just spent ages trying to sort out why roof wouldn't shut, even tried winding the roof manually, the key to the problem was how to reset motors which after watching your easy to follow video & a bit of trial & error, I managed to close roof. Saved me from covering over car & taking it to the garage next day. Big thanks
Great video explanation. I was trying to tell a friend how to do this over the phone and sending this video made it a lot easier. This will help countless BMW freaks I'm sure
Thank you for this video I was able to get my top up did not need to pull everything apart tho just by following the last few steps of your video I was able to get top up. It's much appreciated
Great video. I ran into one more obstacle in that I couldn't get the top motor back into place. In continuing my search, it was explained that you just need to pull a little (or a lot) more aggressively and it will pop back in. Some people recommended using channel locks, but I was able to do it by hand.
AutoMotivate many times it is. Over the years I have found most top issues on these is with the micro switches and fairly easy to fix. I did find one that had a bad bearing that was causing it to bind and get out of time. Matched up a $2 bearing at the local parts store and fixed it. Overall they aren’t bad to repair.
Hello and thanks for the video. I managed to do this exact procedure on a 94 325i(semi-auto roof) and it worked retimmed exactly as yours did in the video. The problem I have now is that the top won't open when trying to use the button above the gear stick. Do you know what the proper procedure is for opening the top normally with the button? Also if I was successful in doing the retimming did this mean that all the fuses are good and intact? Many thanks for any help!
Thank you for the reply! Do you know where the truck closed sensor is please so I can check it over? This sensor is different to the microswitch under the tonneau cover right? The sequence I try is dropping all the windows, unlatch and push up the front of the roof and then try the open button just above the gear stick. Much appreciated for the help!
This was a big help, does the trunk have to be fully shut to do the electronic reset ? My trunk has an issue and won’t fill latch shut and so when I do the reset nothing is happening.
Perry yes the trunk does have to be shut. There is a micro switch in the latch that tells it it is closed. If you fix the trunk latch it may take care of your top problem.
Hey man thank you for this. When I try to re-time mine, on the step of when I'm waiting for it to close then re-open ( "the suck motion"), there is a locking issue with that latch on driver's rear. Maybe the cable needs readjusting?
Arion Dedushi it is possible that you may have to make a slight adjustment. Sometimes you may also be able to help it latch and get in timing by pushing down on the cover as it is trying to latch. Having someone to help you can make this easier.
Great video, any idea if this applies to an e46. I stopped the top halfway during a repair and now the red light blinks and no motor sound or anything. Thanks
Thank you very much! ..First rate knowledge of these convertible tops! Hopefully, I can reset my top and if not, be able to logically isolate the problem. Do you use a scan tool to diagnose these e36 top problems?
James Sanders I do not use a scan tool for them. If I get one acting up I will test all of the limit switches and make sure they aren’t hanging up anywhere.
Awesome video. I was in the process of doing this when I came across an issue. The cover closes down but then slowly opens back up 30-40 seconds later. The top does not close and the cover slowly closes down in increments. Any ideas why this would be happening? I've done this re-syncing process before but randomly one day I tried lowering the top and the tonneu cover would not open to store the top so I tried re-timing everything but this is the issue I come across everytime.
HELP!!! Trunk is Stuck - Won't Open With Key. After viewing your video, I think you could help me solve a huge problem, The top on my '95 325ic convertible was already converted to manual years before I purchase it. Unfortunately, the other day I created a huge problem for myself when - for the first time ever my trunk became stuck (unable to unlock) - after removing the flap and taking the top down to get water out, that had accumulated in the area where convertible top is stored. Even though I have owned this car for 5 years only after watching video did I learn the trunk won't open if the top is down. In addition, the two rear latches on opposite sides of car under flap , which could disable the trunk latch. To my pleasant surprise, upon watching your video at about (1:50) mark you begin talking about the same thing - tourno cover, reset bar under seat, and inability to get into trunk due to inner lock. It sounds like this may be my problem but how do I solve it? So, I am wondering what has went wrong here? Why does my key no longer work in the trunk lock cylinder, even though I have let the top up and down manually dozens of times before. When I turn the key to the left, I can hear the motor engaging, but when turned to the right there is nothing - no sounds or resistance / tension - like something is broke or disconnected. ========== NOTE: While attempting to locate leak in back seat area I did find the reset bar and pull on it prior to realizing it's purpose. Do I need to do this reprogramming, and if so will it solve problem with truck lock? ========== Now I am at a point in which I may have to pull rear seats out to access panel to break into trunk OR drill holes under rear tag to try accessing the cable. My third option is to take it to the dealership and be ripped off in a mighty way. Therefore, any advice or expertise you could give would be appreciated. Many Thanks, L__
Hi! I have a 1999 323i. The top was not going down after the cover rise to take the top in. Followed all the steps, but can´t manage to close the lid in order for the trunk motors to actually reset. What do you recommend? I´m in trouble now cause the top is down and my car need the motors to relatch ...
