E93 Retractable Hardtop issue

terry · 07-15-2010, 09:04 AM

Once i a while (approximately once every 3 attempts), when I have my hardtop down, when I bring it up, the trunk open then the roof starts to rise and stop after moving about an inch. If I help itjust a bit, it continues to unfold without any further problem.

Has anybody have the same problem? I talked to my dealer and of course it never did it over there. They kept the car for a full day and no problem.

Then it started to do it again here with me

Doctor J · 07-15-2010, 11:17 AM

gremlins

M3KW · 07-15-2010, 11:22 AM

This is just an educated guess here but are you putting the roof down and up repeatedly? If that is so, it could be a safety feature for the convertible roof mechanism so that it does not overheat or something. It could also be what Doctor J says since he owns a e93

terry · 07-15-2010, 11:27 AM

no I only put the top up and down twice a day. I seems that it's almost like a misalignment and the motor stops for safety reason

mkoesel · 07-15-2010, 11:55 AM

Never had this issue, but I'd check e90post for a larger sample space. The e93 3 series uses the exact same roof mechanism, and there are a lot more E93 3 series than there are M3s.

Poppin Fresh · 07-15-2010, 11:55 AM

Sorry to hear about your issue. This was a major reason aside from the structural rigidity that I chose an E92 instead. Too many moving parts on a retractable hardtop. It looks damn good with the top down tough. Did it take only a year for it to start acting up? Hope it gets solved.

Doctor J · 07-15-2010, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terry

no I only put the top up and down twice a day. I seems that it's almost like a misalignment and the motor stops for safety reason

twice a day is a lot

either something needs some lubrication or a sensor is acting up. have you ever closed the top with something in the trunk on the side parts that could have caused the top to become misaligned?

terry · 07-15-2010, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppin Fresh

Sorry to hear about your issue. This was a major reason aside from the structural rigidity that I chose an E92 instead. Too many moving parts on a retractable hardtop. It looks damn good with the top down tough. Did it take only a year for it to start acting up? Hope it gets solved.

Yep, started after one year

terry · 07-15-2010, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor J

twice a day is a lot

either something needs some lubrication or a sensor is acting up. have you ever closed the top with something in the trunk on the side parts that could have caused the top to become misaligned?

Dealer has checked all alignment and couldn't find anything wrong. They lubricated all parts and still does it once in a while...

Finnegan · 07-15-2010, 12:21 PM

My advice for intermittant problems is to: a.) Have it documented and dismissed by the dealer (their SOP, do it so you have the paperwork); b.) drive the car/use the car; c.) when it totally breaks they'll be forced to fix it under warranty.

Trying to get a dealer to recognize and fix these types of issues is an exercise in futility (don't try and teach a pig to dance).

BigHat · 07-15-2010, 12:29 PM

My pure wild ass guess is an intermittent (failing) limit switch or a very minor alignment issue that sometimes fails to properly depress a switch or close a contact. The stop in the middle of the cycle being a safety precaution to prevent out of order movement of the pieces.

Agree two cycles a day is nothing. Dropping the top in the morning on the way to work and closing it that night is two cycles. One could easily double that by closing and reopening when at work. A trip to a mall etc enroute could also add an additional cycle. I would consider three total cycles per day to be the AVERAGE. Spare me the SCal " in put it down in March and up in December" baloney.

terry · 07-15-2010, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stingray23

How is twice a day a lot? It shouldnt matter how many times he opens and closes the top. Maybe something is stuck. he should have it checked right away.

I did have it checked right away. Couldn't reproduce the problem though.
And the dealer is 1h30 away so I can't just drive down there when the problem occurs unfortunately. That would be the ideal solution...

Doctor J · 07-15-2010, 01:55 PM

must be nice to be able to put the top down every day

i meant "a lot" because most place in North America do NOT allow you to drive with the top down every day. right now i can do it every day -- but in winter i won't use the top for months

maybe i should have said more than average

to the op: how come this problem never happens when you bring it to the dealer???

terry · 07-15-2010, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctor J

must be nice to be able to put the top down every day

i meant "a lot" because most place in North America do NOT allow you to drive with the top down every day. right now i can do it every day -- but in winter i won't use the top for months

maybe i should have said more than average

to the op: how come this problem never happens when you bring it to the dealer???

It's one of this gremlins. Someday it doesn't do it at my house. It's intermittent.

BigHat · 07-15-2010, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terry

It's one of this gremlins. Someday it doesn't do it at my house. It's intermittent.

Have you ever stood aside the car while someone else cycles the roof and watched the interaction?

I think it may be helpful if you could observe and note the precision position it stops in from time to time and share that with the dealer. I'd bet you'd narrow down the switches etc that could be the culprit by quite a lot that way.

terry · 07-15-2010, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigHat

Have you ever stood aside the car while someone else cycles the roof and watched the interaction?

I think it may be helpful if you could observe and note the precision position it stops in from time to time and share that with the dealer. I'd bet you'd narrow down the switches etc that could be the culprit by quite a lot that way.

I'm next to the roof when it does it. I have CA so I can put the roof up standing next to the trunk. It seems it's the left side that gets stuck but the roof doesn't rise much so it's tough to make a clear assessment.

M3KW · 07-16-2010, 04:11 AM

I think an idea of what to do is, get a camcorder or some form of video recording device and record you opening and closing the roof when this problem arises. That way your dealer can see exactly what is happening and offer a possible solution.

sheepboy · 07-16-2010, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stingray23

How is twice a day a lot? It shouldnt matter how many times he opens and closes the top. Maybe something is stuck. he should have it checked right away.

Agree, twice a day is nothing and won't overheat anything. I bought a convertible to drive with the top down whenever the weather allows and now (in the summer), that means opening and closing the roof multiple times a day, sometimes 10 or more times in the weekend. It should work properly everytime.

Also, the manual does not mention anything on the number of times you can operate the roof per unit of time.

aka_phox · 03-28-2012, 06:33 PM

Anyone ever find a solution for this?

mjposner · 03-29-2012, 06:28 AM

Check your cables. One of mine wore out the (black) lining and was replaced under warranty.

Do you keep anything in your trunk? My guess it is slightly out of alignment.

Try resting the tray cover before closing and see if that changes things, as it could be a bad or intermittent sensor.

terry · 04-05-2012, 03:01 PM

I just wanted to let you know what was the problem. After some good troubleshooting by BMW NA, they found a faulty hydraulic unit. They replaced it and since then everything is working fine. I'm glad they were able to find the culprit

