E36 convertible fix!!!

Well forums like this one have helped me out - most lately by telling me how to repair the climate control unit (take it out, resolder the capacitor and big blue connector, plug it back in again) which saved me about £200-300...

So I thought I'd give something back.

I've had a problem with my convertible E36 that the dealer never really fixed after about 10 attempts - I got so p****ed off with them that I stopped taking it back - too much effort on my part for it to work for only 30 mins each time I got it back...

The problem is that the rear tensioning bow (the one at the back underneath the rear window) never really lifted high enough (it's meant to go vertical) for the stowage bin cover to rise without hitting the tension hoop and jamming (funnily enough it only seemed to be a problem when lowering the hood, not raising it).

I then found out that this is a common problem - the tension straps which are designed to lift the tension bow were found to be quite crap frankly, especially in warmer areas (actually, anywhere where you park your car in the sun) and were sometimes replaced under warranty. Mine, however, weren't - unfortunately I let my warranty lapse before I found the technical service bulletin requiring the $tealer to replace the straps (apparently 8-10 hours of labour plus $200 parts).

So I needed to find a way to breathe life back into the tension straps.

This is what I did:

1) Found some thin (about 2/3mm) fabric covered elastic that I had lying around the house - you should be able to source something similar from local haberdashery etc.

2) Lowered my roof until the tension bow started coming up

3) Reached behind me and pulled forward the back part of the hood, so that the tension bow could come up vertical

4) Got out of the car and reached BETWEEN the outerhood and the headlining, just above the rear window.

5) You will see that there is a small bar which sits just above the rear window - it's a full width bar, but only has little 3 to 4" 'legs' on it. It was this which was not flapping over into the right place and was therefore jamming the whole of the top. I'm going to call it a 'mini-bow'.

6) You now need to get the new elastic to 'pull' the mini-bow towards the front of the car.

7) Find the intersection between the 'bow' part of the mini-bow and the short leg - it will look like a T.

8) Tie a bowline knot (there are probably others, but I used to sail yachts and this one made the most sense) around the inboard part of the top of the 'T' and make sure it is really tight.

9) You now need to locate a little circular fastener which is slightly forward of the minibow and is on the outside rails of the top - it has a little strap which connects from the fastener to the headliner

10) Wind the elastic around this circular fastener, back around the inboard part of the 'T', back to the circular fastener and back to the inboard part of the T.

11) You now need to adjust the tension in the elastic - you only need enough to pull the mini-bow into place. So push the mini-bow towards the back of the car - if it's hard to push it there, loosen the elastic. If you push it back and it doesn't come forward, tighten the elastic.

12) Tie a lot of half-hitches into the elastic to make sure it doesn't come undone.

13) Cut off the loose ends, and try out your top!



Edited by jonathanlewis19