[bempey]

I acquired a 2006 B200 this week with a "broken" sun-roof. (moving the switch either direction invokes "crunchy sounds"). I helped a friend shop for a vehicle 2 years back and chose a newer B200 Turbo, with a working sunroof, which he complained made whistling noises at freeway speeds. Mine does the same.

I would like replace that annoying sun-roof with a single panel of:
1. Glass ideally (for scratch-resistant cleaning), or
2. Plastic (then I'd opt for dark tinted)
I've done some searches online, but can't find anything.

QUESTION: DOES ANYONE HAVE LINKS TO A REPLACEMENT PANEL?

I'm happy to remove all traces of the stock unit.
Thanks!
Brian in White Rock, BC (between Vancouver, BC and Blaine, WA)

 

[bempey]

if you can accept permanently closed sunroof just cover the roof with transparent film like I do. no leaks no sound no problem, it'll protect the paint also.
some versions of w245 has panoramic roof, it has been discussed here and both has the same dimensions what I remember. mb dealer could find one but I'm sure it'll cost as much as a new lamella sunroof.

You had me confused for a bit, then I realized that the photo is not of your car, correct?
I've been thinking the same, and looking for options.

 

[bempey]

Covering the roof with "car wrap" -- options

I have the front 2 slots/openings "wrapped" in clear packing tape, so my wife could do a weekend road-trip without any audio accompaniment.
It even survived a rain-storm. But looks nasty, and I know it won't last.

By "wrap" you mean vinyl signage material AKA "car wrap", right?
I was looking into the exact same thing.
It seems that Avery Dennison and Vivid Vinyls are the 2 most popular brands.

First I considered something that looks the same.
My car is that odd light silvery blue.
Here are the Avery Dennison colours:
https://fivestarcanada.com/collections/avery-dennison-vinyl-wrap
You can find most on eBay and/or Amazon, but mostly in 1' x 5' strips.
It comes in rolls 152 cm wide (approx 5') and it seems that folks are buying rolls and then slicing off 1' and 2' wide strips and selling.
Here's a 1/2 meter long piece of the closest colour ... CAD$48 for comparison.
I haven't measure the roof yet, but I think its pretty long, if you want to cover from the windshield to the rear spoiler.
Here is a 5' by 5' piece. I need to see if that would cover it, from the windshield, but my wife has the car at work.
The price is great, at only C$40-. I can't get anything fixed of the original roof for that.

So, then I thought "if it doesn't match, then maybe pick something contrasting?"
Here's a 6' x 5' sheet of fake carbon fibre for under C$150
But it shouldn't be something shiny and smooth, as the old sun-roof panels underneath will look like crap.

So, I found this stuff: Black 3D Carbon Fiber 5ft x 5ft 25sq ft Cast Vinyl Decal New Bubble-Free Car Wrap by Vivid.
It should (maybe) hide the lumpy nature of the sun-roof underneath.
I might need to buy 2 sheets to cover the whole roof.
Then I can use the leftovers on ... interior trim? My motorcycle?

Better than 2 sheets, here is the bigger sheet: Black 3D Carbon Fiber 5ft x 10ft 50sq ft Cast VViViD8 Vinyl Car Wrap for C$120 (less than US$100).

What do you think? Worth a try?

 

[bempey]

I suggest using transparent vinly.
like the one in the link
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32259190489.html

Nice!
And pulling the fuse?
I hope the sunroof has its own fuse.

 

[bempey]

I'd go with the panoramic solid glass if it was my problem.

That sounds expensive.
I was in a cashflow crunch due to the CRA stealing a substantial amount of money on January 12th 2018, and I'm still waiting to get my $$$ back (14+ months later)

So I sold my A4 Avant Quattro 2.0T/DSG and bought this B200 for cheap. Under $4k with our 12% tax in.
This car has 3 issues:

1. broken sunroof
2. stumbling engine and P0304 fault code (mis-fire on cylinder #4)
3. a tiny scratch on the bottom of the front bumper

Otherwise it is in mint condition, has only 154,000 kms on it, and near new Bridgestone all-seasons, likely worth $1k installed.

The sunroof I can do without.
The mis-fire is likely just old spark-plugs, and easily fixed.
The scratch is cosmetic.
I'm not putting any money into the car, other than maintenance.

Speaking of which, I have the CVT. I cannot find any info on the best maintenance to keep this ticking time-bomb from exploding.
I am willing to sacrifice $$$ to the God of CVT Longevity.
And, when I have $$$ again, I'd be happy to locate a 6-speed-manual B200, with power seats, because I LOVE the handling of the car, but the seats are not optimum for my 6'5" frame, nor my wife (who is over 6' tall).

 

[bempey]

CV joint boot longevity

^ I'm going to agree, but more specifically, the boots are crap. They're more plastic than rubber.

I do recall, however, someone had a stress crack on a driveshaft, I think.

Everyone, keep your eyes out for cracks or evidence of grease around the boot areas.

Back in the early 70s, my father sold Renault cars. Most were FWD (the R12) and the boots were prone to cracking in the winter. Seems the synthetic rubber of the day wasn't up to northern Ontario's climate.
The solution was to not turn the wheels full-lock until after the car was driven a while so that the boots had time to warm up.
It worked.

If that trick was good enough to preserve the CV joints of French cars 45 years ago, it might work on your B200 now.