Sunroofs?

[PG01]

Our 2005 Buick Rainier (same platform as a Tahoe)

Since when?

 

[adventurenali92]

Our 2005 Buick Rainier (same platform as a Tahoe) had the moonroof stick in the open vent position due to the plastic mechanism breaking and jamming the sliding mechanism. I bought a repair kit off a popular Internet auction site and the parts looked identical to those that came from the factory. I found some videos on YouTube about how to install the roof repair kit and was able to restore the roof to normal operation. The repair required the removal of the headliner and the moonroof assembly, which was not so much difficult, as it was time consuming. I deviated from the videos some, as I just dropped the headliner instead of trying to remove it. I used ratchet straps over the roof and through the windows to create a sling to hold the headliner. Then, removed the moonroof assembly, installed the kit, and put it back in. The kit cost me about $120 or so, but if I had it installed at a dealership, or sunroof shop, the labor cost would have been off the chart. During my research on this problem, I found info on forums indicating estimates over $1,100 for the repair. I found a lot of debris in the track during the repair, which I attribute to the roof being left open in the vent position to help keep the vehicle interior cool on hot days. We are more careful about that now, especially when it's windy/dusty.

Side note: Rainer is the same platform as the trailblazer and envoy.
Aar any rate the tahoe and Yukon sunroofs in the GMT800 platforms do the exact same thing. Mine has now done it, only mine wil tilt up and close exactly as it should. But it doesn’t slide back. It tries and then stops. Which I guess is a blessing in disguise. Anyways I’m gonna get the same kit to fix mine although I believe the replacement kit I’m looking at has brass replacement pieces instead of plastic.
I believe GM changed the sliding track pieces to metal on the GMT900 and newer platforms to avoid this issue. I think the biggest thing is to every once in a while clear out the drain tubes on the sunroofs and there shouldn’t be any issues.

 

[Illnasty]

No mechanical issues, though the sunroof design on the Tahoe/Yukon is pretty unusable when open. The cloth diffuser makes a ton of hissing wind noise; the only thing worse is the buffeting noise you get when you push the thing down with your hand.

You really can't have the sunroof open at any considerable speed unless you have a high tolerance for road noise.

I've never seen a cloth diffuser on a sunroof on any other vehicle. It doesn't work well, and it seems like designs that do work well are no huge secret. Head scratcher.

It’s such a horrible design. Baffled me that someone actually signed off on that.

 

[06 Yukon XL]

I have had them in some vehicles. First was my 1976 Monte Carlo, where the roof was cut to install, no leaking. Next car 1985 had T-Tops no problem. then my 1993 Safari, 2001 Safari, and 2006 Yukon XL did not have sunroofs. My current 2010 does and I am happy to have it again. There are no leaks.