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Keeping Your 3 Series Origami Top in Tip Top Shape

743K views 564 replies 155 participants last post by  guaporas 
#1 · (Edited)
A special thanks to fun2drive for his huge contribution :thumbup::thumbup:

Okay folks, you asked for it, here it is. In response to everyone who has asked for a Sticky on how to maintain the seals and keep the moving parts of the convertible hardtop lubricated, fun2drive and I have put our heads together and assembled a DIY. Much of this is based on experience, but we have also tried to get as much input as possible from dealership service techs and the photo documentation included is the direct result of my E93 having just been in for a full dealership hardtop lubrication and adjustment.
We welcome contributions of tips and tricks picked up along the way. As always, comments and questions are great. The intent is to have a one-stop resource for people looking for information on keeping the folding hardtop well maintained and problem free.

Probably one of the greatest concerns of any E93 owner is how to keep their folding hardtop free of creaks, squeaks, wind noise and heaven forbid water leaks. If you own one, you are at least marginally aware that there are literally hundreds of parts in the form of seals, hinges, locks, hydraulics, and microswitches that must all work in perfect harmony to deliver the 22 seconds to nirvana top down experience. So, how to keep things running smoothly:

• Keep the rubber seals lubricated and moisturized.
• Secondly, but equally important is to keep the moving joints well lubricated and dust free.
• Listen to your top. For those who acquired their E93s new, think back to what the top sounded like when the car was brand new. If you acquired your car second hand, go to your local dealership and ask them if you can observe (that is listen) to the top of a brand new E93. It should be silky smooth with no squeaks, no jolts and no stickiness.
So, here are some tips and tricks to keeping your top in great shape.

Seal Lubrication:
There are two products routinely discussed when this topic comes up.

Gummi Pflege (which in German, literally translates to "Rubber Care") made by Einzett.

http://www.amazon.com/einszett-914806-Gummi-Pflege-Rubber/dp/B004B8GTQG

Krytox - specifically the GPL205 Grease made by Dupont. This is expensive stuff, but well worth every penny.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Krytox+gpl205



A couple of words about products to use on rubber seals: Silicon is a natural enemy of rubber. It makes rubber swell and fracture. Whether your tires or your door seals - do your car a favor, spend the few extra dollars to get good products.

Rubber Seal Lubrication:

The rubber seals on your top are very similar to your skin. They need moisture and protection or they will dry out and eventually crack. At the very least they will shrink with dehydration, or prematurely break down due to UV damage.

Gummi Pflege: The applicator is a little bulky. I found the on board applicator to be overkill for the narrow strips of rubber that make up the E93 lateral top seals (those rubber seals running from driver to passenger side).
As an alternative, I use "foam lollipops" available from either Autogeek or Detailed Image. I moisten the lollipop with the Gummi Pflege then run it along the length of the seal including the grooved area. I follow with a microfiber wrapped sponge to help spread the Gummi evenly and mop up any puddles.

Krytox:
This is best applied using your fingers and a little really does go along way. The best description I can use here is watch your wife or girlfriend the next time she applies lip balm or lip gloss. She will take a little tiny bit on the tip of her finger and smooth it all the way over her lips. Same thing applies here. It takes just a little bit to be smoothed the length of the seal.
You need to keep going over the area until you have a uniform thin coating over the entire seal area.
If you live in a cold area of the country and are trying to do this at temperatures below 60F, take a terry face cloth and get it wet with hot water. Wring it out then wrap it around the syringe applicator and let it sit for a few minutes. This will gently warm the Krytox and make it easier to apply. Alternatively, if it is in the tube, let it sit in a coffee mug of hot water for a few minutes to SOFTEN it.
DON'T stick it in the microwave. If you liquefy it, you may alter its properties.

So now that you know what to use and how to apply it, where does it go? For the seals that is pretty easy. If it's black and rubbery (soft and slightly squishy) and it's on either the front or rear edge of one of the top panels or it is between the front and rear passenger windows it is fair game. Pictures do a far better job of explaining it so here they are. Don't forget to use a little Krytox along the area where the side view mirrors mate with the A pillar.

















