I just moved my sunroof cover back to look at the sunroof before opening it. I have a great headliner and I have not tried to open or tilt the sunroof.
When I closed the sunroof cover it was covered with a black sooty material. I've read how to clean it. My question is how to get to that area.
It appears to be too tight to send a cloth in to collect it, and too tight to vacuum. I assume if I raise the sunroof, I will be able to get to it??

Looking towards the back of the vehicle. Arrows show the direction it slides. Really tight. How to get to for cleaning.
If anyone has dwelt with this, and not removed the headliner, please let me know. I'd like to have it clean and working but not able to go through the headliner-sunroof rebuild. Thanks, streamsaver.

 

That's an odd one, there shouldn't be anything up there to get the sunshade dirty. Maybe a wiring harness has come loose? Unfortunately there isn't going to be any easy way. There are 5 clips around the sunroof that can only be removed by breaking them, and they're $10 each to replace. You may be able to drop the rear of the headliner down very slightly--requires removing the C Pillars, rear handles, brake light, and the back has one push retainer by the 3rd brake light. It could allow you enough flexibility to get a dust rag up there.

 

Thanks m'. You guys are amazing. Not only with what you know but with your patience with these cars. Everything is an adventure. I just started a couple of yrs ago with "o" skills and have been able to do a lot, with the help of this forum, but this, to me, is like a frame-off restoration.
I think I'm going to get some thin gossamer fabric and a balloon. Rub the fabric on the balloon until it puts a charge on it, lead it into the back with a plastic fabric - interior tool and see if I can clean it up with repeated trips back and forth. I will report back. Anyone else familiar with this, let me know. streamsaver

 

I can see you are giving this the old creative solution. I doubt you will have too much luck with the plan you have hatched, but I am rootin for ya. You will need to get back there quite a way if the smudge happened at the very back. My only guess besides Mike suggestion is that someone put rubber dressing on the glass edge seal perhaps and it spread around. My sunshade is very stiff to move but I usually open the sunroof to retract it, then close the glass.

Your biggest challenge is getting something slim enough yet strong enough to push your fabric/cleaning cloth around. Whatever you do, don't lose the cloth in there! Famous last words. I once warned a friend to be careful not to lose the c-clip on the vacuum advance in his distributor. Phone rings: "I dropped it. Into the distributor" That was an invitation to tell him it would go into the distributor gear and destroy it and the gear it ran off. Engine rebuild. Of course a little c clip wouldn't do that, but he was an easy mark, and I couldn't help myself. But seriously, don't lose the cloth in there. Headliner has to come down then. Hello? Where did you go? Why does no one listen to me.

 

Thx B'ware, play on your name here. You're absolutely right. Don't need to add stupidity to laziness and lack of experience. I may try and let it dirty up and see if it runs out of material to track out. I bought it from a friend's father when they took his license away because of age. He's not with us anymore. He had extreme sun allergies so it was never opened by him. streamsaver