View of the

components of the
BMW E39 sunroof
lift mechanism:
Rear lift plate
Front stop
Rear pivot
Front lift pivot
(good and bad)
Wind deflector
clip
Lift arm
Front glass
pivot
Lift arm slider

All sunroof glass
removal is done
from inside the car.
Once the glass is
lifted and turned it is
lowered back into
the car for
protection. Then
Press the sunroof
button to the vent
position and wait for
the mechanism to
stop moving. The
sunroof should be
able to be lifted by
hand to the vent
position. Block the
roof in this position
(or use the top of
your head) while
undoing the rubber
bellows and screws.
The bellows pushes
into grooves in the
side of the track and
the side of the glass
rail. Slide inward by
grasping at the rear
ends close to the
inserted edge to
prevent tearing the
bellows.
BMW E39 sunroof lift mechanism repair for sunroof that will not open to vent position - ExAlfa
View of rear lift plate and two sunroof bolt holes. Sunroof is in vent position here and rubber bellows has been
removed.




View of front pivot
and sunroof bolt.

Pin in sunroof pivot
engages hole in
sunroof bottom rail.
View of rear lift plate
after removal of
sunroof.

Plate pivots on a pin
held in place with a
single screw on top
of the plate.

Pin engages arm
that actuates the
drain tray.

The sunroof is lifted
to vent position
when the lift arm
slider is moved
forward

Lift arm pivot, the
part that breaks, is
clipped to the
leading end of the lift
arm.




View of front pivot
and wind deflector
arm.

The pin in the front
glass pivot engages
a hole in the track on
the bottom side of
the sunroof glass.
Side deflection of
the pivot arm will
allow removal of the
pin from the sunroof.
View of wind
deflector arm and
front stop.

The wind deflector
arm is held to the
deflector with a split
bushing that
expands when
pressed through the
hole in the end of
the deflector.
Squeeze the halves
of the split bushing
together using pliers
and push the
bushing through the
deflector hole.
Remove the bushing
from the pin on the
end of the deflector
arm. Easily lost, put
the bushing in a
container.




View of wind
deflector arm
bushing.

View of wind
deflector arm and
the pin that engages
the wind deflector.

With the arm fully
lowered as shown
and the deflector
fully up by its spring
tension the front
pivot is easily
removed from the
track.

Remove the screw
that secures the
front stop. It has
been removed in this
view.




Slide the front glass
pivot fully forward
until the wind
deflector actuating
pin stops further
movement.

Push the wind
deflector arm away
from the front glass
pivot and then slide
the front glass pivot
forward while
guiding the leading
end of the front
glass pivot towards
the sunroof
centerline (see next
picture).
View of the front
glass pivot with the
leading edge
pushed towards the
sunroof centerline.

Note the notch in the
front glass pivots
track rail. This notch
allows the front pivot
to slide out of the
track otherwise the
front glass pivot
would only slide
straight ahead and
whack the wind
deflector.

With the front glass
pivot removed slide
the remnant of the
broken front lift pivot
out of the track and
toss it.




View of lift plate. To
remove lift plate
remove the single
screw on top.

The pivot pin
passing through the
lift arm is what
retains the lift arm
onto the rear lift arm
slider. Until the pivot
pin is pulled out the
lift arm cannot be
removed and the
broken front lift pivot
cannot be replaced.

Note that the pivot
pin slides through
the lift arm and then
through a bushing
before going through
the rear lift plate.
The pivot pin then
continues into the
rear drip tray
actuation arm.

Grasp the pivot pin
at the flat end that
the screw goes into
and pull inward to
remove.




Because the front lift
pivot is broken the
lift arm can now be
slid forward and off
the lift arm slider.
The slider is left in
this position (sunroof
vent)

The white plastic
bushing may have
broken from age. If
this has happened
remove the bushing
from the
replacement kit and
replace the broken
one. Typically the
rear slider is not
replaced because it
is fixed to the
actuating cable.
View of the new
front lift pivot
installed onto the lift
arm. Note that the
pivot cannot be
snapped in from any
position. Careful
rotation of the arm
around the pivot will
find the position
where the front lift
pivot easily slips
onto the lift arm.
That rotational
position is similar to
as shown in this
photo.

Before sliding the
front lift pivot into the
track apply a little
lubricating lithium
grease to the track
rails using a swab.




View of the front lift
pivot sliding back
into the lubricated
track. Before sliding
too far lower the lift
arm and slide the
rear end over the
white plastic bushing
of the rear lift arm
slider. Then slide the
arm along the rear
slider bushing and
the front lift pivot will
follow down the
track.
Slide the pivot pin
back through the
rear end of the lift
arm. Before fully
inserting the pin
locate the rear lift
plate tab over the
end of the opening
and then engage the
pin into the drain
tray arm.




View of pin engaging
the rear lift plate tab
and drain tray arm.

Replace the front
glass pivot to the
track by inserting as
shown, using the
notch in the pivot rail
to allow inserting in
a twisted position.
As the rails of the
front glass pivot
engage the track the
leading end of the
front glass pivot will
barely clear the
raised wind
deflector.




As the front glass
pivot wind deflector
arm (sticking out the
side of the front
pivot) hits the wind
deflector arm push
the arm down and
sideways to allow
the front glass pivot
to slid into the track.
Verify smooth
movement of the
front glass pivot,
rear slider, and front
lift pivot.

Replace the front
stop and tighten the
screw.



Replace the wind
deflector pin bushing
over the wind
deflector arm pin
and press the pin
with bushing through
the hole in the wind
deflector. The
bushing will snap
open once it is fully
inserted through the
hole.

Slide the front glass
pivot forward in
preparation for
sunroof glass
reinstallation.

Repeat for the
opposite side, if
necessary.
Congratulate
yourself.
BMW E39 sunroof lift pivot replacement. Sunroof wont lift? Flops up and down over bumps? This is likely the
cause of the issue. Test by pressing the sunroof button to the vent position. If the glass can be lifted by hand to
the desired lift position both pivots are broken. If one side lifts but the sunroof will not close fully then one side is
broken the side that clicks when pressing up on the glass when in the closed position. Replacement takes
about two hours for both sides. Unfortunately the only way to acquire the needed dollar part is to buy the whole
lift mechanism kit for about $70. Pop a frosty beverage and put on some tunes.
ExAlfa