20 Most Recent 1998 BMW Z3 Roadster - Page 4 Questions & Answers

There is a spray product that I used a long time ago to remove the vinyl letters off a boat. It worked great just can't remember the name. Check with an auto paint supplyer.

black plastic fuse box in the engine compartment on the left side of the car close to the firewall. The fuse is 30 Amp; it is fuse number 32 (the location diagram is on the inside of the lid on the fuse box).

Check for a short in the wiring that goes from the door connection or a faulty switch on the door or broken insulation around the door contacts. Remove door contacts one at a time and disconnect wires if the light goes out, thats where the fault is.

Turn the key forward to the spot just before cranking, emergency break on, windows down (slightly or all the way, no difference), foot on break, roof unlatched and pushed back slightly. Once you push the roof up slightly, it should trigger a microswitch that allows the motor to turn on. If you listen closely, you can hear it. Can you hear the motor turning? If not, check the fuse and any microswitches. If they check good it could be the "motor." I say "motor" like that because its actually a pump to a hydraulic system. It sits in the trunk on the left wheel well. Its very easy to replace.
If you do hear the motor, go to the trunk and look at the system on the left wheel well. There is a hydraulic reservoir under the pump. If you cant see any fluid in there, that is your problem. To fill it, turn the T-handle on the pump counterclockwise. This will depressurize the system and also allow you to manually operate the roof. Next to the T-handle is a cap that requires an allen wrench to remove. Remove it and fill to the little dot inside a circle with hydraulic fluid. This can be a little trick to reach; I used a turkey baster!! After filling to appropriate level, put cap back on and then turn T-handle clockwise and secure it. Now operate the roof a few times with the button to build up some pressure. Now your roof should be operating properly!!

first you need to pull the top back untill it flips up, then you have to have your foot on the brake for the electronics to kick in when you push the button.

should wait till the summer when its hottest to recharge... dont buy the freon from autostore they are not high quality call up a mcmaster-carr or grainger to get some real industrial quality freon

Hi dwhbuf,

I am assuming when you mean the freon is good that it has a correct charge. If the freon level is correct, I would recommend checking 3 things. 1st, make sure that when the a/c is on that the electric auxiliary fan in front of the engine is on..without it working, a/c cooling will be affected. 2nd, make sure that you can hear a definite change in the blend door when adjusting between heat and cooling. 3rd, Check under the car to make sure your evaporator drains have water coming out, they can get restricted and clogged. If everything seems ok, you will need to have some verify the a/c system pressures are correct. Other possibilities are a weak a/c compressor or restricted a/c system.

Hi marsnange,

One of the most common problems I see with the Z3 water leaks in the trunk comes from the 3rd brake light lens. You can open the lid, and check for a leak while pouring a little water around the lens. Another common leak is from the trunk seal itself. Look for tears,holes and any deformities in the gasket. The is a slight probability the antennae base could be leaking. The rubber based should not look cracked or deteriorating.

i have a BMWZ3 2001 model and it has not got an electric roof and I would like to fit one can I

it's a break pad sensor, your pads are worn out,if you wait to long, you"ll ware thru the sensor and have to replace it. it's not a hard fix, you"ll have to clear the code to remove the dash diagram, after u fix the brakes, and maybe the sensor, good luck

It sounds like you have a loose connection or wire somewhere, becuase you stated it started happening after you hit a bump which the jolt would cause movement in a component or wire causing some type of short or mis-connection to happen. I would check all wires, cables for loose or corroded connections, loose ground wires, especially battery and starter connections and tighten accordingly.

have you marked it with with paint before tasking it apart ??

You must have entered in the code wrong 3 times. when you do this it will chnage form code on the radio to code lock. you have to let the car sit for a hour with the key on and it will reset the radio and let you enter the code. unfortanitly this is the only way to get the radio back to say code. make sure you hook up a charger to the car so your battery doesn't die also make sure your key is in the second position the one right before starting the car.