2005 Yukon Denali - I am so pi$$ed !!!

For at least the second time, the sunroof on the 2005 Yukon opened by itself, Mrs. Cusser did NOT touch the button. This time I'm unable to get it to close. After she had some issues with it a year after we got (2010) I had figured that as long as she didn't use it no problem. So now no motor noise, no movement , no nothing.

Sometimes after a "no nothing" situation it would miraculously work the next day, all by itself, no disconnecting of the battery. If I'm fortunate to have that happen again, I'm pulling out the fuse for it. I should have done that fuse-pulling before - might cost me a big repair now. So I feel stoooopid now that I didn't pull the fuse then. Obviously removing the switch wouldn't have helped, don't even know where to look to find the motor for it.

Any help on how to close would be welcomed. The manual just says how to close it and hold it there to reinitialize, which of course I can't do...

I never worked on these sun roofs but my guess is based on other GM switches it is the control switch. removal procedure of this is what you need and using a meter see whats going on.

pulling the fuse when it was closed the wife would be unhappy.

New switch fixed it. Dealer. I'm suspicious, I couldn't jump the wires there, had power there. Never did find a good wiring diagram of the sunroof though.

New sunroof switch fixed it. Never did find a good wiring diagram of the sunroof though.


like I stated before I never worked these sun roofs. I did some looking up on these and some recommend removal and cleaning oiling with a non detergent 20wt oil and if any rust is found prime paint to control.

with the dust storms out your way you may have a lot of dust grit in the guides. I would use an air compressor and blow out the tracks and see about some lube to reduce drag.

the switch failing is what I guessed. GM is installing cheap Chinese electrical components more and more.

when I come out your way this September I hope those sand storms do not develop.

This was a made-in-Mexico switch that was on there. Surprisingly inexpensive, I must say.

I don't have All Data, didn't have a decent wiring diagram for the switch, that made it tougher for me. Plus I wasn't feeling well this week.

New sunroof switch fixed it.

Not so fast, Grasshopper !!! Fixed it for 2 days. Sunroof stuck open again on Saturday, so 2nd trip to dealer. Dealer got it closed, still not working, wonder if they try to sell me on a motor replacement next when I take it back in. So I've taken the fuse out.

I'll likely ask for a refund since they didn't fix it, or dispute the fee on the Discover Card if they can't fix it on 3rd visit for same dollars I already gave them. If they request more money for a motor and its installation, I'll just tell them to fix it at price paid or I'll dispute the charge, and that will be easy with 3 trips there. I paid for a fix, not a guess, and they are supposed to be the experts.

Not so fast, Grasshopper !!! Fixed it for 2 days. Sunroof stuck open again on Saturday, so 2nd trip to dealer. Dealer got it closed, still not working, wonder if they try to sell me on a motor replacement next when I take it back in. So I've taken the fuse out.

I'll likely ask for a refund since they didn't fix it, or dispute the fee on the Discover Card if they can't fix it on 3rd visit for same dollars I already gave them. If they request more money for a motor and its installation, I'll just tell them to fix it at price paid or I'll dispute the charge, and that will be easy with 3 trips there. I paid for a fix, not a guess, and they are supposed to be the experts.

Explain the 2nd time ? you had the stealership replace switch ? If so how do you know that ? they gave you old switch ?

I stated earlier that these sunroof need be removed and cleaned / oiled tracks. now if it is binding that would cause the motor to act up. a new switch with new contacts would have less voltage drop so the motor had more power to crank it open closed which coulld explain its working for a little while.

motors are quite common especially with the widow binding.

this is going to be expensive .

Explain the 2nd time ? you had the stealership replace switch ? If so how do you know that ? they gave you old switch ?
this is going to be expensive .

I doubt dealership replaced the switch again, don't know. Mrs. Cusser took it there Saturday and waited. No old switch returned the first time. But I did mark the original switch with a Sharpie, should probably check that !!!


a new switch with new contacts would have less voltage drop so the motor had more power to crank it open closed which could explain its working for a little while.
motors are quite common especially with the widow binding.

this is going to be expensive .

It's not going to be any more expensive FOR ME. I already paid for a repair from them, the experts. If they didn't fix, they cannot keep my $$$, cannot have payment for service not delivered, merchantiblity regulations. I'll take to Discover or the TV station watchdog reporters, they love the bad publicity for businesses for stories like this.

