2011 128i convertible top open/closing issues

[Niblet]

My 2011 128i with 6500 miles on it,,the vert top deck lid wont stow properly
there seems to be something out of sequence. Anyone else have top stowing issues??

[Prof T]

No trouble. Just hold the button in. Check to see if anything is stuck in your trunk.

Don't want anything stuck in your trunk

[Niblet]

Yeah...thats what I was hoping it was,, but the trunk is virtually empty
the mechanism makes some noise when it,,the lid is trying to lock close

[Tom K.]

It should not make much noise. I'd have my dealer take care of it under warranty.

Tom

[Lee123]

Mine works very well. Much quieter and smoother than previous car. Hopefully the problem with yours will prove to be easily and quickly fixed by the dealer.

[Prof T]

....let us know what you find out from the dealer.

[BrokenVert]

Sounds like how mine was right before I had a belt dnap and I needed a new top

[Niblet]

Well my car just arrived stateside from Germany and I have not actuated the top in about 31/2 months,,I actuated the top about ten times and now it works seemingly flawlessly like it did when it was new about 7 months ago.

I dont know,,maybe something was just sticking,,I will have the dealer look at it when i take it in for other things, but I know he will say that its ok,,,


Kind of wierd but I will be keeping my eye on it

[Prof T]

That's good news. Doesn't cost anything to get it checked out if you have any more trouble with it.

[Niblet]

Just returned from dealer, they lubricated the latches,,good to go,,
also got the ipod adapter finally,,and they put in a new speaker as the original one never did work,,(drivers side rear) and low mileage oil change

[RoundelM3]

My wife's '11 128i Cabio top seems to work fine...no problems yet, but we've only had the car for 3 weeks or so.

[CosmoNerd]

Don't mean to high-jack the thread but my account status doesn't allow creating a new thread:

As of yesterday, the top does not open any more.

When i push the open button, the LED above turns immediately red and the dash shows an icon with a closed top. Ran the onboard check - all clean. Opened up the trunk - it's empty.

Any ideas?

[Black Flagged]

Originally Posted by CosmoNerd

Don't mean to high-jack the thread but my account status doesn't allow creating a new thread:

As of yesterday, the top does not open any more.

When i push the open button, the LED above turns immediately red and the dash shows an icon with a closed top. Ran the onboard check - all clean. Opened up the trunk - it's empty.

Any ideas?

open the trunk and in the inside of the trunk where the top is stowed, make sure pull that handle down all the way. there is a sensor there that not making the connection. try that

[Niblet]

Originally Posted by Gangsta D

open the trunk and in the inside of the trunk where the top is stowed, make sure pull that handle down all the way. there is a sensor there that not making the connection. try that

Yeah,,what he said!

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

It should not make much noise. I'd have my dealer take care of it under warranty.

Tom

+1. Too new to have issues. I use mine more or less every time Im driving the car, and knock on wood no issues.

The only time mine refuses to go is if the pull down unit in the trunk is pressed upwards... Which makes good sense.

[Isdaako]

Only two more months and I'll be able to try going topless. It's been a long winter so far.

[Bwjulson]

Hi all
I'm new to this forum but not a first time BMW owner (four, so far) .
Just got myself a 2011 128i Carmine Red convertible. This is my first BMW convertible.
I am hoping to glean some soft top top mechanicals maintenance tips from any of the DIY experts out there. No issues yet but I am a firm believer in knowing all aspects of any maintenance I can perform myself. Thanks in advance!

Bruce J.

[JimD]

Bruce,

Some suggestions. Avoid car washes, especially ones with brushes, they are not good for the top. Vacuum it when you wash the car and throughly clean it with special cleaner at least once a year and then immediately apply new water repellent. I use Raggtop. They give you enough cleaner in a kit to clean the top multiple times but I use the entire can of water repellent each time I apply it.

Only other thing is it is recommended you use a little lubricant (white lithium?) once a year on the mechanism. I never have, however, and my 2009 works fine.

Jim

[vegamanx]

@JimD:
Thanks for the reminder! I do need to wash my soft-top...

@Bwjulson:
Keep an eye out on the fabric of the corner spot just where the rear windows back corner is. I got a used 2009 last August and both sides kept popping out. Thankfully, I had Carmax take care of it. Took multiple attempts. Not DIY.

Also, the hydraulic system was overheating when I was putting the top down frequently and I also had to take it back in. So you might want to put the top up and down a few times just to make sure the system isn't going to overheat. My car came w/ iDrive so the issue popped up on my display. Also not DIY.

Lastly, while you open and close the top, try to do it w/ your key fob (if you have the comfort access option) so you can stand next to the car and feel along the rubber piece while the compartment lid goes up and down. Check to see if the rubber seal is loose. If so, use some multipurpose flexible car adhesive and keep it glued on. Mine was pretty obvious, as it completely popped out and was wedged between the lid and body. Just make sure to be careful you don't get pinched by your lid. Also, if you leave it open, it will still automatically close after 10-15 seconds, so watch out that the rear flap doesn't fold down on the partially closed lid. (I had it happen. Thankfully no damage.) Very DIY.
Photo

Use this link to see more of my photos at the bottom of my first post: https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1526322


And, just found this thread which is an online manual: https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show...=repair+manual I'm going to try to figure out a lighting problem I have w/ it and post in a new thread.

Have fun w/ the top down and share some pics!

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by Bwjulson

Hi all
I'm new to this forum but not a first time BMW owner (four, so far) .
Just got myself a 2011 128i Carmine Red convertible. This is my first BMW convertible.
I am hoping to glean some soft top top mechanicals maintenance tips from any of the DIY experts out there. No issues yet but I am a firm believer in knowing all aspects of any maintenance I can perform myself. Thanks in advance!

Bruce J.

This is a really good question. Since this is a hydraulic system, at some point it’s likely prudent to change out the fluid. But how?? No idea. Wonder if there is a method listed in the FSM.

I too vacuum my top, and avoid soaps and anything harsh. I got a horsehair vacuum brush for that purpose.

Sealant can be a mess, but is important for water and UV purposes. Recently I got Porsche spray sealant cheaper than ragtop. I actually prefer the self mix concentrate from BMW though. Easier to control and avoid overspray and drip.

[JimD]

You don't have to have comfort access to put your top down from outside the car. If you do a little coding, you can just hold the open the door button on the key fob and the windows go down, then the top. Mine has been working this way for years. The only drawback is sometimes the button gets pushed by my body when I am close to the car and the top will be partway down when I go to drive it. Not a big deal.

[laulee727]

My car only has 36,000 miles on it and I cannot get the convertible down...? It has been sitting for 5 months, any suggestions PLEASE!?!