Roof stuck - Microswitch broken

S

SO8

Active member
 Staffs
Well, my last 11 plate 30K mile E89 spent one of the first three months in the dealers before being rejected for engine and suspension faults. This one has got to 5 months before a fault - but sadly it left me sitting by the M25 for a while until I could get the roof back up.

I had the roof down and It came up with a warning saying 'roof canopy not secure'. I stopped, tried to put it up and down but it stuck halfway. I then got it back down, drove off but it started bonging like mad so I pulled onto the hard shoulder and it said roof hydraulics overheated !

Looking back I see someone else has had this. After 2 hours with the patient BMW technician who came out he found a microswitch is broken. The other person who posted also had a micro switch fail. He didn't understand the overheated hydraulics message at all but was able to see the roof itself was 100% OK (like the other poster). what he was able to tell me was the ECU showed I had driven with the roof half open at over 28mph ... this was obviously a fault (as the roof was secure, the car just didn't think it was) but goes to show what the ECU shows if you are properly naughty !!

The car goes to Vines at Guildford tomorrow as though the roof is locked in position the car 'bongs' constantly so can't really be used. I have been told literally to drive it there but no more. I hope they agree with the technician and can sort it quickly.

I am far more confident this 35iS is not like my last ... it has only done 3500 miles so I am praying this is my only fault !
 
I would assume being the Winter months that you haven't used the roof much?
My colleague was the same. Second time she lowered roof on her used 5k 6 month old car the roof got stuck. And the same a couple of weeks latter after a repair!
Second repair replaced some sensors and all ok so far. But she barely uses the roof.
Makes me wonder if there is a batch of bad sensors out there.
 
Nightmare! At least it has been diagnosed and should be sorted soon. Unfortunately with so many components in the roof it may fail at some point.

As for the ECU, yip it stores all sorts of data so that in the event of an accident this can be looked at or in the event of a claim, say for the engine blowing they can tell what's been going on, even more so if you've got a manual and mis shift.

Hopefully you'll be back on the road in no time :driving:
 
Thanks, I will be pleased when it is sorted.

I know the ECU's record a lot of data as my job involves sending them off to be analysed sometimes after fatal collisions. The data produced from a Mitsubishi Evo ECU for example was amazing !

I didn't realise BMW's went as far as showing your speed with the roof down - though I guess for a claim where the roof struts are bent or the like this is the kind of data they would need !! Thankfully they know my roof was shut when the ECU showed it as open so no issue there ...

I have the pleasure of driving it 25 miles to my preferred dealer this afternoon with the warning bong going off every 5 seconds of so telling me the roof is insecure (when it isn't). Another auto will be waiting for me - hopefully a BMW as it was arranged through BMW Assistance / Enterprise.
 
Repaired and back. Two microswitches replaced.

Well done to Nikki at Vines Guildford for sorting it so quickly :D
 
flybobbie said:
So any idea which switches were replaced, for future reference.
Click to expand...

Only the rear offside one behind the driver - that was the one the BMW tech 'showed' me was broken. They obviously found another they were not happy with. I forgot to ask which one.
 
Well my colleagues roof has got stuck again. Last section won't close.
Nice weather so she drove home with the roof down, she rarely uses the roof, frightened of it sticking open :(
Vehicle has already been back to BM twice with the problem.
She has just about had enough, seeing now she can't close the windows would be happy to see it nicked of the drive way.

Somewhere on the forum, but can't find it, someone replaced the micro-switch in the boot behind the driver rhd car.
They had discovered the switch contained resistors, so not merely a on/off switch, perhaps part of the monitoring system.
My thought being there's a dodgy batch out there causing problems perhaps, manufacturing fault.
The switch can be had for £25 from Ebay.
If the system could be cycled to open I was thinking of trying to cool the switch to see if the warm weather was a factor on the switch.
Thought I might chill it using a can of propane gas.
See what happens today.

Well not made a difference.
She's going to get rid of the car possibly this weekend.
 
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