Today my sunroof decided to be the next problem with my mini. When its closing, there is extremely loud popping sound thats never happened before. I think its some little arm that pop up as the sunroof approaches the tilted position.

Anyone else?


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Cheese

 

no popping sound, but my sunroof has never been right from day one of ownership. Currently it makes a lound annoying creaking sound when going over even the smallest of bumps. This is the 3rd or 4th time the sunroof has been fixed, most recently last week, yet it still makes loud sounds :???:

 

Yes, my sunroof was replaced a few months ago for the rattling... this is something new


--
Cheese

 

2 words... Sunroof Cassette. It's the entire sunroof mechanism except for the glass and the wind deflector flaps. Mine was replaced under warranty when my sunroof refused to stop rattling and then started to make a loud groaning/creaking sound when closing (in the final inch or two of travel). It's a big job as they have to remove the entire headliner...but it fixed the problem.

My dealer -- MINI of Peabody in MA -- is great and they were the ones who suggested the fix and arranged for it all w/o my having to hassle them about it. But from what I've heard about some (most) MINI dealers, my guess is that you'll have to fight for the fix. It's no doubt quite expensive for BMW to absorb.

Good luck!

ps -- I'll add that about an hour of the 4 hour job was for the technician to twiddle with minute adjustments to get the sunroof to close just right and not make any noise. Clearly this sunroof is a sensitive mechanism. If yours was replaced already, it's possible that it just needs more adjusting.

 

My '03 MCS exhibited this symptom twice- the first time I opened the glass roof panel, and then again the first time I closed it. The initial "POP!" was so loud it actually startled me, so I stopped the glass and inspected the tracks and arm/pivot assemblies for bind points and misalignment. There was no evidence of anything amiss, so I opened the panel fully, and then closed it to see if I could duplicate the symptom to try to isolate the exact source. Upon closing (within the last inch or 2 of travelbefore the front of the glass dropped down to seat in the cassette) there was once again a loud popping noise, severe enough that I expected that I might find some piece snapped or sheared off if I dared to re-open it. Since it was a sunny day, I opened it again anyway. Fortunately, it opened quietly, and I have not yet had the problen recur. However, I do still brace for the noise every time I reach for the roof glass switch. I am going to ask the service writer to have the roof mechanism inspected when the car goes in for their first attempt at fixing the stumble problem/rear fog lamp activation.

If your dealer is able to isolate the exact source of the noise you are hearing, please post it, so that I have a starting point to check on my car.

Good luck with getting it fixed!