How to: BMW Z4 Convertible Roof motor replacement + Troubleshooting issues (Using
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- Link to DB 192 Instructional roof repair video: • BMW Z4 convertible roo...
BMW Z4 Convertible Roof repair: But instead of reinventing the wheel and creating another instructional video, I am following the video created by @db192 as I found his instructions the most helpful.
But in addition to his repair instructions, I have encountered my own issues that was not covered on his video. I have added those issues, and the repairs I did to remedy the situation.
We hope that this Instructions, on instructions (inception), will help others out there on repairing this convertible issues, as I just found out that this is a common issue with the BMW Z4. A very fun car, just plagued with a few (NOW) common issues.
Please pass forward to those who need some help with the convertible motors as well. Let's start helping each other and make the world a better place.
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Thank you for the mention!
Sir, you are the best!! We will be doing more of your videos soon. Thanks again for your great videos!! - Rjeff H2H
You're a legend mate. Did that thing where you greased the button underneath the black thing and it worked perfectly. Was booked into the dealer too probably saved me a fortune ❤
Thank you for the kind words. This is why we make our videos, to help others out there, and save money with simple DIYs! We hope our video helped completely fixed you roof. Thanks you for subscribing and watching- Rjeff H2H
First off I'd like to thank db 192, How2Helen and frankly everyone else that takes the time to put out how to videos for projects like this. I have found them to be an amazing resource that can't be found anywhere else and have helped me greatly in my various projects over the years!
I own a 2003 Z4 and about a year ago the roof stopped operating. I first checked fuses to make sure that wasn't it...nope all good. After watching a few video's I then checked the microswitch for the parcel shelf. Be advised that this is a VERY flimsy switch and if it is inoperative a circuit will not be closed and power will not get to the pump to move the roof when the shelf is lowered. You can certainly "hot wire" this circuit but I wouldn't recommend doing this because if you do and then mistakenly leave the parcel shelf in the upper position and operate the roof, it's pretty likely something is going to break and it's gonna get ugly!
Ok so I consider myself to be a pretty handy guy but you should be forewarned. Doing this procedure is NOT particularly easy, even with the help of the many videos I watched. Make sure you've got a decent amount of time and quite a bit of patience and determination. Don't get me wrong it's completely doable...but!
That said I'd like to add a bit of colour that might help out someone else.
1. When you take the retaining clips off the parcel shelf they don't fall into the trunk like you'd expect but instead they will immediately fly backwards and out of view. Don't worry you will find them, they have landed on a plastic shelf to the right and left of the parcel shelf...more about those clips later.
2. Getting the pump out of the housing where it lives is NOT FUN! As per the video's the cap on the housing needs to come off first. I struggled with this for quite a while and what finally worked for me was to take an old school metal coat hanger (one of the older, thicker metal ones) bend the last 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the wire into a hook. I then got this hook under the top right part of the cover and pried like heck until the cap finally gave up and came off. Now you can see the top of the pump. The next thing to do is to clip the only tie wrap that you can actually see that holds the wire bundle from the pump, against the inside metal of the wheel well. I bought a blue tooth inspection camara from amazon ($50, pretty cheap) and I used this to locate the next tie wrap which is located at the furthest forward part of the housing. guided by the camara I stuck a utility knife down a very small area and managed to saw the tie wrap until it gave up. Not easy!
I was then able to pull the pump partially out of the housing and once again with a fair amount of effort then pull the bottom part of the housing out of the hole. There is then another tie wrap that needs to be cut that holds the hydraulic and power lines to the bottom portion of the housing. At this point you are home free and the pump can now be pulled into the trunk. I just changed the motor (Amazon purchase). At this point I was so excited that I failed to watch the part of the video that says "make sure you turn the pump upside down prior to removing the motor from the pump or hydraulic fluid will pour out. Oh well, that was a bit of mess! Anyway when I got the motor off and the fluid poured out a little round teflon disk with multiple holes in it fell out as well as a short metal pin. The pin goes into a hole in the metal disk on the pump side which then fits into any of the many holes in the teflon disk on the motor side. Your new motor should have a rubber O ring on it. Make sure to remove the old one before installing the new motor.