Thank you for this video. I ran into a problem when retiming the top which was that once it was reset with all the motors locked in it started going up but the rear of the top didn't come up so the toneau cover was unable to close and I repeated the same procedure multiple times to get it reset in place and I wanted to ask if there was something I may have missed.
Mine had the same problem but what I did I pushed the close button until the windows started coming up then I disconnected the gears again and re installed then retimed the toneau with a little bit help it came back up
Hey man, my roof doesnt seem to fold into the storage part manually for some reason? although when the fully automatic roof was working a few months ago i didnt have any issues? (roof decided to randomly stop working so did the manual reset) but cant get the roof folded into the storage compartment?
Having issues with my fully automatic roof on my RHD 1997 e36 328i convertible I have done the reset procedure by disengaging both motors and putting them both back in while the roof is down. The problems which im facing now is when im pushing the close button on the roof the button does nothing at all, it just flashes constantly What we have checked *Fuse 49 has no power *fuse 7 fuse 35 fuse 42 fuse 43 are fine *The RHS of the Tonneau cover requires alot of pressure to trigger the microswitch meanwhile the boot is openable at all time. how do i solve this?
Nice video help! My friend just got a 328i with auto top. had new battery installed. top and tonnau were hitting at 2 places after the battery change. I tightened the linkage on the driver's side to raise the back of the top a little higher and that fixed the one problem. Tonnau still does not go up high enough to clear the back of the top. Doesn't seem to be an issue of timing. should I try this procedure anyway (or is there a comparable adjustment to get the tonnau to go up a little higher?) -- ALSO: can we skip the allen wrench method fo releasing the front of the top and just use the auto feature to get the top loose , then release motors and reset (or do the motors need to have the top start in the fully closed position for this to work?) Thank you so much for the help!!!
With the auto top you could use the motor to open the top then do the reset. Check the bushings on the arm that connects to the tonneau. If they are worn it can cause your issue.
@@YourCarGuyDR Thank you for the reply! I appreciate the bushing idea concerning the top... could be. I did the procedure in your video about ten times. Never did I get it to do more than the first stage -- sucking the tonnau down, then as we continue to hold the button, nothing but some whiring noise, then the windows go up (as if they think the top went up). I know it sounds like the motors didn't get reengaged, but I am pretty sure they did. and we usually end up with the red light blinking. I tried a few times with disconnecting the battery again to see if it reset the red light. I even had someone lock me in the trunk with a flashlight and try the reset so I could see what was happening or not. When I did this, the motor on the side by the fender (I think it just does the tonnau with a piece of linkage and 2 cables) moved towards the back of the car and stopped. That is all. We are quite frustrated and will appreciate any further advice/thoughts you have.
@@YourCarGuyDR When I observed the motor from inside the trunk, it moved then stopped and made no noise. This makes me think that the motor and gears are fully engaged, but there is something blocking the progress.....now is it mechanical or electrical? I don't seem to know. What does the system need after the Tonnau-suck-down? What is the signal that sends the windows up? and ANOTHER question (so many!!) I think you instructions call for the 'down' button to be pressed to start the reset sequence -- which includes the top going up (do I have that right??) thanks again!
