BMW Z4 E85 Roof not working

[Mac1994]

Hi guys,
So my roof has stopped working, I press the button to drop the roof and nothing happens except the windows drop and the indicator light flashes. If I then manually release the locking mechanism on the top of the roof, then I can use the main pump to stow the roof away fully. If I press the close button after manually operating the locking mechanism then the locking motor runs and it runs through the sequence of locking the roof. I have also removed the main motor from the puddle well it is housed and replaced the motor as there was signs of water damage. I have also checked the microswitch in the boot.
It is from these tests I have come to the conclusion that it is likely to be a microswitch that has failed somewhere. Would anyone be able to offer some advice as to where these are located or if it could be anything else entirely?

 

[NZ00Z3]

Hi

Welcome to the forum

There is a computer that controls the soft top operation. It can log trouble codes that provide major clues on what is going wrong and what to fix.

To read the codes, you need a scanner with BMW software. A couple of options are:

• INPA software (free) running on a windows laptop with a cheap special cable. Links to INPA below.
• Foxwell NT530 scanner with BMW software
• Creator have a couple of BMW specific scanners, C110 and C310+ They are relatively cheap. Check out their capabilities with the Z4 first.
• Look up the "Zed Sheds" that operate through this forum. These are Z owners that get together regularly to fix their cars. They will have the scanners and be able to provide lots of helpful advice.

INPA

• https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/...tions-Experiences-Discussions-Experimentation
• https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/how-to-install-bmw-standard-tools.1274003/

Regards

Murray

 

[colb]

Creator 310+ should read the roof module and find any faults, BMW Scanner 1.4 on a Laptop will also read the roof module for faults, both are capable of clearing codes when the faulty item is replaced/repaired.