The electrical connectors on the bottom of my old pump were a mess so I replaced them and added a bit of wire in the process because they were a bit tight with the pump now in the trunk.
Since I spilled hydraulic fluid out of the reservoir I had to replace this. Not willing to take a chance that just any hydraulic fluid would work I spent $50 at the dealer to buy a small bottle of fluid...RIP OFF ALERT! The reservoir is quite easy to fill per the video's. I used a very small funnel. Once that was done I made the cuts in the plastic on the parcel shelf support and the inner housing to accommodate the repositioning of the wire/hose bundle. Put the shelf support back in then reinstalled the shelf and voila the top worked!
3. Something db 192 mentions but doesn't go into great detail about, are how to attach those retaining clips that hold the shelf to the hinge brackets. As he does say in the video these have to be installed from inside the car but it took me a while to figure out how to get them in. What I ended up doing was from inside the trunk I stuck some electrical tape through the holes where the shelf bracket attaches to the shelf so I could find the right area when I was feeling around blindly from inside the car for the slots where the clips go into. Once I knew where those slots were with the tape I just followed the orientation as described by db 192 and managed to get them reinstalled.
Anyway I hope this helps someone else. I think it's always important to pay it forward!
Hello. Thank you for adding additional details that may help others. Just like DB192, we sometimes overlook a few details that should have been included, as it really has a lot of steps and process when doing this job. We even didn't include on how we secured our pump in the trunk anymore as we feel the video is getting long already, and each would have their own version in securing the pump assembly anyway.
Thank you for the kind words. Helping others is our priority. Thank you for watching and subscribing! - Helen and Rjeff
Just finished mine. Works beautifully. Thanks for following on the original video and covering more details.
Advising those who are going to try this:
1) use one of your hands to locate the zip ties, with the other hand guide a tool to crack the zip 3rd zip tie ( the one on top of the plastic case and closest to the back of the driver sit.
2) I used a long neck 45 degree pliers to get rid of the third zip tie. Be very careful to not pinch the hydraulic lines. After you pinch the Zip ties with a long plier, use the other hand to feel the region and to know if you are pinching the right thing.
3) Be patient when dealing with the zip ties. Besides the 3 zip ties the video mentions, There are 2 more hidden zip ties at the lower part of the black plastic case ( side closest to the seat of the driver )
4) At the middle of the case, there are 3 or more tape strips around the casing.
5 I bent a Peggy board hook and sharpened the interior part of the hook… that helped me to remove the zip ties and tapes.
6) buy a hook blade similar to the one of matco tools: PRO-XNIFE HOOK BLADE. That will help you to remove the tapes and cut zip ties effortless.
Be patient and Good luck.
Thanks,
What a legend a TH-cam video of a TH-cam video, as a man making a TH-cam video while watching another man on TH-cam.
Lol! Yeah, I wanted to share with the viewers that yes, a regular guy can diy the rooftop motor. At the same time give credit @db192 for his awesome repair video. Maybe I should do another iteration to make it an inception video? Lol. Thank you for watching! -Rjeff H2H
Thanks Buddy! This will help a lot! I have been putting it off for the past 3 years… lol
Now it’s time…
I also have a 05 Z 😊
Just remember, you need 2-3 ugga-bugga power to pull the motor assembly out of its base position/location. Oh and when you get the motor, try to soak it with WD-40 first before buying a replacement motor. So far, all we advised this to has a 100% success rate. Good luck and keep us posted! - Rjeff H2H
That release valve was my exact issue after watching DB 192. You’re awesome for doing this
I give full credit to DB 192. I don’t know him in person, but he inspired me to repair our convertible roof and make the video. Cheers to him🍻! Thank you for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
I had the same issue you had with the stuck valve!! Thank you soo much I was wondering why it was not working after replacing the motor!!!
