and/or the repair shops. You also have to factor in that the service you recieve at a certain dealership is not always the same from dealer to dealer.
Not trying to rag on anyone or defend Toyota, just trying to point out that yes it sucks that they aren't taking care of obvious issues and so on, its not always easy to fix every single problem that comes up on millions of cars spread over a couple dozen model lines/configurations and trims.
Turn_down
New member
And here I was pissed that I didn't get a sun roof. I'm glad I didn't now!
Just FYI, WD40 isn't really a lubricant. It's used for water displacement (Hence the WD) to prevent corrosion. I know it says it's a "light lubricant", but I wouldn't use it for that. I ride (well used to until I broke my knee cap last year) skateparks and street on a bike. If I had a nickel for every kid that used WD to lube something just to wind up trashing it....well.......I'd have a lot of nickels. LOL
But if you are just looking for something to coat it and give it a little protection from the elements, you know, displace water and help resist corrosion. It should work.
CookieRoe
Senior Member
Doing a search here will yield a: NO
However, I found this, not sure it work:
Hello, the sunroof can be slid manually closed by removing the bolts from the motor and dropping the motor down to release it from the cables. Remove the upper console that has the map lights, there are spring clips at the rear and plastic retaining tabs towards the front, pulling down at the rear releases the console, the three 10mm bolts can be taken off through the opening to release the motor, this won't work if the sunnroof cables are stuck in the rails .
From: Toyota 4Runner Limited How can you manually close a malfuntioning - JustAnswer
RoyR
New member
I just cleaned mine out tonight and used aviation lube (ACF-50)...tsb looks complicated.
Lear Chemical Research Corporation
Lear Chemical Research Corporation
Eastcoastrunner
New member
where/how did you do it? i'm considering doing this soon along with lubing the driveshaft. can i use the same lubricant?
Moonroof repair - would rather have prostate exam
.....cause it's the same thing.
Have an '03 4Runner, have used the moonroof since day one off the lot, loved it until 2 days ago..heard the...... from what I now know is the infamous, crunching, grinding, clanking noise. First time I heard that noise ever, it's had the little annoying rattle described by many for the past 6 years (volume on the radio often cures that), but never any noise of this sort. Thought, hell that can't be good, sitting at a red light and started thinking, "I wonder if this thing just broke and is stuck open." Yep, had that feeling in my gut. Didn't close, seemed to be trying to close from one side, couldn't pull it closed, nothing. Living in Seattle, WA - leaving it open isn't really an option unless I want a mobile wading pool.
Long story short - it's been at the dealership (prostate doctors) for 2 days - calls me tonight entire "mechanism" is broke ~$1800 + labor $990 ($110/hr labor rate) + taxes and additional toilet paper wipes to clean myself afterwards approx. $3000.00
Impulsive shock initiated, profanity laden are you $*^*(#$% kidding me, no I'm $#@%^ serious are you kidding me? I was guessing $1000 max. Man was I wrong. Now after reading this blog and the tidbits of information from others that talk about working on it themselves on the web, thinking I may tell the dealer I'm going to cut my losses pick it up and try it myself. Hopefully it won't be raining to bad when I pick it up, cause they said they can't even get it closed without the repair. My insurance deductible is $1000, makes one want to park it under a really, really old rotten tree in a wind storm!!
.....cause it's the same thing.
Have an '03 4Runner, have used the moonroof since day one off the lot, loved it until 2 days ago..heard the...... from what I now know is the infamous, crunching, grinding, clanking noise. First time I heard that noise ever, it's had the little annoying rattle described by many for the past 6 years (volume on the radio often cures that), but never any noise of this sort. Thought, hell that can't be good, sitting at a red light and started thinking, "I wonder if this thing just broke and is stuck open." Yep, had that feeling in my gut. Didn't close, seemed to be trying to close from one side, couldn't pull it closed, nothing. Living in Seattle, WA - leaving it open isn't really an option unless I want a mobile wading pool.
Long story short - it's been at the dealership (prostate doctors) for 2 days - calls me tonight entire "mechanism" is broke ~$1800 + labor $990 ($110/hr labor rate) + taxes and additional toilet paper wipes to clean myself afterwards approx. $3000.00
Impulsive shock initiated, profanity laden are you $*^*(#$% kidding me, no I'm $#@%^ serious are you kidding me? I was guessing $1000 max. Man was I wrong. Now after reading this blog and the tidbits of information from others that talk about working on it themselves on the web, thinking I may tell the dealer I'm going to cut my losses pick it up and try it myself. Hopefully it won't be raining to bad when I pick it up, cause they said they can't even get it closed without the repair. My insurance deductible is $1000, makes one want to park it under a really, really old rotten tree in a wind storm!!
JPL
New member
hmmmm, my entire "mechanism" was $600.00 & labor was $600.00......Toyota should reimburse us some, if not all, of this money, man that takes a set to charge us that kind of money for a universally malfunctioning high selling point. "Hey look you can use this great sunroof on nice days"...........fast forward>>>> after about 5 uses, malfunctioned, "pay us $1200-$3000 or else your prized SUV is pretty much useless" Way to stand behind your product "Toy"ota. Do I hear class action anyone?
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