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Thread: CONVERTIBLES 101: My _____ Doesnt Work. How Do I Fix It???

  1. #51
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Prairie village, KS
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    130
    My Cars
    2002 Passat
    I know 318's had manual tops.
    Which cars had fully auto tops(my '94 you still had to lock/unlock the headar)?
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    L5
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    my passat
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    videos

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Newbury park, Ca
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    193
    My Cars
    BMW 335d, MB gl 350cdi

    1995 325ic

    Does anyone know what the part number is for the central switch used to raise and lower the top.
    I looked at real oem and it only lists the following:
    SWITCH WINDOW LIFTER WEISS 61311387388 and
    CENTRAL WINDOW LIFTING SWITCH 61311387389.
    Any help is aprpeciated.

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    @6500RPM Las Vegas
    Posts
    2,524
    My Cars
    Z3 5-Speed Roadster '97

    Talking DIY replace the storage cover gas springs/struts

    Full Credits to lseguy
    original post #103 @
    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=648071

    03-07-2007, 09:37 PM
    lseguy
    License Revoked Join Date: Feb 2007
    Location: DC Metro Area
    Cars: Old, Slow Vert.
    Posts: 1,492

    How to replace the storage cover gas springs/struts on a 1999 M3 Convertible.
    Head to the dealership, and provide the dealer with your vin so that the parts guy can provide you with the proper gas springs/struts for your particular model. Apparently there is more than one application for the 1999 model year M3, not sure about the 1998 model year M3. Can't speak for other year E36's. My gas spring was identical to the one shown in this graphic
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/s/z/5.png

    In order to get to the mounting points of the springs, you will need to pull back/remove the carpeting on the left and right sides of the trunk. On both sides you will see open holes in the inner skin of the sheetmetal, and the gas springs/struts will be visible inside of these holes. On my 1999 M3, I was able to use a flathead screwdriver to slightly pull back the metal clip on the lower mount of the gas springs, and release them from their mounts. On the passengers side of the car, I was able to reach back through the hole just ahead of the radio antenna mounting, and push the black metal vertical lever that is attached to the upper point of the gas spring, outward. This releases the strut from it's upper mount. On the drivers side, you have less room to work with due to the motor that is mounted to the quarter panel just ahead of the drivers side tail light, so you may need to release the upper mount from the top. To do that, you must close the trunk, then open the convertible top halfway. Once the storage cover is fully open, stop the opening process, get out, and reach down into drivers side storage cover hole. Locate the gas spring/strut upper mount release lever, and press it outwards. The gas spring should release, and fall down. Close the top, open the trunk, and remove the old strut(s).

    In order to install the new struts, you need to follow a two step process.

    For the passenger side, I was able to pop on the upper mount of the gas spring/strut through the hole in the storage cover area. To do this, I opened the convertible top until the storage cover opened fully, then stopped the opening process. With the gas spring in my hand, I reached down into the hole (it's tight..if you have huge fat hands, you might have a problem here), and going by feel, was able to attach the strut to the upper mount. I then was able to reach all the way down into the hole, and press the gas spring/strut onto the lower mount. You should hear/feel audible clicks when the springs/struts are fully mounted properly into their mounts. In order to get the lower portion of the strut snapped onto the lower mount, you may need to push back fairly firmly against the storage cover, so that the mouting points line up properly. You may find it helpful to temporarily pop off the rubber stops that are attached to the arms of the storage cover, so the cover can go back as far as abslutely possible. You also may need to pull upwards on the bottom of the strut in order to get it upwards that last 1/4 inch it will need to snap onto the lower mount. This will require you to get your hand FULLY down into the tight hole.

    Re-attach your carpet, and that's that.

    I was able to do this without moving any of the motors or drivers side items ahead of the drivers side tailight.

    On the passenger side, it was easier for me to unscrew that one nut that holds the antenna mount in place and push the mount aside, as it allowed me to reach through that vertical hole that faces the passenger side tailight.

    Good Luck. and remember, this is how you do it if your struts have the black vertical lever at the top. Some of the struts appear to have a bolt threaded onto the upper mount, and I can't speak for the Remove and Replace process for those.



    *********MOST IMPORTANT Update**********
    04/07/2007.

    Mparallel reports an easier way to reach the shocks.

    "And now the biggest tip I can give....

    ...remove the lid!! It's just 4 10mm bolts (I had a friend help me for this)

    This way (you need to insert something so the microswitch (on the right lock hinge) won't activate the interlock (I used a large allen key) you can have the hinges AND the lit FULLY open at once.

    Why is this good? Because now you can install the gasshock while it's fully extended. So no need at all to try and sqeeze it together in a place where my hands won't go."

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Last edited by lseguy; 04-07-2007 at 02:28 PM. Reason: Added a tip by Mparallell.
    Last edited by ZUUD BYE; 05-04-2008 at 01:43 PM.
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  4. #54
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    1998 328i vert,

    My top tries to raise by itself

    Hi, recently bought a '98 328i vert with fully auto top. It seems to lower fine, though slowly. The problem is that it that the tonneau covers starts to open by itself while driving, causing the raise/lower switch to flash red, then I have to push the switch to lower the tonneau cover back down. This happens repeatedly. I've read through all the posts, and it sounds like resynching the motor is for the semi-auto tops. Is that correct? Anyone have this problem before and have a fix?

    TIA, Brad

  5. #55
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    new hartford ct
    Posts
    15
    My Cars
    to many !
    Quote Originally Posted by ZUUD BYE View Post
    Full Credits to lseguy
    original post #103 @
    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=648071



    Head to the dealership, and provide the dealer with your vin so that the parts guy can provide you with the proper gas springs/struts for your particular model. Apparently there is more than one application for the 1999 model year M3, not sure about the 1998 model year M3. Can't speak for other year E36's. My gas spring was identical to the one shown in this graphic
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/s/z/5.png

    In order to get to the mounting points of the springs, you will need to pull back/remove the carpeting on the left and right sides of the trunk. On both sides you will see open holes in the inner skin of the sheetmetal, and the gas springs/struts will be visible inside of these holes. On my 1999 M3, I was able to use a flathead screwdriver to slightly pull back the metal clip on the lower mount of the gas springs, and release them from their mounts. On the passengers side of the car, I was able to reach back through the hole just ahead of the radio antenna mounting, and push the black metal vertical lever that is attached to the upper point of the gas spring, outward. This releases the strut from it's upper mount. On the drivers side, you have less room to work with due to the motor that is mounted to the quarter panel just ahead of the drivers side tail light, so you may need to release the upper mount from the top. To do that, you must close the trunk, then open the convertible top halfway. Once the storage cover is fully open, stop the opening process, get out, and reach down into drivers side storage cover hole. Locate the gas spring/strut upper mount release lever, and press it outwards. The gas spring should release, and fall down. Close the top, open the trunk, and remove the old strut(s).

    In order to install the new struts, you need to follow a two step process.

    For the passenger side, I was able to pop on the upper mount of the gas spring/strut through the hole in the storage cover area. To do this, I opened the convertible top until the storage cover opened fully, then stopped the opening process. With the gas spring in my hand, I reached down into the hole (it's tight..if you have huge fat hands, you might have a problem here), and going by feel, was able to attach the strut to the upper mount. I then was able to reach all the way down into the hole, and press the gas spring/strut onto the lower mount. You should hear/feel audible clicks when the springs/struts are fully mounted properly into their mounts. In order to get the lower portion of the strut snapped onto the lower mount, you may need to push back fairly firmly against the storage cover, so that the mouting points line up properly. You may find it helpful to temporarily pop off the rubber stops that are attached to the arms of the storage cover, so the cover can go back as far as abslutely possible. You also may need to pull upwards on the bottom of the strut in order to get it upwards that last 1/4 inch it will need to snap onto the lower mount. This will require you to get your hand FULLY down into the tight hole.

    Re-attach your carpet, and that's that.

    I was able to do this without moving any of the motors or drivers side items ahead of the drivers side tailight.

    On the passenger side, it was easier for me to unscrew that one nut that holds the antenna mount in place and push the mount aside, as it allowed me to reach through that vertical hole that faces the passenger side tailight.

    Good Luck. and remember, this is how you do it if your struts have the black vertical lever at the top. Some of the struts appear to have a bolt threaded onto the upper mount, and I can't speak for the Remove and Replace process for those.



    *********MOST IMPORTANT Update**********
    04/07/2007.

    Mparallel reports an easier way to reach the shocks.

    "And now the biggest tip I can give....

    ...remove the lid!! It's just 4 10mm bolts (I had a friend help me for this)

    This way (you need to insert something so the microswitch (on the right lock hinge) won't activate the interlock (I used a large allen key) you can have the hinges AND the lit FULLY open at once.

