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1997 Cherokee XJ Factory Sunroof Problems

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Old May 9, 2013 | 08:34 PM
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Default 1997 Cherokee XJ Factory Sunroof Problems

Hello everybody. I just picked up a 97 XJ 4.0l 5 speed with a factory power sunroof. The guy I got it from said it worked once when he bought it and it never worked again. It rained today and it appears the sunroof leaks and goes through the headliner and drips onto the passenger seat and floor. There was an inch of water under the seat and I really need to get this fixed. Does anyone have any idea where to start on getting this thing functional and cleaning the drains? Thank you in advance.

-Alex
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Old May 10, 2013 | 10:26 AM
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There is no such thing as a "factory sunroof" on an XJ.

Either dealer installed (IDK if there was a MOPAR sunroof kit, or not), or aftermarket. Just start troubleshooting it. Pull your headliner loose (could probably just pop off the interior trim around it and gain enough access to see where it's leaking from (my guess is water is getting in under the seal along the ribs in the XJ roof), and to see if it is even getting power.
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Old May 10, 2013 | 10:35 AM
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Mine did the same thing. Never sealed perfectly and leaked so bad. Cleaned the drains and everything.

I ended up just caulking the **** out of the thing. Doesn't leak at all anymore but doesn't work either.
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Old May 10, 2013 | 10:49 AM
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It seems I'm one of the lucky ones.

Factory installed electric sunroof and works flawless in my 99 and doesn't leak at all
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Old May 10, 2013 | 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by scoobyxj
There is no such thing as a "factory sunroof" on an XJ.

Either dealer installed (IDK if there was a MOPAR sunroof kit, or not), or aftermarket. Just start troubleshooting it. Pull your headliner loose (could probably just pop off the interior trim around it and gain enough access to see where it's leaking from (my guess is water is getting in under the seal along the ribs in the XJ roof), and to see if it is even getting power.
Lol. Yes there is. I've seen plenty of factory sunroof's in xj's. The ribbing and reinforcement in the roof is even different for the models with the sunroof.

Find where its leaking from and take some silicon to it.
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Old May 10, 2013 | 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Shivelyporsche
It seems I'm one of the lucky ones.

Factory installed electric sunroof and works flawless in my 99 and doesn't leak at all
Me too! Is yours asc or ase or something like that?
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Old May 10, 2013 | 07:16 PM
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I guess I'll pull the headliner down when I get a chance this weekend and take a look. I'm just hoping I can get it back to being functional without leaking every rainstorm. I'll let everyone know what happens.
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Old May 11, 2013 | 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Shivelyporsche
It seems I'm one of the lucky ones.

Factory installed electric sunroof and works flawless in my 99 and doesn't leak at all
Pics and part numbers please.
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Old May 11, 2013 | 03:06 PM
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Originally Posted by scoobyxj
Pics and part numbers please.
Parts numbers?


And heres a cherokee that came stock with a sunroof.







One of my buddies old cherokees.

Now, back to the OP's question. Best way for you to check for leaks after you clean the drains is to have someone run the water hose onto the roof while you sit inside and watch where it drips in.
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Old May 12, 2013 | 05:45 PM
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I got a chance to pull the headliner down and take a look today...what a catastrophe. The headliner has one big board in the back behind the sunroof, a small one in front under the visors and two little pieces on the sides and just one piece of fabric over all of them. It's gonna be fun redoing that. Anyway, I found that the drains tubes are completely filled with water so that explains why it's leaking. Does anyone know where these drain? Also, there's no power at the switch to operate the sunroof and no way to manually open or close it. Any help is appreciated! Thanks
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Old May 12, 2013 | 06:15 PM
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Check here for part numbers .....id seal aroundit and spend the cash for other things...jm2cw....http://www.factorychryslerparts.com/...ssembly=695588
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Old May 12, 2013 | 07:09 PM
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Originally Posted by DieselD

Me too! Is yours asc or ase or something like that?
Yes it says ACS. but I'm pretty sure that button stands for auto closing sunroof. Push that and it closes the sunroof when you shut off the ignition.
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Old May 12, 2013 | 07:40 PM
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I just pulled the motor out and used the gear to manually crank it. It opens and closes with no problems, but the one drain tube is filled with water and I can't seem to find where it exits, but I'll have to take a better look in the light. I found that the sunroof is made by Hollandia. I tested the motor and it works fine, so I'll have to check the wiring on everything. I'll let everyone know what happens.
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Old May 12, 2013 | 08:23 PM
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Try putting a a little air into the drain tube and see if that will clear out the blockage. I had the same problem on a Chrysler Le Barron I had and it took care of the draining problem.
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Old May 19, 2013 | 10:42 AM
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Just an update for everyone, I got the sunroof working. I finally had a chance to start testing things and found one of the grounds and broken off, but the insulation was still bolted onto the body so it appeared fine from the outside. After I grounded that wire everything worked flawlessly. I snaked a hanger through the drains and it seems to have cleared the clog. All that's left to do is the headliner. I'll try and get some pics of the process for everyone. Thanks for the input, everyone.
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