Just picked up a new-to-me 2018 4-door the other day. Did far less research than usual so I'm figuring out just what I have as I go, but it seems to be a fairly basic trim. (Non-S, no proximity unlock, no navigation, etc.)

Anyway, I have two immediate questions I'm hoping for some help with:

First is very easy- there's a phone-mount (spring clip on a ball pivot) right over the infotainment screen (stuck in the slot between the screen and hazard switch) that I wish to remove so I can replace it with something different. Are these typically glued, screwed or just wedged in there? Don't want to break anything...but my phone doesn't really fit very well in the mount that's there.

Second is less-easy...and may have to wait a few weeks for better weather regardless. The panoramic sunroof switch is taped off, and the message from the previous owners (via the selling dealer) was not to open it. OK, fair enough - negotiating point on price, since I knew about it, but I do want to get it fixed. Anyone have any tips on diagnosing BEFORE I try to open it, and/or point me to some tutorials on how to get it closed and sealed manually if I get it open but it won't shut again? Of course I'm hoping it's just a dirty connection or in need of lubrication, but if it's got a snapped cable or something I might have to wait for parts AND time for what looks like kind of a [redacted] of a job.

 

Re the phone mount, if you can post a pic, it's likely that someone here will recognize the product; from there figuring out how it is kept in place becomes a matter of consulting the instructions for that product.

Not sure about the sunroof, but speaking from reading posts in this and other forums about sunroof open/close problems, there is probably something mechanically broken, and there is no path other than part replacement that can be spendy. Not unmanageable, but not cheap either.

The other possibility re the sunroof is that the switch itself is at issue, which I would be surprised by given the general warning you were given by the dealer -- but if that were the issue, it would be far more manageable.

 

Yeah, I guess I should have thought of that. Here's the mount (well, the part I'm trying to take off...I thought I got a pic with the phone clip, too, but seems like I failed to actually take it). I have another mount that I 3D printed that looks like it just slides in there, but this felt pretty solid when I tried to pull it out.




Yeah, I'm expecting it to be that complicated, costly process...looks like just taking the headliner down is a pretty involved process, and that's not even really getting into fixing anything. It seems silly to tear the whole thing apart without even pushing the button to find out what happens...but....I'm also not sure how to reclose the thing if I get it part-way open and it won't go on its own. There almost has to be a way (I mean- the previous owner obviously used it, had an issue and stopped, right? And the thing is closed now). More YouTube research, I guess...and I'll probably wait for better weather before I try anything. Worst case, I can keep it in the garage anytime it's not sunny.

And here's the car...was clean the first time I drove it, less clean when I bought it....and looks like this now. Probably not leaving the driveway again 'til the other side of mud season, unfortunately....this car does not have the ground clearance for a thawing dirt road in Vermont!


Not sure if it's the exact spec I'd have sought out, but its the right color, manual gearbox, and the four-door hardtop is a good compromise between "room for the dog" and "my wife thinks it's cute"...and was for sale literally on the way between my house and office. So here we are.

 

Mount is just double tape . Sunroof check YouTube. It's not hard but labor intensive .

 

My Mini that I bought used had that same phone mount. I grabbed it with a pair of pliers and gave it a firm but careful tug. It is indeed held in with double sided tape. Mine came right out.

 

Thanks all- got the phone mount popped out with a putty knife.

Sunroof can wait for better weather before I even consider messing with it.