    Why is this good? Because now you can install the gasshock while it's fully extended. So no need at all to try and sqeeze it together in a place where my hands won't go."

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Last edited by lseguy; 04-07-2007 at 02:28 PM. Reason: Added a tip by Mparallell.

    I just replaced both sides in less than 1/2 hour thru the holes in the storage compartment . I removed the lid 4 bolts never did I even opened the trunk . Remove the lid in it's upright state and leave the arms like so . Undo the bottom of the pistons first then the top .

    On another not I also drilled out the rivets for the straps on the rear bow and moved the strap approx 7mm and re riveted them all is well .

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    SF
    Posts
    144
    My Cars
    2008 M5
    Anybody know how to replace the struts? it looks easy but i would like it if i was with someone with experience. I live in Bay Area, PM ME if you can help!
    Thanks

  7. #57
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    glasgow,scotland,uk
    Posts
    4
    My Cars
    bmw325i

    Unhappy read every thread

    read every thread an big big thanx for it but no use in my case( locked in here inside a vert with closed windows and roof, ( please help and make us all happy again)

  8. #58
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Posts
    89
    My Cars
    2004 Z4 3.0i

    It's really easy to do yourself

    Quote Originally Posted by mpower510 View Post
    Anybody know how to replace the struts? it looks easy but i would like it if i was with someone with experience. I live in Bay Area, PM ME if you can help!
    Thanks
    ^^^^just review Isleguy write http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...&postcount=103 up which are very on point...the only thing I would add (since I just changed mine myself) to make it easier is:
    (I didn't remove the lid or the bolts, just moved the trunk carpet away from the bottom holes on the driver & passenger side to snap in the bottom of the struts - 1 minute each side)

    1: if you have the stoppers (the little rubber pieces that keep the "arms" from rubbing against the car frame) remove those so you have more play to lift the lid a little more.
    2: Use a 12" inch flathead screwdriver to release the bottom strut through the holes in the lid
    3: push the new struts on from the bottom first through the trunk (easier to just snap them on)
    4: if you have big hands just grab someone with small hands (I'm a woman with small hands) to snap in the top struts through the holes in the lid (all it takes is just lining the hole of the strut up and raising the lid up a little and then it will just snap in).
    Last edited by aquariangirl; 05-31-2008 at 12:36 PM. Reason: Thanks Isleguy for the wonderful write up!!




  9. #59
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Hog Country, NWA
    Posts
    40
    My Cars
    99 E36 Vert
    Lots of help there. Thank you!

  10. #60
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Venice, Italy
    Posts
    71
    My Cars
    '95 320i Convertible
    Can anyone make a mirror for, or send me, the owners manual? I tried several times but still can't dowload it from that link...

    Thanks a lot for this thread!!

  11. #61
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Bainbridge, Ohio 45612
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    1999 BMW 323i conv
    My 1999 323i conv. top storage cover motor is making a ratcheting noise, when cycle is complete and finger is off the switch it continues to keep on making the same noise. Of course now the Led light is blinking and the cover will not move at all. We have owned the car for 6 years with no problems with the top until this year. This forum has been very helpful in resloving the other problems but I don't know where to begin on this one.

  12. #62
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    16,710
    My Cars
    DE-spec E36 328i/M3 cab
    This Service Information bulletin supersedes orange S.I. 54 08 96 dated October 1996 which should be removed and discarded from your S.I. binder.

    SUBJECT: E-M Top Stops at Midpoint when Lowering Top
    MODEL: 328i Convertible
    Situation: On some 328i Convertibles the customer may complain of the top stopping in the middle of the lowering cycle, but once the front of the top is pushed up again, the top continues to operate normally. This can be a very intermittent problem, but seems to occur more frequently after the car has been allowed to sit in the hot sun.

    The problem is caused when the rear bow drops into the opened storage well so rapidly that the weight of he rear bow causes the tensioning bars to straighten to the point that the top locks in position. When the front of the top is lifted again, the tensioning bars unlock, and the top operates normally from that point on.

    Correction: Before making any modifications, check to ensure that micro-switch S4 on the left tensioning bar is properly adjusted.
    If the micro-switch is properly adjusted, run the top until the rear bow is in the vertical position.

    - Locate the pop rivets that fasten the tensioning strap to the rear bow on each side.
    - Drill out the rivets to release the straps,and pull the straps back 7 mm.
    - Make two new holes in the straps at this location and rivet the straps in place. This modification shortens the effective length of the tensioning strap, thereby slowing down the drop of the rear bow into the opened storage well sufficiently to prevent the tension bars from locking.

    Warranty Status: Covered under the terms of the BMW new car limited warranty.

    Defect Code: 54 34 00 52 00
    Labor Operation: 00 51 231 - Check and adjust micoswitch only.

    SI EM Top Stops at Midpoint When Lowering Top
    BMW AG - TIS 16.01.2000 20:24

    Issue status (08/2001) Valid only until next CD is issued
    Labor Allowance: 6 FRU
    Labor Operation: 00 51 232 - Check microswitch adjustment and shorten both straps
    Labor Allowance: 9 FRU
    1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiß III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
    SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL

    IG:
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  13. #63
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Florida Panhandle/ Ohio
    Posts
    7,318
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    14 JGC/13 E88 128i

    Total BMW Articles (PDF'ed) before the Site Closed

    I used Total BMW, a Brit site for years when I had my E36. Well I just found about 5-6 PDF's on some articles that would help all of us E36 vert drivers.

    I need a mod to contact me so I can send these to you for consideration for posting. The Total BMW web site is now defunct so I don't think we are infringing on any copyright issues.

  14. #64
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    D/FW (Flower Mound)
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    1,206
    My Cars
    '98 328i Convertible
    From your description, it reads as if there are two issues; one which has caused the other. The ratcheting sound which occurs during the re-sync (or even so-called "normal") operation is the result of the primary drive gear splines on the motor side half of the Top Lid Drive Motor Assembly failing to fully insert into the Reduction Gearbox half of the assembly. Because the splines and gearset are not fully meshed, the drive gear splines will 'slip' or 'ratchet' against the reduction gearset's teeth. All gears are steel and are very substantial. It is unlikely that the gears themselves will ever fail.

    The two halves of the Top Lid Drive Motor assembly are connected by a sprung hinge, which allows the motor side to disengage from the reduction gears (The reduction gears rotate the linkage arm and tension the Bowden cables connected to the Top Lid latches) when the emergency lever is pulled.

    Frequently, when the rear bow of the convertible top does not attain full upward travel when lowering the top, the Top Lid will strike the rear bow when opening, since the rear bow did not move far enough out of the Top Lid's travel arc. The reason that the rear bow does not move out of the way is because the tension straps are fatigued. This is how fatigued tension straps have caused the failure of the Top Lid drive mechanism. (One issue causing another.)

    The resistance to upward travel of the Top Lid (provided by the impact/friction between the rear bow and the front edge of the Top Lid) places a great amount of stress/torque on the Top Lid, which translates back through the linkage to the Top Lid Motor assembly, bending the Motor side housing of the assembly. This happens because the motor continues to turn even though the linkage stops traveling (due to the Top Lid hitting the rear bow). The motor side of the assembly pushes itself away from the reduction gear half of the assembly while the emergency release 'latch' remains engaged, which bends the flange where the latch hooks.

    BMW would prefer that you purchase a new assembly, yet with careful work and patience, this can be avoided.

    It is necessary to remove the Top Lid drive motor assembly (4 nuts, 2 Bowden cable clips, 1 Bowden cable dual binding clip, 1 linkage clip, 1 release cable nut, 1 wire bundle strap and 1 electrical connector) before you can attempt bending the assembly back to as near as original shape as possible. I suggest warming the steel before attempting to re-bend, as it appears very brittle. Bend in small amounts, preferably using a vice, until the portion of the flange where the emergency release hook (slot) engages is on the same plane as the rest of the flange. This will make sense when you see the bent assembly. The bend is not visible until the assembly has been removed. Once re-bending is complete, test the engagement/release function of the emergency release mechanism to ensure proper operation. Note that the drive splines of the motor now insert into the reduction gear side of the assembly by a more significant amount, which does not allow the gears to slip, which was where the 'ratcheting' noise was coming from.

    Reinstall the assembly and connect the linkage, cables and electrical connector. Close the trunk and perform the resync procedure.

    Now that the mechanical function of the top Lid has been restored, you must resolve the tension strap issue or this will happen again. See other posts in this section for more information on tension straps and possible work-arounds to complete replacement. If you had already recently resolved the tension strap issue, the damage was apparently already done and the drive gears were barely engaging, and finally slipped.

    Good luck; this will save you approximately $450. (USD) from the avoidance of purchasing a new drive unit, with nearly the same amount in labor.


    Quote Originally Posted by rstafford View Post
    My 1999 323i conv. top storage cover motor is making a ratcheting noise, when cycle is complete and finger is off the switch it continues to keep on making the same noise. Of course now the Led light is blinking and the cover will not move at all. We have owned the car for 6 years with no problems with the top until this year. This forum has been very helpful in resloving the other problems but I don't know where to begin on this one.
    '98 328 Alpinweiss Cabriolet, 150K, CD43, CHA-S634 MP3 Changer, Chromeline Interior Trim, 'Redlined' Gears & Diff, Z3 Chromed 16" Rims, Billet Front Stress Bar, aFe CAI, 'Golf Tee' Exhaust Mod, Powerdiscs, SS Brake Lines, CDV delete, JTD Underpanel, BAV Lowering Springs, Bilstien Sports, Bimmerworld Rear Lower Control Arms and Front Camber Plates, E46 RSM's with reinforcing plates, Electric Rad Fan, Alum. T-Stat Housing, Mishimoto Hi-Capacity Aluminum Radiator, Hi-Performance Water pump, 3.23 LSD, Sharked.
    Sometime to come: New Clutch with LWFW, Clutch Stop, M50 Manifold, M3 Cams, Supercharger (I can dream).

  15. #65
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    wirral uk
    Posts
    3
    My Cars
    bmw e36 convertable
    i bought my vert an the hood didnt work so i reset it and now the lid comes up the hood comes out but the back of the hood wont lift up to let the lid go back down any ideas
    Last edited by clemo87; 12-28-2008 at 12:24 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

  16. #66
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    carlisle,pa
    Posts
    234
    My Cars
    99 bmw323conv
    I do not know how many folks I have helped with there drive train problems..its a lot.
    but now I have conv top problems...I bought and installed a bungee cord to help lift #6 bow....they snapped off(metal ends). I then bought bungee with plastic hook ends. they will probably break also since they are only glued on. there is mention here of moving the rivets to a new position. I may have to try that next...one thing is sure if you own a BMW one needs to buy a shop manual(which I have) and read whatever is pertinent on this site. These cars are a joy to drive but constant repair.
    stashed in garage: 70TorinoGT/CJ 300hp conv
    68 Olds 442 conv 455ci.385hp
    68 GTO conv 400RA 1 366hp
    68 Coronet RT 440sixpack 430hp
    DD 01 Sierra step side 270hp Vortec

  17. #67
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Santa Monica,CA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    97 328i convertible

    Please help. Palomino...

    I am not a DIY kinda gal, but my convertible top needs expertise like yours on repairing a couple of things. Do you know of anyone in the Los Angeles area who could help me? It is very difficult to find someone who knows what they are doing and is honest as well. I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions you could give me.
    Quote Originally Posted by palomino View Post
    i actually do not have it on my computer.

    what i made up above is more of a collection of informative threads about topics that seem to come up ALL the time. it is kind of a crash-course on e36 verts, so to speak.

  18. #68
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    West Chester NY
    Posts
    99
    My Cars
    1998 BMW 323i
    My top stops haly way wat do you think it might be? sometimes it works and other times like now it doesnt?

  19. #69
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    bel air, md
    Posts
    25
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    97 328ci, 03 350z,

    Thumbs up more common problems

    I work at an auto upholstery shop and I have noticed a large increase in the amount of e36 conv that I am doing. One thing that most people are complaining about is the deck shelf motor is making noise or the top just wont function properly. The motor on the drivers side in the trunk is almost always the cause of the problem. The gear on the motor itself get worn over time mainly cause by the top hitting the deck shelf as it opens. Which is caused by tension straps that connect the second, third and rear bow going bad. You can get around replacing the tension straps until you need a top by simply pulling the third bow or the rear of the headliner forwards as your raising the top, before the deck shelf starts coming up. That motor and the tension straps are the two main causes for most conv problems that I have come across. I have done at least 9 this year already with two more in the following weeks. Just wanted to add my two cents because I deal with this all the time.

  20. #70
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    SF
    Posts
    144
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    2008 M5
    Anybody need the pressurized shocks for the convertible top?

    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1278380

  21. #71
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Santa Cruz, CA
    Posts
    216
    My Cars
    99 M3, 1985 Alfa GTV6
    I just fixed my convertible top problem today and i have to say this helped a lot.

    My problem was that the storage lid wouldnt move due to the motor being jammed on the gear housing (the hole wasnt big enough for the pivoting electric motor gear).
    I had to use a screwdriver to dis engage the motor.

    My top works better than it did before now. But only because i took out the motor assembly, took it off the bracket, and made the gear housing hole bigger.

    What a pita, but im glad i did it now

  22. #72
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Toronto, ON, Canada
    Posts
    64
    My Cars
    '98 328ic
    Quote Originally Posted by MParallel View Post
    This Service Information bulletin supersedes orange S.I. 54 08 96 dated October 1996 which should be removed and discarded from your S.I. binder.

    SUBJECT: E-M Top Stops at Midpoint when Lowering Top
    MODEL: 328i Convertible
    Situation: On some 328i Convertibles the customer may complain of the top stopping in the middle of the lowering cycle, but once the front of the top is pushed up again, the top continues to operate normally. This can be a very intermittent problem, but seems to occur more frequently after the car has been allowed to sit in the hot sun.

    The problem is caused when the rear bow drops into the opened storage well so rapidly that the weight of he rear bow causes the tensioning bars to straighten to the point that the top locks in position. When the front of the top is lifted again, the tensioning bars unlock, and the top operates normally from that point on.

    Correction: Before making any modifications, check to ensure that micro-switch S4 on the left tensioning bar is properly adjusted.
    If the micro-switch is properly adjusted, run the top until the rear bow is in the vertical position.

    - Locate the pop rivets that fasten the tensioning strap to the rear bow on each side.
    - Drill out the rivets to release the straps,and pull the straps back 7 mm.
    - Make two new holes in the straps at this location and rivet the straps in place. This modification shortens the effective length of the tensioning strap, thereby slowing down the drop of the rear bow into the opened storage well sufficiently to prevent the tension bars from locking.

    Warranty Status: Covered under the terms of the BMW new car limited warranty.

    Defect Code: 54 34 00 52 00
    Labor Operation: 00 51 231 - Check and adjust micoswitch only.

    SI EM Top Stops at Midpoint When Lowering Top
    BMW AG - TIS 16.01.2000 20:24

    Issue status (08/2001) Valid only until next CD is issued
    Labor Allowance: 6 FRU
    Labor Operation: 00 51 232 - Check microswitch adjustment and shorten both straps
    Labor Allowance: 9 FRU
    I've read piles of posts on tension straps preparing for my repair. I can't believe this service notice isn't cross referenced ANYWHERE else!

    Would doing this also correct the collision of the storage compartment with the top? (maybe if i moved the holes more then 7mm) I have both issues: stop at midpoint and compartment collision.

  23. #73
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Carlisle/Indiana, Pa
    Posts
    38
    My Cars
    2004 Mustang GT
    thank you to all who had input in this thread, you have all made my life easier and my wallet heavier

  24. #74
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    EU
    Posts
    349
    My Cars
    320i E36, 318i E30
    I need the values for the softop frame place. On this link page #25 http://bmwpages.co.uk/archive/e36_co...ble_adjust.pdf there are some measurments from TIS, but the picture is to small. It's the height of the point of the two vertical bolts + one horizontal. I put the all.automatic top in, and I am having some problems, because I got the front to close perfectly (it's in line), but the last bow doesn't close 100% and I have a 1mm gap at the end gasket bellow the window.
    E36 320i conv 1/97':
    fog lights; power steering; M body; M steering wheel with MFL; M3 vader light gray leather seats w/heating; phone; cruise control; harmankardon; PDC; CD43 business radio+dension adapter USB+Ipod with ID3tags; hardtop+lift+stand; wind deflector; 17" stly22 Motorsport wheels; EWS; DWA alarm; remote central locking; 4x el.windows; CD changer; cup holder+CD box in glovebox; coin box in door; roll-bar; full auto.el.softtop; luggage straps; ASC; ABS; engine compartment light; glovebox light; automatic A/C with AUC; OBC; light cleaning; intensive wash; heated wash nozzles; fire extinguisher; westfalia towing hitch
    --------------------
    E30 318i sedan 9/87': everything expcept Mbody and sunroof

  25. #75
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Floridas Space Coast
    Posts
    457
    My Cars
    e36 97 328i/e30 90 325i
    check out this youtube video all you have to do is reset the motors. Follow every step in this video.

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boiybaJkMrI[/ame]

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