How Can Convertible Top Repairs Be Free to Thousands?!?
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Convertible cars can be so much fun to drive, but that fun ends when the convertible top stops working. This is especially true when you have a vintage Mercedes or BMW. What are your options? They range from FREE to THOUSANDS!
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#carrepair #carwizard #carmechanic #autorepairshop #automobile #cars #car #mercedes #mercedesbenz #mercedescars #convertible #convertiblecars #convertiblecar #r129 #bmw #bmwcar #bmwcar #bmwlove #sl500
And the answer is: the Mazda MX5 Miata! Throw that top up or down with one hand in less than 15 seconds. One locking latch, centered above the windshield. That's it. I love my 2012 NC MX5 Miata Touring, named "Baby Blue".
Miata is always the answer.
This is why I love the MANUAL convertible top on my 2005 Corvette.
Yeah a well-designed manual operation soft top, should be infinitely better
Can't take that to omega they don't work on domestics
I've always felt auto tops were stupid.
Much quicker to flip a manual top up and clip some latches than it is to stop the car (or put the key in) put the parking brake on, and wait for slow motors to do their thing.
that model year Corvette is not going to protect you in a rollover crash. I will stick with my R230 SL with hydraulically deployed rollbar for now but will replace it most likely w/ a Lexus LC500 convertible.
@@gordonmccracken1209 That's true. I'm unable to track it for that reason. But at my age, I drive it extremely cautiously. Although, you never know about the other drivers.
When Young: Convertibles, T-Tops, Sunroofs, Fast and Loud.....HELL YA!!
When Old: No leaks, Sun, Wind Noise. I just need it to be reliable, comfortable, and easy to get in and out.
So true
Agreed, but don't forget the additional structural integrity and safety of a solid roof.
When you get older "Coupe"
@@allworldmusic8270 Then 5 years later: minivan
@@jimv77 LOL
If (I'd hope) you have chosen to buy an R129 or other such high-end German convertible, you should have already mentally and financially prepared yourself for these eventualities. I am in the middle of a full cylinder replacement job on my wife's 2001 SL500. It is doable for a competent DIY-er, and with some extra financial outlay rebuilt cylinders can be purchased ready to install. You will pay a core deposit that is refunded when your old cylinders are returned. There are several very good tutorials on this job on YT as well.
Wizard, my 1990 Corvette has a manual top and it takes 30 seconds to lower, release the rear pins, pull the handles in front, lift the tray and store the top, close the lid and your off.
Same with my 1988 Camaro 👍
I have a 92. When I bought it the guy said the hard top hadn’t been off in 4 years. I thought for sure something was wrong with it as the car was so cheap! I was so jacked when I got home and found that it worked perfect. 2 years later and still working fine. I’ve had a Camaro and Miata convertibles that I did manually. Yeah, you can do it by hand but it’s way better when the car does it for you!
That's why I stop driving Wranglers. The tops are a PIA. I would get another jeep if the tops came down with the press if a button.
ComeOnMan.....My Maita ND soft top takes five seconds to open. And nothing mechanical to break. Keep up your great videos....
The BMW system is very simplistic. The Mercedes is insane. Completely insane.
Then there's the hidden hydraulic/steel spring roll hoop snapping to attention in the blink of an eye!
Another reason why I love my 93' Z32 with a manual soft top
Excellent repair philosophy for the cylinders, rebuild them all at the same time!
You did check the fuses, I never replaced a roll bar module working for MB, and sometimes there was what we called micro corrosion and just unplugging and plugging back gets things to work. Good luck, check before you jump.
Miata is always the answer
unless you like a back seat and room in the trunk
@@user-zh9ow3jz1t extra weight
Actually I used to have a Miata and the trunk was fairly spacious….but it also leaked water and so it became a fishbowl everytime it rained….albeit a fairly spacious fishbowl!
that is why i like the Mx-5 Convertible. no BS with those cylinders.
previous owner had disabled/disconnected the motors on my FC RX7, making it manual too.
So much easier!😂
Thebest
No automatic deploying rollbar either - keep in mind you are sharing the road with 6000lb to 10000lb electric SUVs these days.
I've always been more impressed with the engineers who design the convertible top sequencing than the car designers themselves......
@ 15:00 I take the opposite approach. Put the top up and leave it that way. And make sure the A/C works :-)
Or just buy a coupe 😎
Or just buy a Mercedes CL or S class coupe lol
There are also many Z3’s that are plainly manual top. Mine is one. Works great, easy to flip and no issues.
My 59 year old Corvair convertible power top still works. Rebuild motor is $331.
I guarantee you've replaced at least 10 engines though
One would think that MB would also want to be known as THE pioneer in reliability as part of their brand, but they don't care nowadays. I owned an '88 420 SEL for 20 years that was a fabulous sedan cruiser, and built like a tank, very reliable. Subsequent E-Class MB vehicles that we owned (my wife likes them...I don't anymore) added MORE complexity and LESS reliability. IMHO they're no better than BMW's. In fact most German luxury marques are Eurotrash. I also owned the first year of the Lexus, the '90 LS400...insanely reliable, virtually silent, beautifully crafted, and in my opinion containing the best engine/transmission ever made. It was cruising to 400K miles when our son was rear-ended while sitting at the stoplight, totaling it. I was so mad...loved that car. It was my favorite of all time.
M-B and BMWs are SO unreliable you can't own one out of warranty unless you have MANY of thousands to spend.
