2015-18 F-150-350 Vista Roof Repair
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- How to replace the broken rails/ramps/guides on the newer F-150-350 trucks.
You can do this instead of replacing the entire track.
Sorry for my hand being in the way a couple of times. My daughter was filming it and it was so bright outside we couldn't really see the screen until we got inside later. Most of what you can't see was visible later, though.
Check my other videos for how to program/initialize the roof after this or any other repairs, and for how to remove the glass prior and how to lube the seal.
EDIT: I no longer lube the arms. They come pre-lubed out of the box (at least from Ford they do) and since it's a good lube they use, you don't need to lube the arms anymore.
NOTE: If your lower guides are out of sync, here's a video on how to fix it:
• Ford sunroof lower gui...
Current, latest revision part number for the arms in the video as of August 2021 is:
FL3Z-1651070-E
Other helpful videos on this topic:
How to remove your glass to inspect the carnage:
• 2015-Up F-150-350 Vist...
How to tell if your upper guide arms are broken:
• F-150 Sunroof Arm Fail...
How to tell if you need the entire track and not just the arms:
• Does My F-150/250/350/...
How to manually align your lower guides if they're out of sync:
• Ford sunroof lower gui...
How to lube the seal to prevent excess strain on the guide arms:
• 2015-17 F-150 Vista Ro...
How to initialize/reset the motors after repair or if yours does not work properly:
• 2015-20 F-150-350 Sunr...
How to fix a rattle/squeak/creak that happens when driving:
• Easy F-150 Sunroof Rat...
Replaced rails on my wife's 2018 Ford Expidition Limited! You Sir are a life saver / money saver, and we thank you for your guidance! Dealer wanted charge me over $1K for a complete sunroof kit, Sunroof Doctor $166.86. Patients is key even for a mechanically inclined individual, and yes the cuss words came out. Very Helpful, Greatly Appreciated!
Thank you!! My 2017 F150 Lariat with the moon roof started crunching and wouldn’t close. I tried to get the parts from the dealer but they wanted to sell me 1K worth of parts. Got the rails from the sunroof doctor and followed your video step by step and worked perfectly. Can’t tell you how thankful I am!
My girlfriend and I took my truck to Raleigh from wilmington because I was quoted $ 1049.00 from DES in wilmington nc, I was lucky enough to speak with Pacfan and he said bring it up when our schedules match. I brought it up yesterday and this man saved me 700$ and knows his stuff when it comes to these sunroof/ moonroofs etc! Mine had complications initionlizing alignment and the man swapped the blind motor with the sunroof motor everything he could do besides just saying you need a whole new set up that would cost 2000$ possibly. He fixed it along with his two helpers !!! So thankful I met you guys Thanks So much for everything you did, you saved me a huge amount of money and the hassle of dealing with an incompetent company in wilmington nc when it comes to this exact issue... 😉🙂
2019 F350 King Ranch. Sunroof jammed almost closed..Did your system reset to get it to close (*Thanks for posting). Brought truck to Bell Ford in Phoenix, Arizona and was quoted $4000 to replace the ENTIRE track and frame because "it's a one piece unit, INCLUDING MOTORS and it's cracked and broken". Brought truck home and watched your videos...seemed easy enough enough so I ordered parts from Sunroof Doctor. Quick delivery. Watched the video a number of times as I did the left side...probably took and hour from start to replaced. Second side took about 15 minutes. Another 15 to adjust, tighten, and run system reset (*again, thanks for that). Found broken bits in both tracks but now it's smooth as silk. You saved me $4000 dollars and I'm never going to Bell Ford again. THANK YOU! Wish I could send you a few bucks....
Sweet! Glad you got it fixed. And dang, 4k for the track? Whew. Last track I priced was 1,800, and it's 600 to install. I usually don't do the motors if they're still working.
It's not a "one piece unit", either. You buy the track, motors, shade, rear trough and deflector separately.
Usually when you do a track, you have a new track, and you just reuse the other stuff.
Thank you so much! This worked on my 2018 F150. I got the part from Sunroof Doctor and it fit fine. I decided NOT to go Amazon although the part was cheaper, but I figured it wasn't worth the risk.
Just a few tips: You HAVE to have your sunroof vented to get the arm out. Do this BEFORE you start to work on it. Do NOT touch the sunroof control buttons during the repair - you are going to break stuff! (Thank you Super Glue!). Watch his video on how to remove the sunroof, it's just 3 bolts on each side.
Dealer did mine today. Ford Part #FL3Z-1651070-C
Sunroof started acting up and was making noise when on bumpy roads, dirt, snow, etc. Found the 2 pieces of broken plastic in the tracks. Sunroof worked for a little while then it ended up getting stuck open. Unfortunately did it after warranty. the DIY job in this video is good stuff for others!
Fl3z-1651070c
Just replaced the rails on my 2015 F150 using this for reference, went perfectly! Thanks for documenting this process.
Have you had any issues with your sunroof since this rail replacement?
@@corycutrell5901 - No issues at all. Still works like new. Was really easy to do the replacement as well.
Thanks so much for posting all 3 videos - it works great! Folks, while you have the glass out, make sure you run some water through the drain holes up there and make sure all 4 drain quickly. My rear passenger side drain tube was apparently crimped closed during original assembly. when that happens, the channels over flow sending water down the nearest pillar,, soaking your carpets. Then you get mold and mildew and a wonderful smelling truck. Fingers crossed that that is now fixed. Will also do the AC drain while I am at it.
Check the rear cabin vent behind the seat and the rear sliding glass while you're at it.
They have leaks from everywhere
This is one of the best repair videos I've seen- and it should be the _top_ result when you look up F150 sunroof repair. Thanks to this video I showed up with the right tools, the right screw heads (yes there _is_ a difference between phillips heads) and the right mindset. Saved me a buttload of money at the dealer, and felt like I had a good buddy or a neighbor walk me through it.
The only trouble I ran into was at 4:36, and that was solved by some extra lube. (Yes, my inner Beavis is laughing right now).
Instead of giving the dealership a whole mess of money, I bought the top end Dewalt screwdriver kit with bits, and it made this a relative breeze. You should seriously consider enabling "Super Thanks" or tippping on this video, I'd gladly kick over $20 for the nonsense this video saved me from experiencing.
