Sunroof Toyo Drive Cable Compatibility

BALOO BELLE · October 27, 2013

my car is es300 japan drive cable assembly part # 6320533030

however I only need one cable not 500$ in extra stuff

im trying to check if the part no for the drive cable only American camry 63224aa020 would be the cables used in the jap assembly?

has anyone fixed the cables and used another part no?

I have diagrams 61-04 for the jap and American camry and the es. the es and Japanese assembly match

Toyota dealer says they have used the $230 part but it is a !Removed! and they want 230 for it.

can you go generic if I replace both?.. would I need to

gbhrps · October 28, 2013

baloo,

I've worked on several sunroof assemblies over the years and I can tell you that none of it is rocket science or difficult to do. But it is time consumming, because you need to pull so much out of the car to get to the sunroof assembly under the headliner, overhead lights, sun visors, rear view mirror, ceiling plugs, overhead assist straps, inner door weatherstripping on all doors, A,B and C Pillar mouldings, front seat belt upper anchors, and on and on.

That said, as long as you keep your hands clean (getting grease and dirt stains out of the headliner, even if it all comes out, will often mark the material and show up afterwards) fixes are fairly easy to do. Drop the headliner down on top of the seat backs, reach up and undo wiring harness to the motor and switch, undo about ten 10 mm nuts and bolts and the entire sunroof assembly can come out of one of the front doors, if the seat is fully reclined or removed from the car. (the sunroof was installed in the car through the front or rear windshield before the glass was installed, same with the headliner)

Then its fairly easy to swap out the parts and test the unit out of the car with a remote 12 volt supply and the sunroof computer and switch hooked up.

So you see, even if the parts were free, the man hours required puts the costs easily over a $1000.

Many of the Japanese auto makers use the same suppliers for parts source, and undoubtedly there may well be a generation of Mazda or Nissan that uses the same part, but finding out that info would require you to know Japanese, even if a cross reference catalogue exists. So, no! Getting the parts from Toyota/Lexus is the only way to go.

Try a wrecking yard, but you will most likely have to buy the entire sunroof assembly, unless they have a rollover where the sunroof, even though damaged, may still be able to be exracted and a good used cable removed.

Honestly, I think you're going to have to bite a very expensive bullet and buy the part from Toyota (cheaper than from Lexus), and then search for someone who can tackle the job, but will do it just for the experience or for $10 an hour or so (A high school automotive student?)

Either that, or get the sunroof back into place, and simply just leave it closed. Sorry!

BALOO BELLE · November 3, 2013

within 5 mile of my house complete sunroof track glass n sun visor 185 and a headliner guy to install 200. spent the day correcting the seat belt pillars, reattaching the velcros, and cleaning up after him. next I get to pull the glass off and clean the tracks since he didn't do it either. but beats 1000 at the dealer.

does anyone know what mechanism catches the sun visor to pull it forward when the glass closes? its not doing it anymore.

I noticed the back on the back of my glass the weather stripping is sagging. on the junk yard glass the weather stripping is loose on one corner and pulled it loose and found the black wrap around rubber on the bottom of the glass is broken where it meets the metal fastener. I see on lexus the glass is 600 but you can buy the weather stripping for 50. i am wondering if that also includes the rubber seal that the metal attaches to. if you take it to a specialty sunroof guy with new part and have it refitted or is it a lost cause once it gets cracked. I don't see any cracks on my glass though but haven't fiddle with it.

gbhrps · November 5, 2013

Congratulations on getting the job done for such a small amount!

The sun shield is driven forward by a plastic or metal spring clip/rod, one on either side that catches the sunshield slide mechanism. The problem is that it is difficult to get at, and in many cases even see. Try sitting in the passenger seat facing the back, and with the sunroof closed, open the sunshade about half way. Between the sunshade and the sunroof side rails/water channels, you should be able to see a 3 inch long plastic finger or metal rod that reaches down towards the sunshade on an angle.

It may either need to be pushed into a slot on the edge of the sunshield, or from the sunshield back into a metal/plastic tab on the slide mechanism. Each manufacturer is different and Lexus doesn't free up its workshop manuals to show up online that I've been able to find. You might try looking at Camry's from around the same year as your car (used car lots) as they'll use the same mechanism, or your old one. With the entire sunroof out of the car it'll be easy to spot.

As for the weatherstripping, I can't really tell you what needs to be done without really seeing it. I can tell you that as long as it isn't ripped (you said sagging down) you should be able to reattach it with a good quality black (not the yellow, it'll show up) weatherstripping adheasive. Follow the directions exactly and let it set up on both the weatherstripping and the metal before you press it in place.

As an aside, you might try your public library for the Camry/lexus shop manuals for the early 2000's. I've been told that our Canadian libraries have many of the auto manufacturer's shop manuals available. (though I've never tried it myself)

All you will need is an exploded diagram of the sunroof assembly to answer your questions as to how to fix the sunshade and the weatherstripping. With your sunroof tilted up, you may be able to see better how to attach that weatherstripping around the glass. Good Luck!

BALOO BELLE · November 15, 2013

what kind of glue would I need to glue the solid plastic/rubber (molding attaches to it) to glass? I tried an epoxy but isn't strong enough or maybe I didn't get enough in there cause it sets in 1 minute. maybe a cement or windshield rear view glue

gbhrps · November 15, 2013

I'm not sure if you're repairing your original seal or attaching a new one. Either case black weatherstrip adheasive is available in a squeeze tube. You apply a thin coat to each part, let them sit for 2 minutes to become tacky, and then press the seal into place. It won't allow repositioning of the seal, so get it right the first time.

Clear silicone is used for gluing glass together for tropical fish tanks and shower stalls, so it'll work in this case as well. However, there is black silicone sealant that would be a better choice, as it'll match the weather stripping and not stand out. You should be able to find it in auto supply stores.

I've used black silicone sealant to repair weatherstripping in the past, when a chunk was ripped. Its only downside is that it requires 24 hours to cure before you can expect to use the parts and have them stay together. So tape the parts together well while the silicone sealant cures, to prevent its repositioning. Good Luck!