Sunroof "water drain plate" (?) - How to attach?

[MK21800]

Got my broken sunroof sorted to a certain extent, it was sticking up on one corner when closed and didn't work. Turned out one of the cables had jumped out of it's groove in the front guide bay. When putting it back together, I've noticed the water drain plate is not attached - the full width panel that goes at the back of the roof with the tilt hinges attached to it. It was actually sitting right at the back of the sunroof cutaway in the roof, and I had to fish it out with a long piece of wire. I don't understand about this bit. I've worked out the the little spring clip goes underneath the rail, and there's a plastic piece with a groove which I assume clips on to the rails, but how to I get this bit back on the rails in the first place? Mine was actually just sitting loose on top of the rails at the back of the sunroof cavity. Probably been like that since I bought the car.

Edit - looking at the Haynes very carefully. it looks like I have to dismantle everything again, and actually take the front part of the guide rails off, is this right? .

[Blueshark]

Send me an email at scirocco53@ziggo.nl and I will send a manual to work on the roof.

Joost

[Jerry Atric]

I had mega problems with my sunroof a while back and quite a few folk here offered help and advice. Best link I was sent was this and maybe what Joost is already sending you, but here it is again, just in case you haven't seen this before.

Read and digest, I think it has all the answers!

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/ma ... oledVW.pdf

[Blueshark]

I had mega problems with my sunroof a while back and quite a few folk here offered help and advice. Best link I was sent was this and maybe what Joost is already sending you, but here it is again, just in case you haven't seen this before.

Read and digest, I think it has all the answers!

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/ma ... oledVW.pdf

I had the same guide, works perfect if you take the time to read it.

Joost

[MK21800]

Ah thanks guys, I'd seen that guide before, but couldn't find it again online. The Haynes wasn't bad, as it goes.

It was pretty obvious to me now after pissing around a bit and studying both guides and the actual roof mechanism that I can't slot this rain tray in properly without actually dismantling the roof and taking out the whole assembly including the guides. What I've done is actually get the rain tray in securely by jamming the tabs underneath the rail and it sitting just on top of the rail behind the sunroof. I had to kind of slot those tabs in underneath when the roof was tilted. Took a couple of goes to get everything lined up. Makeshift, but I'm pretty sure it's serving its purpose.

I decide against attempting to go one step further and take the rails out because I noticed one of them is cracked and looking a bit delicate. I'm a bit wary of breaking anything further by doing this.

I've settled for having a non-operational sunroof (never use it anyway), however, the drain holes work, the rain tray sits in the correct position (albeit half a cm too high) and is secure, and the roof now sits nicely flush with the rest of the car roof instead of permanently being up on one corner - I adjusted the cables - they had got out of alignment. Also the whole thing doesn't rattle around any more in that annoying way. The important thing to me with this was to get everything sitting right, and address the water leakage, which I think was due mainly to the rain tray being at the back of the cavity and not in its proper position. Ending up in a brown water stained headliner which dripped water on my head.

Well, an improvement I guess, although it's non-operational, at least the water won't get in no more .

Bit of a pain these things aren't they. They need very delicate operation, if they're forced at all, the cables slip, and you get that ominous cracking sound .

If anyone knows some kind of David Blaine voodoo to get the tray in without removing the rails, please let me know, I may do it at some point if can be arsed. But I'm happy with it as it is, tbh.

[Jerry Atric]

Glad you got it all sorted to your satisfaction. Sunroofs are a pain when they give trouble, but to me are one of the plusses of these old cars, so rarely seen in newer models. Now all we need is the sun to shine a bit more........