BMW SOFT TOP PROBLEMS - HOW TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX 

Excellent stuff, Timm. Your videos are top notch!

One of the most thorough video's on you tube I have ever seen. Nice job Timm!

GREAT video Tim !! My softtop is working perfect, but one never knows :-) and it's always nice to learn how things are working. You put a lot of effort into these videos and you should know that it is highly appriciated Best regards from Denmark

Excellent video Tim - many thanks!

Absolutely brill - slowly working through the vids and getting my E64 back to top speck - ( last time I did any work on a car was changing drum brakes on a Datsun Cherry!)

Thanks a lot for the video! I have exactly the problem you mentioned towards the end - when the soft top comes up, it sometimes cannot make the last few centimeters in order to claw itself into the front windshield. The problem is intermittent but it of course always happens at the worst possible time.. I'll use what I learned from your video and try to fix it myself.

Very very useful, professional and even enjoying. Now im on my way buying a INPA reader to get my E46 Convertible working again. Report about my success or failiure to come.

What a brilliant video thank you so much, currently diagnosing a fault causing all windows to be down and red flashing light and no roof operation

Tim, your videos are brilliant. Ive watched them all but sadly still unable to solve my issue which may be simple! 2004 E64 n62 4.4l Fuse F89 kept blowing in the boot. Eventually it didn’t blow so it’s probably fried something, no working soft top or Elec steering column. Can’t wind rear window as hex socket stripped. Inpa in the post. Tia your a legend 👍

Great video!

Now we need a video showing the issue and fix of the rear window!

This is truly encyclopedic- made very comfortable getting into a soft top now - got the option of an 08 champagne auto or an 04 marine blue manual - would love the manual but it would be an online purchase with no test drive! Making me very nervous.

After much looking finally got a low mileage 07 M6 - an absolute beaut, 2 owner, great service history and only some cosmetics to deal with - the dash leather drying out! Anyhoo - my better half n daughter love the ride - they borrow it too often for my comfort so just acquired another beaut E64 to complete the His n Hers - a 2010 low mileage one owner - but does have the soft top issue of not closing fully a couple of inches from latching! I'm most grateful for this video - enjoy a coffee or beer on me. Tah much, till next update.

Just curious if you’ve ran into any issues or repairs concerning the power steering/active steering for an e63. So glad I found your videos🙏🏼

Thank you for sharing all this! Very informative! Can you please share instructions on INPA installation?

Hi Timm best video on E64 convertible top…..even though I did get a little lost but that’s just me….may I ask you please….it would seem I have the same problem as you….roof on closing does everything but falls at the last hurdle and the roof does not meet the windscreen frame by approx 1-2 cm for the claws to engage…..repeated opening and closing part way of the roof will eventually get it to close or strangely if it’s a hot day leaving the car until well into the evening when it’s cold and then it closes first attempt……is that just coincidence? Lol your thoughts would be much appreciated please as I love my bmw but cannot afford bmw dealership prices Thankyou again Simone

Thanks for the great video Tim. My 2005 E64 630 roof was jamming and seemed better after generous WD40 treatment. The rear deck now though mostly refuses to rise after the covertible and fins have lifted up. I've tried the manul release but feels like the lock on the (UK) driver's side is refusing to unlock. After two weeks it suddenly all started one day but then by the end of the day had had enough and gone back to locked. I fugured I'd change the rear deck hallsensors from a car being scrapped. A. Is this the right move? B. Please can you advise how I disconnect/install them? C. At 14m40s on the video, the diagram has (1)&(2) but the key refers to 3&4. Is it possible to show the correct ones/post a link to the correct ones. D. Any other advice would be gratefully received! Thanks!

You are very good and very precise! What do you think about a problem I have on my BMW E46 CONVERTIBLE? The top is stuck and no longer moves. With INPA I read that I have a problem with the volts over the limit of the main pillar angol sensor. Broken cable or faulty sensor?

Thanks!

Thank you brother about this video,,,my e64 soft top close knop flesh red meaning soft top not working now i close manually which is heartbreaking nonetheless now i know where to find the sensors,,thank you,,,,,,,,,South Africa

Hi Tim. Thank you very much for your generous knowledge sharing. You have a great way with presentation. Question, the emergency deck release method (pulling the buttons with the cables attached in the boot compartment), I presume this will not permanently leave these locks released, and when the deck is closed again the deck will lock? I ask this because my deck wont lift (motors operating but keeps clicking as if the deck wont unlock). I want to test this theory but dont want to leave the deck in an unlocked state for obvious reasons.. thanks again for this, you are the man

Hi Tim and thanks a lot for responding me all the time . My 1997 e38 740i only has 2 oxigen sensors pre cat , post cat none of them , is that possible or the owner before me removed them ?

Hi Timm, Thanks for the very good explanation. I have a E64 645ci and a E64 M6 and the last one has an error once in a while (Top locked) and I found that the car had a new sensor done by the previous owner but it was installed at the edge of working / not working. If I press on the left wing the error goes away. So I will need to adjust the hall sensor. The car has another problem and that is that the front and back window on the left side do not press strongly against each other. So, on bumpy roads the windows rattle a little and that is annoying. I reasoned that it might be so that the windows do not go up with enough pressure or can it be so that the top roof is not pressing down well enough? I think that the windows need to be squeezed together somehow. By the way, I tried to use Protool and the sensor positions can be shown there as well but not as nice as in INPA.

Wonderful.

