This describes my issue exactly, I had just opened the Moonroof to be sarcastic when a friend asked me about it,
and it worked fine this summer, but I had to come back all the way from OKC to KC with it open in November weather.
Luckily, there was no rain or snow along the way. I had tried to cover the hole with plastic wrap and duct tape,
but that tore off as soon as I reached Highway speeds, so no go on a cover.
Here are a few more detailed instructions for those of you experiencing the same issues.
I DO NOT WARRANT THESE INSTRUCTIONS OR GUARANTY ANYTHING THAT YOU DO.
Sarcastic commentary included for those experiencing frustration at this time:
1. Do NOT purchase a new $60 moonroof switch from the dealership, as electronic parts cannot be returned and it wont
fix the problem.
2. Do NOT attempt to jumper the relays of the switch with a paperclip unless you have a 5Amp replacement fuse for the
instrument panel. (Don't know if it was related, but it happened shortly after I attempted the paperclip, so it could be a coincidence.
Instructions:
1. Remove the driver's and passenger's visors, remove the hitch ends first then the hinge end, you will have to un-couple
the cables on the hinge ends. (Be sure if you have a home-link remote system on your driver's side visor, to locate
the remote controls that programmed it, you may need to re-train it.)
2. Remove the "oh-hang on" bars from both driver's and passenger's sides.
3. For the trim pieces that the "oh-hang on" bars were attached to, run your fingers under between the top of the trim
piece and the headliner itself, pull firmly down and towards the center of the cabin. It will pop loose and come completely
off the frame. Repeat for the other side.
4. Remove the central most console where the compass is and moonroof switch, pry with your fingers between the headliner
and the console. Pull straight down. There are four "pressure" clamps in place, you may wish to move your fingers forward
to pull again, to get them all to release.
5. Then pull the cable plug off of the back of the compass unit, as it is attached, you may wish to use a screwdriver to
get the tab to release. Once it is detached from the compass unit, it will separate at the plug from the ceiling cable.
6. Remove the rear clothes hangers from each side.
7. Remove the rear "oh-hang on" bars.
8. Slide the driver's and Passenger's seat belts to their lowest positions. The trim that these are attached to, do not
need to be removed, just loosened as the headliner will slide over these. They release in a similar fashion to the front
trim pieces they just need to be pulled firmly.
9. Lower the rear seat belts as well. Flip the covers up on the seat belts and remove the nut holding the belt to the side
wall. WARNING: These are screwed on VERY TIGHTLY, do not risk wrist damage by not being ready to really hang on to the
electric screwdriver/drill you are using, it will fly out of your hand if you're not ready! Remove the belts to free the
trim pieces behind it.
10. Place your hands between the headliner and the trim pieces where the seatbelts are, they will pull down like the front
trim pieces did, but they will still be connected at the base, this will be okay as they have enough play to allow the
headliner to move freely.
11. Remove the 3 plastic rivets/fasteners that are holding up the headliner. A table knife or flat screwdriver would be best
You may have to replace these as they may not survive the removal process, you can purchase them at any auto part store. Ask
for Plastic Body Fasteners, not rivets, they will not know what you are talking about. Also, do not have anyone in the front
seat during the removal process as they could be hit by flying plastic or stabbed with the knife/screwdriver.
12. Gently pull the headliner down enough in the back seat to remove the connections for the rear reading lights. Be careful,
with the doors open and the lights being on, they may be hot! If you use a screwdriver, be careful, this is a live current
don't electrocute yourself either.
13. Remove the gasket/liner that outlines the moonroof and connects the headliner to the roof of the cab. This will be sticky!
Use a rag to wipe off strings of adhesive that will be left behind, be careful as this can drift onto your headliner and will
attract dust and dirt and may not look pretty afterwords. There is a seem in the middle of the gasket, where you can start
at and then remove it from all the way around.
14. Start with one person at both of the front doors. Gently pry the headliner loose from the rubber that surrounds each door.
The headliner will be supported by the trim pieces that are still attached by the front seat seatbelts. This should already have
been done in order to accomplish step 12.
15. With one person in the front and one person in the back, slide the headliner forward, so that it curves down towards the
dash, to reveal the motor that is directly behind the moonroof in the back seat. Be careful when you are sliding to watch
that the trim pieces in the center do not scratch your headliner, we have to preserve this as much as possible, as I'm sure
its not cheap.
16. Locate the motor for the moonroof, it will be silver with a rounded white plastic part. In the center of the white plastic
portion, is a hex bit hole, this is will allow for manual cranking. Though the Ford Dealership informed me that there was no way to
manually crank moonroofs for over a decade now, whatever. DO NOT USE YOUR DRILL, use a ratchet and the necessary hex bit.
17. Turning the ratchet counter-clockwise worked for me. The moonroof will resume its previous closed position and seal. If this
does anything to the motor I do not know, they do run about $200 to replace and I plan to do so before next summer. I unplugged
the motor just in case all the cranking might have caused issues with it.
18. Replace the headliner by pushing it back into place, plugging in the rear reading lights, then putting it behind the rear
trim pieces first, and then the rubber on the rear doors second, this will help you to make sure it is lined up correctly. Then
I replaced the plastic rivets/fasteners to their individual holes, as they helped me align everything else.
19. Reverse the steps, align the rear trim pieces, replace the seatbelts, replace the rear clothes hangers and oh-crap bars, then
middle trim pieces go into place and the gasket/liner. Then the front trim pieces, oh-crap bars, and finally the visors and center
console. I purposely left the moonroof switch unplugged before I placed the center console too, so if you forgot to unplug the motor,
no one can accidentally open the moonroof again.
This is what I went through. The headliner is not really any worse for wear, maybe a few creases where there weren't before, but all
in all it only cost me some time and $60 for the switch I didn't need that I will be placing on eBay tonight. I DO NOT WARRANT THESE
INSTRUCTIONS OR GUARANTY ANYTHING THAT YOU DO. You should only attempt this if you cannot afford to have your moonroof repaired
professionally and it is stuck open!
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 AT 10:28 PM
