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View Full Version : Screching noise when top is put up



jspringator
04-19-2013, 08:08 AM
My top makes a screeching noise when top is put up. It only makes the noise for 2 seconds or so when the top is sticking straight up.

Any ideas?

JDStrickland
04-19-2013, 01:08 PM
Lube it?

Does it make the noise under power or when you raise or lower the top manually?

Your question is sorta like, "how do I boil water?", but we can't tell if you are having trouble filling the pot or turning the stove on.

jspringator
04-19-2013, 01:31 PM
It screeches when under power. I have a semi-automatic top. I would lube it, but I don't know what to lube. Is there a hydraulic pump anywhere? It may be low on fluid.

JDStrickland
04-19-2013, 01:57 PM
The E36 semi-automatic top is motor-driven, not hydraulic.

The semi-auto top has a latch that you must manually release before you can operate a button to drive the top down. The fully automatic top will unlatch when you operate the button to lower it.

You can lift out the seat cusion from the back seat to expose a red flag attached to a lever that will release the motors that open the storage compartment lid and raise/lower the roof. DO NOT PULL THIS LEVER if you are not able to remove the liner inside the trunk behind the left tire and expose the motors to latch them back into place.

No matter which top you have, fully or semi automatic, you can stop the operation and change direction in the middle. When the roof is raised to near verticle, stop the operation. You can look inside the roof between the layers of material -- the roof material and the headliner material -- to see the roof structure. You should be able to see the pivot points so that you can place a few drops of oil on each of them.

If you pull the lever, then you can operate the roof by hand and set it wherever you want it, but you must be able to latch the motors back into position to regain normal roof operations.

jspringator
05-10-2013, 10:26 AM
There is a rotating arm at the base of the top storage compartment, drivers side. After a couple of shots of lube I'm good to go.

jspringator
06-14-2013, 01:13 PM
Come to find out the top motor was loose. 2 of the screws backed all the way out. I think one of the screws was lodged under the rotating arm causing the screeching. I'm trying to figure out how to tighten the screws without having to resync the top.

lumanikus
06-16-2013, 10:08 PM
I have to say re-syncing isn't that big of a deal. Sometimes you spend more time and effort trying not to do something than just to do it...of course i say this now...
But now im going to do the vertical lube of pivot points... giggity giggity

I didn't think the top would be so tweakable i must admit...