Hey thanks a lot for the kind words. You will get a lot of use out of that DeWalt equipment. I know I do. I thought I did have super thanks available and enabled, I don't know if it shows up on every video or not though. I know it's on my about page.
Maybe I have to go through every video and add it.
@@SealofPerfectionok, I see it in the app now, sent. Thanks again!
Just finished this install on my 2017 Raptor. I can’t thank you enough for your 3 videos on this process with all the details.
Glad it helped! Remember to keep the seal cleaned and lubed and the new parts will last longer
Is this a permanent fix? If so do I get it from Ford?
@@mewho4393 It's new parts to replace the failed ones. Whether it's "permanent" or not, time will tell. I don't think the arms are beefed up any, but it's not a patch job since you are literally replacing all the broken parts here.
You can get them from Ford or Sunroof Doctor, who sells the same parts. Probably Amazon and other places, too
@pacfanweb thank you
I have my raptor at the dealer now for this. They're telling me I need new rails a its $3300!!! Are you near Chicago? Lol
Thanks so much for posting this vid!
The duel moonroof panel just collapsed on my 2017 F-150 Lariat. Seems like this is a common issue and I’m sure this vid will help a ton of people!
Thank you!
This was very helpful. I just did this work on my truck and referenced all 3 of your videos on it. The only thing I would add is after you remove the glass make sure the sunroof mechanism is moved to the forward position before you start the disassembly process. Mine was back and I was having difficulty getting the tracks out...moving it forward worked and it was a breeze after.
Glad it helped. Yes, it has to be in the vented position in order to do this repair. Pretty sure I state that in the video at some point
Thanks for the video. I completed this repair today. Took about 1.5 hour. Your video made the process simple I think the most challenging part was getting the new rail on the track ( not hard just had to work a little to get it in track).
Yeah, there's one certain position it has to be in for the little "feet" to go in there. Hard to show on camera. I used to struggle with them but have done so many now it's a piece of cake. You did fine.
Thank you for this and all of your F-150 sunroof videos. I watched several and it gave me the information I needed to get my sunroof unstuck and closed before the rain comes. The rails still need replacing but if I can't get the dealership to replace it under warranty I will feel comfortable replacing it myself thanks to you and these videos.
My man! THANK YOU! I owe you big time @pacfanweb !! I just finished replacing my broken rail on my F150 '16 Vista Sunroof for $150. Also followed your vid on initializing procedure. The sunroof is now back to fully functioning order and no wind noise. Dude, I'm in Raleigh and I owe you lunch. If I can send you a gift card or something It would be my pleasure. You just saved me a least a grand. Everything was just as you said. I was using shitty tools and I did it in 100 degree heat we had yesterday. Even still it only took me about an hour. Also, I didn't buy Krytox. I found a solid brand on Amazon that makes silicone lube for a very reasonable price.
Great to hear it. I've been using 3m silicone paste instead of the Krytox for awhile now on the seal.
I use the silicone paste or another type of Teflon lube on the track parts themselves.
How did you replace the rail? Where did you find the part? Places where I live want to charge me $1500-$3600 to repair/replace broken rail.
Did both sides as I had the parts anyway. Nicely explained! I got everything out, cleaned, greased and re-installed. Went to test before I put the glass back on.....and broke the drivers side drive cable bracket at the top. So now....the next video!
At least now you know how part of the repair is going to go
My 2018 just went. I found several plastic pieces. Will take it out with this great video and check out the entire panoramic sunroof to replace all parts needed. I can not thank you enough for your videos. THANKS!
Dude, THANK YOU so flipping much. I just got tagged for another deployment and I needed to get this done ASAP. I wasn’t trying to give the stealership between $1400-$2500 depending on what was broken. Much appreciated man. Great detailed video.
GB
Thank you and you are very welcome. Glad to help. Stay safe
Thanks! You really helped me out! The job took me around an hour doing it my first time and went perfectly smoothly!
I wish I could give this video another thumbs up! I just finished a second vista roof repair and this video helped refresh me on all the steps. I must say this roof is so much easier to repair vs the single panel moonroofs on older F150s and Expeditions that you have to remove the headliner, I have done so many of those jobs.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you,
My 2015 F-150 that I build online and ordered with every single option(Pricey!), then of course the sunroof broke at 36024 miles, Ford would not honor the warranty. Even after I called it in before 36000. 😒
I took this apart a year ago to see if it was possible to repair. I saw the broken plastic slides and thought that I would have to remove the headliner to repair. You are amazing... I ordered the slides on sunroof doctor, installed and reprogrammed. (after cleaning and applying 3m silicone paste). IT'S PERFECT!!!
Fantastic! Glad to hear you got it working
I got the same answer from the dealer as well. Mine was 4 miles out of warranty from the first time it was fixed. They said nothing they can do but if I pay them $130 they will evaluate the issue and submit it to Ford and see if they would cover any of the repairs.
Thanks for the vids on this. It’s folks like you that take the time to show how to fix things that make a difference in this world.
@@icky007 Thanks for the kind words. I am self-employed and do this for a living, but I figure I can't get to them all, so might as well see if what I do can help someone.
I certainly have come to RUclips to see if anyone has seen something I'm looking at for the first time more than once, so giving back seemed like a good idea.
What's kind of funny is when I have to watch my own video to remember how to do something, lol
Your video's are awesome. I was able to replace the ramps and reset the sunroof and shade using your video's. Everything worked great, until I installed the accordian covers. I then got the opportunity to learn that the motor closing operation will stop and take the sunroof all the way back to full open if something causes the closing motor to work to hard. Had a heart attack, then decided to remove the accoridan covers just in case those were causing the sunroof to not close. Good news, the sunroof closed as it had before. So, I decided I dont really need those accordian covers on there anyway. Thank you for showing us how to do this repair.
All those do is cover up the greasy stuff and keep fingers from getting caught in the mechanism. If you have enough sense not to stick your fingers up in there, they serve no other purpose. So you're fine leaving them off
@@SealofPerfection There is a guide behind the part you are showing. Do you know if it can be purchased? Mine is broken
@Phil Hrenchir Mine was doing the same thing it would hit the accordion cover rod and would open back up I did the rest procedure and it worked fine
Great video. Really helpful. I had a problem with mine it wouldn't lift at the back so I had to loosen the motor to get the brackets on. Unfortunately I forgot to hook up one of the drip tray arms and ran the sunroof and broke the arms. $390 later It's all working good.
