Member
Hey Guys,
My Z4 convertible top motor died. The dealer and locals want to rob me to repair it. I decided to buy the motor online and I'm thinking about doing the repair myself.
I was wondering if there were any Long Island NY neighbors who might be interested in helping out or have experience. I found the awesome DIY from shipkiller, but it's a big job for someone like me with no experience.
For those of you who are in need of a replacement top motor, check out getbmwparts.com
Part #54347193448
Motor and pump, z4 2003 - 2008
$326 plus shipping/handling came to $356
The BMW dealer wanted $426 for the part.
Feel free to send me a reply of you might be interested in helping or if you know someone.
Thanks
Jeff
Member
mine went out also... maybe call around to a different $tealership... i priced mine at BMW of seattle and they were only asking 350 or so.
A friend of mine was suggesting that I just take it in and have the motor rebuilt at a electric motor/alternator/generator repair shop. I will keep you up to date on that when I do it in the next few weekends or so.
Member
Thanks for your reply.
Too late to price around more dealerships because I ordered the replacement motor already. Should be receiving it today or tomorrow.
If I can't find someone to help me with the repair, I'll price around and hope to find someone competent.
Update me when you can on the rebuilt motor. I'd like to know how that turns out. Good luck!
Thanks
Member
There are detailed instructions right here on the forum from Shipliller in the DIY section.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1365747
You had your entire life to prepare for today.
Member
Did you see what the old motor looked like in Shipkiller's DIY? If the failure is caused by a clogged drain (the usual culprit) I don't think rebuilding it is an option.Originally Posted by justinius7
Member
If I was a little closer, I'd be game for helping out. I just took my convertible top out the past weekend. It's still currently out because I'm waiting to order the replacement motor. I thought I had one lined up for $150, but it got sold out from under me. I did everything by myself and the only thing that was unbearably difficult was picking the entire convertible top up and out of the car by myself. Everything else you can do on your own with just a little bit of mechanical inclination. And yeah, I don't think rebuilding the motor is an option. Mine looked exactly like the one in shipkiller's DIY.
Member
Hey s0n1c,
Do you plan on replacing the Motor Housing/Sound Absorber that shipkiller recommends? I was thinking about it, but I don't know if it's really necessary. It costs $77 online plus s/h.
Shipkiller also mentions replacing the copper sealing washers which he thinks come in the 'Hydraulic Repair Kit'. The kit costs $46 plus s/h.
What do you think?
Member
I definitely am replacing the housing. The foam that was in the old housing is all warped and saturated with rust and old water. I ordered the parts from www.getbmwparts.com and picked them up yesterday (I live in the DC area, so BMW of Silver Spring was an easy drive for me to go get them). I forgot about ordering the Hydraulic Repair Kit though. Shipkiller said that he didn't replace his, so I'm not going to worry about it. I was actually complaining to my friend yesterday that $77 seemed like a lot for foam and plastic, and my friend (also a BMW owner) replied very quickly with "that's BMW tax..." In the end, to me everything totals to $401, which is still $1480 cheaper than the cheapest estimate I got from any shop to replace it, so I sucked up the cost and I'm sure once it's all back together and working, I will be glad I replaced it. There's too much time and effort required for a job like this to end up messing something up over $77. Having said that, if I were you, I would go ahead and order the Hydraulic Repair Kit as well since you haven't ordered your parts yet. $450 (plus s/h) is still not that bad for a total cost. Plus you get the chance to learn about how the car was constructed!
Member
Seems like there are a few people doing this; I'm about to tackle the same project in the morning; my parts just arrived today.
I bought mine from BMWpartscenter.net, $322.50 for the motor and $76.46 for the sound absorber + $19.95 for shipping, $2.00 for handling, total $420.91 ...... wish I would have checked more places, but I was in a rush and it was better than what the dealers quoted me.
I'm also going to do this by myself, but I think I have figured out a way to get the top off without needing another set of hands ..... I rigged some rope and pulleys from the ceiling track rails of my garage door, I hope to just tie onto the top and hoist it up from the car ........ not sure if it will work yet, but will know tomorrow.
I also plan on using ShipKiller's DIY, but the only thing that worries me is getting the hoop disconnected from the clips; hopefully I will learn as I go and it will all work out.
If anyone has any other tips aside from what has already been posted, it would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Greg
Member
Are you guys using the same Motor Part #54347193448
BMW parts guy told me if the motor has never been replaced before then the top up/down button's will be reversed unless I switch the pinouts. This is due to the revised motor BMW is making now.
Anybody know if this is true or not? If it is true, can anyone clarify?
Thanks!
Member
It really takes TWO persons to get the lift the top out of the car.... My wife help me lift it up. It really is not heavy, just bulky....
Ask a neighbor and give them a beer for the five minutes of trouble....
AirOps,, I admire the ingenuity but that is a lot of effort for five minutes of work...
There has been some success in taking the old motor out and baking it in an oven @140' for an hour or so, but for me, if I am going to take all the time and effort to pull the top, then just replace the motor and SEAL the housing with RTV like in the DIY.
Like it says in the DIY, TAKE PICTURES so you don't forget how the top goes back together...
Also, when you put the top back into the car, don't bolt everything back into place. Just hook up the electrical connections and do a quick movement test. You don't have to go full travel. Just just want to see if the buttons are reversed. That way if the two wires are reversed, then you only have to disconnect the wiring, pull the top and switch the wires on the motor/pump, then reseal the housing.
Also, the lower mounting bolts (right and left) does not need to be removed. Just loosened. That way, you have a guide to put the top back in... The upper bolt are the main fasteners that hold the top to the frame of the car.
Last edited by Shipkiller; 07-23-2011 at 09:43 PM.
You all never seem to have enough time to do the job properly the first time, but you always seem to find the time to do it a second time......... ME
Member
Jeff, I am using the same part #, but can't speak to it's operation yet as I am just now at the point where I am about to replace and will be testing soon
ShipKiller, thnx much for your DIY, it helped a great deal
Although I had rigged some pulleys to my garage ceiling to lift the top off (since I am doing this by myself), I found I didn't even need to do this.
Once I got the hoop disconnected, I simply raised up on the left side (driver's side) of the top just aft of the door, high enough that the motor came out with the top and propped it up on the inner bracket. (See pics) - I was able to remove the motor and am about to install the new one without having to pull the entire top out.
I took some pics of all the water that came out of the encolure as well as the motor.
I do have one question though; I bought some silcone grease (non-curing) to aide in re-installing the weather stripping; just wondering if I need any sort of "weather strip adhesive" when I put the seal back??
Is the weather stripping self-sealing and just needs grease to make it go back in place, or is there adhesive to glue the stripping down as well?
I didn't see any mention of it in the DIY and when I pulled the old weather stripping, there was a white-colored substance, which appeared to be sealant, actually looks more like white caulking
Thnx very much and best regards
Greg
:Edit: can't figure out how to post the pics, sorry......
Jeff,
Just finished swapping my motors out, used exact same connections as my OEM (mine is an 06' 3.0i using your same part #). I matched the electrical leads as they were on the old motor and same with the hydraulic lines (my hydraulic line numbers for the new motor were upside-down compared to the old - just swapped each pair exactly as they came off of the old motor) ... took a couple times of pressing the up and down buttons to self-bleed the hydraulics, but up works as up, and down as down, no reversing on my end
Hope that helps
brgds,
Last edited by AirOpsMgr; 07-24-2011 at 01:04 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Member
I also did the same swap on my 03 2.5i, and kept the wiring exactly the same and all functionality works as designed for mine.
As far as the weather stripping, from what I can tell, it should seal without any additional sealant, and shipkiller's DIY lists it as "lubricant, not glue" just to aid the reseating of it. I haven't tested it yet though. I did all of this on saturday and haven't washed the car yet and it hasn't rained either since then. However, I'm confident that it will be fine.
Shipkiller, again as others have said, thanks for the DIY walkthough. It was a MAJOR help in my process. It kept my cursing and screaming to a minimum (although it did happen a fair amount -- mostly while on my back and upside-down in the trunk trying to get the 7 bolts and two clips undone) and I'm so happy to be able to open and close the top again without doing it by hand. I did, unfortunately scratch up the plastic on my roll bars with the latches from the top, so I'll be replacing those. I also put some scratches on my trunk lid from the "hoop" when I set it down (I was working by myself, so lifting the top wasn't an easy process). Hopefully those scratches will buff out since they're fairly light.
My biggest suggestion to anyone else doing this: BE PATIENT. It's a process and if you want to only have to do it once, be sure it's done right. I saved $1400 by doing it myself. I also removed some pieces that I probably didn't need to remove, but it also allowed me to relocate some of my stereo and amp wiring in a much more conspicuous location.
Member
I also have an 03' 2.5i. Just 32,000 miles.
I'll be taking on this task in 2 weeks and will update you guys then.
Thanks for all your responses!
Member
Can anyone tell me exactly what size Metric Sockets and Metric Allen Wrench's are required? I don't have many tools and want to be certain I'm prepared for the job.
Thanks
Member
Jeff,
ShipKiller lists the tools in his DIY, I remember a 10MM for the bolts on the hoop, the 4 bolts (2 upper and 2 lower) for the top that are accessed from the panels behind the seat are a Torx (T40) and there was another part that used a smaller Torx or square bit. The bowden cable bracket on the hyd motor is a smaller square bit, a 5/32 hex to get the dust caps off the new motor and either 10mm or 12mm socket for the hyd line bolts on the motor (sorry, can't remember exactly)..
You will want an extension for the 10mm socket to get to the hoop bolts that are closer to the seats as it is a bit tight to reach those.
I bought a complete "driver bit set" from Lowes that had all the different sizes of Torx, square and hex for around $8 and just used those with a screw driver/bit holder.
I also suggest using the head mounted work-light unless you have someone to hold a flashlight for you as many steps require both hands.
Last edited by AirOpsMgr; 07-30-2011 at 11:21 PM.
Member
Thanks Greg!
Hopefully next weekend I can do the job weather permitting. I'm missing the whole summer without my Z4 - Sooo sad! ;(
Member
If you need any help, just shout; I can walk u through what I did. I would send u a PM, but I don't see any way to do it on this board :o(
brgds,
Member
Looks like you can just click on the member's name in the post - that will give you a menu of user options including PM ...... but I don't see any way to do it on this board :o(
Member
Here we go again... yet another top motor replacement. I'm going to review a youtube video on replacing motor without removing the top. If anyone has experience please let me know.
Member
After looking thru the youtube video's on the motor. Read this posting as a go-by on pulling the motor. I think this is one of the good instructions on doing this. I believe it was posted to a UK Z Forum.
https://zroadster.org/threads/z4-roo...to-boot.19256/
Member
Thanks Jas! Will check it out.
Member
This link is also very good as a walkthrough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPhwOO654JA
Member
Don't hate - but....... I've got an early 2003. When I went to test drive it, before I bought it, I was looking for the switch for the top. Then saw the handle up there and realized it was a manual. Twist handle, toss top back, lock in place. Can do it all with one hand.
Steve Berry
2003 E85, 1962 Ford Econoline
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