New:
Z4 E89: Collection of the 7 typical age-related defects in the roof environment
z4-forum.com
Z4 G29 roof investigation:
z4-forum.com
My "Y3 Roof Diagnostic System" (for all BMW convertible & roadster)
z4-forum.com
Regarding "open/close the roof with a running engine":
From my point of view, for the 20-second roof process (20s x 20A [average over 20s] = 400As) no more power is drawn from the battery than with starting the engine itself (2s x 400A = 800As).
If that already damages the battery, what happens when the automatic start/stop system is active?
I think the often read engine-must-run recommendation is nonsensical!
But no harm.
Trunk locking system, service mode ("flippers"):
The most important thing is, that you bring your trunk lid into the service mode before doing any work on the roof! Never ever touch the roof without bringing it into this mode!! And of course, it has to be switched BEFORE removing the battery out of the trunk. :roll:
Have a look at the video of @germinator (Juergen):
Well, to make it clear:
Hint #1:
The so called "Service Mode" isn't a special function! If you press the two flippers on both sides of the locking system in the opened trunk lid manually (or with a srewdriver), it logically locks, but the lid will stay physically open.
In this mode, you can move the roof in any position for diagnostics and repair (D&R), but you are always able to lift the lid in case of any malfunction.
That is your life insurance for working on the roof.
But, if you touch the BMW badge in that D&R situation, it will unlock the flippers und you won't get it locked anymore until the roof is back in good working condition.
Hint #2:
Don't touch the BMW Badge anymore!
If you are sure the roof is back in perfect condition, you may unlock the lid pulling the badge. But never ever too early!
Hint #3:
If finished, pull the BMW badge to get back to normal behaviour.
But hey guys, if you are not able to open that center screw of the fuse box to get it slided out, please don't even think about touching anything in the roof or of it's components!!! :evil:
Roof Faults on E89:
The hydraulic hoses as well as the wires to the different sensors in the rear roof shell get weak over the years and finaly will break. Wires can be repaired for a while, but the hydraulic lines will break and can't be repaired.
The only spare part available is a single bundle of all cables and hydraulic lines in the roof, that has to be completely replaced.
Part No.: 54377311084
www.leebmann24.de
Since all hydraulic cable harnesses have been in use for around 10++ years, the wear and tear is already very advanced.
Nobody can turn this back, not even the often mentioned WD40! Dont' use it anywhere in the roof!!
The best strategy to deal with this and avoid disruptions along the way is to get the roof dismantled in a timely manner (better today than tomorrow!), tape all hydraulic lines and replace the wires in the upper critical bend with highly flexible ones. This is the only possible precautionary measure.
If there is a malfunction, this repair becomes quite complicated because the trunk cannot be opened, the roof no longer moves and the windows cannot be operated. The warning bell while driving gets on your last nerve.
www. cabrionotdienst.de
View attachment 2
View attachment 1
My FAQ and recommendation list in the German ZRoadster.com forum:
www-zroadster-com.translate.goog
Important:
There is some maintenance on the E89 retractable hardtop (roof) required.
1) Check the water level BELOW and the corrosion status of the bottom of the hydraulic pump once a year!
Or, if there is no garage for the car, after every heavy rain. There might be water in or below the pump's foam!
Place a plastic bag around the pump's foam to protect it from water. Not around the pump, but the foam! That should look like on the following picture:
View attachment 3
Not so pretty, but very effective! :tumbleweed:
2) Replace the 2 salmon relays (12631742690) next to the hydraulic pump with new ones twice a decade
HowTo:
www-zroadster-com.translate.goog
Background & installation instruction:
translate.google.com
Don't care: about the "Axx" numbers on the new relays. This is a production/manufacturer and not an amperage info. It may differ from the old relays.
Technical background regarding melted hydraulic pumps:
www.spoolstreet.com
3) Replace the 2 microswitch coupling lock (54377228585, 54377228586) with new ones every decade
HowTo:
z4-forum.com
and
z4-forum.com
Important: Always replace both microswitches, on the right as well as on the left!
In addition there is a nice video from @javis20:
Background infos regarding MS:
z4-forum.com
and
4) Check the 2 hallsensors on the right hydraulic cylinder in the trunk for rust or cracks in the housing
More details & pictures:
English: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2035307#p2035307
Francais: http://www.bmwz3club.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1771516#p1771516
If there are any findings or doubts, then get it replaced with the cheaper E88 parts: 54347190735
How-to:
z4-forum.com
and
z4-forum.com
5) Think about a replacement of the hydraulic harness (54377311084) with a new one every decade
HowTo:
z4-forum.com
With these simple (sik) steps you can avoid almost any disturbance with the retractable hardtop of our E89.