I wish you would have checked my other video, you could have bought one off of 21 or newer and saved about half that money. But glad you got it fixed
I did it just like you said in the video. Got parts from Amazon for 69 bucks. Works like new now. Thanks 🎸🎸
Totally awesome followed this guide exactly and installed the new guides to my sunroof on my own. Thanks for posting!
Thank you, thank you. Great information. Watched all 3 videos about sunroof lube, removal and replace rails. Did job myself. Dealer said fix would be $1,500-$2500. Cost me $160. Parts from Sunroof Dr. I appreciate you sharing your experience and helping people out. What a nice thing you’ve done, must feel good!
I use the internet just like everyone else does to find out things I don't know, and this is one thing I thought that I'm pretty much an expert at that others might like help with. And I can't fix them all, but maybe I can help.
Thank you sir. Just used your video to replace my tracks. Your instructions were perfect. Greatly appreciated!
Thanks for walking me through it. Got it done but broke the trough arms. JB weld in process.
I have some if it doesn't work
These videos are great for this if it’s just that rail on both sides. I had replaced my passenger side and was working on my driver side and noticed something odd. What little movement I could do only moved the diver side and not the passenger. Upon closer inspection, the little housing/plastic piece down in the rail for that back metal arm you pop out of that hole on the track, was broken. So that little arm wont move in the track at all. So much for saving me an INSANE amount at the dealership. Oh well.... Again, you did an AWESOME job with these vids and made them very easy to follow, but unfortunately it wont save me, unless you have a video/idea how to replace that little part haha. Thanks again for these man!
Unfortunately, if it's not your arms broken like in this video, it's lower in the track and that requires a new track. Which isn't easy or cheap.
I do them, too, but haven't made a video for that as it'd require someone else to film me doing it.
Pacfanweb Pacfanweb Yeahhhhhhhhh...that's what I figured haha. It's the arm coming out of the track that goes in that hole and slide up and down the track. Service desk guy says they do at least 2 a week...it's sad Ford knows this is an issue yet won't issue a TSB or fix the actual issue. Dude told me he won't even open his sunroof bc of it... Sad a Ford service guy is telling me this... He said they are going to try and salvage it if they can to save me money so fingers crossed!!! 🤞🤞🤞🤞 Thanks again for the videos though, you are saving people hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result!!!
Can't thank you enough for the videos and all the quick responses to my many many questions. Mine was so bad I couldn't get it to the vent position to even start the rail replacement and then they got out of sync. Enjoy dinner on me, the gift card is on its way! 👍.
I’m having the same issue. How did you get it to the vent position? We’re you able to remove the glass without it being vented?
Shame on ford on these sunroofs.... water leaks, can’t drive over 20mph with them open and plastic parts break an leave you with a stuck open sunroof on a $70k Limited truck.. that’s bs
Alfred Ferrill How come you can’t drive over 20mph? Thanks!
Alfred Ferrill let me know if you can comment on this. I have had mine open driving over mph no problems. Is there something I should be looking for?
@@velvetsmoooth4980 Driving with them open isn't what breaks them. Simply the act of opening them is what does that.
Keep the seal lubed and always vent it first before opening it fully.
@@SealofPerfection Hi, The dealer says my track is too far out of sync to just replace arms. Is there truth to that?
@@BLAKJAKG Possibly. If one arm got totally stuck and the cables slipped, it might have damaged the cables. A dealer isn't going to take a chance that can be worked around, they're going to replace the track.
I've run across many where they were out of sync....you drop the sunroof motor, and manually line them up again, then tighten the motor back up. The cables won't move when the gear on the motor is engaged with the cables, so you have to drop it.
If it just slipped and the cables aren't damaged, then you're good to go like this and just replace the arms. I've done a bunch of them this way.
However, I have seen a few that were too damaged to work again and they needed tracks...usually those were ones where they got stuck open and someone forced them shut.
So odds are, it can be saved, but there is a chance it's too far gone. Only way to find out is try it.
This video is helpful !! working on a customer car with the same issue. There is a TSB on them. Awesome step by step instruction .
Yeah, the new TSB now said to replace the accordion-looking shields as well. I get them off without mangling them just fine, but I guess it's for others who just yank them off and damage them.
Worked for me, very helpful video. Had some alignment issues but dropped the motor like you show in your other video and everything worked out
Thank you thank you thank you. I heard one of the plastic pieces break about a year or two ago and haven’t used my sunroof since in fear that I’ll never get it closed. I got the courage to use it today and sure enough my sunroof got stuck open and it started to rain 10 minutes later. Thankfully I was close to home. I got the arms from the dealership for about $130 and changed them quickly and easily myself.
I’d be interested in a video on the rear middle window. The pulley on the bottom driver side popped off and now my window slowly opens on its own and I have to manually push it shut daily. The cable is too tight to re-hook it. Not sure if I need to buy a whole new assembly or if there’s a easier way to loosen and reattach the cable ball into slot/pocket on the window.
Excellent video quality - stable and informative with clear and accurate instruction. This saved me $3600 - dealer was going to swap the entire sunroof frame. This should be a recall given the number of failures. Got the part from SunroofDoctor.com (I called them to order and was amazed with their knowledge of the problem, the part, and the procedure). With your videos to remove the glass, fix the part and then reinitialize it, it was really a breeze. My total cost $170: part, tax, shipping and a cold beer. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Awesome, glad the videos helped and you got it fixed!
I’ve heard the newer fords have better parts and are not having this issue. If we get the parts from the sunflower doc are the newer parts?
I believe they have the same parts sold at the dealers.
If they have been upgraded I can't tell it. I've laid new ones and old ones side-by-side and I can't see any difference.
I guess it's possible that the plastic is stronger or something, but you'd think the parts book would say it was upgraded, and it doesn't.
First let me say thank you for the video. I had a local garage tell me since this is so " Labor Intensive" (their words not mine) it would be $640.I will tackle this job soon...doesn't seem that labor intensive to me. Thanks again
I can do these in about 20 minutes. It's not remotely "labor intensive". It's intimidating to some that haven't tried it, but once you do it...if you're even remotely comfortable with tools, you'll be glad you did.
