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<blockquote data-quote="anaksarawak" data-source="post: 672971" data-attributes="member: 4851"><p>Found the DIY guide </p><p></p><p>[h=1]DIY > Convertible Top Interior Trim Flap Repair (E46)[/h]<span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="color: #AFAFAF"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'"><em>Posted by <a href="http://www.bmw-planet.com/author/Admin/" target="_blank">Admin</a> in <a href="http://www.bmw-planet.com/category/diy/" target="_blank">DIY</a> | <a href="http://www.bmw-planet.com/2009/01/16/diy-convertible-top-interior-trim-flap-repair-e46/#respond" target="_blank">0 comments</a></em></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/wp-content/uploads/et_temp/top1-32082_140x140.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><span style="color: #FFFFFF"><strong>Jan 16, 2009</strong></span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Background:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">My wife and I purchased our 2001 BMW 330ci Convertible (sport/premium/HID) in July 2007. At some point approximately 3 months after owning the vehicle, we noticed that the rear passenger’s side flap of interior trim had freed itself from the plastic trim piece that holds it flush to the top when it’s up. This area of the vehicle, in a coupe/sedan, could be described as the vehicle’s passenger’s side C pillar. Unfortunately, we have no idea what caused it to break free.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Issue:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The following pictures detail the issue at hand:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/top1.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/top6.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p> <span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">In both pictures, you will notice the top of the plastic piece is broken. This plastic piece normally extends approximately another 2-3″ upwards (see picture of new piece in following section) and has on it another attachment string. Somehow, this string was pulled off of the plastic piece forcefully.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Please note that the holes in the fabric were caused by this sharp-edged plastic piece poking through when the top was put up and down a few times before repair. If you experience this issue, do not put your top up or down until you repair it or your interior will likely suffer the same fate.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Before I embarked on my repair, I made sure to get a quote from a local trim shop that the local BMW dealer recommends. The quoted cost of repair was $367.00, not including the BMW parts! I was shocked. Although I have never owned a convertible before this vehicle, I saw the damage as minor and nowhere near $374.00 worth of labor. Boy was I right! That quote is nothing short of highway robbery.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">With that, on to the repair.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Materials Needed:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The materials for this repair are impressively low. Here is everything you will need for the ENTIRE repair:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- BMW Part No. 54-31-7-135-351 – $128.40 (<a href="http://www.getbmwparts.com/" target="_blank">www.getbmwparts.com</a>)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- VERY SHORT Torx T20 screwdriver – $3.99 (Sears)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- Short Phillip’s Head screwdriver – $3.99 (Sears)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- Multipurpose/Multisurface Fabric Adhesive – $3.99 (Michael’s)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">That’s it. That’s a total of $140.37, if you have to buy each of these things.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Now, take into account that the trim shop’s quote did not include parts. This means that they would have charged me approximately $495.40 to repair this issue. So, by doing this yourself, you can save in the neighborhood of $355.03! I call that worth it, especially considering the relatively small degree of skill required!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The Repair:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The most difficult part of this entire repair process was jockeying the top around to allow access to the innards of the passenger’s side convertible top. I was in the back seat for some of the repair, on the outside of the car for some of the repair and in the passenger’s seat for some of the repair. As long as you can accept this upfront, you will have no problems with the repair. For most of the repair, the top was about half-way up/down. One other note: do not attempt this repair without adequate light.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">I estimate most people will be able to complete this in about the same time it took me: ~2 hours. Having done it once already, I am positive that I could now do it in less than 1 hour. Part of the reason it took me so long was because I hooked the assembly up backwards on the first try. On the second try, I did not thread the strings appropriately. Third time was a charm! Plus, I was taking pictures and mental notes through the process so I would be able to write this DIY article.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Now, let’s get our hands dirty.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">1) Open the BMW parts box you received from <a href="http://www.getbmwparts.com/" target="_blank">www.getbmwparts.com</a>:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200267.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">2) Inside, you will find two triangular-shaped plastic pieces with strings attached to the rear. There will also be a covered strip of adhesive on the inner side of each plastic piece. One of these is for the passenger’s side and one is for the driver’s side:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200268.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">3) Take the pieces out of the box and determine which piece is for which side. The strings will point towards the rear of the vehicle and the adhesive strip will always be closest to the center of the vehicle. Grab whichever piece is needed and place the other one back in the box (NOTE: The piece used for this repair is on the left in the picture below)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200269.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">4) Put the top in a half-open, half-closed position.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">5) For reference, examine the non-damaged side of the convertible top with it half-way down (this allows the flap to hang loose from the convertible top frame). This was extremely helpful for me. Please remember that you will be reversing the way it is hooked up on the non-damaged side. The following pictures are all of my driver’s side, which was not damaged. You will see the arrangement of connection to the convertible top frame and :</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">(Note the 3 string attachment points on the plastic flap)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200270.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">(The single top string goes through 1 hoop, then is screwed into the convertible top; the connected string piece with the spring goes through 2 hoops, is screwed into the rear plate of the top with the spring retainer, then goes through 1 additional hoop before reattaching to the plastic flap)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200272.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">(This is an excellent picture of the top-most single string’s attachment points)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200273.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">(Here, you can see the string loop, it’s various connection points and the location for the spring retainer; the order and placement of each string is important; do not go over or under a metal part of the convertible top unless the non-damaged side shows it being there)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200274.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">6) For me, the first thing was to remove the broken top-most string connection point. This is done with the Torx T20 screw driver.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200275.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200276.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p> <span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">7) Remove the various connection points for the bottom string loop. In the following picture you can see the 3 connection points for the loop. Now you understand why I said you need a VERY SHORT Torx T20 screwdriver. I have decently large hands and this was some tight maneuvering.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200277.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Remove the nylon loop that supports the bottom string loop. For me, this took QUITE a lot of torque to do:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200282.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">9) After removing the 3 connection points on the metal frame and the nylon loop, you will only have that plastic piece connected by the rear spring retainer on the top’s passenger’s side rear plate. Once you have removed the rear spring retainer, you can remove the plastic piece from the vehicle entirely:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200278.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">10) Place the new plastic flap’s spring retainer over the hole in the rear top plate and screw it in:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200281.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">11) Place the top part of the plastic piece in the pocket in the fabric and pull the top string through the hole:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200270.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">12) Place the top part of the string loop inside the detached nylon loop and reconnect it to the metal frame:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200282.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">13) Reconnect each of the hoops to the metal top frame (NOTE: This should cause the spring retainer to be put under slight tension):</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200277.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">14) Thread the top string through the connection point on the metal top frame and reconnect it at its original location. After this step, you should be looking at a fully connected plastic flap. I closed the top slowly to ensure I had it hooked up correctly and that it sat flush against the frame when the top closed:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200275.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">15) Remove the adhesive strip on the plastic flap. Place the fabric on the adhesive strip to hold it in place temporarily while you glue. Make sure to line up the edges of the fabric with the ridge on the rear of the flap as shown in this picture:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><img src="http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200275.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">16) Use the fabric adhesive sparingly to attach the fabric to the plastic along the ridge on the rear of the plastic flap. The corner of the fabric is cut so that it will fit the round corner of the plastic flap perfectly. Take your time with this step as this will determine how perfect the fabric will look when the top is up. After the adhesive is applied and the fabric is aligned with the plastic ridge on the plastic flap, let it sit without completely closing the top for 30 minutes.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">17) Close the top completely. Crack the windows and let the vehicle sit open for approximately 6 hours, making sure that it is well-ventilated. The fabric adhesive is very smelly and we don’t want that smell in our interior. Do not open the top for at least 24 hours. It should look like this now!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">18) After 24 hours dry time, put the top up and down at least once. Verify that the piece sits flush against the metal frame and the fabric looks perfect. That’s it! You’re done. You just did about $500 worth of work for $140!! Take the wife to dinner to celebrate…</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Annoyances During Repair:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Here’s a brief listing of the annoyances I encountered during this repair:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- 1) Jockeying the top position numerous times</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- 2) Moving to different positions in/out of the vehicle to gain access to various parts of the metal top frame</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- 3) Convertible top hydraulics sank at one point and got top stuck on two plastic pieces jutting out from top compartment cover; fixed by gently pulling back on the convertible top compartment and pulling up on the bottom part of the top, while wife pushed top-down button</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- 4) Hooking up connection points for string loop incorrectly</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">- 5) Not threading string loop piece through nylon loop</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Conclusion:</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">All in all, this repair was rather uneventful. If this repair is approached with patience, it can be done by just about anyone.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Source: E46Fanatics.com</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #757474"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="anaksarawak, post: 672971, member: 4851"] Found the DIY guide [h=1]DIY > Convertible Top Interior Trim Flap Repair (E46)[/h][COLOR=#757474][FONT=Arial][COLOR=#AFAFAF][FONT=Georgia][I]Posted by [URL="http://www.bmw-planet.com/author/Admin/"]Admin[/URL] in [URL="http://www.bmw-planet.com/category/diy/"]DIY[/URL] | [URL="http://www.bmw-planet.com/2009/01/16/diy-convertible-top-interior-trim-flap-repair-e46/#respond"]0 comments[/URL][/I][/FONT][/COLOR] [/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#757474][FONT=Arial][IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/wp-content/uploads/et_temp/top1-32082_140x140.jpg[/IMG][COLOR=#FFFFFF][B]Jan 16, 2009[/B][/COLOR] Background: My wife and I purchased our 2001 BMW 330ci Convertible (sport/premium/HID) in July 2007. At some point approximately 3 months after owning the vehicle, we noticed that the rear passenger’s side flap of interior trim had freed itself from the plastic trim piece that holds it flush to the top when it’s up. This area of the vehicle, in a coupe/sedan, could be described as the vehicle’s passenger’s side C pillar. Unfortunately, we have no idea what caused it to break free. Issue: The following pictures detail the issue at hand: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/top1.JPG[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/top6.JPG[/IMG] In both pictures, you will notice the top of the plastic piece is broken. This plastic piece normally extends approximately another 2-3″ upwards (see picture of new piece in following section) and has on it another attachment string. Somehow, this string was pulled off of the plastic piece forcefully. Please note that the holes in the fabric were caused by this sharp-edged plastic piece poking through when the top was put up and down a few times before repair. If you experience this issue, do not put your top up or down until you repair it or your interior will likely suffer the same fate. Before I embarked on my repair, I made sure to get a quote from a local trim shop that the local BMW dealer recommends. The quoted cost of repair was $367.00, not including the BMW parts! I was shocked. Although I have never owned a convertible before this vehicle, I saw the damage as minor and nowhere near $374.00 worth of labor. Boy was I right! That quote is nothing short of highway robbery. With that, on to the repair. Materials Needed: The materials for this repair are impressively low. Here is everything you will need for the ENTIRE repair: - BMW Part No. 54-31-7-135-351 – $128.40 ([URL="http://www.getbmwparts.com/"]www.getbmwparts.com[/URL]) - VERY SHORT Torx T20 screwdriver – $3.99 (Sears) - Short Phillip’s Head screwdriver – $3.99 (Sears) - Multipurpose/Multisurface Fabric Adhesive – $3.99 (Michael’s) That’s it. That’s a total of $140.37, if you have to buy each of these things. Now, take into account that the trim shop’s quote did not include parts. This means that they would have charged me approximately $495.40 to repair this issue. So, by doing this yourself, you can save in the neighborhood of $355.03! I call that worth it, especially considering the relatively small degree of skill required! The Repair: The most difficult part of this entire repair process was jockeying the top around to allow access to the innards of the passenger’s side convertible top. I was in the back seat for some of the repair, on the outside of the car for some of the repair and in the passenger’s seat for some of the repair. As long as you can accept this upfront, you will have no problems with the repair. For most of the repair, the top was about half-way up/down. One other note: do not attempt this repair without adequate light. I estimate most people will be able to complete this in about the same time it took me: ~2 hours. Having done it once already, I am positive that I could now do it in less than 1 hour. Part of the reason it took me so long was because I hooked the assembly up backwards on the first try. On the second try, I did not thread the strings appropriately. Third time was a charm! Plus, I was taking pictures and mental notes through the process so I would be able to write this DIY article. Now, let’s get our hands dirty. 1) Open the BMW parts box you received from [URL="http://www.getbmwparts.com/"]www.getbmwparts.com[/URL]: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200267.JPG[/IMG] 2) Inside, you will find two triangular-shaped plastic pieces with strings attached to the rear. There will also be a covered strip of adhesive on the inner side of each plastic piece. One of these is for the passenger’s side and one is for the driver’s side: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200268.JPG[/IMG] 3) Take the pieces out of the box and determine which piece is for which side. The strings will point towards the rear of the vehicle and the adhesive strip will always be closest to the center of the vehicle. Grab whichever piece is needed and place the other one back in the box (NOTE: The piece used for this repair is on the left in the picture below) [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200269.JPG[/IMG] 4) Put the top in a half-open, half-closed position. 5) For reference, examine the non-damaged side of the convertible top with it half-way down (this allows the flap to hang loose from the convertible top frame). This was extremely helpful for me. Please remember that you will be reversing the way it is hooked up on the non-damaged side. The following pictures are all of my driver’s side, which was not damaged. You will see the arrangement of connection to the convertible top frame and : (Note the 3 string attachment points on the plastic flap) [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200270.JPG[/IMG] (The single top string goes through 1 hoop, then is screwed into the convertible top; the connected string piece with the spring goes through 2 hoops, is screwed into the rear plate of the top with the spring retainer, then goes through 1 additional hoop before reattaching to the plastic flap) [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200272.JPG[/IMG] (This is an excellent picture of the top-most single string’s attachment points) [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200273.JPG[/IMG] (Here, you can see the string loop, it’s various connection points and the location for the spring retainer; the order and placement of each string is important; do not go over or under a metal part of the convertible top unless the non-damaged side shows it being there) [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200274.JPG[/IMG] 6) For me, the first thing was to remove the broken top-most string connection point. This is done with the Torx T20 screw driver. [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200275.JPG[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200276.JPG[/IMG] 7) Remove the various connection points for the bottom string loop. In the following picture you can see the 3 connection points for the loop. Now you understand why I said you need a VERY SHORT Torx T20 screwdriver. I have decently large hands and this was some tight maneuvering. [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200277.JPG[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif[/IMG] Remove the nylon loop that supports the bottom string loop. For me, this took QUITE a lot of torque to do: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200282.JPG[/IMG] 9) After removing the 3 connection points on the metal frame and the nylon loop, you will only have that plastic piece connected by the rear spring retainer on the top’s passenger’s side rear plate. Once you have removed the rear spring retainer, you can remove the plastic piece from the vehicle entirely: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200278.JPG[/IMG] 10) Place the new plastic flap’s spring retainer over the hole in the rear top plate and screw it in: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200281.JPG[/IMG] 11) Place the top part of the plastic piece in the pocket in the fabric and pull the top string through the hole: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200270.JPG[/IMG] 12) Place the top part of the string loop inside the detached nylon loop and reconnect it to the metal frame: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200282.JPG[/IMG] 13) Reconnect each of the hoops to the metal top frame (NOTE: This should cause the spring retainer to be put under slight tension): [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200277.JPG[/IMG] 14) Thread the top string through the connection point on the metal top frame and reconnect it at its original location. After this step, you should be looking at a fully connected plastic flap. I closed the top slowly to ensure I had it hooked up correctly and that it sat flush against the frame when the top closed: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200275.JPG[/IMG] 15) Remove the adhesive strip on the plastic flap. Place the fabric on the adhesive strip to hold it in place temporarily while you glue. Make sure to line up the edges of the fabric with the ridge on the rear of the flap as shown in this picture: [IMG]http://www.bmw-planet.com/img/diy/toprepair/PA200275.JPG[/IMG] 16) Use the fabric adhesive sparingly to attach the fabric to the plastic along the ridge on the rear of the plastic flap. The corner of the fabric is cut so that it will fit the round corner of the plastic flap perfectly. Take your time with this step as this will determine how perfect the fabric will look when the top is up. After the adhesive is applied and the fabric is aligned with the plastic ridge on the plastic flap, let it sit without completely closing the top for 30 minutes. 17) Close the top completely. Crack the windows and let the vehicle sit open for approximately 6 hours, making sure that it is well-ventilated. The fabric adhesive is very smelly and we don’t want that smell in our interior. Do not open the top for at least 24 hours. It should look like this now! 18) After 24 hours dry time, put the top up and down at least once. Verify that the piece sits flush against the metal frame and the fabric looks perfect. That’s it! You’re done. You just did about $500 worth of work for $140!! Take the wife to dinner to celebrate… Annoyances During Repair: Here’s a brief listing of the annoyances I encountered during this repair: - 1) Jockeying the top position numerous times - 2) Moving to different positions in/out of the vehicle to gain access to various parts of the metal top frame - 3) Convertible top hydraulics sank at one point and got top stuck on two plastic pieces jutting out from top compartment cover; fixed by gently pulling back on the convertible top compartment and pulling up on the bottom part of the top, while wife pushed top-down button - 4) Hooking up connection points for string loop incorrectly - 5) Not threading string loop piece through nylon loop Conclusion: All in all, this repair was rather uneventful. If this repair is approached with patience, it can be done by just about anyone. Source: E46Fanatics.com [/FONT][/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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