Z4 Roadster Roof

J

jambojambo

Member
I'm through a list on my new to me 2006 Z4 and the latest thing is the roof.

The symptoms on the roof are that the front would unclip fine, and the motor would make a noise but then nothing would happen and i'd end up opening and closing the roof by hand.

Thanks to all the awesome info on here i've managed to now relocate the pump and motor in to the boot. It was heavily waterlogged and i've replaced the motor with one from an R52 Mini and now that's spinning fine.

The roof was going up and down really far too easy in manual mode and I discovered the bypass was trapped in. Tried to free that up but it seemed it had been stuck down for years so took the bolt off the back and tapped it out. Unfortunately in the process got a bit cack handed and snapped the little pin with spring that fits in to valve so i'm not sure if the bypass would still work but I think it's no longer active.

I've fitted it all back together, filled the pump with Febi ZHM, and i've now got a different issue. The motor is still not going anything in terms of lifting or opening the roof. I'm still about to open it very easily, but when I go to close it it gets stuck just behind where the headrests are. It feels like some kind of hydraulic lock.

Can anyone help me with where to look next?!
 
Sounds like the bypass damage is letting fluid past it. Either that or you have mislaid one of the three tiny lateral pins in the pump rotor.
I have a pump that failed in one direction it still has the bypass intact. Plus a few spare pins.
If you like I’ll pop them in the post when I get home
 
enuff_zed that would be really handy, thanks for that! Will you ping me a PM and let me know what I owe you?

How do you remove and refit the bypass pin?
 
jambojambo said:
How do you remove and refit the bypass pin?
Click to expand...

I neded to check if you actually can.
When you said yours was broken I assumed it had come out.
Is that the pin you mean?
 
I couldn't free it up from the outside, so I removed the bolt opposite which the valve sits in to. I was tapping it through the hydraulic unit and caught the pin with spring on it which is part of the rear of the bypass valve and snapped it. If i'm understanding the system right I think it should be now closed like that though. Is that correct?

I can't seem to work out if the bypass can come out, it takes a 5mm socket but can't see it obviously moving to come out
 
I've just checked it again. With hydraulic hoses disconnected the roof goes up and down manually perfectly. With hoses reconnected but still manually, the roof goes down very easily still, and returns up until the point of the headrests and literally locks out. You are unable to push it further. The motor is spinning but doesn't do anything in either direction. Not sure if that helps with the troubleshooting!
 
jambojambo said:
I've just checked it again. With hydraulic hoses disconnected the roof goes up and down manually perfectly. With hoses reconnected but still manually, the roof goes down very easily still, and returns up until the point of the headrests and literally locks out. You are unable to push it further. The motor is spinning but doesn't do anything in either direction. Not sure if that helps with the troubleshooting!
Click to expand...
When you push the bypass plunger in with the hoses removed, you can see that spring and pin move across, to allow fluid to circulate without creating a hydraulic lock. My suspicion is that with the bit broken off there is nothing to close off the pipes and allow the motor to build up pressure to move the roof.
I'm off to have a play to see if I can remove a bypass plunger.
 
enuff_zed said:
jambojambo said:
I've just checked it again. With hydraulic hoses disconnected the roof goes up and down manually perfectly. With hoses reconnected but still manually, the roof goes down very easily still, and returns up until the point of the headrests and literally locks out. You are unable to push it further. The motor is spinning but doesn't do anything in either direction. Not sure if that helps with the troubleshooting!
Click to expand...
When you push the bypass plunger in with the hoses removed, you can see that spring and pin move across, to allow fluid to circulate without creating a hydraulic lock. My suspicion is that with the bit broken off there is nothing to close off the pipes and allow the motor to build up pressure to move the roof.
I'm off to have a play to see if I can remove a bypass plunger.
Click to expand...
Nope. Can't do it. Looks like the threaded barrels for the bungs are press fitted after the plunger is installed.
Possibly going to need a replacement pump? If so, get one you know is good, as they tend to fail over time and one side gets weaker.

Before you go that far, whip the motor off the pump and make sure that the centre metal rotor in the pump still has all three lateral pins fitted. Even one of those missing can stop it working.

Oh and one final thing I've remembered, from an incident just this week. Make sure the motor is rotating the right way. Simply swap the two electrical connectors over and see if it works.

IMG_5869.jpg
IMG_5870.jpg
 
Thanks so much for checking that out. I've checked and the 3 lateral pins are there, and ran the motor the other way. No joy unfortunately.

I'll go on the hunt for the pump now.
 
jambojambo said:
Thanks so much for checking that out. I've checked and the 3 lateral pins are there, and ran the motor the other way. No joy unfortunately.

I'll go on the hunt for the pump now.
Click to expand...
Good luck. They are getting harder to find. I have no spares right now.
Try: [ref]Number5[/ref], [ref]bigwinn[/ref], [ref]street[/ref], [ref]umfaan[/ref], [ref]GenZed[/ref].

Also look on fb for Maz Cool and David Jackson.

May be easier to buy a complete motor and pump assembly.
 
enuff_zed said:
jambojambo said:
Thanks so much for checking that out. I've checked and the 3 lateral pins are there, and ran the motor the other way. No joy unfortunately.

I'll go on the hunt for the pump now.
Click to expand...
Good luck. They are getting harder to find. I have no spares right now.
Try: [ref]Number5[/ref], [ref]bigwinn[/ref], [ref]street[/ref], [ref]umfaan[/ref], [ref]GenZed[/ref].

Also look on fb for Maz Cool and David Jackson.

May be easier to buy a complete motor and pump assembly.
Click to expand...

Thank you! enuff_zed :thumbsup:
I do have a spare pm me if you like
regards
GenZed
 
It's fixed! Turned out to be the pump. Huge thanks enuff_zed for the amazing advice and GenZed for getting a decent pump out to me so quickly.

Absolutely chuffed! Now on to the next project :thumbsup:
 
jambojambo said:
It's fixed! Turned out to be the pump. Huge thanks enuff_zed for the amazing advice and GenZed for getting a decent pump out to me so quickly.

Absolutely chuffed! Now on to the next project :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Excellent news.
And if that doesn't guarantee a month of incessant rain...................... :rofl:
 
enuff_zed said:
jambojambo said:
It's fixed! Turned out to be the pump. Huge thanks enuff_zed for the amazing advice and GenZed for getting a decent pump out to me so quickly.

Absolutely chuffed! Now on to the next project :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Excellent news.
And if that doesn't guarantee a month of incessant rain...................... :rofl:
Click to expand...

Result :thumbsup:

thank you enuff_zed 👌
and thank you jambojambo😀
 
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