Two questions about an electric sunroof

[JubJub]

First question: When I tell it to open entirely to open the entire sunroof it first stops at about a quarter of the way, half, and then when I press it again it opens the entire way. Are these just different presets if people only want to do half way, quarter, full, etc?

Second question: When I open the sunroof completely this black trim piece kind of opens up (in the same direction orientation at a wind deflector would. When I try and close the sunroof its supposed to slide down to allow the entire thing the close. It doesn't slide down and I have to put my hand over it to keep it down as it slides to make sure it closes. Is this an issue of lubrication or is there something in the way of the track and isn't guiding that black trim piece to go down to allow it to close?

Any info would help a bunch.

[BMW_325i]

First answer: Not that i know of. Sounds like the motor is out of alignment with the correct positioning. Believe it or not, the motor is timed to stop at the right spots, there's no sensors or whatever.

The following is taken from somewhere i cant remember and that i used to get the sunroof right:
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Issue: the sunroof motor is out of sync and stops at incorrect positions:

You need to remove the front headliner, as follows:
-Open the sunroof either with the motor or manual opening allen key
-Remove the tilting windblocker. Pop its side brackets and remove the several screws that hold it down.
-Remove the 8 screws holding the front bar in place. Remove front bar.
-Remove the two screws under where the windblocker was that secure the headliner i.e. the black panel
-Partially remove the rails on the sides in order to pull the vinyl covering out. I removed the front three screws on each side of the rails, then slid the vinyl out from underneath.
-Remove the four screws for each sunvisor.
-Pull the weather stripping off the doors enough to remove the black vinyl panel from underneath
-Remove the headliner.
-The panel then drops down enough to be able to pull the check panel plug and the plug into the sunroof open/close switch. The panel then comes out entirely.

Close the sunroof so it's really closed.
Drop the motor (3 screws) but leave it electrically connected.

Use the buttons to move the motor until the motor thinks the sunroof is closed. There are a couple of places where it stops automatically. Make sure you're stopped at the right one. There's a long space (open-close) and a short space (tilt-close).

To find the Closed position, you need to connect the motor wires and press the open close buttons and figure out when it is in the right spot. remember that the motor runs for a long time to open backwards, and a short time to tilt up. It stops in the closed position but tends to overshoot a bit. I think it is best to take a marker and put a mark on one of the small gear teeth. you may need to adjust the position of the gear by tapping the button a bit.
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Second answer: There is supposed to be a linkage/runner on each side about 6 inches long that the sunroof slides over and that pushes the deflector flat.

Part 9 on this diagram:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1412&mospid=47283&btnr=54_0039&hg=54&fg=05

[JubJub]

Thanks for the help! Does anyone have a video of a properly working electric sunroof being opened? I just want to see what it should be moving like.

[DaveSmed]

Let me take a shot in the dark here, your car a 318is?

[JubJub]

It's a 325e