HardTop - Wind Noise and Knocking

S

SamUK

Member
Just got me a hard top - not sure how much of Winter is left but @ under £600 i think i bagged a bargain...and it was local too...

Until...

I drove my car...

Got loads of wind noise coming in from the top on the right side where the front top sits on the seal, also some from the rear where the covers go.

Also noticed something knocking in it when going over bumps - cant seem to isolate it..but its annoying.

I have put black tape along the edge outside where the rubber seals join, this has quietened the window noise down little..


Any one got any idea's? can i do anythoing..or do i just have to live with it?
 
Did you adjust / align the roof when you first installed it ?
You can check for air leaks / wind noise with a playing card to discover if there is any gap.

The two locating and locking "pins' at the back of the roof have fore and aft adjustment as well as up and down.
It was recommended I use the blue one of these to confirm the gap between the roof and the rear deck of the Zed. :



Also I would check the front and rear rubber gaskets to make sure they are in good condition. They might need to be cleaned and refurbed with weather strip conditioner.

When I first installed my roof, the thing was so out of alignment that I could not even get both pins to locate at the same time.

When you lock the locating pins everything should feel tight and secure. No bouncing around over bumps in the road.

Best of luck.
Let me know if you need more help

Bumpy
 
There yah go !
Installation Manual

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/images/6183EN.pdf

Copy it for future reference
Bumpy
 
Wow, did not realise the hard top requires time to get on the car..

1 hour according to the user guide..

Thanks for the info an links... :D :thumbsup:
 
SamUK said:
any idea if i can renew the rubber strips on the car? change them for new ones?
Click to expand...

My bet is that with a little tweaking and adjustment of those two locking pins, you should remedy most of your complaints.
Expect some cursing because the adjusting nuts are slightly difficult to get to.

I'd just give the rubbers a Spa Treatment with weather strip lube at the end of the winter season.
When you remove the top for the summer, just store it so the rubber is not compressed.
My top came with a zip cover which I store it in and lean the top against the wall in my garage. I use some dense foam I retrieved from the Big Screen TV packaging to protect the lower edge and raise it off of the concrete floor.

An hour to install ?
No more than 15 minutes on or off with the help of a well trained neighbour.

Cheers
Bumpy

ps Thanks to CJ Jeepers for all his assistance my first time.
 
The deformation in the rubber seal above the windscreen from the soft top being up is the main source of front wind noise and I couldn't eliminate it completely with roof adjustments. +1 for using a 5mm rawlplug to get the rear gap right though.

The BMW service bulletin for the seal issue is a 'fix' involving cutting up and sticking on some pieces of rear light gasket onto the indentations but I solved it using some draught proofing tape over the thin seal the hard top has by default. Haven't had the need to readjust each year so its worth the effort to get it right.
 
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