We are glad wee can help. Here is a bonus repair, try soaking the old motor with WD40 for a day. Then clean it up, and let us know if it works again. If you check our video shorts, after a viewer cleaned his motor, it worked again. He returned the new motor he just purchased. Lol. Thank you again for watching and subscribing! Hope to hear the results! - Rjeff H2H
Great video! Thank you for the walkthrough and troubleshooting
We are happy our video was able to help! Thank you for watching and subscribing! - Rjeff H2H
Thanks man!! I'm at the frustrating "leg cramp" stage where I'm lying in the trunk and trying to reach for the motor to get it dislodged...
Hello. Were you able to complete the repair? Hope you used 2 unga bunga power to get the roof motor assembly out. Keep us posted. Thank you for watching! - Rjeff H2H
Thanks mate , this video is so invaluable to Zed owners , you could well have saved me a cerebral palsy meltdown. 🙌
Lol. I tried my best to include every step to help others. Were you able to fix and move your roof motor? Additional tip: if you soak and clean your old motor with WD40, there os a 90% chance it will work again. Thank you for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
😂😮😂
Thank you both for some great advice and videos. I have the confidence now to try this thanks to you 🙂
Hello! Honestly, it is very easy to work on the Z4. The only challenge is the lack of space you need to maneuver the parts, and tools that you need to use. If you have any question, just post it on the comments section. We try out best to answer as much we can. Keep us posted on your progress. Thank you for watching! -Rjeff H2H
I got the motor out by tying a piece of rope to it, pulled up, and broke all the ties. Had it out in 20 minutes. the motor replaced 35 minutes total, maybe. 👍 good vid, tho helped alot. ❤
Wow, using a rope to pull it out is very creative! I will add that to our suggestion list, it would help others with that technique. Thanks for sharing your experience! Thank you for watching! -Rjeff H2H
I love this video! Thanks so much!
Thank you for the kind words! -Rjeff H2H
Thanks!!
Great vid w/o removing top
We are happy we are able to help. Thank you for watching! - Rjeff H2H
Great Video!
Thank you for watching - H2H
Mine has finally packed in due to the stupid place they placed it!…. I appreciate the video, I think for this summer I’m just gonna take it it down and pull it up manually (pull little red hoop by parcel shelf to deactivate hydraulic 👍🏻) happy cruising in the sun you guys! 😉 ☀️
Hello. Just to help you out, when you decide to relocate and fix the roof motor, soak the old motor first with WD40. It might bring it back to life. Check out our shorts, we helped someone through messenger to fix his old motor. He was able to cancel his new motor order. Hope that helps. Thank you for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
I thank u very much it’s working now 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
We are happy we could help! Thank you for watching! -Rjeff H2H
thank you very much now im gona try that diy were the same z4 2005
Welcome! If you need help, the comments section has invaluable replies from other owners. Let us know if you need help. Good luck man!! We are rooting for you. Lol! - Rjeff H2H
Ey thx, I can fix my top! God bless u
We are happy to help. Thank you for watching and subscribing! - Rjeff H2H
Thsts an E85 model. Mine is the E89, one if the bestlookung bmws mase. Just had a 3.1K£ bill for a new motor due to water ingress, totally fused and melted all the wiring. The gatage cant find the water ingress pount tho so it will happen again. I've told the E89 that if it happens again, he's getting turned into a cube, so hopefully, he will take notice.
Great idea combining the 2 videos.,,,, gonna try this myself
I honestly thought it would be easier, but editing the video was challenging. Lol. Thank you for watching -Rjeff H2H
How did it go Jay? In Long Island by any chance? Would be nice to tackle this job with someone who has done this already.
