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E46 Convertible Top Problems - Help

79K views 71 replies 33 participants last post by  searey 
#1 ·
Hello to all,
I recently purchased a windscreen for my wifes 2004 325Ci. When I installed it I didnt have the tabs, that go under the rear top flap, properly alligned. When the top flap went to close, I heard a two clicking sounds and the system quit working. It met some resistance. I was receiving a flashing red light on the top "down" control button and the trunk would not open electronically.
I put the top back up manually and took the vehicle to an after market BMW mechanic, since the warranty just expired 3 months ago! The mechanic acted as though he could repair it and when I went to pick it up, he still had no idea what was wrong.
Long story short is I have diagnosed the problem as being the Top Flap Drive Unit located under the rear seat of the vehicle. If I push down on the top of this unit and operate the top, it works like a champ. This also cleared the light and allowed the trunk to operate properly.
I am told that the plastic top to this unit holds the gearing in place and when it meets resistance, the plastic breaks and the gearing pops out. Of course I have been unable to find the plastic piece and I just bought the entire drive motor from BMW (part # 51-25-8-248-308) for $261. I want to make this a DIY project but I wanted to check with the members to know if this is possible or if there is resynchronization that needs to take place, etc.
Your input is much appreciated.
Thanks.
 
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#3 ·
Thanks. I have taken the plastic cover off of the motor and there is a gear on the top that pops out of place when I operate the top. The plastic cover fits so that a piece of this cover goes into the center of this gear. That is apparently the piece that breaks when tension is put on the lid. I can hold down on the plastic cover and it works fine.
I have not disconnected the wiring hireness and removed the motor has of yet. Is it recommended that I disconnect the battery prior to removing the harness?
 
#4 · (Edited)
Search the parting out section of the classifieds for a replacement....check eBay, etc. You should be able to find a replacement. Of course if you go to the stealership, you'll be paying premium for the part. And I cannot stress enough...always, always disconnect the battery (or remove the appropriate fuse) before you do anything electrical related to your E46. 9/10 guys on the forum will agree with me on that.
 
#7 ·
Hello,

I'm new here. I am having the same problems with my '02 330CiC and today soft top operation stoped in down position before lid plate locks completely and started to make clicking noise. must reset and close manually. Red light is blinking and now it doesn't want to open. Any suggestions will be very appresiated.
 
#8 ·
Hey guys, firstly I am brand new to the forum an I'll probably post a thread to say hello forbid E46 community when I have access to my home computer.

On to the topic.

I believe I know why E46 convertible tops stop working after a while, and in reference to the first post it is usually the flap cover motor for 90% of situations. However, it's not whole flap cover motor that is the problem. Me and my friend opened up the actual motor part of it and discovered that the actual motor is housed into a plastic gear that turns all of the other gears in a fashion to lock both sides the hinges of the cover. This plastic piece over time gets stripped around the metal part of the motor because of years of tension and the friction it gets from metal on plastic. This piece is probably worth next to nothing, even though it is vital to the whole motor. I will post pictures later tonight to show you exactly what I mean.

Also, my apologies for bumping a year old thread! However its only because I believe it's still important today and in the future.
 
#62 ·
Sorry I missed this earlier.... Any luck finding just the white plastic gear? Mine is stripped out too. I rotated it 180 degrees and it fixed my problem for 4 months, but the problem surfaced again as I think the inside was just too worn out. Any help will be appreciated. I hate to pay $140 when a simple $5-$10 gear is my solution. Thanks!
 
#9 ·
i had this problem a while back that same black box you need to take a clamp and 2 small peices off wood and clamp it down to push force on the cover to keep the gears from popping out...it worked perfect for me...i got it from a thread on here i cant locate it right now...good luck
 
#11 ·
I discovered the same thing, only my gear isn't plastic, it's metal. When I looked at the gear, which slides right off, I could tell that it is stripped. The other gears look ok, which leads me to believe they engineered this gear with a softer metal to strip before the other gears would, and made it a user accessible gear for that purpose. Sort of a safety mechanism. I'm still looking for the replacement part, but I can't imagine this thing costing more than five bucks.
 
#13 ·
Most plastic housings have air space. So you could go get some hi grade epoxy and try to put it back together (epoxy usually hardens better than the original plastic if done right). The other option is to wrap it in some metal duct sealing tap. This tape is VERY strong, very sticky, will not stretch and I've used it to secure other similar items where the pressure wants to separate two parts. Double or triple layer the tape and run it all the way around the housing. Zip ties is another good option. Good luck!
 
#15 ·
Looking for some help with synching a 2001 325 convertible top

While closing the top one of the dog ears (plastic flaps) was jammed in between the top interior and top framing. As a result, the top did not fully close (2" away from closing). I used the hex wrench and closed the top fully after pressing the button on the control box under the back seat. I then used the hex wrench to pop the button out to its original position and hopefully engage the motor again. Now when I press the top down button on the dash area, I can hear the motor run but the top does not move. Does anyone know what I should do other than take it to the shop? Thank you! tmwtf:banghead:
 
#16 ·
tmwtf:banghead: E-46 Conv problems

Glad to help! DO NOT take it to the shop if you are even a bit handy!! Just remove the back seat, and locate the motor that controls the conv top. Press the button to open or close the roof....do you hear it slipping? Try pressing down on the top of the motor cover...if it grabs, the problem is easy to fix. Issue is a plastic gear, with poor design, as the only thing putting downward pressure is the plastic cover!! Very dumb design!!

Simply use a big radiator clamp (or two hooked together) and clamp a small piece of wood or a large nut on top of the plastic cover, so it applies downward pressure.

There!!! If that worked it just saved you over $500 bucks as the dealer would just replace the motor~ :clap:

I did this to mine over a year ago, and it works great!

Jim
 
#19 ·
I think it's genius actually. Mine didn't have this problem until I didn't close the top properly, and instead of busting a hard to replace mechanical or hydraulic line, it simply messed up the easy to reach gear. Leave it to BMW to find a way to make it easily serviceable. A very smart design, much like fuses, rather than burn up your entire wire harness, why not just replace an easily accessible fuse? I think the real downfall here is the lack of documentation surrounding the part and how to replace it.
 
#20 ·
Wow! I'm glad I found this site (by accident). I have been on Bimmerfest since 2010 but could not get an answer for my top.
My 2004 330ci top also won't go down. But. At first the windows would go partially down when the down button is pressed (normal). Red light on steady, but nothing else happened. No sounds other than the engine in idle, but hard to hear if there were "clicking" sounds (electrical solenoids?).
I drove for about 20 min, put car in garage with trickle charge. Next day tried again. This time only the red light on steady with button depressed BUT the windows did NOT move from their full up position.
On Bimmerfest forum a suggestion that the battery may be weak (it is 4+ years), but with the engine running could that affect the top operation?
 
#22 ·
Glad you fixed your top!

Unfortunately, my problem was that the top motor in the windshield area had a broken gear and both automatic clamping devices that secure the top down were cracked. But $1800.00 later it is working well (that sucks). What a terrible design by bmw to make the clamping devices out of plastic that breaks down. The clamps were made from a different material in 2005 because of all the complaints. Good luck!!
 
#24 ·
I had the same problem after trying to open my E46 top with a carboard box on it that got jammed in the mechanism. The hydraulic motor would not run. I could move the top manually and it would latch in the up position, but I could only latch and unlatch the "flap" (the part that encloses the top when it is in the down position) with the supplied allen wrench. I could hear clicking sounds from the flap lock mechanism beneath the rear seat. I took the mechanism part way out, (see youtube for removing rear seat-very easy) and removed the motor from beneath the mechanism. The cause of the problem was a PAL nut that had come off the main drive gear, causing the gear to lift and jump past the mating gear. Took 5 minutes to reattach (using my hands and 2 sockets as a press).

To my surprise, I put the top up manually and pressed the "top up" button. Once it latched the flap properly, the top worked fine. I don't think there is a reset procedure like the E36 has. Seems more like all the sensors have to indicate that everything is its place, or the control module won't let the process continue.
 

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#25 ·
Can someone up a picture, I'm trying to disgnose my top and would love to check this plastic gear issue. I closed my top with "stuff" sticking out the window and busted mine. :(
 
#26 ·
Just checked mine (took back seat out and found it under the plastic cover) and the gear is fine. Any other suggestions?
 
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