Probably the shop that quoted you either wanted to replace the entire track, or they simply didn't realize what was involved.
I just had a sunroof shop who said they do "dozens of these a week", and try to tell me it took hours, they had to take off the roof panel, and sides, etc... even after I told them I have a 2017 (older models do require this). Scammers.... I never mind paying for work, but they wanted 850 for what should take them 20 mins. Even at 1 hour of labor and parts, that's an insane markup. Gonna try this myself.
@pacfanweb your video saved me a ton of money. My sunroof was stuck in the retracted position so I removed the three screws on each side and was able to slide it back out to the closed position and then up into the vented position. Then I bought the part from the dealer and installed within 2 hours! Thanks a ton!!!
And don't use it until you get the arms replace now and be sure to lube the seal where the two glasses meet
@@SealofPerfection yup! Got the silicone lube. Cleaned the rubber and lubed. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. The most important part is to be sure and have it in the up position
Thank You!!! The fix went smooth with your help! The plastic was broken similar to the video. Wish my sunroof had less plastic... :/
Thanks for your time,keep up the good work. Will be trying this soon. Im subscribed hope to see more tip and tricks on f150. Great truck but bad sunroof engineers.
Hi there! I am starting a new thread, since youTube can't seem to figure out how to send notifications nor include a search in the comments. *smh*
I did replace the arms, reassembled. Was SO Happy, until a few days later, it made the dreaded grinding noise. No pop so the arms were still good.
I was able to disassemble again, after replacing the arms and looked for additional broken pieces. I found a metal V piece that was from inside the original arm, which is a bummer, because it lead to my drip tray breaking and what I think the spring breaking. I will try superglue, but it's pretty thin piece..we'll see how that goes. It was going to rain so I reassembled, and set this all aside for a bit.
My third disassembly go, after the drip tray broke, I also unscrewed the rear glass, slide it forward so I can see the back of the tracks. It looks like on the driver side, the Inside spring, (there are two per track, inside and outside) is no longer attached the the slider thing. On the passenger side, the same spring runs all the way to the track mechanism. The detached spring has a bit of blue paint on the end for easy viewing, plus I can feel it ending short. I assume it's SUPPOSED to be attached. I assume there is no easy way to re-attach it, nor have I found any assembly instructions online to even verify.
SO, without the glass on, after cycling several times, I was able to get it in the closed position so at least my shade closes (it is VERY hot here in socal, so this is a must). I put the glass back on. I didn't replace my drip tray, and likely won't. Tested with the hose and no water comes out the center, just on the sides into the troughs which is normal.
THANK YOU! I mean, even though my damage was more severe, I would have spent thousands just figuring this out. I can't tell you how many places tried to tell me HOW HARD this was to do, and it COSTS SO MUCH. I always refer them to your videos, and politely say "perhaps you should find a different line of work if this is too difficult."
Oh and I found in my view history, there is "comments". I selected that, and found my previous post a little easier. Not terribly user friendly consider Google has more money than God, but I don't think they care about product quality at this point, also because they have more money than god. Yay monopolies.
@@mcat823 I remember chatting with you awhile back I think, but as you mentioned, RUclips doesn't give you notifications about follow-up comments. So I got a notification about this one you left, but if you reply I won't get it so I have to check it manually to see if anyone replied.
Anyway, glad you got it to a point where it's closed anyway. Sounds like your track is broken internally...I think the "spring" you're referring to might actually be the cable that moves the lower guides. It looks kind of like a spring, with a kind of cloth or teflon inside of it. If it's broken, then an entire track is the only way to fix it.
Wish you were closer and I could help you with it.
For someone that doesn't do these all the time, they ARE pretty intimidating and hard to do.
They aren't for me because I literally look at 4-5 F-150's each week with these issues.
Pacfanweb Bummer on the track, I think I’ll just leave it closed. I recall information on how to disconnect the buttons, which I may attempt. It’s just not worth $3500 to me. I had hondas and toyotas for 10+ years each with sunroofs, never an issue. I can’t believe Ford can’t figure this old tech out. Thank you again for all your input!
@@mcat823 Pull the headliner down in the rear and unplug one of the motors. IMO it's easier than getting to the switch and unplugging that.
Just know that the shade isn't going to work, either, so make sure it's wherever you want it before you unplug them.
Pacfanweb Ok, that works for me. Thanks!
Just put new rails on my 2016 F150. Nissan is making some really good deals on Titans these days. If I hadn’t found this video, I’d be driving one. 🙃
Thank you for showing us this, much appreciated 👍🏻👍🏻
Really appreciate the videos, they were really helpful. Completed this today in about an hour by myself. Thank you again.
Thank you for making this video. Getting my new parts from the Sunroof Doctor tomorrow for around $154. BTW I call Ford parts first and the parts guy told me they redesigned this with 2 motors. He told me the price was $1600. I think my comment was "oh hell no"
That would be for an entirely new track. And they do now specify the 2 motors be replaced, too, but I don't see any reason to do so. The old ones will work fine, I've done a ton of them reusing the old motors.
If you do need one motor, though....you need them both, because the new ones will not initialize with an old one.
@@SealofPerfection I stripped one of the bolts on the sunroof motor and broke one of the plastic support brackets when trying to remove the stripped bolt. I ended up buying the same exact model of sunroof motor as the old one. I’m trying to initialize now with no luck. Any suggestions? In fact, nothing is working motor or shade… are they connected somehow?
Also, this is on a 2018 Navigator and the map lights turn on/off by touching the light not a map light button. Have you ever initialized one of these setups before? I’m having a hard time doing it in under 3 seconds (the Ford General Procedure for this vehicle is similar to that of an F150).
@@YamahaFreak1299 Problem is, if one of the motors is the new model and one is the old, they won't work together. If it won't do anything, that's probably the issue.
Somewhere around 2018-ish is when they put out a new upgraded motor. If you bought a new one, you may well still have the old style in your truck, and they will not work together.
Great video, fixed mine tonight. This video made it easy. Thank you
Thank you for this video. Helped me do this myself! Thumbs up from Texas!!
Thanks. Very informative video. The quality of the vid is outstanding. Good job. I have an appointment to get mine repaired and of course I'm fully expecting the Dealer Shuffle.