A quick word about the tensioning cords. While these are not something that can be lubricated or treated per se, it is of value to inspect them for wear. It seems that around MY 2011, the cords were upgraded to a more robust version as earlier cars exhibited fraying of these cords. My 2009 had the cords replaced under warranty in August 2011.
This is what the frayed cords look like and the points where they are the most visible.









The replaced cords are not as silky looking and are holding up much better.



Now for the hinges, locks, pins and slides: fun2drive is going to explain about lubricants and application techniques. We had a fortuitous photo -op in that my E93's top had developed a nasty little squeak and a bit of a catch or sticky spot when being returned to closed from the stowed (top open) position. It went to the dealership for a full lubrication. The photos were taken the day after the service visit, so we have a pretty clear understanding of the lube points as specified by BMW.
 
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#196 · (Edited)
Lubrication Update: WD40 Dry Lube

WD40 now has a dry lube product which might be a good choice in place of the light lube but not the Wurth HH-K 2000.
I have not had the opportunity to test this product but here is the link to it. I will see if I can locate some and try it on hinge applications.

http://www.wd40specialist.com/products/dry-lube/

After searching and using Wurth HH-K 2000 there simply isn't anything I have found which is better for our top applications for heavy hinge areas.

More updates as products change formulations or expand product lines.

If you have personal knowledge please add to this thread as Kat and I may not see other suitable products for out tops...
 
#197 · (Edited)
I am so glad to read up on this information that Kat and Fun2drive put together. I am in the market for a pre-owned 328i cabriolet for my CFO (wife) and I have found a 2011
328i vert in white over blk color combo with only <12K miles, nearly all options, except for the PDC and M-Sport package. After reading this post I feel and have a little more confident to pull a trigger to bring this beatiful car home.

I was concerned at first abt the cost of a major repair like 14K or more for the retractable top especial when the car is out of warranty. May also worth to look into an extended warranty if we decided to keep the car a little longer.

This will be our first vert bimmer if the price is right from a 2000 323i, 2002 330i, a 2007 X5 and current ride is 2012 X5.

Thank you for putting together this great information ..:thumbup:
 
#198 ·
Kietv,

On behalf of fun2drive and myself, you are welcome. Your feedback is much appreciated.
 
#202 ·
Following this manual, I purchased Gummi Pflege and Wurth. Spent 4 hours meticulously cleaning, applying Gummi to all rubber seals in the roof, then spent some time applying Wurth to every major and minor joint. Both products are amazing, in my opinion. Ease of application cannot be beat.

The results were beyond my expectations. All sounds and squeaks ceased to be! Felt like I was driving a new car. The roof retractred more quietly, seemingly smoother. The rod at the windshield lock no longer sticks. From now on, I'll be applying this stuff every few months. Our northern winters in tri-state are unforgiving. :thumbup:

Now to address the fraying cord on one side. Anyone know if CPO covers it?
 
#203 ·
Good to hear. The cords don't really do much.. not something I am worried about. I doubt the CPO warranty covers anything to with the roof

Oiling once a year before Fall is probably fine. My theory it to oil when temps are hot so the oil will penetrate better + applying the oil before the cold months which is when it's most needed
 
#204 · (Edited)
My first ever post here is to say "thank you" to both of you for putting all this together. Simply unbelievable.

I have an 08 335i that I purchased CPO app 2.5 years ago. Absolutely love driving the car now that I ditched the run flats for Conti DWS. I really enjoy the car so I've decided I am going to keep and drive for hopefully a long time. Been letting the dealer do everything including keeping the top maintained; I came here looking for guidance. It drives me nuts when the top starts to rattle and creak, so I figured time for a little cabrio college education.

Boy did I find guidance! First thing I saw was your sticky. Immediately read it from start to finish. Honestly, if BMW NA were to create something along these lines, just for owners insite, the pr value alone would be through the roof.

So, all my gratitude to Nordic Kat and fun2drive for doing this. I honestly can't thank you two enough. I've ordered the Gummi Pflege and other secret sauce ingredients you both recommend and next Saturday will be spent going through step by step per your instructions. I'm looking forward to a nice quiet drive following.

Thank you again ever so much. Obviously you spent an enormous amount of time and energy on this and I appreciate your willingness to share it.
 
#206 ·
My first ever post here is to say "thank you" to both of you for putting all this together. Simply unbelievable.

Thank you again ever so much. Obviously you spent an enormous amount of time and energy on this and I appreciate your willingness to share it.
You are very welcome and as Fun2drive said, if you find something that works better, please share.

ps: Welcome to the 'fest!
 
#207 ·
OK So I've gummi 'ed every rubber part I can find. Things are a little better but I'm still getting rattles / squeaks from around the two rear windows. I can only assume that they re coming from here anyway as they go when the windows are down.

I'm also getting a knocking from somewhere above my head on the drivers side (right hand drive). I can almost get rid of this by pushing on part of the internal mechanism through the roof covering but have n idea what to do next.

Any ideas or suggestions would be most appreciated.
 
#213 ·
I think Kat has experience with this as well but that typically is a linkage adjustment tweak. In other words the top latches using those two latch mechanisms on to a round pin. If that adjustment isn't just right you will get a clunk or noise. Now the bad news some members have had dealerships that were unable to make that adjustment or correct that issue to the point of having the car returned to the dealership lemoned.
Lets hope it isn't that bad. I would recommend that you ask the dealership service advisor to ride with you to witness the noise which should help the tech make adjustments.
Every BMW convertible I have owned to include E30-E36's have had issues with that latch adjustment. I have made all my own adjustments on them except the E93 which isn't experiencing that problem you have.
Hope this helps.
 
#214 ·
I have had experience both with sticky hinges on the front cowl and a funky little rattle that seems to go away when I press on the headliner with my right hand directly above the center console. Interestingly enough, the rattle happens during the "cold" months of the year here in Houston and I can make it go away with making sure the rubber strip that marries the front side windows to the back side windows is properly conditioned. This is a strip that I use the Krytox on, but as I demonstrated in the original post, I use the Krytox very sparingly and make sure it is very thoroughly massaged into the rubber. The first time I made the connection between rattles above my head and the two pieces of glass rattling against each other kind of surprised me. It is very counterintuitive.

The other thing I would mention is that if you have things like radar detectors or toll tags suctioned cupped to the windshield they can sometimes vibrate, and due to the curvature of the windshield will resonate and transmit sound. I also discovered that with my V1. Its windshield mount is a hanging cradle that is attached to the windshield with two suction cups. If the V1 is not perfectly balanced fore and aft in its cradle, when going over road irregularities especially at low speed it will oscillate and bounce against the windshield glass and cause all sorts of annoying rattles. Ironically, because the wiring for the V1 runs between the cowling and the windshield, sometimes just pushing on the headliner close to the rearview mirror has the same effect as taking the radar detector off the windshield. CRAZY!!!!
 
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#215 ·
Hi i have a 2005 e90 320d se there are scratches on my driver side electric window console and grab handle , i wanted to know what was the best and cheapest way to repair them . i have a light grey interior and it looks scruffy . many thanks
Did you even read this thread's title before posting your question?
 
#216 ·
:rofl:

No worries - I moved it to a thread of its own.
 
#218 ·
Thank You Very Much

Hello Kat & Fun2Drive,

This is my very first post and you are well deserving of it. I have recently acquired my first convertible, 2007 320 M Sport I am not even sure what it's E model number is.

The car has been quite well looked after (not up to my own exacting standards) and is clearly a thing of beauty as well as fun.

I count myself extremely lucky in that there does not appear to be be any leaks that I can currently see and United Kingdom weather being what it is I am certain there would have been some by now had it been an issue, in fact its raining as I type this mail.

I realized very quickly that the roof was an incredible piece of design engineering and knew there must be a maintenance caveat somewhere. After googling I found your supremely excellent thread on this forum that can be better described as a manual of guidance for the discerning owner.I instantly registered on reading it.

I had already acquired some krytox oil but had not used it as I needed more information which I got from here. The application was a far bigger job than I had anticipated and unfortunately the fading light meant things got a bit rushed.

I have started on the hinge maintenance also but sadly HHS -K is impossible to locate here in the UK even the Wurth shop itself does not list it. All I have managed to get is HHS 2000 lubricating oil. I believe this has similar qualities to HHS -K. I have not noticed any creaking or offensive noise ( my hearing is not that brilliant these days) and my roof comes down and up without issue so I count myself exceptionally lucky. The hinges do show some signs of previous lubrication but not all of them. It did not appear to me that any of the rubber seals had ever been treated.

Once again thank you both for your very valuable efforts and continued support.

Peter
 
#219 ·
Peter:
Welcome to the forum.
Your BMW is an E93.
Also Wurth did stop selling the HHS-K and replaced it with the 2000 as you have noted.
The top is very reliable when properly cared for and should service you well in the UK.
As other products are discovered you will find members post what those are which might well be superior to what we recommended at the time the DIY guide was written. Case in point is the changes to WD-40 which has an expanded product line to cover true lubrication and penatration not just water dispursement.
Again welcome...
 
#223 ·
OK, I just did a lube of the hinges/condition of the seals. All very straightforward.

The only thing I'm concerned about is the seals seem very dry and didn't seem to soften with the Gummi. Its 66 and sunny/dry here right now (sorry to those in the snow), so it dried up very quickly after application.

Should I be thinking about the more expensive stuff in the tube or not worry about it?

Thanks, -Paul
 
#224 ·
Paul
This isn't a single application process when seals are dried out. I would suggest doing this a number of times until it is showing the sheen and the material doesn't soak in. You can buy the other more expensive products but the only problem is that it need multiple applications and once it is absorbed it should be pliable...
Hope this helps...
Kat has more experience than I do on this topic but it sounds like your E93 has never seen any rubber seal treatment...
 
#225 ·
Thanks. That's what I plan to do, but it was disheartening to see how dry they were and hwo quickly the gummi disappeared.

is it possible to overdo this? i would hate to over-condition and have them get too soft. I remember my dad doing this to his softball glove when I was a kid...he oiled it so much it became too soft and too bendable.
 
#231 ·
Thank You so much, yours and Kat's DIY is so thorough and perfect, I did not want to vary a bit. I've had the car two days and can not wait to do this maintenance item.

I have seen terms like "messy" and "thick" used with respect to lithium grease. Is HHS-K that much easier to use in place of lithium grease to justify the difference?
 
#232 ·
Hi there,

A couple weeks ago I found a piece of plastic in my trunk that was very random. I almost threw it out, but set it aside just in case. Later it seemed like my top was louder when it was going up and today I found where it goes (See photo)

I guess its a striker plate for the plastic piece that bend up when the top is put back in place. There was a lot of glue where it came off, so I pressed and held it there for a while, then put my top up so the striker pieve was holding it down and let it sit for an hour or so. Seems ok, but I'm afraid it might fall off again.

Anyone else had these fall off? If so, is there a better way to re-fasten? Thanks for any feedback!

 
#234 ·
Anyone else had these fall off? If so, is there a better way to re-fasten? Thanks for any feedback!

Yes,
I had the exact same thing happen when the car was about 9 months old. In fact, it was my first 'warranty' repair. The shop foreman at the BMW dealership literally glued it back on with superglue and it's been good ever since. It took 4 of us standing around the car exercising the top up/down/up/down to isolate where the sound was coming from and then the foreman who was standing closest to the missing plate spotted it lying in the trunk.
 
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