Different Convertible Top Problem

mickt said:
Hi
Like noj on the recent "roof fault" thread, I fear the roof motor has died on my '03 3.0.
As stated on the other thread, replacement cost with labour is arond £700.
I wonder, has anyone tried the D-I-Y route as described by Fixedwheelnut or can offer
hints and tips?
The BMW repair instructions, Section 54 34 005 describe the replacement procedure.
Can anyone access this? The dealer obviously is not cooperative.
Any information would be gratefully received and I am sure could be of benefit to everyone else.
Thanks


PM my your email address and I will email you the procedure from my BMW manual in PDF format.
 
Shipkiller, Thankyou!
I have sent an email, hope this is OK. Office computer won't let me PM, and I am cr@p at IT stuff.
(Hopefully slightly better with spanners, though :roll: )

Cheers
mickt
 
Update as promised.
Thanks are due to shipkiller and "GVfb" on the zed-cars.eu forum for technical info.
Stripping the trim per Fixedwheelnut's guide is relatively straightforward though I suspect (confirmed by dealer
tech) not entirely necessary since the main hood bolts can be accessed via cover panels in the side trims. Also, there are MORE than 5 rear hood frame bolts (on mine anyway) :cry:
Having got it all stripped, I decided to let the dealer put it back because (a) I was knackered and (b) any leaks,
adjustments etc would be their responsibility.
Should have gone there in the first instance. They said without prompting they would try a goodwill claim on BMW
and later phoned to say a new motor housing was needed because of water ingress. I had a copy of the service bulletin citing this as a known fault which I gave them to reinforce the case.
Result on a Sept 2003 20500 miler was an offer of 100% on labour and 50% on parts. I was more than happy to accept.
Approx prices £260 motor, £60 housing and 2 B pillar rubber top seals £80. Labour estimate £400 - £600.
 
Hey folks,
Does anyone have this bulletin?

In the thread above, Miket mentions he had " a copy of the service bulletin citing this as a known fault".

My zed has the same problem. My dealer is getting back to me with a quote for the work... Ouch! Think I'm going to need this bulletin to help get a deal.

Thanks heaps.
Chris :)
 
Sorry for lack of replies to PM's as I have been away.
The BMW bulletin is SIB 54 03 03, so any dealer should be able to access it.
The wording of it is on http://bmw.justanswer.com/questions/xzdk-goodmorning-2003-bmw-z4-problem
Best of luck to all! :thumbsup:
 
Seems like the trouble with water soaked soft top motors is quite common. July this year, my soft top would not open. When I pressed the opening button, it unlatched from the top frame of the windscreen, but would not continue the movement into fully open position. When I pushed the close button, it latched into fully closed position. My local dealer fixed the problem by replacing the soft top motor, and the repair did not cost more than $ 2000,-...... :!: When I saw the replaced electrical motor, I realized that the failure had nothing to do with my use of the soft top. The motor was in a very bad condition with a lot of corrosion. After having done some research and read several posts on different BMW Z4 user forums, I made a written complaint to BMW. Have not received any answer yet, but I am afraid it will be negative as the car is not under warranty any longer.
During my "research", I found what I think is the original service bulletin (SI B 54 03 03) for this problem http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/56-29644-288775-4559/540303g.pdf After have read all the posts regarding this obvious design error, it strikes me how reluctant BMW is to acknowledge the fact that they have a failure in their design. BMW show a worrying lack of attitude towards the customers purchasing their prestige products.
 
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