85 golf - sunroof sticking

The electric/power sunroof on my '85 golf only opens a fraction of an
inch at a time. Each time I press the button it opens something like
half an inch. There's a distinctly audible click, like an electrical
relay opening. I have to release the button and then depress it again
dozens of times to get the sunroof fully open or fully closed.

Does it just need to be lubricated? Or might it be an electrical
problem? What kind of lubricant is recommended for this year/model?

As a side note: Removing the plastic panel covering the sunroof motor,
I was amused to find that VW has stashed an allen wrench right there
for use in manually opening/closing the sunroof. I don't know whether
to praise them for their clever foresight, or chastise them for
shipping a known failure-prone system!

thanks,
Tobin

On Jun 25, 9:18*am, Tobin Fricke > wrote:
> The electric/power sunroof on my '85 golf only opens a fraction of an

Whoops - I meant '95, not '85.

On Jun 25, 10:18*am, Tobin Fricke > wrote:
> The electric/power sunroof on my '85 golf only opens a fraction of an
> inch at a time. *Each time I press the button it opens something like
> half an inch. *There's a distinctly audible click, like an electrical
> relay opening. *I have to release the button and then depress it again
> dozens of times to get the sunroof fully open or fully closed.
>
> Does it just need to be lubricated? *Or might it be an electrical
> problem? *What kind of lubricant is recommended for this year/model?
>
> As a side note: Removing the plastic panel covering the sunroof motor,
> I was amused to find that VW has stashed an allen wrench right there
> for use in manually opening/closing the sunroof. *I don't know whether
> to praise them for their clever foresight, or chastise them for
> shipping a known failure-prone system!
>
> thanks,
> Tobin

I had a Mercedes with a similar issue - and spray-applied white
lithium grease on the tracks did the trick nicely. Help it along the
first few times and keep spraying the grease as you go. Mind you now,
this can be a very sloppy business unless you shield everything around
the area you are spraying. When you are done and everything is working
smoothly, wipe down any areas of overspray leaving the lubricant only
on the tracks and exposed moving parts.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA