Roof problem

[na51hog]

Robbi,

You seem to know more about the E89 roof subsystem than anyone else on this planet. So, I am a little (very) embarrassed to ask you this question - but if you don't ask you don't get, so here goes.

Intermittently, my boot doesn’t quite close when opening the roof and it generates the code A691 Hall Sensor, rear – end module open



From reading various forum posts I thought I would start by replacing the HAL sensor as indicated on your very helpful photograph and see if the fault disappears.



“The right HS1 (assigned fault code A691) is responsible to detect the open position of the boot lid.”

I have secured HAL sensors - part no 54347190735, which while not the part number for the E89, are as I understand it, identical at the sensor end and cost only £12 rather than £200+

So, I think I am ready to go. I have taken out all the surrounding boot liners and have exposed the hydraulic RAM, but the HAL sensors are underneath the RAM and neither visible nor accessible as far as I can tell. I know they are there because I can see them on your bench photograph but how do I get to them with the RAM in place in the car? Other posters simply say that’s where they are, and I changed them…



Do I need to take this plate off on the other side, and if so, is there anything I should know about how to remove it?



Many thanks for your time and expertise.

Neil

 

[Smartbear]

Hi, are you sure you don’t just have a soft close failure & the hall sensor is flagging the bootlid isn’t closed because of this?
Rob

 

[na51hog]

Hi Rob,

I guess it's possible.

How would I distinguish between cause and effect?

Neil

 

[Smartbear]

Hi Rob,

I guess it's possible.

How woul I distinguish between cause and effect?

Neil

Does the soft close work when you just open/close the boot without operating the roof?
Rob

 

[na51hog]

Yes, it does

 

[RobbiZ4]

Hi Neil,
sorry for my late response.

 

[na51hog]

Robbie,

You have absolutely nothing to apologise for!

Thank you so much for taking the trouble to detail such a comprehensive and clear reply. I will follow your instructions precisely and let you know the outcome. It won't be for a couple of days, as circumstances prevent me from working on the car until early next week. I will take some photographs as I go along which may be of use to any others who come after me.

It did make me smile that my photograph of an irrelevant part accidentally managed to include the sensors - well spotted!!

In the meantime, thanks again for sharing your extensive knowledge and experience with the forum.

Best regards

Neil

 

[RobbiZ4]

Welcome.

 

[RobbiZ4]

.

 

[N!co]

Awesome device you made there!

If I may ask... Where did you get those CTM male and female connectors and contacts?
Some look like TE but exactly the same are difficult to find.

 

[RobbiZ4]

Thanks.

 

[N!co]

Ah, I was affraid so. Thanks fot the answer.

BTW. I am glad my annual car trip is just 2 hours south of Munchen this year. 2 x E89 will be there...

 

[RobbiZ4]

Hi Nico.

 

[N!co]

Haha, top Rob! Das mach ich.

 

[RobbiZ4]

Welcome.

 

[na51hog]

Hi Neil,
sorry for my late response.

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!!
Have a look at the video of @germinator (Juergen):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhD02MDAznE

This is your insurance to get into the trunk, if anything does not work as intended.
Bild4.jpg

“The right HS1 (assigned fault code A691) is responsible to detect the open position of the boot lid.”

I have secured HAL sensors - part no 54347190735, which while not the part number for the E89, are as I understand it, identical at the sensor end and cost only £12 rather than £200+

So, I think I am ready to go. I have taken out all the surrounding boot liners and have exposed the hydraulic RAM, but the HAL sensors are underneath the RAM and neither visible nor accessible as far as I can tell. I know they are there because I can see them on your bench photograph but how do I get to them with the RAM in place in the car? Other posters simply say that’s where they are, and I changed them…

You are correct in all your descriptions and assumptions except the named plate. That is only a cover for the hydraulic harness going up into the roof.

On your last pic I can see the first of your two hall sensors:
Bild1.jpg
Zoomed in:
Bild2.jpg

How to remove a hall sensor:
Bild3.jpg

Use a tiny screwdriver, max. 5-10mm in width and try to push it between the aluminum of the ram and the black plastic housing of the hall sensor (marked with a red line).
20171127_220351_SMALL.jpg

Don't touch any of the 4 legs of the hall sensor, as it may break.

The position of the hydraulic ram can be justified by opening the roof and stopping the process, if the trunk lid is anywhere between 45 and 90 degrees.

After replacing the rear hall sensor with the red wire, don't forget to place a new zip tie on it!

Hi Robbi,

Weather and time permitting I have finally got around to following your advice. And, as with most things, if you are well-advised and prepared, things have a good chance of success.

So I put the roof into maintenance mode -



I removed the two Hall sensors from the RAM using a spatula which fitted perfectly and allowed the sensors to just pop out.



The old Z4 sensors and the new 1 series replacements were structurally identical but had cosmetic differences and slightly more concerningly, differently colour coded wires -



To avoid bothering forum users (again!) I decided to connect the Hall sensors to the wiring loom temporarily with Wago connectors first, and then test cycle the roof before soldering.



Either I was lucky or the polarity of the sensors is unimportant? The roof operated without error.

After struggling to fit the rearmost Hall sensor for a few moments I realised that I had it round the wrong way and that its wiring take-off was snagging on a RAM connector. Blame my stupidity and head upside down in the boot -



Finally, I replaced the Wago connectors with solder and heat shrink tubing and test cycled the roof again - done!

As a bonus, when I was putting back the boot trim I found some buried treasure, a green wire pull with a petrol pump icon on it.



Despite pulling as hard as I dared, nothing happened. Is the petrol filler cap supposed to open when you tug it, and why would I want to do that from inside the boot?

Anyhow, several roof cycles later and no reoccurrence of the admittedly intermittent problem leads me to tempt fate and say it's fixed.

Many thanks to you, and all the other forum members, for your help.

 

[N!co]

Can you give the colors that should match with the 1 series hall sensors and the original?

 

[RobbiZ4]

Perfect!

 

[na51hog]

Can you give the colors that should match with the 1 series hall sensors and the original?

Hi N!co,

I followed the wiring back from the sensor to the car loom - the colours on the original sensor wires didn't match with the loom colours. In contrast, the 1 series Hall sensor colours did match with the loom so I decided to initially be pretty adventurous and go with Red to Red and Brown to Brown! It worked for me!





Hope that helps

 

[na51hog]

I also labelled the loom wires front and back before I removed the Hall sensors because...

old people get confused very easily

:wink: