Hardtop adjusment

[Robcast]

About time we got a subforum!!!
My hardtop rattles over bumps, is there any way to adjust it ???

[amancuso]

My hardtop rattles over large bumps and imperfections in the road. I guess they are meant to do that?? Most of the time it's quiet. I would guess a way to quiet it down would be to recondition the gasket around the rear edge and at the top of the windshield.

[palomino]

i think it has to do with the normal flexing of the convertible over bumps.

more proof that the hardtop doesnt contribute any structural rigidity to the car.

mine does it too. :az

sticking some dynamat to the back of the sheetmetal may dull the sound a little. when i had the fiberglass backing off, theres nothing else in the middle of the roof - just the outer shell with the liner clipped in. the stuff is kind of heavy, so i dont know if id trust it to sit tight upside down forever.

[dieseldriver99]

This should be normal, unless you want to somehow weld it to the body... huh? That sounds like a Coupe!:)

About time we got a subforum!!!
My hardtop rattles over bumps, is there any way to adjust it ???

[Robcast]

Thanks, at least I am not the only one.

[RayMan]

I'd be surprised if anyone with a hardtop doesn't have any rattles. I thought about replacing all the rubber seals on my hardtop but it's quite spendy to replace the whole deal. I'm guessing that over time, these seals get a bit flattened out.

[fun2drive]

First of all be sure you have the rubber or plastic snubbers in place in the windshield frame. They are right by the pin that the J latchs pulls down. If you don't have those in place your top will rattle like hell.
Also if you don't lube all the rubber often as in take the top off and Gummi Phedge the hell out of it, your top will also pop and grown.
Those are the main secrets if your top is correctly adjusted.
My top originally made no noise then the grown started and since I drive with the hardtop off a lot either I lost one of those snubbers or someone borrowed one.
After pulling that little snubber back (BMW parts dept had a hell of a time finding it even with my realoem diagram) and lubing the top with Gummi I can report a noise free top...

[dieseldriver99]

Couldn't tell you, I don't have a Hardtime, uh, I mean hardtop.

BTW, I see lots of Bimmers in my company's parking lot. I am going to see if we can start a CarClub of NJ!

About time we got a subforum!!!
My hardtop rattles over bumps, is there any way to adjust it ???

[dieseldriver99]

Probably that Lexus VERT doesn't.. I wouldn't know it anyways because I can't stand Lexus. Oh, and BTW, I don't like that Acura TL with HID lights, they blind the crap out of you. One time, I chased the guy down in my neighborhood to his house and told him I almost lost control because I could not see. How could they engineer a car like that, terrible...:mad

I'd be surprised if anyone with a hardtop doesn't have any rattles. I thought about replacing all the rubber seals on my hardtop but it's quite spendy to replace the whole deal. I'm guessing that over time, these seals get a bit flattened out.

[bigbilly]

Also if you don't lube all the rubber often as in take the top off and Gummi Phedge the hell out of it, your top will also pop and grown. Those are the main secrets if your top is correctly adjusted.


On my "to do" list for next week when I'm off work and back at my garage. I'll report back with how effective this is. Hoping it works.

On mine, the leading edge rubber doesn't fit too well against the A-pillar/windshield frame. It's mooshed down in the direction of the cabin. Any suggestions - or should the Gummi Phledge take care of it?

BB

[dinans3m3]

actually my dads Sl500 has no rattle with or without the hardtop. Seems the e36 wasnt up to par when making it a vert. No offense i had a 99 M3 vert tweaked with suspension strut/stress, sway bars etc... and it still rattled. My moms 318 vert does the same. They are nice cars but originally structured as coupe therefore you will always have some bit of rattling and rubberband feel over bumps. I guess thats the price you pay for open air enjoyment :)

not apples to oranges comparison. Benz is a 1990 so its even older :)

[MParallel]

actually my dads Sl500 ...:)

Ok stop right there!!

Much newer car and has a retractable hardtop.

That's apples-oranges comparison.

[amancuso]

... originally structured as coupe therefore you will always have some bit of rattling and rubberband feel over bumps....
Double stop right there!!

The e36 convertible was designed as such and does not share many body panels as the coupe.

[dinans3m3]

Double stop right there!!

The e36 convertible was designed as such and does not share many body panels as the coupe.
yes i agree its hybrid of a coupe and saloon. :)
Im talking about a 1990 SL500 not the new ones with a retractable roof. They are real solid cars (R-129 models)

[MParallel]

Double stop right there!!

The e36 convertible was designed as such and does not share many body panels as the coupe.

Actually it does.

And no DinanS3M3, it doesn't share a single Saloon bodywork panel.

The vert is completely based on the coupe with it's more raked front windown, longer hood, front wings, front indicators and rear lightunits.

Obviously the rear is different, but apart from that....deffo no saloon/coupe hybrid!

[cabrio dk]

my hardtop is also making noises once in a while when i drive over a bump.
mostly when it is the left frontwheel that hits the bump first. i can live with that since im only using the hardtop in the start of the winther. i live in Denmark, and here are all the roads covered in salt in the cold winther, therefore is my cabrio in garage from December to april, because it doenst deserve to drive in snow and salt. Merry christmas to all you vert guys. (and girls)..

Regards Martin

[fun2drive]

Bigbilly:
As long as your top is correctly adjusted and you have the windshield snubbers in place by the latch pins and you have lubed the heck out of the rubber, it should eliminate or almost completely stop the noise as in a rattle and groan.
Had to do this to both e36 hardtops I have owned including the current one I have. NO RATTLES OR GROANS.
Hope this helps.

[Jimmie Jazz]

Fun2drive,
Could you please post a pic or link to the diagram showing the snubbers? Are they stock equipment on the Vert or are they a separate addition that comes with the hardtop?

[666 ACS]

My hardtop makes the odd noise over some really big bumps but other than that it is pretty good.

I am sure there is a way of tightening it up if you adjust the two mounting points at the rear of the hard top.

[MParallel]

It's only logical a hardtop makes the occassional noise.

I mean, the body of a vert will flex, so with the hardtop staying "in shape" the bodyflex wants to flex the hardtop too.

[bobsails]

My hardtop is generally pretty well behaved. But over a big bump I get a good clunk on the driver's side at the rear of the car. A visual inspection showed that the driver's side was not as tight as the passenger side. I loosened the passenger side by about 2 turns and tightened the driver's side by about two turns. So far so good.
Does anyone know of a factory recommended procedure or tolerances for adjusting the tension of the roof?

edited 11/23: I've been driving the car for a few days since the adjustment. There has been virtually no noise from the roof. One way to dtermine if your roof is adjusted evenly is to look at the gap along the back of the roof where it meets the deck in front of the trunk. Try to get an equal gap from side to side.