2000 malibu sunroof

[Caldman]

Purchased the car a few months back and the sunroof doesn't open or close. Where do I start to trouble shoot.

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by Caldman

Purchased the car a few months back and the sunroof doesn't open or close. Where do I start to trouble shoot.

check the wiring and the motor that operates the sunroof but make sure the sunroof is COMPLETLY closed before you remove the motor. If you remove the motor and the sunroof is not all the way closed then you will need to put in a new motor and time it with a tool that comes with the motor (which is a big pain). Anyway heres a few basic steps that can help you pinpoint the problem

1. turn the ignition to On but keep the engine off

2. operate the tilt and slide functions of the roof and listen for the motor

if you can hear the motors but the glass does not move then there is something wrong with the drive system or cables

or

If the glass does not move and you do not hear the motors then check the H fuse (which will be in the interior fuse panel located on the right hand side) and make sure the fuse isn't blown or check the control switch if the fuse isn't blown i hope this info helps

[Caldman]

Got the hands inside the headliner and tried the switch. The close button makes a noise but no attemp to open. Have the long(6in x 1in.) slender box that contains a circuit board with plugs on either end of it out. No signs of anything abnormal. I don't know how it performed before so I have nothing to go on. Could it be the switch?

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by Caldman

Got the hands inside the headliner and tried the switch. The close button makes a noise but no attempt to open. Have the long(6in x 1in.) slender box that contains a circuit board with plugs on either end of it out. No signs of anything abnormal. I don't know how it performed before so I have nothing to go on. Could it be the switch?

It could be, though did you check the H fuse and make sure it was ok before you took everything apart? (If you don't know where the right hand interior fuse panel is your owners manual will have a diagram showing you where it is)

However since it seems you went ahead and took the sunroof switch out of the headliner what you should do now is disconnect the switch from the connector and (If you own one) use an ohmmeter to see whether there is continuity between Terminals A and B (when in open position) and continuity between Terminal C and B (when the sunroof is in the close position). If the continuity is not right then you will need to replace the switch and Unless you know what you are doing I highly suggest taking it to a dealer because besides the finicky nature of the motor I previously mentioned. Removing the headliner will require at least two people and it can be a very tedious task to undertake and maybe beyond the abilities of some work at home mechanics

[Caldman]

I did check the fuse prior to anything else i did. When I got to the switch and beyound, I was looking for some broken wires or some sign of trouble within the forementioned circuits. At that point I stopped because I didn't know what else to look for. I didn't remove the headliner but pulled the inside clips for sunvisor and the rubber moulding around sunroof...enough room to get at the switch and connectors. I spent an hour trouble-shooting.

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by Caldman

I did check the fuse prior to anything else i did. When I got to the switch and beyound, I was looking for some broken wires or some sign of trouble within the forementioned circuits. At that point I stopped because I didn't know what else to look for. I didn't remove the headliner but pulled the inside clips for sunvisor and the rubber moulding around sunroof...enough room to get at the switch and connectors. I spent an hour trouble-shooting.

oh ok I just wanted a little more information thats all. Anyway if the fuse was ok then its the control switch and if you heard noise when the switch was in the close position but not in the open position then I highly suspect you don't have continuity between terminals A and B which will require the switch to be replaced (of course this is only a possibility). What i would do is take the car to a local mechanic or dealer and ask for them to perform a continuity test on the control switch to make sure everything is ok

[alexjones22]

i am having problems with my sunroof. i opened it a few days ago, and now it is stuck in the open postion. it will close about a half inch but then it stops. im guessing that is a jam or out of postion, but i dont know how to go about fixing it. any ideas for me?

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by alexjones22

i am having problems with my sunroof. i opened it a few days ago, and now it is stuck in the open postion. it will close about a half inch but then it stops. im guessing that is a jam or out of postion, but i dont know how to go about fixing it. any ideas for me?

was the sunroof working as it was supposed to before it became stuck? It could be that a rock or some other piece of debris is stuck in the tracks and is preventing the glass from moving (it has happened). Another possibility is that there is some sort of problem with the motor My moms suburban has the same problem with the passenger window. It can open all the way down but it can't close by itself (usually you have to push the window glass up by hand. As for fixing the problem I suggest taking it to a technician. As i mentioned before the sunroof must be completely closed before the motor can be removed because if it is not the new motor will have to be retimed with a separate tool (which is a pain). Also have a continuity test done to make sure the circuits are not fried and check the track for debris that might be preventing the glass from moving

[Triple-X08]

hook a test light up to the motor to see if you have power and ground when the switch is activated, if you dont, then suspect a switch. if you have the light hooked up and it lights up when put across power and ground of the circuit, with the switch depressed, then you have a bad sunroof motor, and will probably have to replace the whole sunroof as most are not servicable and require a complete module replacement.