In addition:
6) Check and/or replace the coolant reservoir cap with a new one every decade
Have a look at the following thread:
z4-forum.com
7) Check your backlightclusters
Please have a look at the number of nuts on each backlight in the trunk. Replaced backlights have only 2 nuts instead of 3 of the initial ones. In that case, the 3rd hole in the body has to be sealed from the outside BEFORE mounting/replacing the backlight cluster! If not done, your trunk will transform to a swimming pool!
A round seal (07147162569 protection foil) for the 3rd drill hole is available from BMW.
And please mount the backlights in a correct manner: the gaskets have to be pulled very carefully on the rubber flaps into the body before you fasten the nuts.
8 ) Get the car's battery replaced each decade
These modern AGM batteries are often source of weird issues with a bunch of fault codes.
On BMW batteries you will find it's production date on the minus pole in the format YY/WW.
8) Another don't, but imporantant from my point of view:
Don't use any lubrication in the roof, it is not required.
To get a better understanding why not to lubricate, have a look at the bearing bushes:
z4-forum.com
Before there are further regular inquiries:
There is no practical way of checking the condition of the electrical and hydraulic lines on the E89 without dismantling the roof. It cannot be visually checked from the outside.
A useful tool for worklng in the trunk:
To get the black pins of the internal trims removed the following tool (nail iron) is recommended instead of fighting with a screwdriver or a small pair of pliers!
Fault codes assigned to the 2 hall sensors on the right hydraulic ram in the trunk:
View attachment 5
Emergency procedure to open the trunk lid - Pin 12:
z4-forum.com
Numbering of all 12 hydraulic hoses in the E89 roof:
Just in case the numbers on the hydraulic hoses next to the hydraulic pump have been wiped off, have a look at the following thread:
z4-forum.com
And please, once again and again and again, don't use WD40 anywhere in the roof's construction!
To check CC codes use one of the following pages:
www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk
www.drive2.ru
bimmerguide.de
List of roof fault codes:
www.staiger-neuffen.de
Update 03/2022:
There might happen a tricky fault on the boot lid: if the brake light gets activated, the trunk lid opens while driving.
Have a look at the following description:
[Deleted]https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1909115#p1909115
z4-forum.com
This blue plug of the trunk lid harness can be found on the right next to the backlight cluster.
Update 05/2022:
The product I use to maintain the rubber seals of the roof. It's silicon free.
View attachment 4
Update 03/2024 Shutdown the annoying bong's
Depending of the mounted hifi system fuse 15 or 69 has to be pulled. Only one of them is plugged, so it's easy going.
Update 09/2024 Struts / gas springs on the roof as well as on the trunk lid
Roof E89 (BMW 54377212634) Stabilus 0728pb 800N (special tool required)
Trunk lid E89 (BMW 51247191255) Stabilus 499514 570N
Each pair should be replaced by new ones each decade.
Update 12/2024 The magic of the mirror heating in our Z4 - and how to dominate it!
z4-forum.com
Z4 E89: Collection of the 7 typical age-related defects in the roof environment
⌛ E89: Collection of the 9 typical age-related defects in the roof environment
Maintained in the German ZRoadster forum: https://www.zroadster.com/forum/threads/robbis-z4-e89-faq-und-empfehlungsliste-my-recommendations.133084/post-3110861...
z4-forum.com
Z4 G29 roof investigation:
Roof problem
Anyone else had a warning when lowering the roof? Mine started last week to tell me that the Roof is not latched. It goes through the lowering routine but will not raise the side windows. If you release the handle then you get Bongs and the Error message on the dash and screen. I can...
z4-forum.com
My "Y3 Roof Diagnostic System" (for all BMW convertible & roadster)
⌛Y3 & Y4 Roof Diagnostic System (for all convertible & roadster)
The 3rd generation of my roof diagnostic system got finished in these days, after a conceptual phase of about 2 years: Just have a look at some pictures on the German ZRoadster forum of the final build phase. 🤣...
z4-forum.com
Regarding "open/close the roof with a running engine":
From my point of view, for the 20-second roof process (20s x 20A [average over 20s] = 400As) no more power is drawn from the battery than with starting the engine itself (2s x 400A = 800As).
If that already damages the battery, what happens when the automatic start/stop system is active?
I think the often read engine-must-run recommendation is nonsensical!
But no harm.