Hi Timm, Great video and content. Just out of interest, I noticed your black deck lid has the marks from the soft top rubber. Has it been awhile since you last Teak Oiled it? I had heard of one US base gent who unbolted it from the painted metal, cleaned it with thinners and spray painted it with a plastic spray. Any thoughts? Ive been using a CRC product on mine and it too doesn't last long, it fades and the blue/white rubber mark comes back.

Excellent video. We fellow owners appreciate it! You might not monitor these old videos, but I'll leave my question anyway, just in case. If I want just to move the front of the top up a bit to provide better access to the wire harness, do I have to pull the releases in the trunk and open the top compartment? I suspect a break in one of the wires to the cowl lock motor due to an ISTA code of "open circuit" with respect to the "cowl motor" (I tested the motor, and it's fine), and if I can't solve this electrical fault, I still want to be able to drive to the dealer, which is several miles away via highway. Thanks in advance!

Great video Tim. I have a 650i, just like yours, and followed your video hoping that it would solve my soft top problem. INPA did not however, solve the issue, as the INPA program (F65 button for the E64 model) would not select the convertible soft top but kept selecting the coupe giving me the only option of the sunroof (coupe) and not my convertible soft top. Any ideas why it won't select the convertible soft top?

Hello Tim.. great video. My 645 currently flashes green when I first hold button, the windows go down, and then it starts showing red light and you can hear the latches try to open but it never does . Sounds like it is weak. Then I have to roll up all my windows back up manually. The rear window button works . Any recommendations please?

Hi Tim Is this approach the right one for my problem?: Soft top opened perfectly well. Soft top will not close. Windows operate but nothing from deck etc. I therefore did the manual closing. Red light now flashes and the rear window won’t raise (just ordered a tool to try and manually wind it). My concern is INCA will display several errors at the moment as I’ve done the manual closure but they could be red herrings?? Appreciate your help Tim. I’d be lost without your videos. Thank you Mark

Tim, I’m a new subscriber and have a request. Can u do a video on can-bus system of the e31. Im an aerospace engineer and would love to know more as I am having issues of that nature with my e31 M73

Hi , can you give me an advise about a cheapper maf sensor for a 740i 1998 ? The oem cost too much for me .

Hi could you tell me what’s the best code reader is to buy the one you plug in and where on the car do you plug it in and could you send me the link for impa please 😊

Do you have any information or fix on the water coming in through the corners of the soft top where it meets the windscreen?

Thanks Timm, superb video. - press and hold roof button and the light is green on the switch. - no display at all or warning on the dash that the roof is in motion - the windows drop and then silence, no unlocking or movement at all in the roof. - release the switch and press again, and the windows drop down again, and the roof still makes no attempt to open or unlock. - press the close roof button to put windows back, there is no light at all on the switch - again no symbol on the dash to show roof function is in operation - the windows which are now dropped will not go back up using this button. I have to manually put them up using the drivers side door controls . Inpa error code is same as the one you have in your video: A699 Heckcheibenmotor At the same time, the passenger rear window is now stuck down and won't come up and it is about to rain :-) I have inpa but not sure if the rear passenger window is covered by the convertible module as that only seems to mention the horizontal window right at the back of the car. When i press the buttons on the drivers door card, i can hear clicking but the rear passenger window does not come up. Have checked the fuses for the windows and the convertible roof. Any ideas how I can bring this window up please and then get the roof to work?

I had a situation where I had to pull the emergency cables in the trunk to close the soft top manually. How do I reset the cable to their original form? I’ve searched online and can’t find anything

If my bmw operates the windows when I press the roof to open the locking mechanizm operates but won't lift is there a fuse that may have blown my 120i 2010 model thanks Trev in cape town south africa

Hi tim. What was the stuff to put in the oil to keep the valve stem seals soft called?

When the flashing light indicates top not locked my window controls will not function to raise or lower the side windows. I my case one of the sensors needed a gentle tap and corrected the issue.

Almost Spain! Isn´t it? Enjoy Timm.

I hope you can help me. 645 I am working on the top will not go down. Tried winding the back window down but it is stuck fast....I need this window to go down so I can get to the modules. Have you any other way to get this back window down?

hello, my BMW e64 reports the following roof errors A692,A693,A698, where to start looking?😊

My BMW F33 is currently in with BMW, the tailgate lock assembly has failed, preventing the roof from being closed, the roof button stopped working, with no noise from the motor, and the luggage compartment tray wouldn't lift, also the light in the boot wasn't illuminated, I was thinking this had the potential to be wiring looms or micro switches/sensors, fault codes where reset by BMW and car was initialised, the roof then operated again, despite the boot latch still being broken, If the car has numerous faults on the switches and sensors, the electronics go into a state of sleep to protect damage. £711 later, but the roof will be back functional again.

Thx

I have the 'flashing red light syndrome' for a year, intermittent with no rhyme or reason why it does it, switches off boot, rear window and horn as well! I'd pay you good money to diagnose it Timm!

Hi tim have an issue with the hydrolic tappets, is it a big job in these cars 2006 630i

Hi is there anywhere I could contact you for my bmw 6 series soft top

Do you still have the E32 730i V8?

Hi Tim Thanks very much not just for this great video but for all your other ones as well.. My E64 LCI has just started to play up with the heated rear window only operating both up & down in staged increments! Do you know if the hall sensor 61318378940 can be changed with out removing the whole window mechanism? TIA John