How To Fix Common BMW E46 Sunroof Problems!

Welcome to ShopLifeTV!
So we all know E46's are known to have sunroof problems in this video I go over the various things that could cause your sunroof to not work properly. I also show you how to fix your e46 sunroof. This video is showed on a BMW 325i but can work for all e46s that have a sunroof. Thanks for watching!
Instagram: @ShopLifeTV
Disclaimer: Not sponsored Disclaimer: The product links provided are often associated with an affiliate. When using any of the affiliate links I may get compensated for any products purchased using the link. This compensation does not affect my views on the product.

[@jessehale1310]

How much better would youtube videos be if they were as well put together as these are? This young man knows how to speak clearly and definitely knows his craft. it was a pleasure to listen to and learn from. Hope this continues and your followers grow and grow.

[@adamwhite2916]

😮

[@adamwhite2916]

😂n

[@RolfCJ]

Thanks to you I was able to go to the salvage yard, get the parts I needed, and repair my own sunshade! We appreciate all you do!

[@Hammaneggs88]

Thank you Jason!!! I have been having withdrawals waiting for another great video!!! You Rock!!!

[@Lettucelittle]

It's been a minute since you uploaded. Good to see more content!

[@michaelkoepf2855]

Very informative and logically explained. Thank you.

[@charlyc311]

I'm buying a E46, the seller just told me that the sunroof sometimes doesn't open. I quickly looked up E46 sunroof fix. This vid gives me the confidence to fix that easily. Thanks a lot 🙌🙌🙌

[@stevenmeyer538]

I recently purchased two different BMW 328is' a 99" and 00" one with a blown trans and the other runs great however the interior had some kind of creature in it. I've been watching your videos all day and exchanging the best of one to the other and I have to say man I really appreciate it. Love how your videos are straight to the point and you don't use any gimmicky intro or any goofiness. Sincerely.

[@moazmumtaz1847]

Hey I also just bought a 00 328i...by some creature do u mean to say the sunroof and windows open on there own....if so I have same problem what did u do to solve it

[@CiscoKidd055]

Man I want you to work on my car. You're so gentle with these ladies!!!!

[@Fecesicus]

Thanks so much! I just bought one and the shade is out completely. I'll try to put it back in with this great video! 👍

[@mattkeefe3850]

Excellent trouble shooting tutorial. you start with the basics and move on to the other problems. Step by step instructions were very helpful. Thank you.

[@JediTopCat]

Thanks dude. The Manual over-ride was a top tip. You saved me a world of pain.

[@jaysnyder7367]

Great video! Thank you. The sunroof shade off the track is exactly what's wrong with my E46 M3 sunroof. Repair does not look too pricey according to your video. Thank goodness.

[@jessehale1310]

Great video, great presentation. Very professional , very helpful and informational. Keep up the great work

[@Torwald84]

Just finished fixing sunroof in 2003 E46 Compact One clip was broken, one from right side lost its plastic part and was bent. Managed to fix it with pliers and patience ;) Also, both back rollers were bent and were skipping over the part that drags the sunshade. Bent them with pliers too. Then a lot of cleaning and greasing... Now it works like a charm - thanks mate for great video! (only on this video I could see a proper position of this part that drags the sunshade)

[@garth1939]

This was an outstanding presentation; clear and intelligent explanation and easy to understand. One of the best ones I have ever watched if not the best!

[@eddys7214]

I totally agree with what you said about this video: well-spoken with basics and moving into the different problems that we may see. Also I like his clear and fluent explanation. Well done!

[@howardhbfly]

Dude, THANKS! I've been drivin' my 2004 323! for 15 years with a dicky sun-shade. Thanks to your video and the repair kit from Amazon, it's fixed!

[@jiayair]

So happy i found your page!

[@jochi6113]

Love your DIY's man, helps me a lot :)

[@tovynbergeson9003]

Your videos are extremely helpful, you are amazing!

[@tbsystems2195]

Thanks for your videos! My Sunroof is working perfectly now :)

[@josemedeiros007]

Excellent video tutorial and sunroof trouble shooting tips, you gave me several suggestions on what to check why my sunroof is not opening.

[@dashingdave1839]

I just bought a 2003 330i and the sunroof didn't open all the way. I followed your instructions and my clips were good so I greased the track and now it works. Thank you for showing how to take sunroof out.

[@floridaboi3five2]

So glad you made this vid. Thank you so much! Keep up the good work! 👍

[@704406bbl]

Great video. I didn’t know you could manually close sunroof on these cars. Saved the day and money too! Turned the bolt a few times and it broke it loose. Now the sunroof works fine. Thank you for sharing with us!

