Sunroof question

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:33 pm

This part is (obviously :roll:

) broken. What function does it serve and is it necessary? If I don't need it, I'll rip it out, but if it is necessary, I wonder how much it would cost to replace /fix. It seems one would have to get under the sunroof and pull the headliner away to access the end piece that's riveted to to the frame. Currently, in order to close my sunroof, I have to hold those together and very slowly edge the sunroof forward until it's over the break. Kind of a PITA :furious:

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 2:49 pm

wth did you do, close a cat up in your sunroof?

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:26 pm

Dunno what happened. One day I went to open my sunroof and heard a loud crack - presumably that piece breaking. It's been like that for about a year now. I always kept forgetting about it until today. That commercial's funny as hell, by the way! LOL

JustinP · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:13 pm

WOW!! Thats crazy. Well, the piece it appears you broke is the wind deflector, it disrupts the flow of air over your sunroof when it's open. Without it, your sunroof would make a little extra noise when open. Kind of a helicopter noise. Also it helps eliminate drag caused by the open roof. High pressure and low pressure stuff. It appears you have a Renny light bar which probably disrupts the airflow more than the little sunroof wind deflector ever would. So you probably won't experience any difference with or without it. I've never seen one of these break on any car. Congrats. It proves everything is breakable.

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:31 pm

I thought it a little odd that something like that would break, but then again it makes up for the fact that I've never had a problem with my ball joints, window regulators, heater resistor switches or any other common problem with my Liberty. I've got 111K+ miles on and I've been VERY lucky that I got one that was built extremely well! I'll take a simple little air deflector over any of that stuff! My only concern is that, after looking at the design of the sunroof, it almost looks like that piece puts tension on the bottom of the glass panel when it is closed, possibly to complete the weather seal. I'm almost afraid to remove it, fearing it will start leaking if it's not there. Any thoughts on that?

infernicus · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:37 pm

Personally I don't think that has enough pressure to "seal" the sunroof.. I bet you can push the whole assembly pretty softly and be able to push it down.

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 4:44 pm

It doesn't take much to depress it, but it's pretty firm. I'm gonna give Gorilla Glue a try. Maybe I can get it to hold. If not...who knows then...

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 6:39 pm

You don't need it,the lightbar is doing the air deflecting.
It does nothing to seal the sunroof.

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:48 pm

I went out to look at it more in-depth earlier and found that two screws and it comes right out. Something does need to be there however or else there are two metal prongs on either side of the roof that stick up. If the plastic track isn't there, the sunroof won't open. I'll see if I can't order the part. Thanks for the help!

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:48 pm

Check with Sir Sam down in the CRD section - he rebuilt a sunroof - probably has photos of how to take it apart & put it together (large size - you need bandwidth to view his files)

Silverdiesel · **Posted:** Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:47 am

I have a premeium after market sunroof on mine in since new and miminal problems and I am at 100k miles.
I have wondered about that wind edge if it ever broke or got jammed. My Jetta TDI has a sunroof also and it too has that part so it must be essiential.
The part does not aid in water sealing as the sunroof system has drain gutters and drain lines to ward away water as all sunroofs leak. They are designed that way. The seal the sunroof makes is to achieve a wind tight seal. My VW does alot better job than my Jeep.

SavageUrge · **Posted:** Fri Apr 30, 2010 1:39 am

I got in the Jeep and looked up in there with the sunroof closed and doesn't even contact the glass. There are two tabs on either side of the glass that keep that "wind deflector" depressed when it's closed. That piece of plastic that broke serves only as a track of sorts for the glass to ride on as it's closing so it can glide over the metal prongs. If those prongs are sticking up, they catch the tabs and prevent the sunroof from opening. I had to press up on the sunroof in order to get it open after discovering this. I knew that would happen, but being me, I had to see exactly why. Just my curious nature. I like to dive into things blindly and I usually end up learning the hard way LOL :roll:

Sunroof question

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