e30 m3 soft top problem.power hood

[cortina]

when the hood is folding down,the last "fold" sometimes folds the "wrong" way.This means that the canvas is sticking out and the back cover cannot go fully down and lock.If you manually help the "fold"to fold the correct way the hood goes down nicely and the cover covers it and locks in place.There is ametal rod with a bent end at one end but nothing at the other.Has something gone missing ?What determines which way the canvas will fold? Am i missing something?

[E30cabalan]

Sounds lihe one or more of the inner attachments on the hood at this point (where the fold should be attached) is free or missing off the frame.
Drop the hood half way and inspect it from inside the car.
It shoud be obvious if something os loose or bent or even missing.
E30cabalan

[cortina]

the metal rod ?its like piano wire with an umbrella bend on one end.should this wire be attached to anything?

[DaveD]

this piece of wire is only on electric roofs and it does only have one bent end...how would you get it through the channel otherwise...i believe that this wire is to help it fold properly when closing ,,i have found with my new roof that I have had to push it (the bit with the wire ) up as I open the roof as well as the roof itself (which you MUST push up as far as you can...this helps take the strian off the motor)..this helps to give the canvas some tension and fold in the right position...Ihad the sme problem of not folding properly sometimes with my old knackered roof so maybe the roof tension need altering (the allen key thingys on the rear bit on both sides)

[DaveD]

further to my previous post I went out and have found that the bent end should, I think, hook round the tension straps and it will then bow out the right way...best of luck

[cortina]

round both tension straps ,or just one?

[DaveD]

I just hooked it round one but i can't see it makes much difference...remember that the other straight end should have a little separate loop at the other end . I put this between the tension straps also