@@Jeff-vj3jp Hello. I am in Queens. Do you need help with the roof motor? Let me know where in Long Island you are located. If you are not that far, maybe I can help you next weekend. Message me on Facebook - Rjeff H2H
Great Video - the editing makes it. You got a subscribe and like right here 5:54 :D
Thank you so much for appreciating the editing and kind words. Would you believe some "disliked" the video? We wish we knew why so we can make it better. Thank you for the both us, we really appreciate it. And thank you so much for subscribing! - Helen and Rjeff
Good job! Can you show how to put the panel clips back in??? How can you put them in? Thanks
Hello. If you mean the clips for the parcel shelf, align the side and partial shelf first so that they are interlocking. Then from the top ( coming from inside the cabin, through the two seats), slide the clip in between the shelf interlocks. Hope that information helps. Thank you for watching! - Rjeff H2H
Hi. Thanks you for the video. I replaced my motor today and i can hear it working but the roof moves a little bit then doesn’t move any further. I have topped up the oil but not sure what level I need to do that till. Also I have released the black bit to check whether mine is stuck and it was but stuck up not down so it is not pressed. If i understood correctly you said it had to be up to allow the hydraulics to work or is it the other way round. I have managed to release the button so it is working nicely but still the roof moves a tiny bit (same as it did when the old motor stopped working at all) and I can hear the motor working but doesn’t open fully 😢 Any help appreciated. Thank you.
Hello. You are right , the button needs to be on the "up" position for it to not bypass the roof motor.
does the motor sound "strong" when it is running? If it sounds weak, like it is turning very slowly, the motor may be on the way out. If not, put the assembly on an upright position and let it run. If the motor is running strong, and you don't see any leak, and not losing fluid, you may have the unfortunate situation where the pump assembly is bad, and not building pressure anymore to push the convertible roof. You might need the new roof motor assembly. I am sorry to hear that if that is the case. Good luck and keep me posted when you are able to figure it out the issue. Thanks! - Rjeff H2H
Amazing video tutorial - excellent job and thank you!! . My 2006 Z4E85 si top goes down fine , but needs help getting back up - I am thinking I am low on hydraulic fluid, but not sure... thoughts ?
Hello. Yes, first check if maybe you are low on hydraulic fluid. Next, check if the bypass/manual switch is maybe half stuck open. If it it stuck halfway, it will build pressure to put down the top, but not enough pressure to bring it back up. Please check and let me know the outcome. I like compiling the possible solutions to issues. Thanks for reaching out! -Rjeff H2H
Hi one quastion i removed the motor and i see my bypass/ manual switch is stuck dont move at all . Can i use a little bit force to press it down can he brake ? ,
@@seids7598 Hello, yes you can! My suggestion is spray it with WD40 first on top, then slowly “exercise” it, “push and pull” Mine was stuck as well as you see in the video. After some exercising, it finally loosened up and worked like it is suppose to. Let me know the results on you end. I like to know if others are successful fixing it as well. Thank you for watching! Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen thanks it is loose finnaly 😁 one step closer to fix it 😁
@@seids7598 all right!! Keep us posted!! -Rjeff H2H
May I ask why not change the entire motor including the top part? Since you have the whole thing as new, why not? Is there a burping procedure for the hydraulic fluid? I'm shopping for a Z4 right now and learning about all the issues to be fixed. Great Videos by yourself and @db192
Hello. Personally, I did not change the whole assembly because I did not want to disconnect the hydraulic lines. Like any other old connections, you do not know what will strip and/or break when touching old lines. And if you do not install the new one properly, you might have a leak on the fittings. So for me, best just leave it alone.
It was simply easier to just replace the motor unit.
No burping needed as it will self burp when running. Thanks for asking! -Rjeff H2H
Does anyone know where I can buy a new engine? for the convertible same as the one in the video
For the skeptics...I am almost 77 and preformed this task. Lucky for me my motor has never gotten wet, but fluid was low therefore the procedure still needs to be done to fill the reservoir. Very poor design on BMWs part. Removing to top is just way to risky especially with one person. Most the debris in the compartment was a plastic type film lost from the lining of the fabric top. Again, their fault!!
Sir, good job! It proves that age is nothing but a number! I hope to still be fixing cars at that age as well. Cheers to you! Thank you for watching! - Rjeff H2H
How did you remove the top of the housing. I am having a bitch of a time. 3 hours spend and I am ready to saw off the top but I am afraid to cut shit inside. Any tips ?
In Long Island by any chance? Would be nice to tackle this job with someone who has done this already.