Dealership spent tons more time trying to drum up additional business with their "inspection" Thursday than fixing the problem. The receipt stated 1.50 for sunroof diagnosis, yet the original labor charge was $271, down to $195 with a "30% off" coupon. For 1.50 hours, doesn't that work out to $130 a flat rate hour AFTER the 30% "discount"?

I doubt dealership replaced the switch again, don't know. Mrs. Cusser took it there Saturday and waited. No old switch returned the first time. But I did mark the original switch with a Sharpie, should probably check that !!!




It's not going to be any more expensive FOR ME. I already paid for a repair from them, the experts. If they didn't fix, they cannot keep my $$$, cannot have payment for service not delivered, merchantiblity regulations. I'll take to Discover or the TV station watchdog reporters, they love the bad publicity for businesses for stories like this.

Dealership spent tons more time trying to drum up additional business with their "inspection" Thursday than fixing the problem. The receipt stated 1.50 for sunroof diagnosis, yet the original labor charge was $271, down to $195 with a "30% off" coupon. For 1.50 hours, doesn't that work out to $130 a flat rate hour AFTER the 30% "discount"?

Since they did not repair, but charged you all that cost , the credit card should be contacted since the repair failed. you may have that amount dropped. here you would go to small claims court. what would occur is , they would just not show on the court date. with proper paper work you would win. Last time I was at small claims court 1700.oo me against insurance co. I could not believe all the auto repair cases. case after case the dealerships never showed up. I was there all day 3pm my claim was handled. I had 3 insurance co. lawyers to go up against . I got my 1700.00 . so 1700 was a good days work sitting on my azz for 6 hours.

It is well known that the dealerships do not guarantee any work done. with electrical its a guessing game at our expense and to their gain.

I called dealership again today, talked to service advisor. She wanted to have vehicle back (and I feel like they need one last opportunity to make good before I call Discover Card). I told her (typically a woman, whose job is to sell more automotive services) that I wasn't going to pay ANY more, that if I had been told like $600 for a repair I would've said "forgetaboutit". So Mrs. Cusser will take it back on Thursday, and she's been instructed NOT to pay another dime, and that the resolution is that (1) dealership fix it right for what I've already paid them, (2) leave sunroof closed and refund money. The (2) choice might be just refuse the charge on Discover.

Agree, I think they were guessing on the switch, remember I had confirmed voltage there, got continuity through the existing switch in both positions, and tried to jumper the connections. I didn't pay for a guess, they seem like parts replacers.

The TV news crews here love consumer stories like this, they even track how much dollars they saved consumers per year.

Right now the fuse is out and in a plastic bag so the sunroof doesn't open again on its own. I wonder if the dealership even knows which fuse is involved !!!

post back what they found . for 600 I would silicone that window in place . put a deep desert tint on it.

post back what they found .

Update - and I'm guessing that it's NOT my last update on this topic:

Mrs. Cusser took it back to the dealership today for its third visit for this issue, maybe the Yukon just likes it there. After 1/2 day, they say they fixed it: took another new switch, re-setting of the computer, whatever. They say it's got a 1-year warranty, I told her to use it, try to get it to fail soon, rather than in 11 or 13 months !!! No additional charges, like we informed them up front.

Methinks within 2 weeks there will be the same stuck-open issue....

jCAT - what do you feel about initally getting charged for recyle, hazardous materials, disposal for an electrical repair like this, would have been $54 if I hadn't squacked. They said it's automatically added to EVERY repair !!! Is this just a North Scottsdale thing, where so many customers have so much money that they pay it without questioning? I mean, it's not like a transmission overhaul....

I talked with the service advisor today - she said they have "absolutely no idea" why the sunroof wasn't working. That's a scary thought. She said that if it ever fails to close or operate in the next year, they will take care of it at no charge. So at least they're trying, as best as they can.

Mrs. Cusser is afraid to try it - I told her to use that at least twice per day, to try to see if it fails. But not on weekends or if rain is forthcoming.

Newer update, today: sunroof stuck open again. Dealer Service Director did NOT return my call !!! Looks like visit #4 is in my future !!!

Newer update, today: sunroof stuck open again. Dealer Service Director did NOT return my call !!! Looks like visit #4 is in my future !!!

