This info has been sooo helpful . Thanks guys!!
I have a 99 328i convertible. Fuse #7 keeps blowing sometime between operations. I have replaced the fuse reset the top and operated the top four to five times with no problem. After driving the car for any length of time with the top up, the fuse blows. I have checked the wiring for the trunk lock and also the wiring for the anti-theft. The only other circuits on fuse 7. Anyone have any ideas? My BMW dealer couldn't find it either. I'm stumped
Hi All;
I have read this thread and cannot see the answer to my question clearly so I will ask and hope someone can help me.
My tops works mostly ok, but on the drivers side the tonneau does not close completely - sticks up maybe a half an inch. As a result, the trunk gets stuck on the back part of the tonneau when I go to open it. If I push the tonneau down, this rubbing does not happen.
If I re-sync the top - will this help. It seems like it works but the drivers side just doesnt go down all the way and is not "flush" when its closed.
Any other ideas or advice?
Thanks
Here is my guide to the flat bungee tension strap fix.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1668652
E36 DICE MediaBridge BT and iPod support Photo location of the cabrio drain holes. Custom heated seats and lumbar support retrofit. Glovebox charging sockets and cupholders. E36 PDF Schematics UK Aftermarket E36 OBC bulbs Convert rear lights from non check-control to check-control DIY BMW E36 MFSW retrofit pictoral DIY All BMWs UK cheaper source for electrical connectors, Farnell, RS BMW INPA success E46/E39 onwards E36 vert mood lighting DIY BMW E36 puddle light and inner handle illumination DIY. E36 convertible flat bungee tension strap fix DIY BMW E36 PDF manualBMW E36 vert water in motor of tonneau area fix.
I cannot get the .pdf to open on how to replace a convertible top motor from the first post to this forum...I just purchased my first BMW, a 1992 325i convertible and am on cloud nine!! However, there is an issue with the top motor, and I do not know what I have gotten myself into to replace it, or get it replaced. Is this .pdf anywhere else on the forum?
Is it possible to turn it into a manual top?
Thanks, from a proud new BMW owner!!!
Did I find an error in the instructions to reset the top?
There is a PDF floating around that describes the construction and repair of the convertible top. There is a section RE-CONNECTING THE DRIVE MOTORS, that says to pull Fuse 7 to disable the safety interlock for the trunk. On my car, I had to remove BOTH F7 and F43, both are 5A fuses. The trunk interlock was not disabled with the removal of either of these fuses, but was disabled with the removal of both of them.
Last edited by JDStrickland; 07-11-2011 at 08:41 PM.
Updated link to the E36 Bentley manual here: http://www.mediafire.com/?m1b0ltgdhd6
Downloaded and worked for me!
E36 DICE MediaBridge BT and iPod support Photo location of the cabrio drain holes. Custom heated seats and lumbar support retrofit. Glovebox charging sockets and cupholders. E36 PDF Schematics UK Aftermarket E36 OBC bulbs Convert rear lights from non check-control to check-control DIY BMW E36 MFSW retrofit pictoral DIY All BMWs UK cheaper source for electrical connectors, Farnell, RS BMW INPA success E46/E39 onwards E36 vert mood lighting DIY BMW E36 puddle light and inner handle illumination DIY. E36 convertible flat bungee tension strap fix DIY BMW E36 PDF manualBMW E36 vert water in motor of tonneau area fix.
Apologies in advance if my searching has not been 100 percent diligent for an answer to this question, it's always in the last place you look...
The top on my 323i is cantankerous at best, and I've gone through the reset steps to raise the top manually before when it stuck, but here is what it does now:
When you press on the button to lower the top, all that happens is that all four windows lower in jerky, approximately-one-inch-at-a-time increments until they are completely down. Nothing else, end of story. The top itself does nothing at all and remains up and locked.
Thanks for any assistance.
just as reference / for clarification - this is what is meant here, correct ?
(if not delete or move post, thanks)
http://rides.webshots.com/video/3006...46866181YORDXC
"I enter the wilderness with nothing but my journal and a childlike sense of wonder."
yup
Bleed your cooling system http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1709482The ULTIMATE OEM Alarm/Keyless thread http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1792200
E36 DICE MediaBridge BT and iPod support Photo location of the cabrio drain holes. Custom heated seats and lumbar support retrofit. Glovebox charging sockets and cupholders. E36 PDF Schematics UK Aftermarket E36 OBC bulbs Convert rear lights from non check-control to check-control DIY BMW E36 MFSW retrofit pictoral DIY All BMWs UK cheaper source for electrical connectors, Farnell, RS BMW INPA success E46/E39 onwards E36 vert mood lighting DIY BMW E36 puddle light and inner handle illumination DIY. E36 convertible flat bungee tension strap fix DIY BMW E36 PDF manualBMW E36 vert water in motor of tonneau area fix.
"I enter the wilderness with nothing but my journal and a childlike sense of wonder."
Here is a link that works.
http://www.gbnetwork.co.uk/bmw/archi...ble_adjust.pdf
I have a problem, I have a 97 318ic with a manual top. When I pull the,lever to release the decklid, the passenger side releases but not the driver side. How do I fix this?
Your reply shows frown face and will not open.
I"ve heard that some folks strip off all the electrics, etc., and turn the top into a manual one. Is this feasible and can it be raised and lowered relatively easily?
thanks for your advise.
Great info, you just saved my ass! Some pictures to clarify what he is talking about.
The motor in the car, you can see the various cables you need to detach:
The bent part is the part that the motor attaches to:
Here you can see some exposed motor gear due to the steel plate not letting the motor close all the way:
All thanks for the posts i thought this issue had something to do with the trunk lock but i tried it in both positions and the top is still only going back until the lid needs to pop open which it is not...
what's first? no problems until now.
thanks
someone PLEASE help? First, my apologies if I am posting this to an incorrect spot. I have searched the forum for assistance, and it can be a bit overwhelming. I have a 96 328i convertible. Vert top didn't work when I purchased it used last year. Learned how to open it manually when we were replacing the rear shocks and springs. Never did get the tonneau cover to lock again. My thought is that is why I have such horrible noises, squeaks and clunks coming from the backend :-). This morning got tired of the noises, so I manually opened the top, re-engaged the motors, checked all fuses (including by the battery), and performed the motor reset per the Millertime DIY video. The tonneau cover lowered completely and locked, but the top never started the "closing" sequence. Now I can't get the tonneau cover to open so I can close the top manually. I wouldn't mind driving with the top down, except it is January and about 40 degrees here in Vegas. I travel for my job, and have to drive to the airport at 4 am on Tuesday, so I would really like to get this top up. Anyone help?
Thanks Palomino, this is a great resource!
Unfortunately, I have a problem I haven't seen mentioned by anyone else on any thread.
My top opens and closes fine(I've done the tension strap fix and replaced tonneau struts), but the rear unseals itself just as the front is latching down and locking into place.
Here's a video that shows what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXVH3...ature=youtu.be
I appreciate any help or advice that anyone can share
A big thanks to this thread! I just got a 99 m3. Top is in near perfect condition, but it needed some assistance going up and down. Top banged lid, wouldn't go into compartment all the way, etc. With the help of this thread I was able to reinforce the tension strap with some bungee cord (curious how long this will last) and replaced the lid struts. Works perfect now. All fixed for less than $50!
Nice tread and a good read so far!
small question for you guys that I haven't been able to solve myself. I have a 94 vert with factory hardtop. Since a few weeks whenever I place the hardtop back on the left red handle to secure the hardtop to the body hasn't been able to close complete to the right position. I think the mount is slightly bent/croocked, is there an easy fix for this? The other red lever closes just fine as does the front mount.
so I have reset and straightened the motors and the plate and now the top went open all the way and first and when it fits to open it to store the top it does nothing. ..Any ideas?
Here's a tough one...
After disengaging the full-auto convertible motors in my 323i, and giving my wrist a workout turning the windshield socket with an allen wrench, the soft-top refuses to fold back. Specifically, the right half of the soft-top frame which appears to be stuck in a locked position. The left side is flexible, with the frame hinges properly bent, and the hook that grasps onto the windshield is open. In contrast, the right side is rigid, with the frame hinges locked straight, and the grasping hook is folded closed (as if it were locked into the windshield). Any idea what's keeping the right side locked, and how I can release it?
UPDATE: I figured it out. I'll give a detailed explanation so that anyone stuck in the same situation will hopefully benefit from my experience. I removed the plastic cover from the fully-automatic top motor on my convertible soft-top, and found the problemm... As with all fully-auto 323i convertibles, when the motor inside the soft-top breaks, you have to MANUALLY lock/unlock, and raise/lower the soft-top to and from the windshield. This is done by inserting an allen-wrench into a socket on the motor itself - found under a small panel on the roof were the soft-top meets the windshield - and turning the socket enough times to justify buying an electric screwdriver. Turning the motor's socket left or right will either loosen or tighten a tension cable that runs through the inside of the soft-top, locking or releasing the soft-top's latches from the windshield, as well as locking or releasing the hinges of the soft-top frame (keeping it stiff when up, and flexible when down).
To cut to the chase... while turning the manual socket of the top motor, the tension cable inside the soft-top quietly snapped and tangled inside. The result was the left half of my soft-top frame stuck in the top up and locked position, while the right half was stuck in the top down and unlocked flexible position.
I have 3 options...
1. Salvage a tension cable from another 323i convertible soft-top (BMW doesn't sell just the tension cable alone).
2. Replace the entire soft-top motor system (new is $700-800, according to my mechanic).
3. Find someone to convert the fully-automatic soft-top into a semi-automatic soft-top (by replacing the top motor system with the manual version built for the previous convertible model). I have read enough mixed reviews about this option in these forums to shy away from it.
Anyway, I hope this helps anyboy who finds themselves in the same position.
Last edited by claydogg; 11-24-2014 at 10:13 PM. Reason: Found the problem.
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