[@erskain]

Can you give a little more detail? Mine is stuck open, but it seems like the manual function does not do anything.

[@Volvo8Fifty4Life]

Thanks for the great videos man!

[@JoziMoney]

Literally the most helpful and easy to understand e46 channel on KZbin. Helped this girl save tons on my 330xi! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and love for the e46 platform. Your contribution is huge to the preservation of the ultimate driving machine!💙🤍💙🤍

[@HiramDelHoyo]

hey this video was really helpful thank you! it should help me on my repair to fix the clips back into place!

[@jmdavaul]

Great video ... after watching you make it look easy I had confidence to change out my motor. The dealership wanted $1200 to fix my sunroof. I bought a $40 motor off Ebay. I had old panel so I tested two different switches,. Neither worked so then I pulled and inspected the #5 (7.5a) and the #12 (20a) fuses. Both looked fine but I replaced them both anyway and the sunroof started working. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Not sure if my old motor was bad or not (its still in there) but definitely the $2 fuses were part of the problem.

[@tigrankuzikyan1736]

Thank you bro. Very useful!!!

[@jasonld]

You are great at these videos. Oh, and what a red velvety headliner!

[@bmanscire]

You the man! Thank you for your videos brotha! 💪

[@fastm3980]

Good video and good info.. i just replaced the Sunroof Shade clips on my 04 E46///M3. It was easy after watching this video. When I was trying to level the Sunroof Glass I used a Bubble level. I was not using the bubble as leveling point but the straight edge of the Bubble Leveler I was using since I was doing this on my own and help from Casper the friendly Ghost. It was a way for me to make sure the glass and the body where on the same plane.. worked for me along with this great video. Thanks again Shop life. Keep up the good work.

[@brainfleming8756]

Thanks so much for this video, I needed it! The BMW part number for the sunshade slider which breaks is 54137134516, ECS tuning part number is 157562.

[@ryanmckenna5254]

Great video, very helpful. Your dog randomly appearing under the sunroof made me chuckle too

[@berniesr]

I just watched this and fixed the sunroof shade very helpful video.

[@davidrfletcher418]

Very clear and precise. Thank you

[@robinsandhu23]

Very helpful video. Thanks shoplife

[@Headrvsh]

Watching this in 2022 lol! Just got my e46 and this helped so much. Thanks dude!

[@RobinSingh]

great video! thank you for posting!

[@meixangej]

e46 god. thanks, you’ve help me so much bro 🤙🏻✨

[@ShopLifeTV]

Happy to help! Thanks for watching

[@martymeyer4125]

Another awesome video

[@matthewpeterson9481]

I had 3 broken clips on my sunroof shade. Thanks to your video it took me all of 15 minutes to replace all 4. Thank you so much for your videos.

[@ShopLifeTV]

Glad it helped

[@myrickvisual]

This is super hlepful. Thanks for the clear explanation for everything.

[@MrChrisiscool15]

Thank you for the amazing tutorial

[@BenKellum14]

Can you make a video on aligning the tracks of the sunroof? You described my problem perfectly. How the sunroof was uneven and the motor can't do anything ,but you didn't show me how to fix it. A video on this would be much appreciated or even a reply would be appreciated too. Thanks

[@robwentland471]

No go to dealer

[@Mrguy-ds9lr]

@@robwentland471 your a prick.

[@PacsunGuy15]

i have the same current problem as u do BK Films

[@baliboy]

@@PacsunGuy15 Same. As far as I can tell from what Jason is saying.... the teeth have jumped on one side. Update... I fixed mine on the weekend. Took some serious hours but everything is working now. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2XJd6Snq6mHppo

[@dysphunktion]

@@baliboy Did you have the crooked problem? One side moves, other doesn't? Can you throw us/me a quick DIY on what ya did? Thanks man!

[@paulvicks1336]

Wow!! It looks super easy to change the motor. Mine has been intermittent for a few months, and has now completely stopped working. I went on BMWs website and they have it at a "discount" price of $454.28 🤣. Then I went on ebay and found a used one for only $50. I can't wait to install it. Thanks shopLifeTv!!

[@ziggystardust9765]

Great Video. MG Zt electric Sroof the same as BMW owned MGR back then. Read loads of forum posts about how to do this but nothing like seeing it done real easy. Legend

[@djceazzaleanno]

thank you , I appreciate you sharing the knowledge .

[@juliofrancisco5558]

Thanks for the great video.