In post #7 I explained how it is reported that the sun roof requires removal cleaning and oiling. binding is a problem.

your in a bad area for dust which gets into the sun roof. If the motor has a bind condition the roof will not move . this is the same effect like the door windows. A safety limiter to prevent personal injury.

the dealership should have removed the sunroof and do the work I described.

In post #7 I explained how it is reported that the sun roof requires removal cleaning and oiling. binding is a problem.

your in a bad area for dust which gets into the sun roof. If the motor has a bind condition the roof will not move . this is the same effect like the door windows. A safety limiter to prevent personal injury.

the dealership should have removed the sunroof and do the work I described.

Well, they didn't do that.

Service Director did not return my voicemail yesterday. Two other voicemails left today were not returned, but maybe those service folks were some who didn't work Saturday.

I also tried the sunroof operation yesterday, no luck. But this morning, when the temperature had dropped to maybe 58F, I tried the sunroof and it closed, maybe it just doesn't work when its warm (good luck with that, in Arizona). I removed the fuse, will probably remove the sunroof switch or relay or motor, as this had opened twice on its own and then wouldn't close in the past (why we took it in).

So basically, I paid $224.49 and it is NOT repaired, and that's what I paid for. I think I'll contact them, and request a refund, since dealer did not deliver what I paid for, and they are supposed to be the experts on their products. Maybe I'll ask the TV consumer reporters to dig into this.

But on the companion Yukon board here, today a GM representative asked me to PM with information like VIN, etc., so it seems like she's concerned that I am facing a fourth visit for the same repair. So maybe there's hope.

Well, they didn't do that.

Service Director did not return my voicemail yesterday. Two other voicemails left today were not returned, but maybe those service folks were some who didn't work Saturday.

I also tried the sunroof operation yesterday, no luck. But this morning, when the temperature had dropped to maybe 58F, I tried the sunroof and it closed, maybe it just doesn't work when its warm (good luck with that, in Arizona). I removed the fuse, will probably remove the sunroof switch or relay or motor, as this had opened twice on its own and then wouldn't close in the past (why we took it in).

So basically, I paid $224.49 and it is NOT repaired, and that's what I paid for. I think I'll contact them, and request a refund, since dealer did not deliver what I paid for, and they are supposed to be the experts on their products. Maybe I'll ask the TV consumer reporters to dig into this.

But on the companion Yukon board here, today a GM representative asked me to PM with information like VIN, etc., so it seems like she's concerned that I am facing a fourth visit for the same repair. So maybe there's hope.

my experience with those GM reps is DAMAGE CONTROL ! They are BS people that will offer you great deals on most everything but what your issue is. even when its under warranty these people are not to be trusted.

what matters here is you lost over 200 dollars to have them not fix it .also your time and cost of going thru the process of their guessing at this at your expense.

call the credit card and explain all this. I am sure you will get the credit on your statement . you did give them 3 attempts at it ,,,, that is reasonable .

removing the fuse is best since this may open at any time.

call the credit card and explain all this. I am sure you will get the credit on your statement . you did give them 3 attempts at it ,,,, that is reasonable .

I've also thought about that (Discover Card) even though it was on my previous credit card statement. Exactly what the local radio guy says: (1) pay with a credit card
(2) you're paying for a REPAIR, don't pay for a guess unless that's made very clear in advance

Next update:
Neither the Service Director (with whom I left a voicemail Friday 1pm) nor the service person (with whom I left a message for on Saturday morning) nor Erica from GM contacted me Monday April 8. So Monday afternoon I called and talked to someone, who said the service manager would call me in a few minutes. Instead, the service writer who I had dealt with before called immediately, assume he passed the buck to her.

So poor service writer Ashley, who is not a mechanic, says I need to bring it back for a 4th try. Right now I'm torn between calling Discover Card and trying to get a refund, or letting them guess again.

Sure, Mrs. Cusser would rather have the sunroof work properly than a refund, but I need one of those two to happen. So she wants to take back for a 4th guess. Any more visits and the dealership will need to build me a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen !!!

Next update:
Neither the Service Director (with whom I left a voicemail Friday 1pm) nor the service person (with whom I left a message for on Saturday morning) nor Erica from GM contacted me Monday April 8. So Monday afternoon I called and talked to someone, who said the service manager would call me in a few minutes. Instead, the service writer who I had dealt with before called immediately, assume he passed the buck to her.