Thanks so much, The only problem I have now is that the rear roof hits the deck cover when I open the roof . can it be adjusted to go just a little further, noticed in the workshop manual that there is a small gas strut, could this be the problem ? Once again thanks
I tried this on a 96 328, and I noticed that there was only one motor on the driver side and the other side is closed off where the other motor would be. After the motor was fully released, I could still not pull up the tonneau cover.
Hey, I did all of it but when I go to rest the top and I press the button for the top and nothing happens there is no noise just nothing is happing? would I need new motors and if so, would it make sense to just convert it to manual. Thank you
Hey I’m looking to buy an e36 m3. Only problem is that it’a in a different state. The dealership is telling me that the soft top does not work at all. Do you know how much it would cost to completely replace it? With motors and everything. Or just any tips moving forward with this issue?
Arsim Azemi not sure what the price would be. But they normally don’t need complete replacement. Usually a little bit of diagnostics and you will find the issue.
Just bought 95 335i and we got the top motor in place and top drops but the micro switches won't hold the tonneau cover down and latch, is this expensive fix? Maybe we didn't do that second step right but when top is under the tonneau cover tonneau cover will not latch on its own or work with button .also it seems like the battery Maybe week because the top goes awfully slow or seems to need a bit of help to get past some tough spots going up and down will some lubrication help with this or do you recommend a new battery?
Lou Jacob if the top is going slowly and has some rough spots try moving it with it running. If it still appears to be struggling you may have some bad bearings in the top. I have had to replace some on past projects.
I was following along with the video when the hidden electric motor (not the motor that’s hanging and more accessible) won’t click back in place. any tips?
Hi brother, I don’t know if u are still responding here but I’d like you to please help me out if you read this message, my top works but the only thing that is wrong is the top lid that does not want to open up to let the roof go,, if I open manually the lid and put the motor back on, the top can go all the way to the front but the lid does not close. If I close the lid and put the top manually all the way up, when I press down on the button to retrieve the top, the top folds, the lid opens up, the top goes back in the compartment but then at the complet end the LID WONT CLOSE by itself … what’s the problem here I tried to reset multiple time holding the button with key on acc etc etc
@@YourCarGuyDRare they repairable ? Or I need to change them, wich one of them is the one that tell the module it’s back to is place ? Thank you brother
While re-timing the top only goes up about a few inches then can't go any further and will start falling if i disengage button or goes down fine when I press the down button. Is this a strut problem?
Hey can you help me? So I pushed in both motors and everything but once I switched the car to the second switch and it sucked it in just like yours but then just stayed there instead of closing, did I do something wrong?
Adrians Indie shit you probably did everything right. It is possible that the trunk switch that tells the computer that the trunk is closed may not be working.
Tyler Tran if you’re top is bottling the cover it is likely that the linkage rods for the cover are worn or bent thus not opening the cover fully. With the cover open look at the rods under the cover on the drivers side. It is likely that the bushings have worn out at the connection points. I have even seen some with bent rods.
Hello Car Guy! There was absolutely no video instructions demonstrating how to release the top from the front. PLEASE. PLEASE, PLEASE, include this visual in the video. (I have a 1999 323ic) Thank you.
J B this car had manual latches in the front. Yours with the power latches requires that you remove the center upper panel and use the Allen key tool to release the front latches.
I have a e46 330ci . And when I try to open the roof, it opens about 6” from the windscreen and then stops , and then it makes a clicking sound from the side where the hydraulic pump is ?? Any suggestions ? The gear in the middle is fine, the clicking sound isn’t coming from that.
bustaa01323bustaa normally the clicking would indicate a stripped gear. The gear on the cable may have a bad spot. Also check for binding in the top as many times this is what will cause a gear to fail.
Good but my 99 did not have slide out motor instead it popped off two cable guides in that area which I do not see how to reconnect. I was not able to slap the other motor up. Any tricks to it.
CompSciMechanic once you push the lever back into place it should snap back in. I have had times that the release cables stuck and I had to manually push them back into place at the top motor.
@@YourCarGuyDR yes got it thanks Guy. I think the vid showed the tail top motor silver and visible too well... I did not see it in mine but reaching behind that rear bracket I felt a component with play and was able to snap it back in easily. The front motor snapped back up too after a few attempts. I noticed the front top motor gear spindle was rough and dry iron like does it need grease?