Trunk locking system, service mode ("flippers"):
The most important thing is, that you bring your trunk lid into the service mode before doing any work on the roof! Never ever touch the roof without bringing it into this mode!! And of course, it has to be switched BEFORE removing the battery out of the trunk. :roll:
Have a look at the video of @germinator (Juergen):
Hedders;30988975 said:
Well, to make it clear:
Hint #1:
The so called "Service Mode" isn't a special function! If you press the two flippers on both sides of the locking system in the opened trunk lid manually (or with a srewdriver), it logically locks, but the lid will stay physically open.
In this mode, you can move the roof in any position for diagnostics and repair (D&R), but you are always able to lift the lid in case of any malfunction.
That is your life insurance for working on the roof.
But, if you touch the BMW badge in that D&R situation, it will unlock the flippers und you won't get it locked anymore until the roof is back in good working condition.
Hint #2:
Don't touch the BMW Badge anymore!
If you are sure the roof is back in perfect condition, you may unlock the lid pulling the badge. But never ever too early!
Hint #3:
If finished, pull the BMW badge to get back to normal behaviour.
But hey guys, if you are not able to open that center screw of the fuse box to get it slided out, please don't even think about touching anything in the roof or of it's components!!! :evil:
Roof Faults on E89:
The hydraulic hoses as well as the wires to the different sensors in the rear roof shell get weak over the years and finaly will break. Wires can be repaired for a while, but the hydraulic lines will break and can't be repaired.
The only spare part available is a single bundle of all cables and hydraulic lines in the roof, that has to be completely replaced.
Part No.: 54377311084
BMW 54377311084 Satz Hydraulikleitung mit Kabelbaum - LEEBMANN24
www.leebmann24.de
Nobody can turn this back, not even the often mentioned WD40! Dont' use it anywhere in the roof!!
The best strategy to deal with this and avoid disruptions along the way is to get the roof dismantled in a timely manner (better today than tomorrow!), tape all hydraulic lines and replace the wires in the upper critical bend with highly flexible ones. This is the only possible precautionary measure.
If there is a malfunction, this repair becomes quite complicated because the trunk cannot be opened, the roof no longer moves and the windows cannot be operated. The warning bell while driving gets on your last nerve.
www. cabrionotdienst.de
View attachment 2
View attachment 1
My FAQ and recommendation list in the German ZRoadster.com forum:
⌛ ------- Robbi's Z4 E89 FAQ und Empfehlungsliste - My Recommendations ☕
Bearbeiten dieses Beitrags Hinweis an den Forums-Betreiber: Von mir gepostete Bilder, Zeichnungen, Fotos, Dokumente u.ä. unterliegen, sofern nicht anders angegeben, meinem perönlichem Copyright oder das deren Eigentümer und gehen mit der Veröffentlichung nicht automatisch in das Eigentum des...
Important:
There is some maintenance on the E89 retractable hardtop (roof) required.
1) Check the water level BELOW and the corrosion status of the bottom of the hydraulic pump once a year!
Or, if there is no garage for the car, after every heavy rain. There might be water in or below the pump's foam!
Place a plastic bag around the pump's foam to protect it from water. Not around the pump, but the foam! That should look like on the following picture:
View attachment 3
Not so pretty, but very effective! :tumbleweed:
2) Replace the 2 salmon relays (12631742690) next to the hydraulic pump with new ones twice a decade
HowTo:
⌛ ------- Alle BMW Cabrios & Roadster : ERSETZT die Dachrelais alle 5 Jahre durch NEUE ☕
@RobbiZ4 2009 120.000 km
Background & installation instruction:
⌛ ------- Alle BMW Cabrios & Roadster : ERSETZT die Dachrelais alle 5 Jahre durch NEUE ☕
Beitrag bearbeiten ⌛ Z4 E85+E89/Z8 E52/1er/2er/3er E46+E93/4er F33/6er E64+F12/8er F91+G14/MiniR57+R59 / 4er G23 : ERSETZT die Dachrelais alle 5 Jahre durch NEUE ☕ Warum? Hydraulik-Schadenanalyse Teil 1 (Relais - 2x 16€) BMW Z4 E89 Grundlagen Dachhydraulik 2 Stück dieser Relais sind...
Don't care: about the "Axx" numbers on the new relays. This is a production/manufacturer and not an amperage info. It may differ from the old relays.
Technical background regarding melted hydraulic pumps:
E89 - Urgent recommendation to replace the pink hardtop hydraulic relays
Thanks to @RobbiZ4 for all his work on the E89 hydraulic top system. I suspect this may also apply, in some way to the E90 hydraulics? @RobbiZ4? I am reposting this information from E89 Post, and ultimately one wants to go look at the German Zroadster forum, where the work is laid out in further...
www.spoolstreet.com
3) Replace the 2 microswitch coupling lock (54377228585, 54377228586) with new ones every decade
HowTo:
It’s a roof fault Jim, but not as we knew it..
