e36 convertible soft top woes
Discussion
Hi all, don't know if anybody on here still has one of these but I am having a real headache with mine at the moment and I'm at my wits' end. All the forum threads are 10 years old and most don't seem to apply or have solutions...
A few weeks ago the roof just refused to go back up. Just a flashing red light from the button but no motor noises. Struggled for ages, pulled the release handle under the seat (which seemed to have a lot of play) to disengage motors but even then the tonneau cover didn't release. Eventually managed it, resynced it, and it seemed to work afterwards.
Last week it just wouldn't go down (no flashy light, nothing). Seemed to work later in the day.
Today I had the same situation as the first occasion. Windows dropped in jerks but nothing from the roof. Boot interlock microswitch is clicking at the correct time, and the tonneau cover one does as well. Disengaged motors except the tonneau didn't release it - I think there is some play in the cables as I had to push in the lever on the motor in boot manually. Haven't resynced it all yet.
Anybody any suggestions? I am thinking it is a sensor or microswitch but it does seem intermittent. Please help, I am getting to the point when I am pretty much done with it. I like how it drives but I am chasing rust everywhere, spent over a grand getting it through the last MOT. I can't even leave the motors disconnected and use it as a manual roof as it is fully auto and needs a drill to get the front to close...
A few weeks ago the roof just refused to go back up. Just a flashing red light from the button but no motor noises. Struggled for ages, pulled the release handle under the seat (which seemed to have a lot of play) to disengage motors but even then the tonneau cover didn't release. Eventually managed it, resynced it, and it seemed to work afterwards.
Last week it just wouldn't go down (no flashy light, nothing). Seemed to work later in the day.
Today I had the same situation as the first occasion. Windows dropped in jerks but nothing from the roof. Boot interlock microswitch is clicking at the correct time, and the tonneau cover one does as well. Disengaged motors except the tonneau didn't release it - I think there is some play in the cables as I had to push in the lever on the motor in boot manually. Haven't resynced it all yet.
Anybody any suggestions? I am thinking it is a sensor or microswitch but it does seem intermittent. Please help, I am getting to the point when I am pretty much done with it. I like how it drives but I am chasing rust everywhere, spent over a grand getting it through the last MOT. I can't even leave the motors disconnected and use it as a manual roof as it is fully auto and needs a drill to get the front to close...
Thanks for the suggestion - from what you say I suspect the e46 is a hydraulic system while the e36 is electric.
Well it is working again but not got to the bottom of it.
Did the emergency hood close by disengaging the motors, resynchronised the hood and the damn thing is working fine again. I now suspect something mechanical is stopping the system working...
May be related, may not, but since I got the hood replaced 5 or 6 years ago it needs a "helping hand" - when going down I need to reach back and pull the rear hoop towards me to clear the tonneau cover. Going back up similar. It's like 2 separate issues - the hoop doesn't go quite vertical (which I think is straps within the hood), and the tonneau doesn't quite lift enough (this is a hydraulic strut - perhaps it could be weakened with ages).
Any thoughts?
Well it is working again but not got to the bottom of it.
Did the emergency hood close by disengaging the motors, resynchronised the hood and the damn thing is working fine again. I now suspect something mechanical is stopping the system working...
May be related, may not, but since I got the hood replaced 5 or 6 years ago it needs a "helping hand" - when going down I need to reach back and pull the rear hoop towards me to clear the tonneau cover. Going back up similar. It's like 2 separate issues - the hoop doesn't go quite vertical (which I think is straps within the hood), and the tonneau doesn't quite lift enough (this is a hydraulic strut - perhaps it could be weakened with ages).
Any thoughts?
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