Last week while opening my sun roof, the metal clip inside of the sunroof that is attached to the metal pole with springs (thats a detailed, one sentence description), decided to break. Oddly enough, the sunroof still works. The liner on the driver sags a little when its in vent, this is because the black spring no longer anything to attach to, but it still opens. When I open it all the way and then close it, it closes until it gets about an inch from the end. At that point, it just stops. I have to reopen it and force it shut with my hands to fully close it.

Anyway, i figure that the little clip that broke is causing all of this. They are plastic on one end and and have a rod a metal (or silver colored plastic) about 2.5 inches long going through the plastic part. I still have one of them inside of there. It seems to be working fine.

Does anyone know where i can purchase these clips? I just got a bunch of "work on car" money and i was going to finally finish up fixing my car in the next month or so. So, of course i want the sunroof to work too. Figured i would buy one of those sunroof windflaps to go with the new paint job.


Thanks again.
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-Brandon at FSU '88 744ti 137k miles

I imagine when you say clips you are referring to the two plastic/spring hooks that loop around the metal bar and hold the spring to the bar/roof side of the equation? Basically just a spring with an open hook on one end and a closed loop on the other with the premolded plastic loop inside that spring loop to go around teh silver bar?

There are two sunroof systems. One released on 86 and earlier bricks (I believe) and the other on all cars from 87 on. The earlier one is a defective design (puts too much load on certain sunroof components and snaps the metal supports) and the latter was the fixed version. The ealier one has different lever supports (pieces that control venting) and spring holders (it doesn't have the silver cross bar or premolded springs I mentioned earlier).

If you are talking about teh springs you have two options. You can scour a junkyard, in which case you will need to a)find a car where the sunroof isn't compressed by a car stacked on top of it and b)manually move the gears behind where the sunroof gearbox or handcrank would be to vent said sunroof with a screwdriver. I did this to get the new components for my older design (I have an 85) and had no problem once I found a yard that stacks cars in holders (not on top of one another). Once you get the roof vented just unlatch springs holding the inner ceiling on and slide it back to expose the guts of the sunroof. The silver crossbar is srpingloaded, so you can just push it to the side and pull it out to getthe molded plastic spring loops off.

The good thing about sunroof parts is that, aside from teh motors, most people are too lazy to go to the trouble of getting at the guts, and you can generally find tehm untouched.

Your other option is just to buy it from Volvo. I imagine the part will only cost like $10 - $20, possibly a pair or something, but I don't know. Might be worth it to avoid the hastle... I'm just cheap. ;)

good luck,
rt

Actually what broke were the premolded plastic loops you speak of. I removed the metal bar they were in so one of the springs is just hanging on there on the other premolded loop and the other is dangling inside.


Thanks

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-Brandon at FSU '88 744ti 137k miles