Had a strange one this morning..had been -7c overnight, car was cold soaked... Left the roof up for the first 2 miles to allow moisture to blow off, put the roof down, went and did a couple of errands..pulled into re-fuel..bong..just parked in the fuel station.. Re-fuelled, went for a...
z4-forum.com
Small roof issue (surprise surprise)
I have a small roof issue which I could do with advice on please (I have done a search but there are so many I can't find what I need). So; The roof opens fine either with the key, or the button inside. After a few miles (or minutes) the roof button flashes red and roof warning symbol comes up...
z4-forum.com
In addition there is a nice video from @javis20:
Background infos regarding MS:
Roof Micro Switches and Hall Sensors - Fixes and info
Gent thanks to WLH a moderator here, below is a link to my original post which I re did after PB started playing silly buggers ,and WLH kindly hosted on another web hosting site , you should get all the details including the images which are missing below from this new link . If I get any...
z4-forum.com
Roof Shell 2 stop closing, throw fault code A68B - my way to upgrade wiring harness
Roof Shell 2 stop closing, throw fault code A68B - my way to upgrade wiring harness
e89.zpost.com
4) Check the 2 hallsensors on the right hydraulic cylinder in the trunk for rust or cracks in the housing
More details & pictures:
English: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2035307#p2035307
Francais: http://www.bmwz3club.fr/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1771516#p1771516
If there are any findings or doubts, then get it replaced with the cheaper E88 parts: 54347190735
RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog
BMW parts 1' E88 118d Convertible top, wiring harness
www.realoem.com
⌛ Prepare E88 hall sensors for E89 use
E89 hall sensors (HS) on the hydraulic rams are very expensive as spare parts. Alternatively, E88 hall sensors can be fitted. These HS use the same housing format, but are supplied without connectors. What is required: Hall sensor...
z4-forum.com
2 Series Hall Sensors for Roof Issue
Hi all, I've got a roof problem with my Z4, as per previous thread. I was told that I needed to replace the hall sensors by a forum member here and the forum member said that I can buy hall sensors from a 2 series, which I did along with some other parts. Can anybody help ? I'm guessing these...
z4-forum.com
5) Think about a replacement of the hydraulic harness (54377311084) with a new one every decade
HowTo:
Guide for replacing old hydraulic lines
Hey, I will start with some disclaimers: 1. It is a very difficult job to do mentally, not physically, it takes about a day and a half (my first time doing it). 2. You will require two people at certain parts of the build, mostly to lift things up without damaging anything. 3. I believe that...
z4-forum.com
With these simple (sik) steps you can avoid almost any disturbance with the retractable hardtop of our E89.
In addition:
6) Check and/or replace the coolant reservoir cap with a new one every decade
Have a look at the following thread:
Pressure cap blow off!!
Hi all, Well, dragged the car out for a spin today, popped into town to get a pressie for Kat then over to a garden centre to pick up a plant for her. On the way back I smelt a distinct 'puff' of hot coolant!!. 'Someones got a water leak' I thought, seconds later a gong and orange low water...
z4-forum.com
7) Check your backlightclusters
Please have a look at the number of nuts on each backlight in the trunk. Replaced backlights have only 2 nuts instead of 3 of the initial ones. In that case, the 3rd hole in the body has to be sealed from the outside BEFORE mounting/replacing the backlight cluster! If not done, your trunk will transform to a swimming pool!
A round seal (07147162569 protection foil) for the 3rd drill hole is available from BMW.
And please mount the backlights in a correct manner: the gaskets have to be pulled very carefully on the rubber flaps into the body before you fasten the nuts.
8 ) Get the car's battery replaced each decade
These modern AGM batteries are often source of weird issues with a bunch of fault codes.
On BMW batteries you will find it's production date on the minus pole in the format YY/WW.
8) Another don't, but imporantant from my point of view:
Don't use any lubrication in the roof, it is not required.
To get a better understanding why not to lubricate, have a look at the bearing bushes:
The dreaded roof issue has come calling !
Hi everyone , Fairly new member so please be patient! I have what I hope is a common roof issue, whereby on opening the roof from the switch, it opens without fault until the boot lid closes (with roof fully stored correctly) and then when it’s fully down the ‘bong’occurs and windows will not...
z4-forum.com
Before there are further regular inquiries:
There is no practical way of checking the condition of the electrical and hydraulic lines on the E89 without dismantling the roof. It cannot be visually checked from the outside.
