Sunroof acting strange.

[FONT=verdana]Hi I have a 2004 SAAB 9-3 Aero and the sunroof has been acting up. It never worked when I bought the car so I am trying to fix it. Basically I can't get it to open. When I slide the switch forward, towards the windshield, it moves an inch or so along the track (tilt only, does not slide), then stops and goes back to the original position. When push in the switch the exact same thing happens. Now, when I override the pinch protection, I can push in the switch and the sunroof will tilt open. Hooray! Although when I slide the switch towards the windshield with the pinch protection overridden, it tilts up as well and does not slide back. SO by overriding the pinch protection I am able to tilt the sunroof up but no matter what I do it will not slide back. Pushing the button back towards the back of the car seems to have no effect at all. Any help or experience in this matter is appreciated. My first thought is that the switch is faulty. Perhaps also the guides are jammed or dirty but the motions it makes sound fine and by what I can see with the tilt up there are no broken or bent parts or contamination.[/FONT]

Not being familiar with sunroof(s), have I been looking into a 2006 manual: http://www.vadengmpp.com/owners-manu...6-Saab-9-3.pdf, and the WIS pertaining to MY2004, and got some thoughts - this until the "sunroofers" may chime in.

Added to your thought about a failing switch, are two more suspects: A "Hall sensor" and the Sun Roof Module (SRM), the latter a programmable unit located on the sunroof motor.

The switch contains four resistors, objective of which is to change the voltage for coding the switch actions, sent to the SRM.

The hall sensor signal is used by the SRM when the motor is in motion during the "express opening phase", i.e. when the switch is pushed backwards to the second position for opening of the sunroof.

The SRM is controlling and monitoring operation of the sunroof, and is throwing one (or more) fault codes in case of any "maloperation", or a problem with the switch or the hall sensor.

If I understand you correctly, does the sunroof move an inch or so - from the closed position - when the switch is slided forward. This is weird; It should open to its "comfort position" when the switch is slided backwards to its first position, for manually controlled opening. For further opening the switch is to be released and then pressed backwards again. This could point at at problem with the switch codes, yes, however as well with the SRM.

The way ahead could be replacement of the switch as a "cut and try" measure, however, given it did not resolve the problem, another part is to be thrown in - or it could be a wiring problem. Maybe a readout of any thrown codes (DTC) could be be a first, inexpensive step to take to possibly avoid replacement of working parts.