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Thread: supposedly new top and motor need help to raise and lower

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    7
    My Cars
    2005 Z4

    supposedly new top and motor need help to raise and lower

    Well after sifting through 8 pages of posts I can say with a 100% certainty that my exact problem has not been previously discussed. I purchased my car from a used car place. The guy told me that they had not only replaced the top but also the hydrolic pump. He said despite that and carefully checking the hydrolic fluid that the top still needs a hand opening and closing. He is apparently stronger than I am. When pressing the down button, the windows go down, it unlocks, the motor whirs, but, it doesn't move, if you hold the button and manually push it back to about the level of the roll bars then it falls the rest of the way, a few seconds later locks and the light goes out and windows roll back up as they should. Raising the top is more difficult. The first time you try the motor whirs, it unlocks and sluggishly starts to raise, it gets just past the rollbars and gives out and won't kick in again without shutting off and restarting the car. At this point it raises more fluidly and without help will almost close but won't lock without shutting down and restarting the car.

    As you can imagine this partial automatic top buisiness is getting rather old. Has anyone expierienced this with a new pump, or was the dealer feeding me a load of horse kacka?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    17
    My Cars
    2003 Z4 2.5i
    Remember, your pump is only half of the system. It drives hydraulic cylinders at the hinges. They don't seem to fail as frequently, but it is a system of parts -- all of which need to work.

    Personally, I threw my pump away and move the top by hand. There is very little resistance with the hydraulic system open, and the electric latches still work. This solution isn't for everybody, but I'm content.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    7
    My Cars
    2005 Z4
    I think I read somewhere that for the cylinders to be replaced you have to replace the whole magnisium frame. Is this true? If so it sounds like a costly repair but I would really like to have a working top and I can afford to get it fixed.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    119
    My Cars
    2008 Z4
    I would be willing to bet they didnt replace the hydraulic motor as those exact symptoms are what I was experiencing a few months before my motor stopped working completely.

    I replaced motor and then worked fine.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    FL
    Posts
    287
    My Cars
    2007 BMW Z4 E85 3.0 SI
    Quote Originally Posted by MichaelNix View Post
    Well after sifting through 8 pages of posts I can say with a 100% certainty that my exact problem has not been previously discussed. I purchased my car from a used car place. The guy told me that they had not only replaced the top but also the hydrolic pump. He said despite that and carefully checking the hydrolic fluid that the top still needs a hand opening and closing. He is apparently stronger than I am. When pressing the down button, the windows go down, it unlocks, the motor whirs, but, it doesn't move, if you hold the button and manually push it back to about the level of the roll bars then it falls the rest of the way, a few seconds later locks and the light goes out and windows roll back up as they should. Raising the top is more difficult. The first time you try the motor whirs, it unlocks and sluggishly starts to raise, it gets just past the rollbars and gives out and won't kick in again without shutting off and restarting the car. At this point it raises more fluidly and without help will almost close but won't lock without shutting down and restarting the car.

    As you can imagine this partial automatic top buisiness is getting rather old. Has anyone expierienced this with a new pump, or was the dealer feeding me a load of horse kacka?
    If the dealer is honest the pump and hydraulic system may have not been primed and bled adequately. If the problem still exists please refer to my other post and reprime the pump as described. Post#9 in this thread:

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...0#post30112150

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    Woodland, CA
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    2005 BMW Z4 3.0i
    Hey MichaelNix did you see this post?
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2378547-Z4-Roof-issue&p=30111750#post30111750


    The emergency release may not be fully closed creating a problem with hydraulic pressure. May be worth a try. (See post #9 from tekoo on above post)
    Last edited by WoodlandMike; 10-02-2018 at 09:58 PM.

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