A useful tool for worklng in the trunk:
To get the black pins of the internal trims removed the following tool (nail iron) is recommended instead of fighting with a screwdriver or a small pair of pliers!
Fault codes assigned to the 2 hall sensors on the right hydraulic ram in the trunk:
View attachment 5
Emergency procedure to open the trunk lid - Pin 12:
Unlocked the boot with roof trouble, two options.
If you don't have a code reader etc that will allow you to open the boot when the roof is playing up, these methods have both worked for me, you'll want to make sure your roof is in a position where opening the boot isn't going to cause any damage! Boot access is needed to get to the electrical...
z4-forum.com
Numbering of all 12 hydraulic hoses in the E89 roof:
Just in case the numbers on the hydraulic hoses next to the hydraulic pump have been wiped off, have a look at the following thread:
This Pin 12 trick to open the boot
Has been described a few times, example here in this thread. https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1853940&hilit=trouble%2C+two#p1853940 I have the fusebox down but cannot see how the long connector comes off as in this photo at the bottom. Does that clip at the end push out towards the...
z4-forum.com
And please, once again and again and again, don't use WD40 anywhere in the roof's construction!
To check CC codes use one of the following pages:
BMW CC-ID codes fault and warning messages - mr-fix.info
Access BMW CC-ID codes in E87, E90, E60, E63, X5 E70 to check reasons for warning and fault messages on your instrument cluster.
mr-fix.info
BMW CC-ID Error Codes | What Each Warning Message Means | ABD
A simple, easy to use guide on BMW CC-ID Error Codes, detailing what each fault means. Lighting, batteries and tyres can display multiple error codes....
www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk
BMW CCID Code List (коды ошибок BMW)
Active Cruise Control ACC 158 Active Cruise Control Disabled, Sensor Error ACC 238 Active Cruise Control Disabled, Hill Descent ACC 441 Cruise Control Deactivated ACC 442 Vehicle may Roll Away ACC 44…
www.drive2.ru
Check-Control Meldungen - BimmerGuide
Diagnose Instrumentenkombination Für die Diagnose der Instrumentenkombination folgende Informationen beachten: Hinweis: Verdeckte Funktion für Check-Control-Meldungen in der Instrumentenkombination. Wenn eine Check-Control-Meldung vorliegt, kann mit den Tasten am Fahrtrichtungs-Fernlichtschalter...
bimmerguide.de
List of roof fault codes:
Staiger - Werkstatt für alte Autos - Cabrio Dach Notdienst / roof emergency service
Cabrio Dach Notdienst, Cabrio Dach Hotline, [email protected] - +49 (0)7025 911 76 08, BMW Z4 E85/E89/G29, BMW Z8 Roadster E52, BMW 3er Cabrio E93, BMW 4er Cabrio F33/F83/G23/G83, BMW 6er Cabrio E64/F12, BMW 8er Cabrio F91/G14, BMW i8 Roadster, MINI Cabrio R52/R57/F57, AUDI...
Update 03/2022:
There might happen a tricky fault on the boot lid: if the brake light gets activated, the trunk lid opens while driving.
Have a look at the following description:
[Deleted]https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1909115#p1909115
boot opens by itself when driving !
hi need some help guys ! My 2011 z4 has decided that it would be great to open the boot by itself when i go to move off ! there is also two led lights constantly lit on the strip light across the boot lid, oh and the boot will not open manually only by using the key fob ! any ideas?
z4-forum.com
Update 05/2022:
The product I use to maintain the rubber seals of the roof. It's silicon free.
View attachment 4
Update 03/2024 Shutdown the annoying bong's
Depending of the mounted hifi system fuse 15 or 69 has to be pulled. Only one of them is plugged, so it's easy going.
Update 09/2024 Struts / gas springs on the roof as well as on the trunk lid
Roof E89 (BMW 54377212634) Stabilus 0728pb 800N (special tool required)
Trunk lid E89 (BMW 51247191255) Stabilus 499514 570N
Each pair should be replaced by new ones each decade.
Update 12/2024 The magic of the mirror heating in our Z4 - and how to dominate it!
door mirrors....heated?
ok ,so the cold mornings have alerted me to a possible issue on the z4.Do these come with heated mirrors,if so, how are they turned on ? my passenger side seemed to clear quicker than the drivers,so if they are heated what could be the issue,and how hard is it to removed the heated glass?
z4-forum.com
Last edited by a moderator:
