Question 1

What exactly is the sunshade repair kit?

Accepted Answer

The OEM BMW sunshade has a weak part which is called the sunroof sunshade slider which is shown below.  It is made of some thin gauge steel and some vinyl type semi soft plastic along with a little rubber bumper.  This part is screwed into the moving sunroof sunshade slider.The OEM part was not designed to stand the test of time.  Eventually the moving thumb which is attached to a mechanism on the sunroof frame jumps over the sunroof sunshade slider, and at that point. the thumb no longer moves the sunshade to the closed position and the shade remains neatly tucked in it's pocket under the roof in the open and stored position.Our repair part is shown below.  We designed it on our CAD system and had an injection mould made and made some out of an engineered plastic called 'Delrin' which is a registered trademark.  You can Google Delrin if you wish, but suffice it to say that it is a material perfectly suited to the application.  Two units are required per single sunshade, and we also supply four screws.Note that there are three screw hole dimples per part.  The factory made two versions, so you will need to file off the unneeded dimple where the screw will not pass through the sunshade.  The Delrin is relatively soft, much softer than brass for instance, so if you use an ordinary flat file on it's edge (the narrow part) you will be able to file it off quite easily.  It is helpful if it is lightly held in a vise however a vice is not necessary.The reason our part outperforms the OEM part is that it is more rigid and the area where the 'thumb' contacts the slider is much larger, so that the jumping issue is eliminated.Below are two images of our repair kit installed on a removed sunshade.  Yes, I know they are hard to see but it does give you an idea.  Please print or read our instructions for more information.  Click any of the images to enlarge.

Question 2

OK, that all sounds great, but how in the heck can I get my sunshade out of it's pocket where it is currently stuck?

Accepted Answer

Here is where you need to get a little creative.  This is what we do, get your maximum bend pick tool like the one shown below and turn it so that the pick is horizontal.  Then push it in the pocket at the center where the hand grab of the sunshade would be. Push gently, and when you are in a couple inches or so, turn the pick tool 90 degrees up and feel around so that the pick is in the hand grab.  Carefully pull the sunshade out with a firm careful pull.

Question 3

Is this a weekend warrior (DIY project) or do I need my mechanic to do the work?

Accepted Answer

Any person who is not afraid to roll up his/her sleeves, and is capable of working with simple hand tools can do the job.  You are going to feel so proud and satisfied when you complete the job and see the shade pull out of it's pocket like it should when you hit the close sunroof switch.

Question 4

Any special tools required?

Accepted Answer

No special tools other than those listed and shown below.1/4 inch ratchet wrench.2 inch long 1/4 inch extension.1/4 inch T25 Torx bit.1/4 inch T10 Torx bit.Pick tool as shown below.Phillips screwdriver.Please note that the Torx T10 bit is not shown below.It is also very desirable to have a rechargeable flashlight like below.  Also a very good addition to your toolbox.

Question 5

Can I do this project myself, or do I need a beer buddy?

Accepted Answer

One person can do this job alone, although having two people will make it easier to reinstall the glass sunroof, but it is not necessary.  The beer is optional of course.

Question 6

How long does it take to do the job?

Accepted Answer

An average person can get this done in about an hour, although we recommend that when the glass and shade are removed that you take some time to do a thorough cleaning and lubrication of the slide rails and mechanism with some white lithium grease.

Question 7

Are there any special instructions or tripping points?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  As with most projects, do not overtighten the mounting screws.  The two screws which secure the OEM sliders to the sunshade screw into a very thin piece of metal in the sunshade.  It is thick enough to do the job, but is not designed for the 'ham fisted', so do not overtighten.  Snug is all that is necessary.It was mentioned before that we highly recommend lubricating the 'C' shaped channel with white lithium grease.  It is waterproof and does not migrate, it stays put.  Consider keeping a tube in your tool kit, your car will love you for it.

Question 8

I am tired of of purchasing stuff for my car which break after little use.  When is your part going to break?

