After spending $600 to replace $2 worth of hardware on my 2012 XJ four years ago, the clunk is back. Early XJs are nortorious for this problem, the fix being a replacement with newer-design hardware between the track and body. Apparently in my case, this was a short-term repair.
Is there a way to immobilize the sunroof and its mechanism in order to alleviate this problem? I would of course pull the fuse(s) associated with the sunroof motors. I'm not concerned about resale value of a car with this modification; it was a terrible idea anyway.

 

Please try this: Open the sunroof. If you use small mirror you can see the rubber "boots" or bushes / pads (sorry... english is not my native and correct word dosent pop in my mind) on both sides of the underside of the glass. When closed, the glass rest on these pads and when there is dirt and dust on the areas they rest the friction cause noise plus paint damage ending rust. Try smear thin layer of grease/vaseline on these areas. (sides of the sunroof opening) This will do two things: Glass will "float" over grease/vaseline and don´t make a noise and the vaseline protect the paintwork from rusting. (i use ACF-50 anticorrosion spray what leave thin protective layer. I add some 6 month intervall, before and after winter)
Cost practically nothing and at least my 2010 have been totally quiet since i started to do this.

 

I will give this a try and report back. Won't be tonight, though. At -13°C, its more like your weather than ours!

 

Ohh.. We have only -3°C at the moment. It have been mild winter in Helsinki area this year. (well, i rather like to have somewhat minus temp than around zero, when everything is wet all the time)
Stay warm!!

 

Sir…. What kind of Vaseline for the sliders?

 

For sliders i recommend thin oil. Because there are places hard to reach i recommend to use a spay (with tube). Be carefull not mess up your interior.
I use same ACF-50 for rails what i use on sunroof cardridge beating rust and then noted that it cured the noices as well. ACF-50 is thinner than vaseline, but when added multible layers it leaves vaseline like layer.

 

It is not advisable to use any petroleum lubricant such as Vaseline petroleum jelly, since this can promote deterioration of plastic and rubber parts. Better to use a plastic-safe lubricant such as silicone spray or silicone grease (known by many names, such as dielectric grease, disc brake caliper grease, O-ring grease, personal lubricant, etc.), or white lithium grease, which is available in paste form or in spray cans with "straw" nozzles. CRC is one of the leading brands for both silicone and white lithium lubricants in spray cans.

Baltobernie, to answer your initial question, pulling the sunroof fuse(s) may be the simplest solution unless there are other circuits on the same fuse. I haven't looked at the schematics. Another approach would be to drop the overhead console-light panel and disconnect the sunroof motor.

Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks for the wisdom!!👍👍 after it gets worm…. Will do that

 

Hi Don B.
Yes, nowdays most of grease / vaselines are non-peroleum products, since legistlation change of production of materials used on lubrications, rubbers, seals and plastics.
Good product for greasing different things are motorbike chain lubes. Exsample from CRC. (motorbike chains have O-rings so the lubrication have to have good penetration and need to be sticky to stay on)
Btw: I would not use any silicone based products on vehicle. If your vehicle is ever needed to be repainted, it will be issue of paint work causing paint layer not stick. There are lot of alternatives.

 

This would be location-specific, not global.
Looking at the jar of Vaseline in my medicine cabinet, it's still petroleum jelly.
Petrolatum is a derivative of petroleum.

 

Agree. Also industry spesific too. MakeUp industry (sorry, the proper term dont come on my mind) still use petroleum based components, if i remember correctly. Better to check what product include.

 

Hi Vasara,

I don't know about Finland, but in the U.S., Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is still 75% to 100% petrolatum, which is a petroleum derivative alternately known as petroleum jelly, white petrolatum, soft paraffin, or multi-hydrocarbon. The CAS number is 8009-03-8. You can view the Material Safety Data Sheet at the link below, which lists the disclosed ingredients. The second link is the Wikipedia listing.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly MSDS

Wikepedia: Petroleum Jelly

Regarding the use of silicone, I don't recall saying anything about applying it to the paint on your vehicle; The usual cautions apply when applying any lubricant to any part of your vehicle..

Cheers,

Don

 

Hi Don B,

Yes.
On EU side the usage of petroleum based components on products have been limited by legistlation about since 2005->
There are good and bad outcome of this: Exsample of bad: Plastics are more sensitible to react with solvents.
Exsaple with good: Tyres do not age anymore same rate than before. (exept if you ask from tyre seller )
Note; x351 is made under these legistlations. I am wondering how much this is efecting the failing chain guides if correct oils is not used?

The silicone have nasty habit to spread all around with water or during wash, so even silicone based product is added only to the door/sunroof seals it will spread around. My childhood friend do own an vehicle paint company. According to him its pain in the a*s to work with vehicle where silicone based products have been used. Most cases this is seen on repainted vehicle when sils lose their new paint under doors area in 1-2 years after repaint. (i dont have experiense myself)