**NEW** Group buy - remote roof / remote roof one touch
- Thread starter majeric
- Start date
Just fitted my GapTech yesterday. Not the 10 minutes suggested- more like 30 minutes if you use the Scotchlocks supplied, which is fine. Worked first time (tested before refitting the ashtray console, obviously - a variation from the instrictions. Also, make sure you put a cloth over the trim, as the underside of the ashtrtay consol is sharp and will scratch).
I too share the concern over the Scotchlocks, which I hate, but in the interests of a quick job have gone with them, for now at least.
As to Greyzed's comment, of course mods are a personal thing - I personally think the constant repetitive (and boring) reference to 'you must get a stubby' is a bit pants, and am quite happy with my Mr Whippy! However, as to the GapTech, I think it's a great mod - I found it frustrating having to keep finger on button to open or close - yes it's only 10 seconds, but a pain, nonetheless, particularly when opening as you're wanting to get going. Also nice to be able to use at the lights. Once activsated you can then drive off and the roof will continue to open, or close, leaving your hands free for steering.
Why didn't BMW fit a one-touch and remote feature?
I too share the concern over the Scotchlocks, which I hate, but in the interests of a quick job have gone with them, for now at least.
As to Greyzed's comment, of course mods are a personal thing - I personally think the constant repetitive (and boring) reference to 'you must get a stubby' is a bit pants, and am quite happy with my Mr Whippy! However, as to the GapTech, I think it's a great mod - I found it frustrating having to keep finger on button to open or close - yes it's only 10 seconds, but a pain, nonetheless, particularly when opening as you're wanting to get going. Also nice to be able to use at the lights. Once activsated you can then drive off and the roof will continue to open, or close, leaving your hands free for steering.
Why didn't BMW fit a one-touch and remote feature?
By the seaside...
Bing said:
You're nearly right but you crimp to the loom and module seperately otherwise you wouldn't be able to remove it easily.
You can get all the bits you need from Maplin
You need a crimp tool e.g. http://www.maplin.co.uk/crimping-stripping-and-cutting-tool-1065
Bullet plugs/sockets come in packets of 10 and are sized for different thicknesses of wire, and colour coded for size, because you'll need blue and yellow you need to buy plugs & sockets in each colour
Maplin Part codes are
JH86T Insulated bullet plug (BLUE)
ML85G Insulated bullet plug (YELLOW)
JH84F Insulated bullet socket (BLUE)
ML86T Insulated bullet socket (YELLOW)
Alternatively, if you prefer you could use fully insulated male/female crimped spade connectors
Fitting of both plugs and sockets is the same process, you have a wire with several mm of insulation stripped and you insert the wire into the end of the crimp connector and sqeeze the crimp connector (hard) with the crimp tool. The crimp tools have colour coded areas to show which recess is used to crimp the relevent colour of connector. I usually insert the connector into the jaws of the crimp tool and use gentle pressure to hold it in place while inserting the wire into the connector with my other hand, then squeeze hard on the tool (it's actually harder to explain than to do). I always insert the wire far enough that a few mm of insulation also gets gripped by the crimp as this acts as a little bit of 'strain relief' and stops the bare wires breaking if there's flexing at the end of the crimp
You fit the sockets to the car wiring and the plugs to the module - this is so that if you remove the module you don't have bare terminals floating round that could (*will*) short on something
For the car wiring, choose the place on the relevent wire where you want to install the socket and either
- strip the insulation for about 15mm centred on the place you want the socket to be, fold the stripped section in half and twist together. This avoids cutting the wire but is much more fiddly to do.
or
- cut the wire at the selected point, strip back the insulation by 7-8mm on each side and then twist the two cores together
Once you have your bare twisted wire, fit a socket as described above. The thickest wire (from the white connector) will need pliars to twist into a nice tight spiral.
For the wires from the GapTech module, you'll need to fit blue bullet plugs to all except the red wire which will need a yellow plug - the red wire isn't really thick enough for yellow plugs but, if you strip a bit extra (about 20mm) and fold the stripped section in half twice, you should find it grips well enough.
Use a fine permanant marker and mark the insulation on each bullet plug with the letters a->e. After testing mark the insulation on the sockets with matching letters. This is so that, if the module is ever removed, it's easy to reconnect the correct plugs and sockets
Plug the bullets into the sockets - the yellow plug/socket is the power connection so I leave this until last
Test and once happy, reassemble
I think that covers everything but, if any of it needs clarification, please say so
[EDIT 10/09/12: Gary from GapTech has pointed out that 'the thick wire that the module's red wire connects to is the main 12V supply and caution should be exercised to ensure that it is not allowed to short to any other metallic surface else the fuse may be blown-or worse'. If you are not confident that you can work on this wire in situ, you may find it easier to disconnect the battery before stripping/cutting wires. In addition, for added protection against shorting the 12v supply wire, heatshrink tubing (or insulation tape) could be used over the bullet connectors on this wire]
Good write up PerryGunn.
The main reason that I don't supply crimp terminals is because I can't guarantee that all customers will have a set of crimpers, I feel that some kind of connectors should be supplied so I've opted for the scotchlocks even though they aren't the best solution. I would just add one point though, people should be aware that the thick wire that the module's red wire connects to is the main 12V supply and caution should be exercised to ensure that it is not allowed to short to any other matalic surface else the fuse may be blown-or worse.
The main reason that I don't supply crimp terminals is because I can't guarantee that all customers will have a set of crimpers, I feel that some kind of connectors should be supplied so I've opted for the scotchlocks even though they aren't the best solution. I would just add one point though, people should be aware that the thick wire that the module's red wire connects to is the main 12V supply and caution should be exercised to ensure that it is not allowed to short to any other matalic surface else the fuse may be blown-or worse.
gapTech said:
Cheers Gary, I've updated the original post include this info
I think it's good that you include some connectors, lots of companies wouldn't bother doing so and I'm sure most people haven't had a problem with the ScotchLocks. I know that they're used a lot for car audio work and you don't hear many horror stories, but they don't really lend themselves to removal and reinstallation so this gives people an alternative if they want to do a little bit of extra work.
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Well I've had mine it for a few weeks now and I'm loving it
gingertosser
Active member
i am up for a remote + one touch
I used mine totally practically the other day for the first time - i.e. not just for convenience or showing off but for necessity.
I was already late for an important meeting and the only parking space available was so narrow I couldn't open my doors far enough to get out. So down came the top, out I climbed, used the remote to close and lock, then on return used the remote to open and climbed back in.
Felt very clever (rather than the usual smug!)
I was already late for an important meeting and the only parking space available was so narrow I couldn't open my doors far enough to get out. So down came the top, out I climbed, used the remote to close and lock, then on return used the remote to open and climbed back in.
Felt very clever (rather than the usual smug!)