Hopefully not. Of course, I'm a specialist subcontractor for dealers, so I do more of these than probably anyone, but these are very routine around here.
I guess YMMV if a random tech that has to work on everything get ahold of it.
This helps to the tune of $700! My driver's side arm just broke on my 17 F-350....I wish I would have found out about the sunroof cleaning and lubrication maintenance before it broke, other wise I would have done it! My truck is 18 months old, but I have about 37k miles on her.
How easy is it to remove the broken-off plastic bits from the track? Can i do that without removing the rear glass panel or dropping the headliner? I have little pieces in my track now causing havoc.
Thanks again, this is just what I was looking for!!!
Glad it helps!
The broken pieces: Just depends on where they are. Usually they're up front and you can fish them out, but a couple of times I've had to take the rear glass loose and get to them in the back. You don't have to take it out. Just remove the front one (you'll have it out already anyway), go ahead and take the trough out (you had it loose anyway), then remove the Torx 25 bolts holding the rear glass in. (I think there are 3 on each side, might be 4). Then just slide the rear glass forward so you can see the rear of the track.
Thanks again! Have a great evening!
This is such a money-saving video. Thank you for all the details and tips. BTW, don't be tempted by those cheap Amazon and Ebay arms. Don't do it. They won't align right. Buy from Sunroof Doctor or the stealership.
Yes I tried them once. That was enough. They are not good at all.
Bro luckily found this video. Thanks a ton
Just fixed mine, thank you soooo much! Let's see how long it lasts.
Keep that seal where the two glasses meet cleaned and lubed, that is the key to longevity.
Thank you! I'll be tackling this next weekend with the help of your video here. Much appreciated!
Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions
@@SealofPerfection It's in and works great. Your video was super helpful. Lubing up that back seal made a huge difference too. Seriously works better than new after the grease that you suggested in another video.
My god dealership wanted $1600! I feel like i owe you money for this video! lol
LOL. They were going to replace the entire track. Usually not necessary anymore. I still run across one here and there where it broke somewhere other than these arms, but not many.
Thank you! Funny, you plugged them and now this video is on Sunroof Doctor! If only I had lubed before I broke it!!
Maybe they should give me a discount since they're using my video, lol.
@@SealofPerfection They are using your video as a How To install... kinda cheap of them, especially if they aren't giving you some affiliate credit.
@@mcat823 I didn't even know until someone mentioned it here.
I just had both of these replaced under warranty on my 2017 F350.
Yep, 2017 is the first year of the Vista roof in the 250's and bigger. It's the exact same setup as the 150's.
Well, I was almost ready to make the 16hr drive to have you fix my truck. Had a body shop helping me to find the problem. We couldn't find any obstacles in the track. Was ready to give up and a second guy in the body shop took a look. Lo and behold he saw a plastic piece in rail! We removed and now it moves to vent position. Praise the Lord! A few questions... 1) I saw some green substance on screws that hold in the rear and front glass. I assume some type of thread lock. Do I need to use some loctite on threads? 2) do you have a torque spec for the small torx screws? 3) the new rails that I got from my local Ford dealer came with the plastic bag cut open and some type of black lubricant covering the whole new rails. Do they normally come lubed or had someone tried them and returned them? 4) Should I clean them off and put fresh lube on? What is the best to use? 5) last, any pointers on adjusting the front and rear glass when reinstalling?
Thank you for all your help!
They have recently started to come with the lube already on them. So I am using it instead of mine.
I still would put something on the track where it'll slide, though. Liquid Wrench Lithium with Cerflon is good. 3M Silicone Paste is also good, and it works as well for lubing the seal where the windows meet. I have a video for that, too. It's a MUST to do.
I don't bother with Loctite. I tighten them snugly with my electric drill. Don't crank them down ridiculously.
Adjustment: Make the front even/level with the roof. Same with the back glass.
Start the back of the front window slightly higher than level with the back window, because it usually drops a bit the first time or two after you open it. So I start it a millimeter or two high, and then it ends up right where you want it.
And again, be SURE to clean/lube that seal.
And then initialize it.
This was awesome! thank you for the instructions did mine today and saved a bunch thank you.
Ok, Ok. Just tried to repair my F150 sunroof tracks. Yes tried to replace the arms. First off, not as easy as the video makes it out to be. Took my son and me over a hour to replace the arms, plus broke the drip rail worth over $300.00 the first time we opened it. This job should be for the professionals only. Costly job. If you don't know what the crap you are doing! If I were to do this all over, would have hired it done. Oh and yes the sunroof still doesn't work as it should. One ⭐ on the video.
Takes me 15 minutes by myself, sorry you had trouble with yours.
The motor is working fine.
And you've watched my video on how to initialize it? What does it do? Sometimes, when you push the "Close" button, after it stops and you release/repress it, it'll move again. When it does that, you need to release/repress again and hold it like the video tells you to do after the first time.
This worked perfectly, thank you ! You saved me a ton of $$$$. Much appreciated!
Current, latest, greatest revision of these parts as of August 2021 is: FL3Z-1651070-E.
See the description for other helpful videos on the diagnosis and repair of these Ford Vista/Panoramic sunroofs
Does it come as a pass and driver side set?
@@MrA7morelli Yes, it's both sides
Replaced both brackets with the ones from Sunroof Doctor. Ran the reprogramming without issues. After I tried to make sure all off the functions we working properly, the sunroof got stuck again. Snapped the bottom edge of one of the brackets below the channel for the sliding pin. I can send a pic. Thoughts?
send a pic to my username at gmail
Awesome video, thanks for the help!
What if the shuttles that ride the rails with the knob are not lined up anymore and in synch with each other from side to side? Right now I’ve got the passenger side plastic part replaced, however the drivers side shuttle is in a completely different location on the rails and I cannot reinstall the new plastic guide.
If the lower guide is not lined up with the other side, it'll never work until you manually line them up again.
To do so, you'll need to pull down the headliner in the rear and loosen/drop the sunroof motor down so the gear is disengaged from the cables.
It's the motor on the driver side (really kind of in the middle) and it's attached with 3 Torx #25 screws. Loosen them enough to disengage it.
Then with the glass out, you can manually (I use a big screwdriver) push the lower guides all the way forward until they are at the absolute max tilted position. That way, you'll know they're lined up instead of trying to eyeball them in the closed position.
