Sunroof

[Guest williampierce]

The sunroof opens just fine but does not fully close ('89). It travels forward to close off the openning but you can tell by the headliner it is not moving quite far enough (missing by an inch or so). Consequently the back end does not retract into its seat. Any ideas?<P>Bill

[Guest]

I had the same problem with a newly acquired '90 and discovered upon removal of the sunroof and the cable/slide assembly that 2 of the 3 nylon wheels had broken and jammed at close. The best solution is replacement of the cable/slide assembly but at $100+ per side from Mazda, I made new wheels and have my fingers crossed waiting for the durability test of time. Okay I'm cheap!

[Guest williampierce]

Very strange. As posted early this morning, I was having trouble fully closing the sunroof. By mid-afternoon, with the car sitting in the sun on the driveway, the sunroof worked perfectly and effortlessly a number of times. This evening, near sundown, the sunroof was acting just like this morning.<P>Is it coincidental or is there a reason for what I experienced today?<P>Bill

[Guest]

Mine was intermittent before completely failing but I didn’t correlate it to time of day. As the sun heats the roof it’s possible that the lube warms enough to overcome13 years of accumulated gunk, brittle nylon wheels, stiff slides and/or a bad gear. Maybe your car is a sun lover and has a mind of it’s own.