[@joebazooks]

man your channel is a lifesaver. u helped me hook up the aux converter. now fixed my sunroof. i just took out the sunroof cover. what a cheap piece of shit. and bmw wants $35 a clip, even tho its like $1 worth of plastic if even that much

[@miltonbrown4529]

This was very helpful. Thank you.

[@ShopLifeTV]

Glad it helped! Thank you!

[@psychedelicbaby13]

cool man , you reallly help alot !! Thanks :)

[@DJContracting]

Thank you this was a very informative video.

[@eddiecardenas7964]

Sir great video. You got knowledge. Thank you boss. Much respect

[@edgarroman2870]

awesome bro! really taught me alot and im going to use your video to help me maintain my car. thx!

[@ShopLifeTV]

Glad I could help

[@joed1344]

Very detailed. You are a BMW sunroof Guru. We just bought a 2003 325 xi and the sunroof does not open. I can hear it grinding.

[@tspark1071]

Very helpful. Thanks

[@rogelioochoa7586]

Great video help a lot

[@gerretgekar4970]

thank you for the video, it helps me a lot!👍

[@ShopLifeTV]

Glad to hear that!

[@jasonc8148]

Hey ShopLifeTV these videos are amazing! Thanks so much for all that you put out- SUPER helpful! Do you have an email or contact info that I could use in case I have questions?

[@stevengonzalez-me7uy]

I love and appreciate your post. It is super helpful, I am having some trouble finding a replacement sunroof shade though. Would you know where i could find one? I live in Florida, and my E46 was a gift from my brother, it needs some work, mostly interior stuff. Any information would be great. Thank you again for all your shop life videos.

[@ericf1721]

Great vid.

[@bogusienombre355]

Hi guys been enjoying your channel for a couple of years. Appreciate your in depth explanations. It's very accurate. @12:57 sunshade jammed back too far. I can't find a tool to grab it. Ugh. Can you shot me a photo of correct tool? Changed battery and did not reset sunroof. Should. I have done that or the clips just broke on passenger side as you indicated in video? Can't wait to see more house remodeling. Please keep doing e46 videos. I have 325i 2004 Alpine white like your wife's. Love this car. Great job ya'll. Let me know when you do another Texas stop for meets and greats. I was disappointed to have missed yours by 8 hours! Thank you

[@rizalhalim4268]

Very informative.. Thanks..

[@shAiDawn]

siiiiKk! I got mine working again!!! ur amazing thanks!!!!

[@jonzxcv]

Great video

[@ken56100]

thank you alot Jason for technic

[@josecarlosbregel]

Muchas Gracias Jason, gracias a tu video he podido poner en funcionamiento el techo solar de mi E46, muchas gracias desde España.

[@pianobench6319]

THANK YOU! Glad I found your channel! The sunroof had been in disrepair for so long on my E46! Your videos are honestly very helpful for me to bring back new life in the old E46! Thanks again! Def sub for this!

[@ShopLifeTV]

Glad to help! Thank you for subscribing!

[@drchtan]

I’m so glad I found this video at the time I am grappling with sunroof wind noise when closed at high speed on my new G20 3 series. The rubber seal looks new and fine but wind noise is so apparent of a seal leak when doing 120+ kph. Can you advise what needs to be looked into to avert this issue? What is the correct level of the sunroof glass in relation to the body to solve the problem? Your advice is much appreciated. Thanks

[@chrisgill4459]

Thanks mate 👍

[@terezkakorinkova663]

Thx from Prague !

[@0asis2007]

Excellent instructional video, thank you! Really clear and easy to follow... I'm going to tackle my sunshade problem now that I know how to!! :))

[@lb7325]

Great video. Question: the passenger side tabs are available as repair parts but you say best to replace sunscreen if they are broken. Are they not replaceable?

[@austigm3888]

your videos are great..but will appreciate it a lot if you add e39 differences and for both metal and glass roof.... and not for this video only.. for all your videos coz i appreciate your videos.. thanks and thumbs up

[@petesharp3640]

Excellent

[@plickbomo]

Oh my goddd. U make me want to re-do the headliner on mine

[@carlosjetta1]

Thanks!!

[@robertlivingston6964]

great vids. my question is my sunroof is not closing properly, the back is not level front is fine. is this something I need to remove the motor or just loosen the three screws, put it back in place tighten them back down. thanks for your help.

[@207ayates]

Your videos have been a big help. I have a question. My E46 did not have a sunshade nor clips, I found a used shade at a salvage yard and picked up new chips, but I don't know if I need the clip that goes behind the back clip. What peace is that.

