So I have searched around the forum about the sunroof but I can't quite find the information I'm looking for. I've owned my '08 535xi for a few years and when I bought it the pano sunroof didn't work, and I never really cared I just never used it. Now, I'm getting the water egress issue into the trunk, it looks like maybe the rear drains are clogged. From what I can tell you can DIY a fix but it seems the roof must work so that you can move the shades and glass to access the drains and mine don't move back at all (I've tried all the easy fixes to get it to work, and its clear it is a mechanical issue at this point). So at this point I figure I might as well just get the whole thing replaced/repaired.

So for my question, I know these sunroofs are prone to failure and it seems there are different part numbers in realoem for revisions of the entire cassette itself. Is it easier to just buy the entire cassette, which I assume comes with most of the parts as a package, and drop it in, versus buying one of the repair kits I see online (pano repair kit, cable repair kit)? I have a feeling the repair kits would require a lot of work to install correctly and it would be simpler to just replace the whole thing as one unit while reusing the glass, shades, and other parts outside the cassette? Any guidance or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Dang, that sounds like a big job, dropping the headliner and such. So I guess trying to turn the motor by hand with a wrench doesn't do anything either?

 

It sort of moves the tilt, but its very hard to crank and won't move much. Haven't really messed with it too much, but the PO said it was broken, and I have no reason not to believe him. I really just want to know if there are different versions of the cassette, maybe they were improved it over time. Also, if replacing the whole thing is easier/better than trying to use the various repair kits you can find online.

 

I cleared my drains without opening the roof. Just gotta lower the back of the headliner and clear out the drain tubes. worked for me. Also the ends behind the bumper was the worst part.

 

Dropping the headliner isn't that much of a big deal - remove the two rear roof speakers, remove the two D pillar trims (there are fasteners hidden behind the rubber bumpers at the top of the automatic cover tracks), and detach the two clips directly behind the speaker openings. Lower the headliner from the back about 12", and you can reach forward and detach the drain hoses.


Sunroof drains detached, circled in red.

Same for the rear bumper cover - This takes about 10 minutes to remove or replace - two fasteners under trim on each side of the tailgate opening, a few wheel well fasteners, a few clips underneath the perimeter of the bumper, and it snaps out and back in. This exposes the drains.



This, unfortunately, is just one of the design weaknesses you have to deal with if you own one of these cars.....

 

Thanks for the helpful replys. Looks like clearing the drains is easier than I thought, I'll try to get it done this weekend. Anyone have any experience with replacing/repairing the pano sunroof cassette itself? Is there an updated/newer version of it? Are the repair kits available online worthwhile, or is replacement the best option? Thanks.

 

I will add that I cleared my drains with even less work than listed above. I simply removed the rear pillar trim pieces and popped the clips loose on the headliner (they will probably break). I didn't fuss with the speakers. I had enough clearance to get to the drains and pull them off of the sunroof. I blew them out with compressed air, then put everything back together.

 

I repaired mine, when I bought my car the rear part of the shade was off tracks and was blocking everything. The easiest way out of this for you is to just remove the rear shade first and see if that will do anything. If it still can't move then remove the front shade. The shade mechanism is much weaker that the glass sunroof pieces themselves. Then go get some limo tint on the glass parts and enjoy your glass roof.

I dropped the headliner and it is a lot of work. I gave up trying to fix it since it is a complex system. I'm fine with a tinted glass that operates.

 

I owned 2006, 2008 and now own 2009 E61, removed pano roof on both LCI and pre LCI cars, no difference. They look identical, I assume there's no updated/newer version.

To get the panoramic roof down is a two guys job. The hardest part is the roof lining. You need to remove overhead handles, sun visors, coat hangers, lights, technically everything - all of these are securing your roof lining. After that pry it from the tailgate side, there are two mounting tabs (very easy to break them if you hurry). Also, the roof lining is hold up by each door seals at the top - you need to free it there.

I would assume it is a 5-6 hours job, two people.

 

So, I got to the rear drains, and as expected they were clogged with dirt at the connection from the cassette to the hose, I cleared them out and I should be good, at least for a while until they clog again.

While i had everything apart I started looking into why the automatic trunk cover didn't move up and down like it should. I found the motor and manually applied 12 volts using an extra battery I had lying around. It moved, but was a bit slow, so I took the mechanism apart and saw the springs had rusted, so I cleaned them up and lubed them. It now operates smoothly when manually applying voltage. The problem is the motor is not actuated as it should when opening or closing the tailgate or window. Does anyone know which module controls this feature? I have various faults in a few modules, probably from the water damage over the years, but everything in the car seems to work (except this trunk cover) so I haven't investigated the faults further.

While I had everything apart I noticed these wires in the rear loom that have connectors, but nothing is connected to them (circled in red in the pictures below). Is my car missing something here, or are these connectors for a feature/module that isn't applicable to the car?

Thanks for all the input you guys have been providing, its been really helpful!