Roadster roof. Rubbing on rubber seals.

P

Pilly

Member
Ladies and gents,

Have a problem. When my roof is down its started rubbing on the rubber seal at the back. It's rubbed away some of the roof material.

It's going into the stealer next week for them to take a look. They did say it could be wear and tear which I disputed, saying if they put new cloth on would he say in 6 months it would have rubbed again. He said "yes". So if that's so it's not wear and tear. He didn't answer that.

Has anyone had this problem or anything similar. I did find a post about this on here last month but can't find it now.

Thanks for any help in advance.
 
I think everyone's rubs a bit, mine certainly does. This is the first I've heard (not that I have extensive experience) of it actually removing material, the seal isn't exactly abrasive. It may be possible to move the whole roof forward a tiny bit, a mm or two at most, to partially relieve some of the pressure on the fabric.

Open the roof. Under the elongated oval covers on the main hinge are two torx screws each side. Mark the current position so it can be reset if problems arise. Loosen the screws so that the roof arms can be slid forward, do not remove the screws. Slide the whole roof forward, taking out the small bit of play from the oversized holes, and re-tighten the screws. Ensure the movement is equal on both sides. Close the roof and ensure it still properly engages the windscreen head rail.

It's not much, but every little bit helps. Keep the seal treated with a vinyl or rubber preservative so it stays smooth and flexible and does not become rough and oxidised and stiff.
 
Pilly,

My top rubs the trunk section rubber, leaving a nasty mark on the tan top. I brought this to the attention of my dealer, who tried to clean these spots on the top, apparently by rubbing the sections vigorously. They said the trunk rubbing issue is common and not a warranty issue. I now have a slight hole in the top on one side where they rubbed it too hard duing the "cleaning" (AND it still has the black marks from the rubber).

I'm going to look at my top, per bcworkz instructions. If that works, it sure would have been nice if the stelaership had used this method rather than damaging my top.
 
Sorry I haven't got back to anyone on this as been busy at work (no play).

Took the car into Sytner at Chigwell who were going to have a look and check the roof over etc. when I went to pick her up was told they hadn't done anything as they thought there was a problem with the roof so they had just taken photos and sent them off to BMW asking them if they would pay for the roof to be changed.

Just had a phone call this morning.....BMW have said they WILL replace the roof and pay for all realignments to get this sorted. They have asked if I would pay a £250 contribution (I have £100 excess on warranty). They have told me it is a £2900 job.

Hope this doesn't sound a dumb question but would people say this sounds fair and go for it?????
 
I should add that BMW had already told Sytner this wasn't covered by the warranty but to send photos and they would have a look. Apparently the roof is "trim".....
 
new roof for £2900 :o

What are they smoking! If you own a 2003 car and want the roof changed that represents 50% of its value
 
Apparently they need the car for at least 2 days to get it done. I think 50% of that price is probably labour
 
Same problem here. My first Z4, I had the roof changed at an upholstery shop for $1300. Was a bit different, but only if you knew what to look for. Worked great.
This Z4 has the same problem. I finally figured that it is a design flaw on BMW's part. All they needed to do is to cut that body part that rubs with the roof back just a bit probably 6MM or so and then the roof wouldn't rub.
This problem is more pronunced on TAN roofs. :x
 
Considering they could have easily said it's due to wear and tear, it's rather generous IMO. I think their generosity hinges on the fact material was actually abraded. If it were just marred, it would have been a no go.

While the roof is off, I wonder if some remedial work could be done to minimise any chance of this happening again. Such as grinding the boot cowl back a couple mm in certain spots. Not sure of the lip detail, this may not even be feasible. Or enlarging the hinge attachment holes a bit to allow forward adjustment as far as possible. Which could have undesirable consequences. ...may be bad ideas, just thinking out loud.
 
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