So poor service writer Ashley, who is not a mechanic, says I need to bring it back for a 4th try. Right now I'm torn between calling Discover Card and trying to get a refund, or letting them guess again.

Sure, Mrs. Cusser would rather have the sunroof work properly than a refund, but I need one of those two to happen. So she wants to take back for a 4th guess. Any more visits and the dealership will need to build me a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen !!!

I would get my cash back from the credit card . then go to another GM repair shop that knows all about your issues . do not tell them what happened at the dealership that screwed up this repair , just be sure they know how to fix this first. randomly opens by itself >>>>.

that way the wife will be happy and the chance of this being fixed should be much better since 3 times they failed . why would you believe the 4th is going to work ?

Also they did not return your calls then dumped this on the clerk . since they avoided talking to you ,,, they should not be used ever again for any other issue or vehicle purchase, this is poor customer service. GM customer support is just a big scam !

GM Support has contacted me. Right now, I honestly believe that they are trying to solve this. They will get one more chance, that will be #4. More than that and they'll need to build living quarters for me at the dealership.

Update: Throughout the summer, sometimes the sunroof again failed to close, then maybe a day or two later would close. A GM representative saw my post here and got involved, got me to take to dealer in mid-July so she could speak to dealership personnel while it was there.

When I took it in on a Monday morning, service rep asked if sunroof was operating, and I replied that I had absolutely no idea, that we were afraid to try it, as rain was forecast for later that week. So I handed her the keys, she opened it (it always would open) but wouldn't close. Well GM had the Yukon until Friday morning, swore they tried it "hundreds" of times and it always worked perfectly. Except the first time the service rep tried it herself. Anyway, we picked it up Friday, service rep agreed to a refund since we had paid for a repair, and didn't get a repair. Three weeks later, I called the GM rep, and she called service rep, who told her that she was waiting for us to "call her and request a refund", even though we had done just that in person on July 19, and she had agreed to get the ball rolling, that was an obvious lie, even to the GM rep. Anyway, the GM rep got in touch with the dealership service manager, who did return her call after she left a second message threatening to escalate. Anyway Aug. 28th we did receive a refund check. Dealer had "absolutely no idea" what was wrong and still is wrong with the sunroof.

I took out the sunroof fuse, much better than getting stuck with it open. By the way: that dealership will NEVER see my face again, so they've now lost out on all future business.

I wonder if that is worth the $224 they finally refunded me.

Local radio mechanic stresses that if you've paid for a fix, then you must get the fix. Case closed. Sunroof closed.

Update: Throughout the summer, sometimes the sunroof again failed to close, then maybe a day or two later would close. A GM representative saw my post here and got involved, got me to take to dealer in mid-July so she could speak to dealership personnel while it was there.

When I took it in on a Monday morning, service rep asked if sunroof was operating, and I replied that I had absolutely no idea, that we were afraid to try it, as rain was forecast for later that week. So I handed her the keys, she opened it (it always would open) but wouldn't close. Well GM had the Yukon until Friday morning, swore they tried it "hundreds" of times and it always worked perfectly. Except the first time the service rep tried it herself. Anyway, we picked it up Friday, service rep agreed to a refund since we had paid for a repair, and didn't get a repair. Three weeks later, I called the GM rep, and she called service rep, who told her that she was waiting for us to "call her and request a refund", even though we had done just that in person on July 19, and she had agreed to get the ball rolling, that was an obvious lie, even to the GM rep. Anyway, the GM rep got in touch with the dealership service manager, who did return her call after she left a second message threatening to escalate. Anyway Aug. 28th we did receive a refund check. Dealer had "absolutely no idea" what was wrong and still is wrong with the sunroof.

I took out the sunroof fuse, much better than getting stuck with it open. By the way: that dealership will NEVER see my face again, so they've now lost out on all future business.

I wonder if that is worth the $224 they finally refunded me.

