I always wanted a manual roof anyway!!

W

williez4

Member
Hi ....Im a newbie on here....Bought my Z4 this week and yesterday had the deaded roof failure :( After reading various threads on here im wondering if I should fork out the money to get it sorted straight away?....there are some horror stories where people have had 2 and sometimes 3 new roof motors replaced! I Realise that its a relatively common fault but the thought of shelling out ££££ on the same problem doesn't fill me with happiness!! ...If Im being totally honest I would be happy with just a manual hood (like my old mx5) but as its stands at the moment the motor seems to unlatch the hood fine (am I right in thinking that that's a separate motor?) but then I have to open the boot to release the red handle so I can put it down manually..DECISIONS!!

On a brighter note im going to give her a good clean/polish this weekend and then will post some pics :) I understand that the red seats aren't to everyones taste but you have to understand that this is a midlife crisis thing so red seats were a must!!! :D

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome and help
 
Bit of a bummer on the hood breaking. I assume it was sold as seen?

The key to long life and happieness, wrt the roof, is to stop water sitting in the motor. The best way to do that, is to ensure that the roof drains are clear. :thumbsup: Alternately never take your car out in the rain, which can be a little impracticle at times. :wink:
 
You'll get fed up putting it up and down manually. Be careful that you push it from the centre or get two people to do it one from either side or you could twist the framework as the hood is quite heavy.
 
Thanks Guys......yep the hood is definitely heavier than my old MX5! Saves going to the gym I guess! Every cloud...... :)
 
There are a number of people that have changed the motor using guides on the forum so that might be worth investigating. Although the lowest quote for replacing, around £550, it seems better to let a recommended garage do it. I'm sure clearing the drains help, however, I think this failure is part of the ownership experience.
 
You don't have to pull the red handle each time you lower the roof manually, just don't re-engage it after putting the roof back up.

My motor packed up around last Sept. red handle pulled once, roof been up and down dozens of times.

Probably takes about 15 secs down and 30 up.
 
Your motor has probably drowned...... the "Shipkiller" guide is the one that everyone seems to refer to when doing the job oneself but it's a good 6-8 hr job and involves removing the soft top from the body. This usually reveals the motor casing sitting in a puddle of water due to blocked drain holes. To avoid it happening again Shipkiller recommends using some clear sealant which prevents the water penetrating the case again. I've done my roof motor recently and used the Shipkiller guide. After completing the job though found that I had to make some adjustment to the seating of the hydraulic lines in the case (they were squashed, thus inhibiting the flow of the fluid), but I was able to do this without moving the roof. I slipped my hand through the inner roof lining and pulled the motor casing upward. You could try this to check if there is a big puddle of water before buying a new motor and taking off the roof.
 
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