07-15-2010, 09:04 AM	#1
terry Second Lieutenant 39 Rep 295 Posts Drives: 2009 M3 Convert Jerez Black Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Misssissippi, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW X3 XDrive30i [0.00] 2022 Porsche Taycan [0.00] 2009 E93 M3 Dinan P1 [0.00]	E93 Retractable Hardtop issue Once i a while (approximately once every 3 attempts), when I have my hardtop down, when I bring it up, the trunk open then the roof starts to rise and stop after moving about an inch. If I help itjust a bit, it continues to unfold without any further problem. Has anybody have the same problem? I talked to my dealer and of course it never did it over there. They kept the car for a full day and no problem. Then it started to do it again here with me __________________ E93 M3 Jerez Black / Bamboo Beige / Dinan P1 Performance Package
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07-15-2010, 11:17 AM	#2
Doctor J Captain 33 Rep 741 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 M3 DCT Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (0)	gremlins __________________ 2010 BMW M3 vert with DCT & Akra (sold) 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S
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07-15-2010, 11:22 AM	#3
M3KW Private 0 Rep 68 Posts Drives: '11 E93 M3 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow iTrader: (0)	This is just an educated guess here but are you putting the roof down and up repeatedly? If that is so, it could be a safety feature for the convertible roof mechanism so that it does not overheat or something. It could also be what Doctor J says since he owns a e93
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07-15-2010, 11:27 AM	#4
terry Second Lieutenant 39 Rep 295 Posts Drives: 2009 M3 Convert Jerez Black Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Misssissippi, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW X3 XDrive30i [0.00] 2022 Porsche Taycan [0.00] 2009 E93 M3 Dinan P1 [0.00]	no I only put the top up and down twice a day. I seems that it's almost like a misalignment and the motor stops for safety reason __________________ E93 M3 Jerez Black / Bamboo Beige / Dinan P1 Performance Package
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07-15-2010, 11:55 AM	#5
mkoesel Moderator 7512 Rep 19,368 Posts Drives: No BMW for now Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Canton, MI iTrader: (1)	Never had this issue, but I'd check e90post for a larger sample space. The e93 3 series uses the exact same roof mechanism, and there are a lot more E93 3 series than there are M3s.
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07-15-2010, 11:55 AM	#6
Poppin Fresh Colonel 86 Rep 2,148 Posts Drives: With a sunroof and front plate Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bergen County NJ iTrader: (0)	Sorry to hear about your issue. This was a major reason aside from the structural rigidity that I chose an E92 instead. Too many moving parts on a retractable hardtop. It looks damn good with the top down tough. Did it take only a year for it to start acting up? Hope it gets solved. __________________
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07-15-2010, 12:21 PM	#10
Finnegan Dog Listener 701 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	My advice for intermittant problems is to: a.) Have it documented and dismissed by the dealer (their SOP, do it so you have the paperwork); b.) drive the car/use the car; c.) when it totally breaks they'll be forced to fix it under warranty. Trying to get a dealer to recognize and fix these types of issues is an exercise in futility (don't try and teach a pig to dance).
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07-15-2010, 12:29 PM	#11
BigHat Lieutenant 7 Rep 513 Posts Drives: '11 M3 E93 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NoVa iTrader: (0)	My pure wild ass guess is an intermittent (failing) limit switch or a very minor alignment issue that sometimes fails to properly depress a switch or close a contact. The stop in the middle of the cycle being a safety precaution to prevent out of order movement of the pieces. Agree two cycles a day is nothing. Dropping the top in the morning on the way to work and closing it that night is two cycles. One could easily double that by closing and reopening when at work. A trip to a mall etc enroute could also add an additional cycle. I would consider three total cycles per day to be the AVERAGE. Spare me the SCal " in put it down in March and up in December" baloney. Last edited by BigHat; 07-15-2010 at 12:35 PM..
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07-15-2010, 01:55 PM	#13
Doctor J Captain 33 Rep 741 Posts Drives: 2010 E93 M3 DCT Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Vancouver BC iTrader: (0)	must be nice to be able to put the top down every day i meant "a lot" because most place in North America do NOT allow you to drive with the top down every day. right now i can do it every day -- but in winter i won't use the top for months maybe i should have said more than average to the op: how come this problem never happens when you bring it to the dealer??? __________________ 2010 BMW M3 vert with DCT & Akra (sold) 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S Last edited by Doctor J; 07-15-2010 at 02:07 PM..
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07-16-2010, 04:11 AM	#17
M3KW Private 0 Rep 68 Posts Drives: '11 E93 M3 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow iTrader: (0)	I think an idea of what to do is, get a camcorder or some form of video recording device and record you opening and closing the roof when this problem arises. That way your dealer can see exactly what is happening and offer a possible solution.
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03-28-2012, 06:33 PM	#19
aka_phox Captain 81 Rep 639 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 Convertilble Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: AZ iTrader: (0)	Anyone ever find a solution for this? __________________ '11.5 SG E93/6MT/ALL BOXES CHECKED BLACK GRILL/BLACK SIDE GILLS/15% TINT/PAINTED REFLECTORS/SPACERS/ANGEL iBRIGHTS/20'' VOSSEN CV3/VINYL WRAPPED SHADOW LINE TRIM/ETS-POWER TUNE/ ///M-FLIGHT MEMBER
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03-29-2012, 06:28 AM	#20
mjposner Brigadier General 898 Rep 3,071 Posts Drives: 2020 Z4 40i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Southwest Florida iTrader: (3)	Check your cables. One of mine wore out the (black) lining and was replaced under warranty. Do you keep anything in your trunk? My guess it is slightly out of alignment. Try resting the tray cover before closing and see if that changes things, as it could be a bad or intermittent sensor. __________________ Previous BMW: 16 M4, 13 M6; 14 M235i, 12 BMW M3; 11 BMW M3; 08 BMW M3; 08 BMW Z4M; 04 X3; 02 M3 Convertible; 02 M3; 00 M Roadster; 94 325 convertible; 92 325i Convertible; and 85 635csi My Car Photo Blog: http://carfisheye.blogspot.com/
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04-05-2012, 03:01 PM	#21
terry Second Lieutenant 39 Rep 295 Posts Drives: 2009 M3 Convert Jerez Black Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Misssissippi, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW X3 XDrive30i [0.00] 2022 Porsche Taycan [0.00] 2009 E93 M3 Dinan P1 [0.00]	I just wanted to let you know what was the problem. After some good troubleshooting by BMW NA, they found a faulty hydraulic unit. They replaced it and since then everything is working fine. I'm glad they were able to find the culprit __________________ E93 M3 Jerez Black / Bamboo Beige / Dinan P1 Performance Package
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