@@YourCarGuyDR thanks, I was afraid of getting top stuck open or trunk not opening and just got the nerve up. Top is down but reset procedure pull down grabs it but then spins freely. In the trunk the cable spindles keep popping off. I have hammered it on but still releases in procedure. Put top up manually and its back to shut okay. The tonneau cover had a little gap that would catch wind otherwise may just use manually for a while
Joshua Pearce one of the microswitches that tells the top everything is ready to operate may not be working. Particularly the trunk latch switch may be an issue.
Only problem my brother, is that you didn't show how you released the convertible top from the front. I have a 99 and found out later I needed the allen wrench to undo it. It started raising on the left side (from the window frame) but not from the right side. I don't understand why the 99 didn't have the same release open as this model year? What do I need to do? Thanks
Gods Child 2 yes the earlier cars had the manual latches and they added the automatic latches later. I have had to repair the auto latches when they have had bearings fail. Using the Allen wrench to manually release the front latches is the method to use if you have the later cars. I have seen some that have had the automatic latches fail and they have had to be disassembled to get the top open so you can repair them.
@@YourCarGuyDR Thank you very much for your amazingly quick reply Car guy!😁👍 Summer is almost over and I've had the car since May and have YET to have the top down. It's driving me absolutely nuts. I can't find a video anywhere with someone showing how to do it with allen wrench and if both sides don't release. Any suggestions?
Gods Child 2 it’s tough. I had someone else who had the same issue a few months ago. If I can get my hands on one with the automatic latches I will do a video on them.
@@YourCarGuyDR I absolutely understand. If you have a shop I would bring it to you to illustrate what to do. I know they said to keep turning which I have, but it's just that side. I will keep my eyes and ears open in case you find one to do! Thanks again buddy, great videos😃👍 Please let me know if there's anything else I can watch, read, or do!
Gods Child 2 if you live in the Charlotte NC area I know of a very good BMW mechanic. Sometimes it’s tough to find good honest BMW mechanics. I would happily do it for you but unfortunately my project list is several months long.
This helped to a certain point where the flap lifted which it never did before then it just stood still in the air and didnt operate further and roof never lifted. Now it just doesn't do anything at all could you assist please
Sometimes it takes a little force you can also have someone for just slightly up and down on the tonneau cover to help line up the gear while you are pulling it in.
Your Car Guy DR Hey it wouldn’t release so I took the motor off. Got top down. Can’t get motor back on. Still trying. But when I go to put the top back up the front of top won’t go down close enough for me to latch it on front window. It’s a full auto top.
Richard Nahas here is a link to the instructions which includes the instructions for manual closing. Note that the manual instructions are towards the bottom. www.bavarianmw.com/guide-4397.html
Jecher Enterina there is a lever at the motor that you can look to make sure it is fully pulled the use something the gently pry the motor out of position.
Your Car Guy DR i mean at the end . I sit in the car press the button turn the key and my tunnel cover doesnt go down it goes a few cm up and thats it. Sry for my Bad language
King Kong 666 so this is as you are retiming it. You will want to inspect the cables for the cover and the cover latches. If everything looks good have someone hold the cover down while you do the reset procedure.
That gets a bit tougher with a convertible. Try locking and unlocking the trunk multiple times to see if you can get it to pop open. Otherwise you are likely looking at an option that will damage either the trunk lock or the trunk lid itself.
@@YourCarGuyDR For anyone with this problem, it’s because the tonneau isn’t locking in (think it needs to be electronically locked into place) so if you find yourself in that position you simply push down on either side where the latches are on the cover and get someone/reach over to open up the trunk. Owning this thing for a week and working out the kinks has taught me a lot about these soft tops haha
Do you have the power release? If so there is an Allen screw that you have to insert the tool that is usually in the cover over the center of the header panel.
5150abundio if you have the electric latches up front then there will be a cover between your visors that you remove. Inside will be an Allen style socket. Put a wrench in that and turn it to release the front clamps. The rest of the process will be the same as in this video.
Jacob King check in the trunk to make sure both motors have fully released when you pull the handle. If both are fully released try pulling the back of the top up a bit further and push down and up on the cover to try and get it to release.