Hello. Please check fb msg. I could not reply to the original thread. Thanks -Rjeff H2H
thank you so much for sharing vid.i can't open manually with pulling emergency wire.it doesn't work
Hello. If you are able to pull out the motor assembly, check the bypass button. It might be stuck pressed down. This will cause the manual system not work. Video clip is towards the end of that video. Help that helps- Rjeff H2H
thank you so much..wd40 is useful for bypass button?@@How2Helen
@@17teknik_servis Hello. Yes, it is safe for the button. Let it soak to loosen the dirt and corrosion. Then light start pressing the button and “massage” it to loosen. -Rjeff H2H
thanks Mr. best regards and wish you a happy new year..@@How2Helen
@@17teknik_servis Happy Holidays to you as well! -Helen
This is awesome, but why not replace the entire unit? I have a whole new unit as well and was planning on a full swap, can I do that?
Hello. Being that I do not know the history of the car, I did not want to remove the tubes on the motor assembly and risk breaking the tube ends or connectors. Plus, I did not have extra fluid in case some spill out. But you should replace the whole assembly if you want, just a bit worried on my end. Thanks for asking. Hope my answer helps -Rjeff H2H
I'm get ready for last phase --- new motor!!! i finally got the unit moved to the trunk area. Getting the the bottom housing out was real pain--- the motor cables were stuck behind the housing. As last resort i drilled a hole with long extension 3/8 bit into the house and feed a small rope through the hole and literally had to yank it out. hopefully no damage to cables.
Any reason you replaced only the motor and not the motor and pump as it looks like it comes as a unit when purchased.\?
Hello. Short answer is I didn't want to remove the pipes from the motor housing. If I removed them, and spilled more fluid, I do not have any fluid to replace them with, and I would not be able to finish the video if I ran out of fluid.
So instead I just replaced the motor to avoid any hydraulic fluid spillage.
Plus, it was easier to replace just the motor. If I start dismantling the motor assembly from the lines, I might run into more problems that I am not ready for. I hope that makes sense. lol. - Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen
Tx.. good news bad news update. Installed a new motor in the boot, Added some fluid and was able to get the roof working - yahoo!!.. However, after raising the top 6 or so times i got a flasing red light. I pressed the buttons and nothing happens. The upper motor or boot motor would not turn on. I had to put up manually. I checked the micro switch and 3 fuses. I also ran a direct lead from battery to verify motor was working.
Any suggestions..
@@paultass4235 Hello. Easiest test is to turn off and turn on the car. Or if you do not have issue disconnecting your battery, disconnect it for 5[10 Minutes.
When the top is completely closed, and you press the button, does the top latch releases? If no, it is a power issue. check relays as well. And top latch releases, and the boot motor is not running, it points to the micro switch, maybe the wiring going to it and not the actual switch. Flashing red usually means there is something wrong on the safety system.
Last, double check again your power for the motor, maybe it just got disconnected when raising it up and down. Keep us posted if it works! - Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen
I tried dis/reconnecting battery no impact.
The red light flashes and when button pressed nothing happens. The top latch motor does not release.. appears no power/signal is being sent to the motors. Perhaps a sensor saying its not ready to be opened.
I believe the microswitch if not seated will be indicated by yellow led.
Frustrating part is i had it working
Tx for the help
@@paultass4235 Man, I don't know what to tell you. You are beyond on what I know already. All I can think of is switch sensors, check relays, and maybe there is a kinked wire somewhere. You just have to do trial and error testing now. Sorry man- Rjeff H2H
Your video appears to be the only one that is working on a unit that has not previously been worked on. Yours it the only one that shows the slots on the bottom section of the housing. So my question is - how did you break that loop on the lower part of the housing which the lines fed through - just brute force or did you manage to somehow cut it? Thanks great video.
Hello. Short answer is yes, I did brute force to break that lower portion of the motor housing.
Long story, I took maybe 30 minutes, just feeling around with my hand around that area. I visualized in my head on how the area is constructed. I wanted to be sure that I do not break any pump lines, and that the thing wrapped on the motor housing is 100% a ziptie.
So after 30 minutes, I said my prayers, then counted down, 3,2,1.. YANK!! And boom. it broke off. Thank goodness it was just zipties. Whew.