Then tighten the motor back up, reinstall the glass and proceed with the initialization and you should be good.
What do you do if the large pins that move forward and backward are not in the same position. Right pin is to far forward by 1 3/8" ?
This:
ruclips.net/video/uQqhIRTP1GY/видео.html
I truly appreciate you!!! I just bought a 2020 Lariat and it came with the dual moonroof. I've honestly opened it 1x, and frankly I'm inclined to never open it again, seeing the other posts/channels mentioning the failures...just in case it has an issue.
I'm hoping that the plastic has been replaced by metal in the 2020 year, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't, would you know if the track mechanisms are metal now? if so, it would help to ease my concerns, I think?
The actual track itself that everything mounts into has always been metal.
The lower guides, which can break sometimes, are a mixture of metal and plastic. You can guess which part breaks.
You are an absolute Rock Star!
Do you know what the part is called that the accordion blind attaches to? You slid it back and called it a trough guide…It also sits in the middle of the track and slides back and forth..That is also broken on my truck.
Unfortunately that is not available separately. You can only get that with the whole new track
My sunroof is currently stuck in the full open position. I followed another video on you tube and unplugged the motors thinking it would allow me to slide the glass forward to get in the close position then plug the motor back up to open to the vent position to fix. Well that didn’t work. The glass still is stuck. Any suggestions how to get it closed to even begin to repair?
That means some of the broken pieces are restricting the movement. Usually I just force it shut over top of the broken pieces and you just have to take your chances that it's not going to break the lower part of the track. You really don't have any other choice.
Back the glass up a little bit so you can get a running start and just push it really hard
Any help as how I can get the guides back on for a 2009 kia sorento? There is a gear of sorts run next to the stop plug preventing the guide from going on back on. The old one removed easy as it was completely broken. There are no help videos on this make and model for guide replacement. I have been everywhere online 😢
I have never worked on the sunroof of one of those before, unfortunately. Only a few for leaking.
Do you have video on adjusting sunroof. Track broke on my 2015 f150
Removed glass to get broken piece out and ordered new part
Sunroof is now lower with airleak
I don't, but I adjust this way:
Open it, then close it. (not vented, regular open)
Adjust the back to where the rubber is slightly higher than the rear glass.
Adjust the front to where the rubber is flush with the roof.
Note that sometimes they won't go that high, and in that case you just adjust it as far as it will go.
i removed the glass and there's what appears to be melted black plastic all over my tracks, prohibiting me from accessing screws and 'sliding' anything away... have you (or anyone) ever seen this before? any suggestions? thought this would be an easy fix but not looking so easy now... :(
Melted? Never seen anything I would describe is that. Got a picture?
I installed the new tracks but now i cannot get the horizontal plastic drip tray that meets in the center of both pieces of glass to stay up when the sunroof is closed. I can pull it back in place under the the clips on either side and it hold the plastic tray up i can open the sunroof and it hold up but when i close the sunroof the tray just hangs amd it rattles like hell any ideas?
If the drip tray is attached to both guide arms like it's supposed to be, then that would place it right on top of those "springs" that it sits on, that hold it tight against the glasses when closed.
I replaced the sunroof arms no problem but my center drip channel wont stay in place it falls down and any help would be appreciated
So it won't stay up against the glass? Better look and see if the springs are still in place.
They are hooked to the plastic pieces that you bend and pull on the arm to get loose. If you forgot to put that part back in place, that'd do it
Is there any way to manually put on vent position? That middle button for the vent position is not moving the glass at all
Yes. See my video in the description about how to line up the lower guides. You can manually move the track that way
Thank you so much. My hubby is fixing his right now.
Awesome! Let me know how it goes....or, 'went' since I see your comment was 3hrs ago, lol
Pacfanweb It took about 45 minutes, and he said the video was very helpful. Thank you again 😀.
@@shannon.N Glad to hear it!
Worked like a champ! The extended warranty people said the guides were "exterior" trim and not covered on my 2015 F-150 King Ranch ...I have one question: Is there a way to test the glass when you put it back in for leaks? Or do they all leak some into the sunroof pan? I have some water coming in at the rear glass/front glass right in the corner on both sides. It seems to drain fine but I was wondering if that is normal? Or if there is a way to make it fit tighter during reinstall of the glass
It's normal. That's what the trough and drains are for. All sunroofs pass water like this. You can have someone run water over it and try adjusting the glass up/down where they meet and you might find a point that it slows it down some, but it will never totally stop it. Even brand new ones on the lot do it.
2018 F-350 Great videos.....THANK YOU Currently replacing the lower guides / cables and upper arms. Putting it all together and the "other arms" that are the same size as the upper arms are broken. Just the passenger side arm.....is there somewhere to purchase that. Do you happen to have a used one. It is the arm you are moving from 7:05 - 7:30 It is broke right where the upper are goes in to it. Appreciate any help you might have on that. Or is it something that i can get away with. It goes back but i don't to see if being able to move forward well. Thank you. Kevin
That is the trough guide and it is also the piece that your concertina blind attaches to. It is not available separately. You can only get it with a new track
Just replaced both guides with the latest version (FL3Z-1651070-E) and I have my moonroof back!!. One was broken exactly where you indicated. You're video was the reason I tried it on my own and had no problems. Should I run a sync even if it seems to be working properly? Thanks for this video!!
You don't have to, but I do it anyway just to be sure. You can always do it later if it starts acting weird
But what causes these parts to break is it the lack of lubrication between the sunroof seal and the body of the truck or what ?
Is there any preventive maintenance ?
It's several things. One is, the parts were too weak and they have been redesigned and are stronger now.
Two, the glass "sticking" puts an enormous strain on the arms when you open them. You can lube the seal to stop this. I have a video on where to lube it.
Three, that area where the sunroof track "lives" between the headliner and the roof gets HOT. Very, very hot. It takes a toll on the plastic components over time.
I replaced my ramps and your instructions were EXCELLENT. After replacing the new ones for the old cracked tamps, my sunroof does not slide open anymore. The vent position works and the sunshade works. Any ideas?
Have you done the programming procedure?
How do you get to that stage? I have a 2017 F250 superduty with panoramic sunroof. How do I get the glass off to do what you did in the video?
