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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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#118 ·
That is why I suggested Youtube for documenting this and getting the video out there. You will either get a lot of support and attension or not. BMW does read these forums and none of us can judge anything without hearing what is causing you such issues.
If this was me and I could hear it but not get it corrected I would document it.

Point is what do you have to lose?
 
#119 ·
Thank you for the great post. I just bought a 2009 328i last week. I spent the day detailing the interior and finished with the seals on the top. My seals were dry and in need of TLC. I used the Gummi and found by giving the bottle a little squeeze while pointing the bottle down I was able to load the dauber with enough to do the up facing seals. I love this forum and have been non stop reading. What a great group. look forward to learning and sharing more. I am going to lube the hinges tomorrow. Thank you again for the great info.
 
#121 ·
I just entered the BMW club last week with the purchase of a 2007 335 HTC, and after signing up I have already found the forum to be benificial and thats just in this thread. So now to order the recommended lubricants and to lube my top! Hopefully one day I can contribute useful information here too

thanks
Hondo
 
#122 ·
#123 ·
That doesn't sound normal to me. Granted I've only had my 335i vert for a month or so, but it's an '11 and is as quiet as a church mouse. That rattle certainly isn't normal/acceptable if it's coming from the top. Have you been able to locate which quadrant it's coming from?

I defer to Kat, whose infinite and intimate knowledge of the top seems unending, but it sounds to me like a joint has too much play or there's a deteriorated seal at a pin/lock.

G
 
#124 ·
The main one is from mid section on passenger and some from driver side as well, been to two dealers and they could not fix the problem, BMW send out an field engineer and they said there is nothing wrong with it.
 
#125 ·
BMW's reluctance to do the mod to correct the spacing around the latch just baffles me. I am not sure why they insist it doesn't need to be done when the sound as best as I can hear it sounds exactly like too much space causing the clunk.
I too would br frustrated given the effort put forth to correct this...
 
#126 ·
I had a horrible clattering sound coming from the roof area going over bumps, and although I cannot find a service bulletin, Morristown BMW in NJ fixed it beautifully! Here is what was done:

Road test car, verified noise. Very loud banging from the top. Removed the headliner and adjusted the roof pistons a little bit each time until it was perfect.
We made 3 small incremental adjustments and now it is fine. Reinstalled headliner and road tested car once more with nary a sound coming from previous problem area.

Oh and also there was a metallic rattle coming from the drivers side door. Here was the fix: Door striker was misaligned. Re-aligned drivers side door striker and now door is pindrop quiet.

BRAVO and 5 stars to Morristown Open Road BMW in Morristown NJ!! :clap:
 
#129 ·
Glad to hear Morristown BMW fixed your problem Dark Knight for me still having to deal with BMWNA. Stay tuned.
 
#130 ·
BMWNA agreed to repurchase my vehicle and I'm getting another E93.
 
#131 ·
Great news! :thumbup: Are they repurchasing it outright and then you are ordering another E93? Or, are they doing a trade where you keep your present car until the replacement car arrives at which time you return the old and drive off the lot with your new E93? I would think you want the second option, as it keeps you in a BMW uninterrupted.
 
#133 ·
Got an attorney involved for CA lemon law and they responded with a buy back now I have to wait to turn in the vehicle and get my down payment refund, I needed it for next vehicle and await to hear back from BMWNA. Want to get it resolve as soon as possible so I won't miss the holidays credit cash from BMW.
 
#134 ·
Hmmm. That is a bit odd. If you are rolling into another BMW, you should be able to place the order (and lock in the holiday cash) now. When the replacement car arrives, you should be able to roll your repurchase amount into the purchase price of the replacement car.
 
#145 ·
#147 ·
I realized 2013 was the last year for E93 chassis and did not like the feel of electric steering on F30 either beside BMW removed the seat bolster feature on F10, this was the key reason why she prefer the seating of E93 over F10.F10 is not a bad car when equipped with Msport package more stabble & comfy but it's a bit short of snappy compare with E93.
 
#148 ·
Signed off the settlement letter with BMWNA today and await to turn in the car and start to search for a replacement car soon. Stay tuned.
 
#150 ·
This is the replacement of my e93 328i once the buy back is completed.
 

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#152 ·
It was suggested we post a link to how to clean our rain drains here. This may not be the complete story; I just noticed them while cleaning the seals today and hope clearing the drain(s) will cure my own top's water leak:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7280204
 
#157 ·
Seal Replacement Help

Thanks Nordic Kat and fun2drive for the very informative tutorial on maintaining and protecting the seals on a retractable top. Too bad the previous owner of my 2007 335i E93 didn't read this forum.

After a 6 hour rain storm, I left work and found a small puddle of water in my front passenger's seat. There is a crack in the front seal. There is no rain in the forecast (knock on wood) for the next 8 days, and I have the part on order from www.tomkinsonbmwparts.com ($100 cheaper than the dealership). The installation looks fairly easy, but I haven't been unable to locate any DIYs for seal replacement. Can someone recommend one? My main concern is how do I remove the old adhesive from the top? It is black, and a very sticky. Thanks. :dunno:
 
#158 ·
Sorry I don't know of any and the Bentley is useless on this. I would suggest this. Go to the dealer and ask to speak to the tech that does the work on hardtops. Usually one of two techs are trained to be able to work on these. Ask them. Most of the guys are really helpful and want you to keep the car. My take on this type of sealant is that you don't remove it you add some to it. Typically Acetone can remove virtually any sealant (not RTV).
We are fortunate to have a master BMW tech: DSXMachina
Since you have time send him an PM and see if he can help you with how to do this.
 
#160 · (Edited)
Typically Acetone can remove virtually any sealant (not RTV).
Yup try goof off then acetone (nail polish remover).

Was the rain A-Pillar rain drain cleaned already? Just before you go replacing seals etc. I'd do that and try to seal the crack by melting/ gluing it (RTV/ Silicoln may work)
 
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