What gave me confidence is all the other videos I saw on TH-cam said that the housing was just wrapped with Zipties. So far, I have not seen any video that pulled it out and broke a pump line.
So if you pull it, and a pump line was wrapped on the motor housing, you would be the first. Well I hope not.
Goodluck on your repairs. Have some roof motor fluid in hand in case yours is low on fluid.
Keep me posted on your progress. I am always curious on how others were able to repair theirs.
Thank you for watching- Rjeff H2H
Were you grabbing the motor and pulling or did you somehow get a grip on the lower housing case and pull on it? Thanks again.
@@lmac9364 Hello. When the top of the motor housing separated, it gave me some space to hold on to an angle where I can hold on half the side and half bottom. If I remember correctly, I was rocking it back and forth, that may have caused it to do a “sawing” motion on the part that broke, where the ziptie was tied on. So I believe the part of the lower portion of the motor housing has a higher chance of breaking than the ziptie breaking. Hope that information helps-Rjeff H2H
Thanks
@@lmac9364 Let me know if you have anymore question. I will try my best to help - Rjeff H2H
I spilled some fluid in mine. Had to order some fluid as no one near me had any.
Where did you order fluid, and what brand. Don’t be like me, I was almost tempted to use jack oil as I was excited. Lol. Thank goodness I didn’t. That would have been a disaster long term. Thank you for watching! -Rjeff H2H
Ya'll must have some magic hands. Because I can not get the motor housing to budge. 😢
You need to use 2-3 ugga-dugga power. Lol. Rock it back and forth, eventually, you will wear down the plastic of the motor housing where the zip ties are strapped in. It really take a while. Good luck, and hoping for the best. Keep us posted! Rjeff H2H
I got it removed! Now I'm try to remove the hex bolts that fasten the hydraulic tubes to the left hydraulic hinge (one is damaged) , and the hex keeps popping out. I'm using a 2.5mm, which seems to be the only fit. You have any experience with this?
You can access the motor from behind the drivers seat no need to climb into boot!
How do you access the motor from behind the driver's seat? Thanks!
How did you manage to break the bottom part of the motor casing that's held down with a cable tie? Could you actually get both hands down there or see what you were doing?
Hello. That is the most frequent question everyone has. You really cannot put two hands in there. All you can do is feel around with 1 hand, construct in your mind, or imagine how it all comes together, then when you are confident that nothing is in the way, you just pray and pull. Maybe 3 ugga-duggas. Lol
Or if you want to be cautious, someone recommended buying those cameras that connect to your smartphone to see whats in there. Check on Amazon, they have a lot of those cameras there available
Hope that information helps. Thank you for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen hi, yes I read it at your comments below and it's a great idea. I gave it a go yesterday but gave up as my case is held together with the strongest tape, managed to peel a bit off but the whole motor seemed completely tied down. I will buy the camera and give it another go. Worst case, I will have to remove the entire top and do it properly...thanks for the info!
@@dimi911 try to remove the upper portion of the housing first. It might help because when the upper portion is out, you have a better grip on the lower housing and motor. Plus more space to pull up the unit. Also, just to give you peace of mind, I have not heard anyone messed up after forcing the unit out with 3 ugga dugga power. I don’t think you would be the first one. Lol. Keep us posted - Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen will do. Hopefully I'll be able to remove all the tape for a start before pulling the cap off. Mine seems to be so tightly held with the cable ties that I couldn't even remove all the tape.
Same issue with tape on top housing, was able to use bar and remove some of the tape and kept ricking it.. also i was able to enter passenger door and lean over driver side and grab and pull of top housing.
@How2Helen I started the my own repair of the roof, I have taken out the old rusty motor and replaced it with a new one, I filled the fluid, checked the button, new motor is working but no movement on the roof, do you know of any other issues I could troubleshoot? Could there be too much fluid in the pump? Also inside my old motor there was a spring sticking out of the hydrolic fluid reservoir going into the motor which had slots for it, the new motor doesn't. I haven't seen any videos talking about that. Thanks! Hopefully I can troubleshoot.