Vent or tilt the sunroof, then take off the concertina shields (the accordion things) and there are 3 screws on each side holding the glass in. I have a video on that, too
Your instructions are AMAZING!! Thanks a million. 👌👍👏🙌
QUESTION: I used fresh 3M Silicone Paste and was expecting it to be "slippery" but it's kind of "sticky". Is that how silicone paste is supposed to be??
It's a paste so it will "stick" to your fingers but if you rub them together it should be slick
Great Video, trying to fix my 2017 F-150, The sunroof will not stay closed unless I stop it with the button and it will not go into the vent postion, any tips?
Have you run the initialization procedure?
@@SealofPerfection Tried to, but the procedure will not run, tried several times
@@Annie-pr4mc Might be a bad motor then. The new ones are updated so you would have to replace both of them because the old ones will not program together with the new one
You really are a Godsend. It's so frustrating that Ford and it's tech's know about this issue and still want to charge me $240 bucks to diagnose the issue. I'm like, check all the F150 threads and you'll see thousands of the same issue, but I guess that is just big conglomerate companies way of retaining profits. I digress.
One question, does the replacement part have any better structure than the OEM part? I mean what is to stop it from just breaking again? Is the issue the cheap plastic and petroleum grease or does Ford use a non corrosive Silicone lube? Is there a metal rail anywhere now? Thanks again!
Starting at about fall of 2019 I noticed that the new Ford parts were upgraded. Anything you get from Ford now will be the newest parts and I have not seen any of those break yet. I would not buy the aftermarket ones.
I am unable to vent and the front glass come back up to flush with the back glass. Will running the initialization fix this? I replaced both left and right ramps with the track in the vented position for install. There is no obstruction in the track but the glass doesn’t want to move.
That means something is still in there most likely. I have a video in the description of how to align the lower guides by dropping the sunroof motor. You can also use that to manually place it all the way into the vent position as well. That might work for you
@@SealofPerfection so when the vent button is pressed, what does that do for the orientation of the arms of the cables itself? My ramps lined up well but I noticed yours in the vent position sat much higher in the rear. Both of my cable arms line right up with the hole for the lower ramp but yours sit back a little and raise the rear of the front glass properly. I’m guessing this means I’ll be disconnecting the motor from the cables to move them to vent manually?
@@MarquedYT sounds like it. They need to be lined directly up with each other
Hey what would I do if I can't put the sunroof in vent position?
Look in the description, I have a video for aligning the lower guides. You can also use that to manually put the guides in vent. Be sure to disconnect the rear trough before moving them separately, though
Great video and extremely helpful. I was unable to get the sunroof to the vented position, but the ramps were so badly damaged I was still able to remove them. The new guides would not go on with the position the sunroof was in, so I tried to reset the the sunroof. It worked and the slide finally came forward enough that the round part would go through the hole. The problem is that I believe it came too far forward and will not longer slide back. When I try to push the close button, the motor makes a grinding sound. The vent and open button do nothing at all. Any recommendations?
Yikes. A grinding sound means the motor is moving but the cable is not, and the gear is jumping against the cable.
That means one of the cables is totally jammed and won't slide.
It usually means the track is toast and needs replacing.
To figure it out and possibly save it, you can drop the headliner in the rear, and loosen the sunroof motor. It's the one on the driver's side. There are two identical motors back there, and the passenger side one runs the shade.
So, the motors have 3 Torx 25 screws in them. Remove one, and loosen the other two so they are just barely in there, and you can drop the motor down to where the gear isn't contacting the cables anymore.
Remove the glass, and try to manually (I use a big screwdriver) move the guides. One will be stuck.
Then you need to find whatever is stopping it from moving. Should be a plastic piece from the old guides, most likely.
If you find it and remove it, then put the guides even with each other, tighten the motor back up, and you might get lucky.
If not, you'll need a new track, unfortunately.
Thanks for the quick reply! You're awesome. I was able to remove the motor today and both guides slide freely. I do not believe an obstruction is the issue. I tried all three cycles with the motor out and the motor only turns when I am pushing the close button. When vent or open are pushed, nothing happens. I am wondering if the issue now might be in the motor. I did notice some metal shavings around the gear. I think I am going to replace the motor regardless, but do you think the motor could be the problem that it will only go one direction?
If you want, you could swap the motor from the shade over there, program it and see if it works. They are identical. They always have shavings and material on them, though. And especially if it was grinding. That probably isn't the issue.
If the guides are moving freely when you do it manually, you probably cleared whatever was restricting them whether you knew you did it or not.
Absolute worst case scenario is, the cables are damaged. But that is very rare.
Try the shade motor and see if it moves the glass. Then put the glass motor to run the shade...it's much less load. Hopefully that'll do it.
Thank you, Pacfanweb! I apologize my response is delayed, but I was able to get it working. I pulled the shade motor out and hooked it up to the sunroof side. It would also only run when I pushed the close button, so I figured my sunroof motor was fine. I put it all back together and initialized and I have a working sunroof.
For anyone interested, I was able to find a way around it if you are unable to get the sunroof to the vented position. I can’t say I recommend it, but it worked for me. If it doesn't work, you'll be stuck replacing the whole track, but I didn't see any other option. My sunroof would not go from fully opened to closed. It would get stuck about a half inch from being up all of the way.
I followed Pacfanweb right up until 3:25 of the video. If you aren’t in the vented position this is where you will get stuck. You can see the round piece in the video is approximately ¾ of an inch from the hole. When you aren’t vented you are much further away. I was approximately 4 inches.
The piece of the guide that slides through the track (Pacfanweb’s finger is almost pointed at it at 1:25 of the video) is actually small piece of metal coated in a lot of plastic. I took a small flat screwdriver and started prying little pieces of the plastic off at the seam between the plastic and metal. I was able to break enough of it off that I could eventually pull the slide out of the track while the round piece was still in the guide. Once the slide was out, I could easily push the guide back far enough to pull the round piece through the circle. The other side worked out the same way. Make sure you clean out any plastic pieces from the track.
The next problem you’re stuck with is that the round parts are attached to the cable and they will not budge. You cannot slide them far enough forward to get the round part back through the hole of the new track. You need to drop the rear headliner and get to the motor. The one on the drive side is the sunroof motor. I dropped the motor which freed up the cable. Using the video, I eyeballed where the round parts should be on the track. I also measured to make sure both sides were lined up. Once lined up, put the motor back in so that it locks the round piece back in place. Then continue on from 4:25 in the video forward.
Would this be the same on a Ford F-150 Raptor 2013?
I heard a pop on one side and the moonroof is no longer closing.
Noticed a loos metal rod that is no longer engaged in the back end.
Would appreciate some advice...!
Unfortunately not. That is a completely different sunroof.
The only fixed through Ford is to replace the entire track.
There are aftermarket parts you can buy and basically disassemble the entire track Andre manufacturer it. It's much less expensive. Interesting, I looked at a Raptor yesterday with that exact problem. About the same year
@@SealofPerfection Went at the Ford dealership and they quoted me $4K to replace the entire sunroof, tracks, rail...!
IDIOTS!
CAN NOT TRUST A FORD DEALER EVER!
I do not know what to do...!
@@gt-c- Well that is what it needs, but that sounds kind of high to do the job to me.
I typically charge 600 to replace the track. So that plus whatever the track costs.
There's also a fix for the track can be rebuilt
I am trying to replace my sunroof rails, but to do it, it has to be in the vented position. My problem is that button doesnt do anything. The only one that has any reaction is the forward button that Just shifts a little, but doesnt do anything. The rear button doesnt do any either which tells me the truck thinks the sunroof is back, but it is not. Is there anyway to manually vent it so I can get it apart and replace the rails?
Yes, I have a video linked in the description that you can use to do that
@@SealofPerfectionWould that be the initialization procedure and just stop once it vents? If not, which video is it? I think I watched them all now and havent seen a way to manually vent it.
@@stevek3270 no use the one where you can manually align the guides. Instead of aligning them you can just run them all the way to vent while the motor is dropped
saw a video of a guy that just removed the broken piece and it worked just fine. I can get mine to go back if I just push down on one side that sticks. should I still replace both, or see if a broken piece is holding it up and remove that piece. Also you said that it has to be reprogrammed. DO i have to bring it to Ford for that?
No, I have a video of how to program it, too.
I have removed the broken piece that was jamming the lower guide and then it worked...but once the arms start coming apart, they will keep coming apart, so you might as well replace them because they are going to fail again eventually.
My roof will not go in the tilt position to repair it, even with the glass out. Any suggestions?
Loosen the motor, drop it to disengage the gear from the cables, then move it by hand. Screwdriver is what I use typically.
@@SealofPerfection awesome, thank you
Any idea what would cause the glass to not close as soon as it hits the wind deflector arm? I just replaced the upper guides and if I hold the deflector arm down just a bit then it will close
Did you re-initialize it after you replaced them? It needs to relearn
I re-initialized it and it works fine now. Think I might have missed a step from the video. Thanks for the help
Question if you can help at all please.
Got a 2015 f150 platinum I removed the glass and the tilt part was piped out of the groove
I got them popped on then removed the rails for replacement
Should the motor and everything still work without glass in or does it bypass
All mine will do now is make grinding noise from motor.
Thanks
Did you fish out the broken pieces?
And did you make sure the two lower guides, the part with the round piece, are still in sync (lined up) with each other?
@@SealofPerfection yes I did I unplugged the motor and plugged it back in and they started working properly again. Thanks
@@reidbowers_21 Ha, reboot like a computer. Makes sense.
Thank you
Here is my problem: when I was given the truck the roof was closed but 1side was dropped down about 1/4". Window wouldn't move. Took out glass and found broken plastic parts from rail. 1side of drive mechanism was out of rail. Put back in and roof would cycle but not properly. Drive mechanism wont move forward enough to tilt glass. Maybe 3" short of full travel. Was able to get broken ramps out by carefully breaking. Question?...can I initialize with ramps out to try and get the motor to move drive mechanism forward to proper home position? Can the motor jump a gear and I have to fix that first. Note: when I tried to initialize before removing ramps, the ramps would move too far to the rear that the plastic curtain holder would buckle. I did not have the center drain piece on.
I don't think you can initialize with the ramps out. It looks for a hard stop, and that only occurs with the ramps installed.
Yeah, I've seen that plastic piece buckle, but as long as it doesn't break, they usually are okay once you're done with it.
There might be another broken piece in there somewhere. Maybe towards the back. You can run your fingers back and forth in the greasy area and see if you find anything. I've found quite a few "extra" broken pieces that way.
Awesome video! I have one question. The piece you line up to pop off the rail has come off/out of the screw drive track. I cannot get them to line up nor can I find a position to get the roller down in the track.
Got everything back together! My issue is the round piece that hinges down onto the screw track is positioned differently passenger side to driver side. Can these be adjusted? I'm afraid to close and brake the new track.
@@zsc032284 If you're talking the round piece that goes through the larger part of the hole on the arms, then yes...they have to be lined up with each other.
If yours are not, then the cables have slipped.
Usually you can just re-align them and it's okay. In unlucky situations, the cables are damaged and you need a new complete track.
To re-align, you drop the sunroof motor down a bit to disengage the gear from the cables, then manually (usually with a big screwdriver for me) line them up with each other, then lock the motor back down and proceed normally.
The headliner in the rear is held up by strong magnets. Just pull down on it to get at the motor.
Drop the headliner in the rear, and loosen the sunroof motor. It's the one on the driver's side. There are two identical motors back there, and the passenger side one runs the shade.
So, the motors have 3 Torx 25 screws in them. Remove one, and loosen the other two so they are just barely in there, and you can drop the motor down to where the gear isn't contacting the cables anymore.
Then put the guides back in sync, and tighten the motor and you hopefully will be good.
I believe i know what the issue is i just dont know how to go about trying to fix it without breaking anything
Thanks for the video - I found both my arms need to be replaced. When looking at what happened I noticed that the Driver side and the Passenger side arms are not equal. The passenger side arm is about 5” back/behind the Driver side arm. I ran the Sunroof Initialization a few times but it did not line up the two arms - any suggestions? The point of reference I am measuring from is where the arm is attach to the track - the round head you push through the arm to attach the arm to the track.
I have the cable at the motor spins broke and one side of the guild that connects to the rail is broken. Do they make a after market part for that? Only part I can find it the whole frame assembly. Not sure if the assembly comes with the parts I need. Thank you