[@dougfaber3667]

Thanks for taking time to make very detailed videos. I removed the sunroof motor on my 03 325i and it appears the metal cog is worn in the middle of the teeth. When I tried to manually adjust, the passenger side slider moves a little, but the driver side does not. It makes that grinding sound everyone is dealing with. I found the metal cog as a replacement, but can't find any info about removal, and it fits on a metal shaft, that also has a plastic gear that connects to the worm gear from the actual motor. Was hoping to save a lot of money by replacing the metal cog, but unless someone knows how to do that, I'll have to buy the entire motor. Thanks for any help with this. Doug

[@coolindark]

This is a great guide. Why 30 dislikes?

[@courtenayleacock5098]

These are excellent videos, guys. Can I bring my BMW 325CI to you to adjust my sun roof and do whatever is necessary for the adjustment ? I don't want to use the sunroof in the future.

[@tonys4751]

If you buy a new BMW sunroof panel for an e46 330ci, regardless of the year, you will also need the sliding kit for 2003+. Thanks for the video.

[@davidk.boston5648]

Hey Jason, excellent video, but do you have a solution for the same problem with the e38 740i? I replaced the headliner with suade material and the sun shade will not go back or come forward on its own. if you have any suggestions please help. thanks

[@AndreTaylorIT91]

Thank God for KZbin 😎

[@danielbailey9889]

Hey bro. Great video. I just bought an 02 325ci and the sunroof is stuck in the up position. The gear on the motor is stripped and just making a grinding noise. If I replace that gear or the whole motor do you think that will fix it?

[@camocorndog]

I love the red Suede Headliner! how did the owner do that?? looks very good!!

[@joshlahud5446]

Great video man you saved me haha

[@DREsRacing]

@ShopLifeTV I have a question regarding my sunroof. When opening it in cool and cold weather, there's a loud creaking sound as I tilt it or even open it up. As you said in the video, I have noticed that the Shade kinda refuses to retract by hand so I'll be addressing those brackets and clips as soon as possible. However, that creaking sound, is it possible that you could put a cause as to why that's happening ? I feel as if the Sunroof Glass struggles to open. Possibly due to tracks needing to be greased ? After making that creaking sound, I find it doesn't close properly on one touch either.

[@octaviolealgeissbuhler843]

Thanks for this very useful and detailed tutorial, I have just one question as one of my tracks (left) does not work at all, it does not move (BMW 325i 2002), so you said that you have to remove the motor (which I know how to do) and then manually get the tracks aligned properly ?, then my question is how do you do that with the glass on ?, just moving it back and forth ? slide it back and then forward ? I was trying to figure it out but it's hard to move the glass as it does not have anything to be grabbed, so if you can explain a little bit more to me, very much appreciated again !!!

[@francischan8263]

Thank you for the video ! 10:15 my sunshade driver (the grey piece) that push the sunshade bracket is missing anyway I can replace that?

[@rTz187]

Great Vid' can i ask what if its only opening half way not all way '

[@cumxum]

Hey Nice video, do you know MIni Cooper S 2004(R53) has the same sunroof as the BMW E46? I Found the sunroof motor is the same, not sure about the rest of the sunroof... Asking to see if a sunroof repair kit from E46 will match the R53...

[@smoothred9453]

This video popped up in my recommended and i was just thinking about my broken sunroof what a coincidence

[@oldaccount7333]

I was able to simply pull the sun guard from the inside as all clips were completely broken. I have the motor working, but as you mentioned it opens and closes on an extreme angle. I suppose I should remove the motor to your point, but wanted clarification on aligning the gears as youve mentioned. Thanks

[@ksamyui]

With your video I managed to get the sunroof closed again by taking the motor out so thanks for that. I took the glass out and found that Only my (UK) driver side track is working. Any advice?

[@alextheboobalishious]

Yooo id appreciate if you could guide me. When you wrapped the headliner did you pull the old one off and put padding(do you need the padding ) or just fabric ? Or did you wrap over the old one ?

[@van10nistelrooy]

Dude that headliner is sick, where can I get a little of that material?

[@martinstraka6049]

Hi, thank you for your video! I would be very grateful for your advice. I have problem with my sunroof. And this problem persist even after I made cleaning and greasing of sunroof tracks. It happens to me that when I try to open sunroof to the position in which is not pulling to the side but is tilted, the sunroof starts to move and then in some position/moment it starts to return back. It looks to me like there is some sensor making all this problem. And sometimes when I open the sunroof by pulling it to the side, it get stuck somewhere in the middle and then when I repeat pulling of the button it finishes its way and closes. Is it possible that I have problem with bad alignment of tracks? Thank you very much in advance.