Have a 98 GS400, sunroof does not open. So far, I have replaced the motor, cleaned the tracks and cleared any debris and also applied dry silicone spray on the tracks to lubricate it. Sound like the motor is trying to engage but makes this “open & lock “ sound similar to when you lock your car doors. Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated

 

So I had the same issue... and still do. I bought a used motor off eBay and thought the motor was broken. When I opened up the panel, the motor was so stuck in place that when I pried it off, the plastic wheel that attaches to the belts broke off. I put the motor I bought and it kinda opened the window partially. But it wouldn't close. So I took it to a mechanic who closed it for free. He said, "If you want a suntan, go to the beach." and then proceeded to tell me how some guy spent $30K on his sunroof for a Bugatti or something like that. It's not worth it. Just use the shade to let a little light in. My two cents.

 

I had this happen a few years ago. Went through all of the troubleshooting steps, replaced the motor, etc. it ended up being the sunroof switch. I found a replacement for about $20 on eBay.

 

you need to isolate the source of your problem. Get a test light and then unplug the sunroof motor and then test the different pins in the plug, there should be 4-6 pins, you should check each one while trying the different positions on the switch, you should find a pin with power in each position on the switch, one when you open it and close or tilt etc, onfe you have verified that all your power positions are present then you can unbolt the motor and plug it back in and verify that it is responding correctly when you hit the different switch positions. If your missing power then you need to chase it backwards until you find your problem, likely a blown fuse or damaged wire? If the power is there is the problem with the motor? Is the sunroof jammed in place? I believe there is a way to manually operate it. Look for a big Allen head bolt in the bottom of the motor that u can use to open and close the sunroof when you turn it. A factory sunroof usually works trouble free for the lifetime of the car, if you are having problems then it's likely someone has done something to cause the problem at some point. I have seen people who wiped the grease off the track and caued the motor to wear out quickly,. I have seen plugged drains so the watered puddled up in the jam and worked it's way ok not the motor and caused it to rust internally, even blown fuses because someone tried to force it to move while there was an obstruction. So sunroof problems should not be a frequent topic in this forum. If your having issues, try to identify anything usual that could be the cause of your problem. Any problem you have with your car can be resolved with these strategies. Just isolate the source of the problem to the primary system, like if it's power or a mechanical issue, and then narrow it down from there. These cars rarely have unique problems. Usually any problem has happened to plenty of other GS's and the solution is well documented here in ClubLexus, if you do have a unique problem, then it's likely there is a unique cause, and this is what you can look for to resolve it.