325i Cab - good news/bad news = roof help please!

[virginfrank]

Hi Guys,

With a bit of help from you guys I have started fixing bits and bobs on our recently aquired cab. Some of you will remeber my Q's about a broken electric roof mech and changing dials for the UK.

Good news:
-dials now read uk mph & kph and I have modified the odometer label on a UK dial to indicate km rather than miles (car was an import). Pretty cool, pretty happy.
-got the parts to repair the electric roof from a scrap yard literally over the road from my home and fixed the elec roof (with ref to sites on the net that you guys gave me) Hurrah!

Bad news:
-the roof has never folded itself without help and we had to to stop the electric roof everytime to adjust it. Despite trying to do this at the points that would not actuvate the bug, it did. The electric motor is still in good nick but it snapped the mobile joint off the pull rod. It really badly bent the pull rod and I had it working for a grand total of 2 days. I am now trying to find the following parts (without much success):

-convertible roof pull rod BMW part no. 54348112787
-M10 hex nut attached to pull rod (see above). BMW part no. 54348134530
- joint link from the end of the pull rod. Part no. 54348121719

Even if I fix this I will still have a problem with the roof not folding properly. Is there something I am missing? Have a look at these pictures of the roof:
<http://tinyurl.com/gza92>
<http://tinyurl.com/gqw49>

The first one shows the roof if it is allowed to fold itself, the second shows the roof if I fold the flap back in on its self like the others. This appears to be a manufacturer electric roof and and has the extra wire sewn into the roof towards the front. Even if I fold the roof, the lid does not close very well and the roof springs up quite high.

Any ideas?

Has anyone done a manual conversion? Is it easy/ hard to find the parts?

For those of you with keen eyes looking at the photos, I have temporarily disconted the lid lift arm till I can replace the other broken part which is why it is missing.

Desperate for parts & help...

Frank
PS.Thanks for all the help on my other posts. The mysterious wire turned out to be the aerial for the replacement central locking/alarm box.

[orangecurry]

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... nvert+roof

sorry to be of no help, but here is a similar thread!

good luck

[DaveD]

Firstly the only place you might get the bits on a used basis is from Jason in walsall...do a search for his address .. I bought the same parts from the stealers last year for about Ԛ£50

as we cant see the pics i must ask have you got the wire (54348129978)that you mention .this should have a loop on one end that secures to the tensioners and the other end goes in between the other tensioner . this makes the roof fold properly and not allow it to bellow out..I found this out when i had a new roof fitted and i left this wire of

I must say i have never expeienced the so called bug and do have to stop mine in the middle some times to stop the rear screen creasing but you MUST give the roof every bit of help you can when it is operating ie give it a push up when you start to operate it and when the bak fold starts to rise...i dont mean get out the car just reach over your head..

[virginfrank]

Thanks Dave.
I have the wire, and I have even positioned it as you describe. The problem is that the tensioners & roof all go the wrong way...

I can't really see (although it must work for you) how the wire helps at all!

I do give the roof as much help as possible. but seems to be very springy and not sit very flat at all. Folding it carefully and manually requires a good shove to get the lid even near closed (although with the electric it did close quite nicely because of the motors) and it has a bad shut line on the hindge at the drivers side (5mm raised).

I will try Jason, I hope that the single bar does not cost Ԛ£50, but I guess that might be the price....

Thanks also to Orange curry for the link. I reckon the manual parts will be easier to source from a scrappy.
Going to play with the roof folds tonight...

Ltrs

Frank

[DaveD]

Hi

some pics might help a diagnosis but parts 2.3.&11 cost me about Ԛ£50 last year

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=54&fg=10

[virginfrank]

HI Dave,

I need parts 3, 10 & 11 from that pic. Since I don't need part 2, I might get away lighter... 10 is only a hex bolt.

Cheers,

Frank

[gazza]

try the dealers depending on who your local dealer is you may even get some discount all the parts you need are still available new and sometimes you may be suprised how much you will pick them up for the electric motors are very expensive but the rods etc are not too bad

[virginfrank]

Spoke to the infamous Jason earlier today. He's really friendly and has lots of advice. Can get all the parts I need and is helping me trouble shoot the problems. His opinion is that the so called "bug" in the electrics is crap and that usually faults are caused by something else. A particular screw. Going to check mine mine for faults.

Cheers,

Frank