Dreaded Sunroof Problem

[mbsickness]

The car is a 1994 C280 with the metal panel sunroof. When I try and open it sliding back into the roof One side start dipping into the roof while the other side lifts up. I am reluctant to start messing with and end up with it stuck open. Any ideas what is wrong?

[RemoLexi]

I would honestly buy a glass sunroof tray / mech & motor assembly and swap in. It's 6 bolts after the headliner is removed.

[mbsickness]

I hate doing headliners on 20 year old cars....I know I will end up refurbishing the headliner on a car that the FMV is getting close to three figures. I believe the driver's side slide is at fault as the roof liner does not lift on that side and there is a misplaced arm. The slides do move so the cables are okay. The part is around $100 but requires I open the roof to get the lining panel out and access to the slides. I know what it is like to have the sunroof retracted and stuck open. It is still fresh in my memory and I don't need a refresher.

[mbsickness]

Well I decided to try and fix the roof for two reasons. First of all I hate having options or features that don't work. Secondly as it turns out the roof lifts up on the freeway when a cross wind hits. Lastly there is a rattle if some plastic parts right over my head that the radio can't drown out. First I covered the sunroof panel in blue tape just incase the roof became stuck open. In the past I had a VW that had a failed sunroof and it opened but wouldn't close. Not only would it not close it would put deep scratches on the panel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/geraldch/null_zps0299b527.jpg

So I was lucky and was able to extract this from the tracks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/geraldch/null_zps33979b6c.jpg

Now I reassembled everything but came across this part. Any ideas where this goes? I believe this is what jammed the roof in the first place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/geraldch/null_zps2c44a2f8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v185/geraldch/null_zpsc34786c4.jpg