Sunroof lubrication - what to use?

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br1anstorm

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I have a 1990 W126 coupe with electric tilt-and-slide sunroof, but I think this question applies to all MB sunroofs. To avoid expensive problems when the roof jams, it is said that regular lubrication is vital. But it's often overlooked. What lubricant should be used?

Browsing the forums (esp the US ones) reveals a lot of dire warnings that only the original MB lubricant (gleiptpaste?) MUST be used. Problem is, the real stuff is only available in, or from, dealers, in big tubs (why?) and at huge expense.

So what are the possible options? Most advise strongly against the cure-alls like WD40, and also 'normal' lubing oil or grease, which either hardens with age, or attracts dust and dirt. I have seen recommendations for PTFE (spray?) and silicon lubricant - but I'm not sure if those 3-in-1 cans from Halfords are good enough, or if they're just normal spray-oil with a little of this stuff added. I have also seen mention of cycle chain lubricant containing Teflon (PTFE by another name?)

Any thoughts/comments/suggestions? I'd hate to use some alternative, only to find that it gums up the slides...

(Psst - if anyone has a tub of the real stuff, can I do a deal for a thimbleful?!)

br1anstorm
 
Not that I'm suggesting this is suitable - but this sounds like an ideal application for Silicone Grease.

I guess what I do is find out exactly what gleiptpaste is, then find another supplier (sometimes quite a lateral search).
 
This is the genuine stuff. 100g costs £15 but it lasts forever and has plenty of uses.

452d1080827806-belt-squeel-paste.jpg
 
Excuse the possibly random thoughts & I know £15 unlikely to break the bank:
DT/Hugi freehub grease ( for expensive bicycle rear hubs) comes in equally small pots at a similar price- I wonder if it's useable? It is also called Molykote TP42.
Ordinary grease used on this freehub leaves the freewheel very noisy, but this stuff makes it much more muted, even in small quantities...

edit: the DT/Hugi hubs are often specced onto serious mountain bikes or tandems & as such exposed to quite high loads
 
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I thought the MB stuff came in much bigger containers than that and at a much bigger price. Maybe I can stop using WD40 and a wipe over with engine oil after 14 years :cool:
 
This is getting interesting....

First off, Mudster, I believe "gleiptpaste" is simply German for "sliding paste" or something like that....!

Sp!ke - that photo was interesting. But I'm not sure that it is the sunroof stuff. First because the label describes it as "Silikonpaste" (no translation needed). Second because the part number doesn't tally with what I believe to be the number for the sunroof lubricant. According to what I've seen on US sites the sunroof stuff is either A 001 989 46 51 or A 001 989 14 51. And it is allegedly only supplied by MB in big (1 kg?) tubs, as Smiley suggests. MB does supply and recommend a host of different lubes for different purposes: I wonder if the silicon paste isn't for some other application?

All that said, MB don't manufacture oils and greases - so whatever they specify for the sunroof (and some have said it's unique and almost jelly-like), it must be made by some specialist lubricant company (Fuchs? Kluber?). I wonder how we can track it down to the source...!

br1anstorm
 
That just sounds like molybdenum disulphide grease.

[edit] on second thoughts maybe it doesnt sound such a bad choice having read up on it.

That 20g tub has some mark-up on it though

Sil-Mid - Lubricants Aerospace/Molykote Lubricants/Molykote Pastes/MOLYKOTE TP42 1KG TIN

Wow, that's much cheaper!
(I'm impressed you looked into this further Spike)
Haven't used what I have though, let alone a kg of the stuff!

I have a pano roof & have never put anything on the running gear, although I don't actually use the opening mechanism much(only a few times per year probably), so guess it does not get mucky/dusty. It runs perfectly, but maybe I should service it a bit :eek:
?Is it a standard service item to grease the runners?
 
Completely OT:
br1anstorm- your sig name reminded me about the term 'brainstorm'- apparently it's not a pc term anymore because of the connotations with epileptic attacks & the pc equivalent is 'thought shower', although I am sure there will be a hydrophobe somewhere who might complain....:rolleyes:
 
Completely OT:
br1anstorm- your sig name reminded me about the term 'brainstorm'- apparently it's not a pc term anymore because of the connotations with epileptic attacks & the pc equivalent is 'thought shower', although I am sure there will be a hydrophobe somewhere who might complain....:rolleyes:

Smatt - it's all part of a cunning disguise. Nothing to do with thought-showers, epileptics or anything pc.

Clue: Sp!ke uses a '!' in his name, I use a figure '1' in mine. But this is OT, so I'll say no more....
 
I guessed that!
 
I just make it part of my servicing regime to annually pop out the sunroof trim , clean off all the runners with a rag , then re-lube with normal grease ( I have a large tub of Castrol grease in my shed ) .

This has worked well for me over the years on several cars with sunrooves , both electric and manual , including the full-length Webasto roof on my W105 .
 
I use spray on white grease as it dries to a non sticky tacky finish so doesn't attract any dirt. I also use it on the door latches and hinges.

I suspect it's similar to the MB stuff.
 
I use spray on white grease as it dries to a non sticky tacky finish so doesn't attract any dirt. I also use it on the door latches and hinges.

I suspect it's similar to the MB stuff.

yep i do the same but the MB stuff is supposed to be fantastic...

Like has been said im not sure the above is the right stuff as it only comes in a large tub at around £50..
 
This is allegedly the wonder grease.

Group buy anyone? Someone could buy 500g and sell it by the 1/8th for a profit :D
 

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Judging by the warning you need to make sure you don't mix it up with your "other" lubrication jar....:eek:
 
Keep an eye on eBay, sometimes there are sellers who'll sell small quantities.
I bought a plastic 35mm film pot full a few years ago for a couple of quid.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
Keep an eye on eBay, sometimes there are sellers who'll sell small quantities.
I bought a plastic 35mm film pot full a few years ago for a couple of quid.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

This thread is 9 years old mate
 
So I have a Pan am roof. What is the currently accepted lube, where can I get it and at what cost?
 

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