Sun Roof Alignment Problem - '97 A6 Quattro (Pictures Inside)
 

Last winter I was cleaning snow that had froze/thawed on my roof. I cleaned it all off when out of no where I watched the driver side of the sun roof drop about 1/2 to 3/4 of a inch lower than the other side. So that side of the roof always sets lower than the passenger side towards the back corner towards the rear of the car. The roof closes and opens fine except for the fact that side always sits lower. I don't get water in the car near that opening unless I go through a high-pressure car wash. I've tried simply pushing it, that does nothing. Any ideas on what I can do or what it is? Any possibly fixes except taking into a dealership and getting overcharged?

Bad Side Open
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...e/bad_side.jpg

Good Side Open
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c.../good_side.jpg

Bad Side Closed
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...d_bad_side.jpg

You need to unscrew the three torx bolts (T30 if IRC) that hold it in place on that side, readjust it to where it sits level with the other side and then retighten the bolts. It's a little bit of a trial and error. You may need to go at it several times until you get it right.
Either the "bad" side has a broken arm - which could also cause that sagging, or the bolts lossend up.
You'll have to start with the sunroof open in that "angled" position and remove the "harmonic"-looking side covers in order to get to the bolts.

If you have a broken arm, then you can fix it with a good epoxy.

Good luck.

Thank you for the reply. I think I'll try readjusting it this Wednesday when I have work off. The funny thing is those arms you're talking about that are near the corners. Both my arms have been broken since I bought it (which was used). But the roof worked totally fine with the arms like that. I have no clue what the arms are even used for since they were broken in the first place but the roof worked perfectly fine for 3+ years until it lowered that one side last winter.

The arms are the connection between the sunroof's mounting "frame" or bracket and the rain tray.
I am amazed you didn't experience a wet headliner in the +3 years you had it with broken arms. The rain tray or crossmember suppose to slide at the same time with the sunroof, and come back forward at the same time with the sunroof.
Mine was remaining toward the rear of the car, resulting in a wet headliner after a rain, last winter. Investigating why I got the headliner damp, I discovered the broken arms on both sides.

If you just tilt the sunroof, then the rain tray doesn't move. That would explain why you never got water tricklin on your headliner/sunroof shade., even with broken arms.
Contrary, if you slide the sunroof back, then probably the rain tray somehow still slides back.
Do you have the connecting arms broken on both sides, or only on the side that got sagged? (although the other one should have collapsed also because of the extra torque on it from sliding)

You may have a broken sun roof cable on one side. The cables may be part of the guide plates.
Try www.vagcat.com for a catalog of Audi European parts, which should be under "Body, sliding roof parts".
Also, the motor must be at the zero position and the sunroof closed , when reinstalling the motor.
The Bentley manual has information on the sunroof, which may be helpful, if you have a broken cable.

Yes, both have been snapped off since I bought the car. I've had the roof cracked open before, I've had it all the way open, etc. I've never had a problem with leakage or the alignment until last winter 3+ years after I bought it.

When I'm off Wednesday I'll going to fool around with it. I might even epoxy the arms. I epoxy'd a flap that was hanging off near the driver door under it, that was 2 years ago and it's still sticking today.

Things like those arms breaking piss me off. They could easily fix that by making them out of metal and not freakin' plastic.

On my 1996 A6, the sunroof was acting up when I bought it. The sun roof would open when the doors were locked. The previous owner had not zeroed the motor before reinstalling it. So I manually closed the sunroof and then disconnected the motor terminal, as there were too many other problems at the time.
Someday, I may have time to finish repairing it, but now I seem to have a bad alternator. Also, the driver's door lock needs to be repaired, as the key needs to be turned twice to unlock the driver's door. The alarm system also has days when it unlocks or locks the doors. The 1996 alarm system is not OBD, so that will be more difficult to repair.

From my personal experience, what causes the sunroof to open at random by itself is the potentiometer. It was doing on mine as well.
After I purchased a second-hand cover plate (old one was screwed in place when I bought the car, as all of the plastic and metal tabs that hold it in place were broken), which came with the potentiometer, all the troubles went away. After epoxying the two connecting arms, I have a perfectly functioning sunroof (although I very seldom used it).