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Thread: CONVERTIBLES 101: My _____ Doesnt Work. How Do I Fix It???

  1. #1
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    Arrow CONVERTIBLES 101: My _____ Doesnt Work. How Do I Fix It???

    A compliation of various helpful threads about VERY common vert questions. It is a work in progress, so if it took you a long time to find some vital info that you think should be easier to find, send me a PM with a link to it.

    NOW WE DONT HAVE TO MAKE NEW THREADS ABOUT OLD PROBLEMS!

    Post up your own helpful links. PLEASE try to keep this thread free of chit-chat, questions and other things that are not helpful bits of advice for solving common vert-specific problems. I'd like for there to be a clear, easy to read thread where the answers are easy to find. Hopfully, this will allow seach-aphobic n00bs to find the info they need without creating another thread that we've all seen a million times!

    Moving on...


    A PDF of The 1997 Owner's Manual
    Owner's Manual not working at the moment

    A PDF of the E36 Bentley Repair Manual - AKA "The Bentley" not working at the moment
    Bentley Repair Manual for all E36 Cars

    The Amazing Convertible Top PDFs
    General Info, Troubleshooting Microswitches
    http://bmwpages.co.uk/archive/e36_co...ble_adjust.pdf

    Link to Thread With PDFs (some of the attachments in the linked thread are duplicates):

    - Resetting Convertible Top Motors After Emergency Release (post 6)
    - Various Adjustments: storage lid locks, storage lid motors,
    - Replacing the whole soft top
    - Replacing Tension Straps (This is post 1, attachment 4; and post 3, attachments 4 and 5 - They are all the same, dont bother reading all 3 of them. Please note that its label is misleading. The top jamming against the storage lid is not the same problem as the lid jamming against the top.)
    - Replacing the convertible top motor and the storage lid motor
    - Troubleshooting semi-automatic soft tops
    - More General Info
    E36 Convertible Tops

    Directions for Replacing The Soft Top
    Buy the top on ebay for about $400 and DIY.
    Elefntkpr did it in a day!

    Convertible Top: Clunking, Strings, Microswitches, Adjustments & Emergency Handle
    This info is also available in the book "101 Performance Projects for your BMW 3 Series"
    Pelican Parts

    Soft Top Hits Storage Compartment Lid When Lowering The Soft Top Into Compartment
    You need to replace the 2 shocks that support the storage compartment lid. Or, only operate the top with the car facing uphill.
    A post from the Tension Straps thread that tells how to change these shocks.

    Storage Lid Hits Soft Top While Compartment Is Opening While Lowering Top
    You need to replace the Tension Straps in your car.
    Some people have also had good luck with using zipties to pinch off about 7cm of slack in the straps to shorten them.
    Replacing Tension Straps - See Post 1, 4th Attatchment
    Replace Or Assist Tension Straps with VelStretch


    Possible Solutions For A Leaky Top:
    1. Rubber conditioner or moisturizer. AKA "gummi-pfledge"
    2. Soft top fabric water proofing treatment
    3. Get a completely new soft top
    4. Clean any dirt or grime from key sealing points
    5. Silicon caulking
    6. Replace the rubber seals (post 23 in link below)
    7. Remove the front plastic from the soft top and clean & condition it thoroughly.
    Discussion on Fixing Leaks (Summed Up In The 7 Points Above)


    C-Pillar Strings For Securing Headliner
    A post with links to string info and some other vert stuff
    Restring Pattern made by yours truely


    Rollover Protection Pop-Up Bars
    General Information On Pop-Up Bars
    Resetting Pop-Up Bars After They Have Deployed

    Make Your Vert Quieter
    Lubing Joints Of Convertible Tops
    Adjusting Hardtop Front Latches & General Hardtop "Clunking" Solutions

    How to Replace Rear Quarter Window Regulators
    New DIY Rear Quarter Window Regulator w/pics

    Plastic Rear Window
    Cleaning & Polishing Your Nasty Rear WindowAny plastic polish should be fine, some of us have our favorite products.
    How To Zip In A New Window (Skip to posts 20 and 21)

    Top Does Not Stow Away Completely, Lid Does Not Close Completely:
    Straightening "the metal rod" helps, but there are a few other things in the first thread listed here that you'll want to do to solve this problem 100%.
    Minor Soft Top Repairs
    Straightening A Metal Rod

    Wind Deflectors
    All About Wind Deflectors. YES, THEY DO WORK!
    Fixing A Wind Deflector That Falls Down Randomly

    Soft Top Maintenance:
    Products we use on our softtops to clean and protect them.
    Be sure to get some rubber conditioner too!
    Cleaning & Conditioning
    Minor Soft Top Repairs

    Resetting Convertible Top Motors:
    Is your top stuck? Did you pull the red emergency handle? These could help.
    Simple Instructions To Reset Motors
    Links to another thread with BMW's Directions attached

    Thoughts On Structural Integrity & Stiffness:
    As of today, no one makes a rollbar for the e36 vert. If you want one, it needs to be custom made.
    Discussion

    Hardtop
    Installing The "Hardtop Install Kit" - With Pics
    Other Kit Installation Directions
    Thoughts On How Rollover Bars Might Work With Hardtop Installed
    Want to buy a hardtop? Try forum classifieds, ebay, and craigslist. Be willing to travel to get it, and dont be afraid to make a hardtop-only offer to someone thats selling the car with the hardtop. You shouldn't have to pay for that $1500 for one, many people have gotten them for less - closer to $1000. Try to get the stand too. Yes, you DO need the hardtop install kit. It is about $120.

    Make Your Softtop Operable At Any Speed
    Just be careful, dont be going too fast...
    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...6&postcount=28
    Last edited by palomino; 02-24-2013 at 10:53 PM.

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    Driver Wanted... and found it!
    Very nice thread Palomino! I'm sure this will go on as Sticky! Hey Modm how about a sticky here!
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    FOR SALE: '99 BMW 328iC (E36) Convertible - 5-Speed Manual/Silver, Heated Seats, Grey Leather Interior, Cold Weather Package, Harmon Kardon Sound System, 6-CD changer. 65,800 miles, Averages [Not Yet Available] MPG. Everything stock except battery. MODS: Cluster rings, extended remote antennae, exhaust tips. Rear differential oil changed with Redline 75W90, front transmission fluid changed with Redline D4/ATF. Brake fluid changed with ATE Super Blue Racing Fluid. Oil change with Mobil1, next one will be Castrol Syntec. $11,400. SOLD ON MY BIRTHDAY 10/19/07

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    Talking

    STICKYSTICKYSTICKYSTICKYSTICKY......PLEASE

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    Quote Originally Posted by millertimebmw03 View Post
    Palimino Is Kig Of All + I'm in a few of these!


    i tried to include a little from everyone. it was easy though, all of the people that post here often have had something worthwhile to add

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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by MParallel View Post
    that isnt one topic.

    that is a list of things that are specific to the convertibles. that thread doesnt even contain answers to many of the problems it lists. i dont even know why its stickied. it was made in the Suggestions forum to show the mods that convertibles have lots of things different from coupes and sedans. it was made to support having a vert-specific forum.
    Last edited by palomino; 02-20-2007 at 07:57 PM.

  8. #8
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    it's no E30 :/
    when did this happen? We tried and tried years ago to have a vert forum and they always denied it.


    Good work on the write up
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    Good work palomino.!

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    Quote Originally Posted by The-Great-328ic View Post
    when did this happen? We tried and tried years ago to have a vert forum and they always denied it.


    Good work on the write up
    youre a little late to the party!

  11. #11
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    it's no E30 :/
    Quote Originally Posted by palomino View Post
    youre a little late to the party!
    haha tell me about it, I just noticed there some threads from back in december
    R.I.P. Louie: TehPandaShow gone but not forgotten

  12. #12
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    I would say it was a good move to have the vert forum. We have doubled the hatch back post in a very short period of time. There are so many specific issues to a vert....seemed eminent. Thanks for the combination of posts Palomino.

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    Yay! Palomino, you're my hero!!!

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    This is a fantastic resource! Thanks so much. I tried the link for leaks, but I got a thread on hard top installation.

    Thanks again,

    Scott
    My playground is a parking lot.
    '99 M3 convertible- Sold
    2011 Subaru WRX- D Street

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by ComBIRDable View Post
    This is a fantastic resource! Thanks so much. I tried the link for leaks, but I got a thread on hard top installation.

    Thanks again,

    Scott
    i have no idea what you are talking about.

    went through the rest of the links, and theyre all good to go. thanks for the heads up there.

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    Thank you for compiling this information Palomino!

    Canadian European Car Magazine & Forum

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    Looks great, Thanks for taking the time.

  18. #18
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    Whoops, didn't mean to sound unthankful.

    Great info!
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    Thanks for the great info.

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    Awesome. But now, we can close the section, all answers are there.


    Kidding!


    I'll request a sticky!

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    Your stock just went up in my book...
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  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hugo View Post
    Awesome. But now, we can close the section, all answers are there.


    Kidding!


    I'll request a sticky!



    Quote Originally Posted by Kevlar View Post
    Your stock just went up in my book...

  25. #25
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    Seems like the "Official E36 Convertible Top Thread" ought to be included as well... Includes a lot of .pdf links:
    http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?p=4687851
    "I love the feel of wind in my face and boobies against my back"
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