996.2 Sunroof problem

I have a 2002 C4S with a sunroof. It began jamming and stopping so I took out the entire assembly, removed the motor and used my battery drill to run the sunroof open and closed. I could hear the load coming on the drill during the mid open position and therefore the problem seems to be with the assembly rather than my motor. I searched the web for solutions only to find that my symptoms were not limited to just my car, there are many late 996s and 997s out there (my assembly is a 997 P/N introduced on the 996.2) with the same problem. I lubed up the cables and runners but it didn't improve it. Many seem to solve it by installing a new motor, but in many cases it doesn't solve the problem. I am happy to strip apart my frame and cables to see if I can find a problem but it leaves the car unusable and it doesn't look like sub assembly parts are available anyway. So my question is – Are there any 996.2/997.1 sunroof fixing specialist on here, or has anyone been brave enough to strip their assembly apart for an autopsy, or does anyone have a spare sunroof frame assembly sitting in their garage that they are willing to donate in the interests of science, or sell for a small fee? Thanks

Sounds like you're having a sunroofnightmare :grin: I am sure Cheshire removed his sunroof recently, do a quick search, it was not long ago :thumb:

I was out playing with my sunroof again this evening. I am babysitting a friends 997 at the moment and as it has the same sunroof I was comparing the 2 in different positions to see if there was anything obviously wrong with mine. But there isn't... I reinstalled the interior panel and it seems to add extra resistance to the sunroof sliding and the torque switch trips. It's hard to figure it out. Does anyone have any literature on the sunroof rigging or complete disassembly including taking out cables? There doesn't seems to be any info on the www other than people changing the motor, which I believe is temporary as the resistance is in the sliding mechanism somewhere. I am fully sure there is a persons somewhere in the world that has built thousands of these for Porsche and could solve my problem in a nano second, but clearly they are locked away in a cell with no contact with the outside world for fear they would share their knowledge and people would not spend money on new motors :? Any help appreciated Thanks

Instructions for removeing or working on the sunroof can be found here .. http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=83491 You want body external . Its a pretty simple system with the motor driveing x2 cables , mechanism slides in runners . I suspect you have a worn frame if its only tight in one section .. the inner cover does tend to make it worse. With out a strip and inspect then we are only guessing at the fault im afraid . People fit new motors as these will be stronger and basically force the cable mechanism past the tight spot .. it will only be a temp fix at best though .

Thanks deMort, I agree that without a strip it is only a guessing game. I had the full frame out in the garage, running it open an closed using a battery drill and while I could hear the load increasing on the drill as it was closing, there was no obvious tights points. I lubed it all up but made little difference. I didn't have the luxury of time to keep it out for more than a day as I needed to use the car. Re the new motors, I agree, and that is why I want to get to the bottom of the issue. The internet is full of stories similar to mine, all solved with a new motor, but I believe that is a temporary fix and not solving the cause. People could be unnecessarily spending money on motors – although if one had to pay someone to remove and inspect the frame, fix it and reinstall it, it would probably cost more than a new motor. I might just take mine out again someday in the future when I have all of the other things on my to-do list crossed off... probably 2025...!