Hello. Did you replace the whole motor assembly, or just the motor itself? Two things I would suggest. First, make sure you didn’t switch the wires, meaning have them backwards when you installed the new one. From your description that there is a spring on the old hydraulic motor, and the new one does not have, I would assume maybe you replaced the whole assembly. So after testing to make sure the wires are not switched, see if you can put back the old assembly, then just switched the motor itself. If the new motor runs, and moves the roof, then the assembly you received is defective. Try it and please keep me posted if it works or not, so I can add it to my documentation. Thanks for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen I just replaced the motor. I solved my issue. I didn't take out the plastic cylinder where the spring fits into from the old motor and place it into the new motor. Once I placed that into the new motor the roof mechanism is working flawlessly. The motor I got didn't come with instructions so I didn't realize I needed part of the old motor at first. Thank you for the help. You may see this comment twice, not sure if it posted the first time or not.
@@Sebastian-sh5hi alright! At least you got it figured out. Now enjoy your roadster! -Rjeff H2H
@@Sebastian-sh5hi How did you removed the top of the housing. I can't figure it out. I tried a flat head screw driver but nothing. I am thinking of cutting the side but I am afraid to cut something inside that I shouldn't
I tried getting to the bottom zip tie for hours without luck, eventually I heated up the tip of the screw driver and pushed it into the housing, once cooled down I pushed it in and it gave me way more leverage to pull it out. If you have more questions, feel free to ask.@@alfredopereira6884
What if my motor isn't rusty or wet it looks about new. But my roof doesn't open.
Hello. Make sure the parcel self is in place. If it is not in place, it will not activate the motor.
Next, check the fuses under the glove compartment.
Last, but please be careful, put direct power to the motor to confirm it is really working. Sometimes even if it looks new, it might be defective if it has been waterlogged.
Keep me posted, as I am always documenting any possible causes. Thanks -Rieff H2H
Hi i hope that maybe you can give me a good advice what this can be. I replaced the roof motor 3 weeks ago and reloceted.but from today i have the issue its opening. Everything normaal but by closing the engine/ motor is runing but roof is not coming up hmmm. What is this any idea?
Hello. Have you tried to clean the bypass button? If you trace the red pull for the manual switch, it is a black plastic switch on the motor pump assembly. Remove the plastic cover and you will see the gold/brass bypass button. Make sure it is “up” and not stuck pressed down. If it is stuck, spray with penetrating oil, let it soak, then try to unstuck it by pressing it down and pulling it up with pliers. Once it releases, it should build enough pressure to close the roof. Watch towards the end of the video where I “massaged” the. Bypass button/switch
Another thing is make sure you have enough fluid. Low fluid will not have enough pressure to close the roof up.
Hope this helps. Keep us posted if you figure out the issue. Thanks for reaching out! -Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen hi i checked the fluid is oke bypas is working properly ..but still the rooff want go up i hear the motor is running but like the moor dont have enough power to close the roof is it maybe bleeding necessery and how to do it ?
@@seids7598 when you press the button, and you help the roof a little, are you able to raise it? You might need to do that a couple of times, and see if the fluid goes down, maybe there are air bubbles in your system. Do it a couple of times to release the air bubbles, then add more fluid. Air pockets from the system will prevent the motor from raising the roof up and overwork the motor. Keep us posted! -Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen when i help a little bit with my hand than it goes up .
@@seids7598 so it does sound like you have some air trapped in the system. Also, make sure you motor is in the upright position. And check if the fluid is clean. If it is dirty, the it will prevent correct pressure to push up the roof. Check the basics. Keep us posted -Rjeff H2H
The electrical wires on my new pump and motor are white and black not blue and green. Any idea how they match up?
Yikes. That is something I have not encountered. The best recommendation I have is first, before removing the old motor, mark it so you know where they go. Then, when you removed the old motor, try to soak it with WD40 and clean the heck out of it. Let it dry and see if it will work again.
If you get lucky, it might work again. Then you have the option on putting it back, or, at least get the wire orientation using the old motor, and then use it with the new motor. I hope that helps a bit. Good luck! - Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen Thank you. I will try that and let you know the white wire black wire motor hook up to blue and green that works.
is there a link on where to buy the motor?