Accepted Answer

Hopefully it will never break of course, and it will not break if installed correctly.  Each part from each kit is inspected by our team for any manufacturing defects.You may be wondering, but this is made of plastic, is that the best choice?  We could have had it CNC machined from an aluminum alloy like 6061 or 7073 and then anodized which would have made it much more expensive with no performance gain.We chose to have it injection moulded from an engineered plastic called 'Delrin' which is a registered trademark of the DuPont corporation.  Below is the result of an AI Google search on the 'Delrin' material.Delrin® is the commercial brand name for Polyoxymethylene homopolymer (POM-H), a high-performance, semi-crystalline engineering thermoplastic originally developed by DuPont and managed globally by Delrin. Known commonly as acetal homopolymer, it is a lightweight, high-strength plastic frequently used as a direct replacement for metal in high-load mechanical applications. It bridges the gap between everyday plastics and robust metals by combining high stiffness with natural lubricity.Key Material PropertiesDelrin stands out in industrial manufacturing due to a unique blend of mechanical and physical attributes: High Mechanical Strength: Possesses excellent tensile strength, rigidity, and fatigue endurance under continuous load.Low Friction & Wear: Features a highly slippery surface with natural lubricity, making it perfect for components moving against other parts without needing grease.Dimensional Stability: Highly resistant to warping, creeping, or absorbing moisture, allowing it to maintain precise shapes over time. Wide Temperature Range: Performs reliably in environments ranging from -40 °C to 90 °C (and can handle short-term spikes up to 120 °C/180 °F). Chemical Resistance: Highly resilient against hydrocarbons, chemical solvents, and neutral fluids. Excellent Machinability: Highly favored in manufacturing because it chips cleanly and is easily shaped via CNC machining or injection molding.

Question 9

Do you have a quick version of the repair process for your kit?

Accepted Answer

Sure, here is the short form of the instructions, and for most people, this will be enough.Remove the glass sunroof by removing the six Torx T25 screws, there are three on each side.  Two are near the front, and one at the rear.  One of the front ones can be hard to see, so use your flashlight if you are using one.  The screws are very small so store them safely, you do not want to lose them.When the six screws are removed, the glass portion can be removed by lifting the glass straight   	up.  If you have a beer buddy, it does make it easier.  Once it has been raised about an inch or 	so, it can be moved away from the car. Make sure that you, or the two of you have a plan, so 		that you do not drop the glass or scratch the car.  Set the removed glass in a safe area and 		cover it with a blanket or some form of padding.     	Pull the sunshade out with your pick tool as described above.  Pull it out to the almost closed 	position.Remove the four screws which secure the OEM slider with a Torx T10 bit.  Save for later use, 		just in case.  The OEM slider parts can be lifted out and removed.We recommend that you remove the sunshade for cleaning of the sunshade fabric and tensioners on the passenger side and rails which are mounted to the vehicle.Remove the sunshade by pulling it towards you if you are standing at the driver side of the car.After cleaning and lubing the rails and adding some lithium grease to the tensioners, the sunshade can be reinstalled by carefully seating the plastic tensioners into the passenger side rails.  It is easy to misplace the alignment when sliding the sunshade into the channel, so be careful.Slide our repair part and secure with the two screws from the kit to the front of the sunshade.  Make sure the slot in our part is mated properly with the frame rail on the driver's side and be sure to lubricate with lithium grease.Give yourself a little working room at the back of the sunshade by gently pulling the sunshade forward.  When you have enough working room, slide and secure the second repair part to the back of the sunshade.  Make sure that the moving thumb on the driver's side frame is between the two repair sliders.  It will not work if the thumb is not between the two sliders.The sunshade should slide forward and back with minimal effort with no binding.  Take your time and double and triple check your work.Replace the glass by carefully inserting into the sunroof cavity.  From the inside of the car, replace the six screws securing the glass sunroof.  Only just screw them in enough so that they will not fall out.Carefully push the glass sunroof up from the inside of the car and begin lightly tightening the screws so that eventually the glass sunroof is flush with the roof.  This is the most sensitive part of the install, and can be time consuming.When the glass is in place, firmly tighten all six screws.Enjoy your work!!!!

Question 10

Do you have any instructions for performing the repair?

Accepted Answer

Yes we do have compressive  installation instructions, and they are printable.  Just print the PDF above.

Question 11

Hey, I just installed your repair kit, but when I close the sunroof, the shade only pulls out of the pocket a couple inches.  It does not bring the shade all the way forward.

Accepted Answer

Yup, that is the way is should work.  When the sunroof is closing, about two inches away from the closed position, it will grab the sunshade and pull it out of the pocket just enough so that the hand grab is available on the sunshade.  If you would like to leave the shade in that closed position so that you can see through the glass sunroof you can do so, otherwise, you can manually pull the sunshade closed.

Sunshade Frequently asked questions