Roof Wiring Fault

S

Spitfire01

Member
Good Afternoon All!

Newbie to the group but owned my Z4 for nearly 4yrs now! It's a 2005 2.2i SE....82k

So, I've recently suffered some horrific bills that all seem to have hit in a 4 week period...ABS sensor, O2 sensor, front ball joints, front shocks, track rod ends seized etc etc....and then the roof stopped working!!! Obviously fearing the worst I.e The roof motor swimming in water, I took it to a roof specialist who diagnosed a wiring loom issue thank god but the repair itself is still gonna run into triple digits... owing to the recent other issues, I can't afford to get the thing fixed...gutted. On top of that, the roof specialist I visited is 2.5hrs from me and it's not really practical to keep visiting!

Apparently it's had a 'bodged' repair in there in the past at some point point whereby the wrong thickness wire was used and was then wrapped in electrical tape instead of the flexible covering.....

Is there ANYONE out there that could recomend to me a Z4 enthusiast that could offer to carry out the roof repair in the Bury St Edmunds/Suffolk area for me please????

Owing to already having parted company with £1500 recently, I seriously considered getting rid but I have a sentimental value attached to the vehicle and can't bring myslef to sell....

Is there anyone out there feeling generous???!!!

All the best,

Mike
 
Spitfire01 said:
Good Afternoon All!

Newbie to the group but owned my Z4 for nearly 4yrs now! It's a 2005 2.2i SE....82k

So, I've recently suffered some horrific bills that all seem to have hit in a 4 week period...ABS sensor, O2 sensor, front ball joints, front shocks, track rod ends seized etc etc....and then the roof stopped working!!! Obviously fearing the worst I.e The roof motor swimming in water, I took it to a roof specialist who diagnosed a wiring loom issue thank god but the repair itself is still gonna run into triple digits... owing to the recent other issues, I can't afford to get the thing fixed...gutted. On top of that, the roof specialist I visited is 2.5hrs from me and it's not really practical to keep visiting!

Apparently it's had a 'bodged' repair in there in the past at some point point whereby the wrong thickness wire was used and was then wrapped in electrical tape instead of the flexible covering.....

Is there ANYONE out there that could recomend to me a Z4 enthusiast that could offer to carry out the roof repair in the Bury St Edmunds/Suffolk area for me please????

Owing to already having parted company with £1500 recently, I seriously considered getting rid but I have a sentimental value attached to the vehicle and can't bring myslef to sell....

Is there anyone out there feeling generous???!!!

All the best,

Mike
Click to expand...

give Alan (Number 5 on here) A message as he is nearest you

However Mike (Ducklakeview) on here is based in St helens and there isnt much he doesnt know about the replacment or fixing of roof motors
 
Hi Jaime, Firstly, thank you for your prompt response! It's very much appreciated!

Forgive me for being an idiot as I'm new to all of this but....who is Alan "number 5 on here" and how would I go about contacting him??!! Sorry to be a pest!!

As for the other chap: I think you might be refering to Bury 'up north' as opposed to Bury St Edmunds which is in Suffolk as I think St Helens is up that way...I might be wrong as geography isn't great and I'm trying to type this with a slightly hidden phone at my desk!!!
 
Hi Mike,

Go to your 'user control panel' & click on 'private messages'. Click 'new pm', click 'find a member' & do a search for 'number', you'll see Number5 in the drop down list. Select him & press search. Select the tick box & then you'll be able to send him a pm. :)
Good luck with getting this sorted. Ducklakeview is in Merseyside so a bit of a trek for you I guess. Would be a nice run for your Zed though :driving:

Dave
 
You might also want to have a look at this topic, about a dozen or so posts below yours. Or details what ' Number 5' can do for you and costs.
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100068
 
God's very own county I see. I live in Pakenham just outside BSE.
Been reading a lot on here & 'Ducklakeview' up in Liverpool area seems to be one of the top dogs on here.
Be a nice 4hr run up there where he could relocate your roof at the same time.
Apparently does awesome 'back box' modifications as well.
 
Hi All,

Thanks once again to everyone that's replied so far! I wasn't expecting it to be honest and now feel slightly more comforted knowing that there are others out there that also enjoy the upsides of Z4 ownership...AND the downsides! :headbang: I've had a look at the thread kindly sent from 'Jaime25' and noticed that 'number5' is based in Bristol...I'm beginning to feel like an island out here in Suffolk 😂 if there are any more offers from Z4 enthusiasts that can assist a technical idiot such as myself, it would be appreciated!!! Maybe I should bite the bullet and make a trip to kill as many birds as I can with one stone as I can fix the electrical issues and get the motor relocated to save future heart ache?? Good plan?
 
Jamie25 said:
You might also want to have a look at this topic, about a dozen or so posts below yours. Or details what ' Number 5' can do for you and costs.
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100068
Click to expand...

Or you could pm other members for a secret quote as it isn't public knowledge :fuelfire:

In all seriousness it's worth biting the bullet to go see either Alan or Mike as your roof woes will come to an end for little cash
 
Hi All - I'm here now and thanks for the recommendation Jamie.

Yes Bristol is a fair way from Suffolk, so not a viable option really. Still a distance, but nearer than me are Dietcokeman (in Bucks) and Bowser (in Hampshire). You may also find Tug in Leicstershire would be nearer too. ?

There is a gaping hole in the roof market for anyone East of London !
 
Number5 said:
Hi All - I'm here now and thanks for the recommendation Jamie.

Yes Bristol is a fair way from Suffolk, so not a viable option really. Still a distance, but nearer than me are Dietcokeman (in Bucks) and Bowser (in Hampshire). You may also find Tug in Leicstershire would be nearer too. ?

There is a gaping hole in the roof market for anyone East of London !
Click to expand...


Think in gonna do a crash course off Mike move to that area then retire early :lol:
 
The only gaping hole I want to see is the one above my head when driving my Z...😂😂

Thanks 'Number5'/all!

I'm slowly starting to get the hang of this whole 'forum' thing so apologies if I've got anything wrong so far as I'm not sure of the etiquette etc!!

Maybe I'll pm some of the folk that have been listed so far and see where I go from there?

As previous, it's lovely to know that there are helpful people out there and I fear that I might have to get all of my pent up questions about mine shortly!! :driving: :oops:
 
All: I don't know what to say! The offers of help and advice already received has been unexpected so genuine thanks to all!!

I'll consider my options over the next few days and see where it leads me!
 
Spitfire - Just my opinion based on my experience with roof issues.

There's loads of workshops/garages out there who have a view about roof issues or think it could be this or that, reality is, the majority don't know.

There's a handful of members on here who have mastered roof repairs/motor location and know what they're doing.

My roof was broken for 2 and a half years and I kept putting the repair off as I presumed it was going to be a nightmare and an expensive one at that! Finally bit the bullet and went to see Ducklakeview (Mike). My roof motor was in a sorry state and to me the whole situation was looking grim. about 40 mins later I had (and still do) a fully operational roof with the motor re-located to avoid further problems. This was less than £100!

Took me 2 and a half hours ish to get to Mike, but I decided, get it fixed once.

I have no doubt there's a few good roof fixers on this forum, however my repair was with DLV and can only comment on his work.

Mike knows his stuff, go visit him.
 
Lance said:
Spitfire - Just my opinion based on my experience with roof issues.

There's loads of workshops/garages out there who have a view about roof issues or think it could be this or that, reality is, the majority don't know.

There's a handful of members on here who have mastered roof repairs/motor location and know what they're doing.

My roof was broken for 2 and a half years and I kept putting the repair off as I presumed it was going to be a nightmare and an expensive one at that! Finally bit the bullet and went to see Ducklakeview (Mike). My roof motor was in a sorry state and to me the whole situation was looking grim. about 40 mins later I had (and still do) a fully operational roof with the motor re-located to avoid further problems. This was less than £100!

Took me 2 and a half hours ish to get to Mike, but I decided, get it fixed once.

I have no doubt there's a few good roof fixers on this forum, however my repair was with DLV and can only comment on his work.

Mike knows his stuff, go visit him.
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Thanks for the review Lance!

Mike
 
Mike (OP) having spent a fair amount of time in Suffolk over the years you really do live in a lovely bit of the country, buts it's a bit of a nightmare to get anywhere else. With no motorways etc. Considering where you are I would be tempted to take it to Durham Dave who has done a good few roof motors on here, just use the search function and key words "Durham fave roof motor" and his threads should show up. In reality he might not be any nearer time wise but at least you would avoid the traffic hell hole of Birmingham and the M6 especially through Cheshire at the moment (average speed cams/roadworks). That said I've done Manchester to Thetford in a little over two hours at the right time of day and St Helens is about another half an hour on top of that so Mike's ( Ducklakeview) is doable in similar time to Durham, but get the traffic wrong.......

OP can you elaborate on what is actually wrong with yours. You say it's a wiring loom fault, some of us have had broken wires in the loom that are relatively easy to fix but you do need to drop the roof lining to access. So far this thread seems to be treating your issue as if you have the "normal" roof motor failure but I suspect yours might be something else going off what you initially wrote.
 
Hi Mack, I hope that you're well?! Thanks for the reply...it's appreciated! I'll certainly take your advice on board re the distances/routes etc...quite right, I'm in the quiter part of the country bit it's great for those country 'back roads'!!

I'm afraid that I'm a total novice with regards to the technicalities of cars so I'll try to offer some sort of explaination: you're quite right, I don't think it's the roof motor that's the issue although I've now discovered through the forum that relocating the motor is a common mod which I'll certainly be looking into! The issue is I believe a wiring run on the nearside. The guy had manually retracted the roof and maybe removed a rubber seal that exposed a bunch of wires that were wrapped in electrical tape from a previous 'repair'....from memory, the location was approx 10cm forward from the rear most point of the roof? I'm guessing it might run along the passenger side of the roof and into the centre panel above your head in the cabin ie where you'd manually wind the roof from...there's also a knackered part in there too...it's the part that changes the directional force when manually winding in one direction it transfers the energy to rotate in the opposite direction...if that makes sense?

Sorry...as I've said, the technicalities are not my strong suit....

Kind regards

Mike
 
Spitfire01 said:
Hi Mack, I hope that you're well?! Thanks for the reply...it's appreciated! I'll certainly take your advice on board re the distances/routes etc...quite right, I'm in the quiter part of the country bit it's great for those country 'back roads'!!

I'm afraid that I'm a total novice with regards to the technicalities of cars so I'll try to offer some sort of explaination: you're quite right, I don't think it's the roof motor that's the issue although I've now discovered through the forum that relocating the motor is a common mod which I'll certainly be looking into! The issue is I believe a wiring run on the nearside. The guy had manually retracted the roof and maybe removed a rubber seal that exposed a bunch of wires that were wrapped in electrical tape from a previous 'repair'....from memory, the location was approx 10cm forward from the rear most point of the roof? I'm guessing it might run along the passenger side of the roof and into the centre panel above your head in the cabin ie where you'd manually wind the roof from...there's also a knackered part in there too...it's the part that changes the directional force when manually winding in one direction it transfers the energy to rotate in the opposite direction...if that makes sense?

Sorry...as I've said, the technicalities are not my strong suit....

Kind regards

Mike
Click to expand...
It does sound like the loom fault some of us have had. The cure is to replace the effected section of wires or replace that particular wiring loom with a new one from BMW but the part is over £100 alone if memory serves. The plastic casing become brittle over time and the action of putting the roof up and down kinks them and causes the wires to sever. It's a fairly easy fix to repair the effected section with new wires and is easily doable yourself. However if it's not something you feel comfortable doing it's well with the capability of a decent garage and certainly an auto electrician should be able to do it.
Mine was kinked in a few place so I just replaced about 2 meters of length on all the cables with fresh more pliable wires to hopefully prevent any reoccurrence. Basically I replaced all the wires that are in the sections of the roof that fold. It's possible someone's done a bit of a bodge job with yours and only repaired one wire in one spot and another ones gone this time or the same wire has failed in a different location etc. I suppose its even posdible the previous repair itself is failing. Still whatever it is it should be easy for someone to do if its been correctly diagnosed. the tricky bit is to lower the roof lining and reposition the roof a few times to access the loom in different locations and that's not too hard, certainly easier than a roof motor relocation anyway. On that subject once you get over your initial problem I would still advise getting the actual main motor moved by one of the resident experts as well. I had Mike (Ducklakeview) do mine as he's just down the road from me but all of the "motor movers" on here have good reps so it comes down to what's easiest for you really.
 
That section of the loom operates the matching motor at the front. I've seen a couple with shorts in that area. Easily repairable though.

Mike
 
Ducklakeview said:
That section of the loom operates the matching motor at the front. I've seen a couple with shorts in that area. Easily repairable though.

Mike
Click to expand...

Does seem to be quite rare this particular fault but as the cars continue to age it's stands to reason this fault going to become more and more prevalent. Especially in the cars that are used all year round with the roofs up and down a lot.
 
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