Top Finally quit on me today

[Samjam927]

Yeah, after 9900 miles the top just all of a sudden quit on me, so i told my dad and on to the dealer i will go tomorrow. Any ideas about what it could be? When i try to move the top the windows work and i can hear the motor running but no motion at all from the top. Also the button that is used to push the top up if this happens doesnt help, the top weights a ton!

Thanks in Advance,
SamJam

[epbrown]

You have a 2003 with less than 10,000 miles?

[Samjam927]

Originally Posted by epbrown

You have a 2003 with less than 10,000 miles?

Yep, my dad bought it around late november in 2003, he drove it for a while and it just sat there till i started driving, and for an update i just got back from Fields BMW and as like me they tried all the resets and nothing, poor little Z, they said it was a mechanical failure.

[jadam]

There is a micro switch in the trunk, all the way to the forward,middle part. Mine broke and had to be replaced. Also check to make sure the shelf that can be moved up for extra trunk room is down.

[Samjam927]

Originally Posted by jadam

There is a micro switch in the trunk, all the way to the forward,middle part. Mine broke and had to be replaced. Also check to make sure the shelf that can be moved up for extra trunk room is down.

The problem is that the top is stuck down, the motor still runs and the dealer checked all of that stuff to no prevail. The dealer also said that it wasnt going easy to fix and that they would call when they figured out what was the case.

[Skull Leader]

I have an 03 and I had the same problem. The hydraulic motor is prone to go out due to "drowning" in the 03, so water from washing or whatever killed it. They have to put in a new motor and they drill a hole for the water to drain out of that area. Hopefully its still under warranty.

[maxz4]

I think you guys covered everything I could think of. I have read about this problem before and that is what I remember too.
1. The shelf switch
2. The shelf up for more room in the trunk
3. The drain, I think I remember it is on the driver side and that you can look at it when the top is down.
Sorry couldn't be of more help. Tell us what happens when you get the car back.

[MakoBimmer1]

Surely they will fix this under warranty. Thats the right thing to do. Keep us updated!

[mister_roger]

That really bites. Hopefully you have an extended warranty that will cover it. I know that most of '03 are out of factory warranty by now, but maybe yours was from the end of MY03

[Samjam927]

Originally Posted by Skull Leader

I have an 03 and I had the same problem. The hydraulic motor is prone to go out due to "drowning" in the 03, so water from washing or whatever killed it. They have to put in a new motor and they drill a hole for the water to drain out of that area. Hopefully its still under warranty.

Bingo, that was it the hydralic motor was toast, funny though i just washed the Z by hand for the first time a week ago. That probably killed it. Yeah, the Z was bought in november so im still under warrenty. Picking it up on the 9th. Hopefully all is well

On a side note, while walking out of Fields Bmw i saw a B7 for sale, pretty cool

[Samjam927]

So heres the new Update. I call fields on the 9th, and ask if the Z is ready to be picked up. The dealer told me that they had spilled oil all over the soft top of my Z and that they were trying to clean it off. They said it would be a few more hours and i told them to keep it overnight again. What kinda of dealer is this? Spill oil on a soft top? Great...

[mister_roger]

buncha monkeys if you ask me. :P

that's pretty riduculous.

[Aebous]

How the hell did they even get oil around your soft top... I gotta agree that's way left field and since I'm a worst case thinker....I hope you recorded your mileage before you brought it in. I would of asked to see it personally.

[Samjam927]

Originally Posted by Aebous

How the hell did they even get oil around your soft top... I gotta agree that's way left field and since I'm a worst case thinker....I hope you recorded your mileage before you brought it in. I would of asked to see it personally.

Yeah i agree, i checed the mileage going in and its all good, i even put a studnet amount of gas in the Z just to make sure. But my god, it was not a good day to be a BMW at Fields. So i went with my dad, he drove his beast so i could pick up the Z. So we walk over and talk to the everybody until somebody points us to the Cashier, who says "Yes your new Z4 coupe is washed and ready" My dad and me lot at each other, as he walks away in a bad mood, as i begin to tell her that its a convertable and that it wasnt planned for a detail. She then begins to point me over im the corner and says"ok then its over there". "great" i respond as the search begins, until i find the Z RIGHT OUTSIDE THE GATES, UNlOCKED WITH THE KEYS IN THE CAR. NO, bad,it tookme around 5 seconds to pull out, as i gave my dad the "we should have gone to Perilo bmw look' and jump on the higway.
but after the short drive in the Z, i can say that it seroiusly smells like oil and that it will take me forever to get my seat back to normal. So we get home and my dad gives me some oil, left over from the M fiasco (tell u about that later). I walk over to the Z open the trunk just to find somebody elses license plate in my car. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I walk back in the house with the mysterious plate and a disturbed look on my face. My dad almost instantly notices and asks "Whats wrong?" I hold up the plate and he figures it out. We fly back to Fields and walk right up to the desk, someone asks us if we need any help. My dad looks up and says "You cant help me but i bet i can help you a lot" as he hands them back the mysterious plate. We leave and the adventure finally comes to and end.
Jeez, been a while since i have typed that much..... Just two more weeks before school starts agian.
Hopefully your guys days were better.

[Aebous]

Damn, sorry to hear that, at least they didn't drive it around though. You'd think they could/would do something to get rid of the smell. Granted being a jet engine mech it's practically impossible to get an oil/fuel smell out of clothes/fabric if you don't wash it immediately several times.

[Samjam927]

Originally Posted by Aebous

Damn, sorry to hear that, at least they didn't drive it around though. You'd think they could/would do something to get rid of the smell. Granted being a jet engine mech it's practically impossible to get an oil/fuel smell out of clothes/fabric if you don't wash it immediately several times.

Yeah i haven;t driven it since i have picked it up, but i can tell you that it smells a tiny bit of oil, but i can't really see any huge spots on it