I mentioned this in another thread a while back, and got a response that suggested my sunroof wasn't programmed properly. I'd like to hear from other MCS owners with sunroofs - especially 2005s - how their sunroof operates.

Here's how mine operates: "Clicking" the sunroof button (ie, pressing it briefly, as opposed to pressing and holding it) forward - towards the close position - never closes the sunroof. It either brings the sunroof to the vent position (if it's open), or does nothing at all (if it's in the vent position). In other words, the only way to close the sunroof - from the open position or the vent position - is to hold the button forward.

Is this normal? It seems to me that when the sunroof is open or in the vent position, "clicking" the button forward should cause it to close, no?



How does yours work? Do I need to go to my dealer?

 

it better be normal, 'cause ours is the same way.

 

same here!

 

Same here on my old 04 and my new 05'. I find it a bit weird too but they must have a reason for it. There have been a few times i've forgot it in the vent position because i hit the close button and forgot to hold it that last second for it to close from vent.

I do wish they would change it so it would fully close.

 

It's probably some safety "feature" that prevents us from crushing our fingers just like the windows that won't go up automatically

 

and the only thing ABnormal would be if our sunroofs were not open at all.

JPS

 

I have a 02 MC and on mine if I push it forward it clicks and I can let go and it closes to the vent position and then I have to hold to close from the vent position. But this might be because mines an 02 and they have changed it.

 

the way you have described it is exactly the way it works as documented in the manual. my '05 MCS roof works in the same fashion that your's does.

 

Same here. Similar to the windows? Click once on the switches and they open all the way from closed. But to close them from open you have to hold the switches. Perhaps it is a safety precaution.

 

Sadly, same with me. You'd think that close means close, but no, it means 'close to vent position'. Why? Apparently only the engineers and product managers know.

 

That's what I thought at first too. But the sunroof has a built in pressure sensor that if it detects a blockage it will stop and backup about 2 inches. I really hate that it doesn't close all the way. I am so worried I'm going to forget one day and go to work or inside a store and it is going to rain and I'm going to have a wet seat!!

 

I know when I close my '05 sunroof from fully open, it slides all the way forward and stops at the angled open position. It never closes ALL the way. I then have to press the switch forward again to close it down to the sealed shut position.

I'll have to try, from the closed position, pushing the switch forward to see what happens. Interesting.

 

You can try... but it won't work.

I submit that sunroofs which do not require holding the button forward are, in fact, the broken ones.

 

FROM CLOSED

A single press upward will pop the sunroof to the vent position.

A single press backward will cause it to motorize all the way up, open, and back.

A press and hold backwards will motorize back and stop when you release the hold.

FROM OPENED

A single press forward will motorize it to the popped-up vent position.

A press and hold forward will motorize it all the way closed, or stop wherever you release the button.

FROM VENT

A single press backward will motorize it all the way open.

A press and hold backward will motorize it back and stop wherever you release the button.

A PRESS AND HOLD forward will cause it to close all the way, or stop wherever you release the button.


During any motorized function, giving a single press an any direction will cause all motion to stop. During any function where you are holding a button releasing the button will cause all motion to stop. Opening any door during operation will cause motion to stop.

There is a safety system that reverses the motor if something gets blocked in it. Try this: as the sunroof is closing from fully opened, grab the front edge and give it a little shove backwards and the motor will reverse. I believe the sensor is not sensative enough to stop in the last inch of travel from the vent position to closed (ie. if it's in vent and you try to shut it, you can't stop it by giving it a shove up as it tries to close from vent). So, as a safety mechanism, MINI programmed it to require a human to hold the button for that last drop from vent. If someone shrieks because they got caught in it, the operator simply takes his hand away from the button and the roof freezes where it is--it won't continue to shut on its own, causing injury.

 

%&#^&# lawyers. This sounds like a job for Ian Cull!

 

Ha, I've done that several times this summer, since we get those sudden afternoon showers. And apparently, I have an invisi-shield over mine, because the water has never come in through the vent.

 

Kinda sucks that it works that way. Its a good thing you can close it all the way with the key in the door for when you do forget.

 

I find it easier to leave it open and get out of the car then use the key to completely close the sunroof (and the windows if they happen to be open).

 

Yep, that's been my strategy too! :smile:

 

I think of it as a safety NON-feature.

 

Wow! I come back 24 hours later, and find 19 replies! Thanks for letting me know that my car is "normal." For what that's worth...

Okay, I can see the reasoning behind not having auto-up windows. Don't want to choke the little kiddies. But not having an auto-close sunroof doesn't make sense. If something is going to get pinched, it's going to be at the front edge, and a finger would get pinched going to auto-close OR auto-vent, wouldn't it?

And several people have mentioned that there's an obstruction-sensor on the sunroof, unlike the windows. So why not???

Anyway, thanks to everyone who answered! (Is this a great group or what?)

 

Apparently the sensor will detect blockage in the forward/aft direction, but the up/down from the vent position is beyond the sensor's ability to function, since the window is technically all the way forward at that point.

It would be kind of hard for someone to try to poke a finger through the vent area without you knowing about it, but I suppose it could be to protect from people outside the car leaning a hand on the roof in just the wrong place while you closed it from inside...even that's a bit of a stretch.

 

I checked and my '05 MCS, with the sunroof closed, will not pop up to the vent position with a momentary push forward on the switch. April was finished with production on May 19th. Maybe Oxford varies the switches that are use for the sunroofs? Doubtful.

Edit:

I've also found that it closes differently whether the engine is running or is off. With it off, I have to hold the switch forward to close it. With the engine on I can just momentarily press the switch forward and the sunroof will go only to its vented position. I then have to press it again to close it fully.

Quirks I tell you, lol! I love it.

 

Dave,

Push up not forward to go to the vent position. Then push back for open.

It took me about 2 months to find that out in my 04 MCS that pushing UP gave you the vent position because its not clearly labeled.

Thats working exactly how everybody has been explaining its working in this thread.

 

I've found that if you open the sunroof after a good rain, when you first pull up to a stop sign you get a big surprise