Local radio mechanic stresses that if you've paid for a fix, then you must get the fix. Case closed. Sunroof closed.

hello . I was wondering if you ever had this fixed. I guess your post about this issue just explains how the dealerships do lie and take your money. I am sure there is some dealership that has electrical automotive technicians that can do this repair. like I stated before the complete roof window will require cleaning and lube. then they should measure the current draw to see that there is no binding or excessive current flow. the motor will shutdown if it uses too much current this is a safety device so as to prevent injury.

well you got your money back and for me to loose that option where you live would be no big deal. these sunroofs are too much of a problem in dust areas .

I had made plans to come out your way this aug/sept. wife had to have knee job.
hoping to come out there next year.

hello . I was wondering if you ever had this fixed. I guess your post about this issue just explains how the dealerships do lie and take your money. I am sure there is some dealership that has electrical automotive technicians that can do this repair.

Dealership merely gave up trying to figure out. Stated they had absolutely no idea.

I also didn't like how on very first visit for this that dealership declared it was the switch, easy fix, so I wanted the "bad" switch, my property, and they told me repair price over the phone. When I got there, there was like a $55 hazardous materials disposal fee, so I asked what hazardous materials were actually disposed, and service rep "went in to check" and took off that fee. Also, the "free inspection" which in many ways was trawling for additional repair work, stated in writing that my radiator hoses were the original ones, and being a 2005 Yukon, should be replaced. Funny - the hoses still had the Gates labels on them and aftermarket worm-style hose clamps, as I had replaced its water pump and hoses about a month before. Maybe "CarFax" had no record of that, maybe dealer "mechanic" didn't even look at the hoses....

Anyway, had dealership said "sorry, we can't fix, here's your money back", they may have retained a customer. But not this time. I bet dealership spent $1000 in people's time, plus Erica (GM rep) time too, to fight this. We call this "penny wise, pound foolish"....


I stated before the complete roof window will require cleaning and lube. then they should measure the current draw to see that there is no binding or excessive current flow. the motor will shutdown if it uses too much current this is a safety device so as to prevent injury.

I believe that this is most likely the technical reason for this, exactly what I felt all along, an intermittent causing temporary safety shutdown. Most likely why it "worked" just after, and for two days after they replaced the switch: just happenstance. Apparently no one at the dealership knew about this, and supposedly they researched this. Maybe at a different dealership someone would've known this, and been a straightforward fix.

Anyway, Mrs. Cusser can let in light now, but the fuse is out, and sunroof will remain inoperative.

Dealership merely gave up trying to figure out. Stated they had absolutely no idea.

I also didn't like how on very first visit for this that dealership declared it was the switch, easy fix, so I wanted the "bad" switch, my property, and they told me repair price over the phone. When I got there, there was like a $55 hazardous materials disposal fee, so I asked what hazardous materials were actually disposed, and service rep "went in to check" and took off that fee. Also, the "free inspection" which in many ways was trawling for additional repair work, stated in writing that my radiator hoses were the original ones, and being a 2005 Yukon, should be replaced. Funny - the hoses still had the Gates labels on them and aftermarket worm-style hose clamps, as I had replaced its water pump and hoses about a month before. Maybe "CarFax" had no record of that, maybe dealer "mechanic" didn't even look at the hoses....

Anyway, had dealership said "sorry, we can't fix, here's your money back", they may have retained a customer. But not this time. I bet dealership spent $1000 in people's time, plus Erica (GM rep) time too, to fight this. We call this "penny wise, pound foolish"....




I believe that this is most likely the technical reason for this, exactly what I felt all along, an intermittent causing temporary safety shutdown. Most likely why it "worked" just after, and for two days after they replaced the switch: just happenstance. Apparently no one at the dealership knew about this, and supposedly they researched this. Maybe at a different dealership someone would've known this, and been a straightforward fix.

Anyway, Mrs. Cusser can let in light now, but the fuse is out, and sunroof will remain inoperative.

The trawling inspection is very common . as you know the bigger the bill the more the service manager gets on his cut. Having worked at a dealership breaking the vehicle to create a bigger bill is done. In the past when I was young and stupid I got screwed a few times from the GM dealerships. well that was then . now with OEM manuals and the internet info, this is a thing of the past for me and many others.

as the info on the internet increased about GM screwing their customers the bankruptcy came to be .

If you look at sales now, ford is taking over on these type vehicles.

the 2007-on up have many problems . also the have very complicated electronic engine management controls. anything goes wrong they just swap out parts until they think it is fixed. keep the 2006 and older vehicles as long as possible.