Hello. You can go online to FCP Euro. They sometimes change the link, so when I tried to post it, it becomes "file not found": Anyway, you can search from there. Or Amazon, but make sure the seller has good reputation so you don't get a bad/cheap replacement motor. Thank you for watching! - Rjeff H2H
I believe that you should at least secure the motor with zip-ties because you don't want it moving around when you are turning corners in your Z4. The wires or hoses could be damaged over time.
Hello sir. Thank you for the concern, we appreciate it. I did properly secure the motor, but I decided not to include it the video as the video was already running long, and I think viewers will do their own versions on how to secure their motor. Thank you for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
Is there a motor on passenger side too? How did you find out which one is bad
Hello. There is only one motor for the convertible. Thanks for asking! -Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen thanks, it's kinda hard to get to the motor to replace it, what is the motor is not bad? Any other way to find out if you really need to replace it.
@@dukatista6579 the only other reason the motor would not work is if the parcel shelf if not in place. In the center, inside the trunk, you will see the switch for the parcel shelf.
But it really is pretty common for the motor to fail when it has been soaked with water. Which is why there is a lot videos on how to replace it. You really just have to bite the bullet and take it out to check, no other easy way. Sorry. - Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen Thank you very much.One last thing do you still have the part number of the motor and where did you get it.
@@dukatista6579 sorry, I am out of right now, and could not get you the correct part no. But the replacement unit was bought from FCP Euro. You can select your car specs on their site, and they will provide you with the correct part. Plus, they offer lifetime warranty so you do not have to worry about the lifespan of the assembly. Hope that helps! -Rjeff H2H
Mine sucks all the Oil,i did refilled it like 5 times & still doesn’t open.
Hello. Have you traced for any leaks? I believe there is a common issue with the hinge being worn out and leaks after a while. You might want to go that route. Hope you find the culprit. Good luck and thank you for watching! - Rjeff H2H
What is the total labour hours, parts n motor costs?
Hello. Convertible roof motor assembly as a unit ranges from $500-$900. I read that some owners just buy the motor itself aftermarket as it is cheaper.
Book time labor really depends on the shop you go to. I would recommended more experienced shops. They might be more expensive, but at least they would not mess it up.
In my case, it was my first time doing this, and it took me around 3 hours as I was being very careful not to mess up. Took a long time figuring out how to pull out the motor assembly. Hope that helps. Thank you for watching and subscribing! -Rjeff H2H
Where did you order the motor from?
Hello. The motor unit was purchased from ECS tuning. But it was purchased the owner before the owner I purchased the car from (so 2 owners ago). They just never installed it. I believe FCP Euro sell them as well. Anyway, hope that helps. -Rjeff H2H
In both of the videos they were very lucky that the motor housing halves were not taped together. complete pain in the ass to separate them.
Hello. Just a thought. On our videos, those were oem motors/housing. If yours is taped together, then someone was in there already and taped it together to prevent it water from coming in. I have not heard anyone else have their housing taped together when they got it out, so you might be the exception. They are not taped together from the factory. Thanks for watching!-Rjeff H2H
@@How2Helen Interesting to hear that. The first time it was replaced under warranty at a BMW dealer, they wrapped it in tape. I think my motor actually works but has leaked the fluid. The top has always gone down but struggled to come up and just got worse and worse, now it wont move up at all. It may take a while but I'll get this relocated eventually. I wouldn't have an issue opening/closing it manually but the wire that allows for that doesn't seem to work either
Would you know how/where it leaked the fluid? Also, check the bypass button on the roof motor assembly, if it is stuck in bypass mode, it will not build pressure and with less and less pressure will cause to not move the top. It might just be that. See towards the end of the video to locate the bypass button that usually gets stuck. Let me know what you find and how you resolved it so I can document it on my side. I try to provide these information to those who inquire and need them. Good luck and thanks for reaching out! -Rjeff H2H
Nobody ever says anything about that rubber cover, that's what's giving me hell
Hello. Which rubber cover are you referring to? Let us know so we can try to help - Rjeff H2H