So screw the motorized tops and just get a manual top
100%
Basically
Had a 1991 Mustang GT convertible for awhile, it's convertible top was powered but it started identifying as a manual top after I got irritated with it and forced it to go up and down by hand...
So, that's always an option too 😂
Screw both....buy HARDTOPS!
@@darrellsaunders4267nobody asked
I've never had a convertible, but I liked the T-tops on my '85 300 zx. In case of rain I could have them back on in less than 3 minutes. The targa on the Supra that I had however was a handful to balance the large top in place trying not to scratch the paint. Maybe one day I'll get a small convertible.
I miss t tops myself... Back in the 90s/early 2000s I had a '82 Mustang GT, and later a '85 GT that were both t tops. The factory glass tops on them were HEAVY and super inconvenient to try and get back on in a hurry if you needed to. I came across some cheapo composite plastic tops at a swap meet, always left those in the trunk just in case. Later on I had a '91 GT with a powered convertible top, the t-top cars were superior in every way, and cooler looking. Got a plain ole '93 GT fastback now days, even though it wasn't an option by that year it'd definitely be a cooler car if it had t-tops.
11:06 Lamborghini Gallardo: "I'm just chillin, don't mind me.." 😎🤣
*Murcielago
😂😂😂 cute
Just posting to say I Love the Car Wizard. Been following bro for a few years now. Seems like a cool cat, laid back and Honest! Hard to meet fellas like him anymore. Salute Car Wizard
My recent '07 Solara, 2 latches, one button. Same effect, much less complicated. Could not imagine being dressed up in the Benz and having hydraulic fluid leaking on your good clothes.
CAMRY BEING CONVERTIBLE IS CRINGE AF
Love my hardtop convertible 328i, but I live in fear of the top quitting. Had a tiny sensor go bad once, and it was quite the ordeal to find it and replace it. Putting that top up manually was NOT easy.
People tend to forget a basic reality about the rubber/synthetic seals and o-rings found in all hydraulic use: they all break down in time. In aviation and military use everything is strictly date coded and inventoried. In automotive, attention to strict discarding of old stock, is rarely followed. So you can send out cylinders to less reputable companies, that will install time expired products in the rebuilds. So instead of getting back something that might have a service life of 6 years... You get 1. It pays to know who you're dealing with.
In such cases, my preference would be to have 'my' cylinders rebuilt - and not opt for a cylinder exchange solution.
This is a really good argument for having simpler but quality parts in cars, in fact this is how it should be.
Those SLs can be so cheap to buy its always tempting, thats what Hoovie is for
Great video, thank you. I could not agree more with the philosophy of 'replace them all', it will save you money and headaches in the long run. BTW, I have seen hydraulic landing gear retraction/extension and gear door opening/closing systems on commercial and military aircraft less complicated than the Mercedes roof.
I have always owned cars with a solid metal roof and no sun roof's either,
unless you include the Honda Accord that came with one as standard and leaked
from day one, so i rejected it.
Why anyone would want a folding roof is beyond me, even the manual ones are prone
to issues as they age, include some dodgy hydraulics and motors then trouble will not be
far away.
As a hydraulic expert, I can rebuild my own when this becomes necessary.it is some work for sure, not too bad though. I have done work for marine steering applications also.
This was why I bought my BMW with a manual top. The mechanicals are easy to understand and service. The hardest part was replacing the soft top where the final step required a buddy to hold down the back while I locked the top into place for a month to stretch the fabric.
Yes MR Wizard, Love your videos, very entertaining and relaxing and informative at the same time! Been watching you since 2020!
Wizard, I've recently started doing more work on my cars and your videos have been a ton of help. I was super shocked to realize that your shop is only 30 minutes up the road from me! I'll definitley know where to take it in the future if I'm ever stumped haha.
I've never understood the need to move beyond manual tops to automated ones. The manual ones have nothing to go wrong and for a two seat car are generally trivial to operate. I'm about to sell my del sol, and while the targa top is a bit more annoying to take down, it has worked flawlessly since at least 2006. The tradeoff for convenience seems 100pct not worth it unless you've got a big 4 place car.
My 2004 Z4 power top died, research determined it was due to the motor getting water damage because of BMW's brilliant design of locating it in the wheel "well" (pun intended)...overtime factory drain holes block & it gets submerged
Costly & time-consuming! Smart owners relocate the new motor to the trunk.
When you will open or close the Top, you should let run the engine. Because it needs a lot of Energy to move all the Hydraulic Parts and read Sensor Signals. When the Batterie not the newest (little bit weak) it can be cause Error.
And all of my convertibles (I've owned three, Miata, a C6 and my current C7) I've made sure they are either manual or American and even my C6 GS conv began to "misfire" but was cheap to repair.
Yup that's why wizard doesn't work on domestics they're too cheap to repair lol he wants the $$
I had a 1st-gen Volvo C70 convertible that had a fully electric top mechanism. The problem with it was that the various micro-switches that control the top are no longer available and have to be sourced from a small pool of parts cars. Volvo didn't sell enough of them--and the cars are now so cheap to buy--that there's no money to be made rebuilding the switches.
Had a 500SL and this is absolutelt correct - what an over-engineered horror show that top was - the fun part is when it leaks over the windshield and all the fluid goes on your lap - so so wonderful...
Had a 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with a soft top bought brand new. No issues taking it down, just had to unzip the windows and roll them up and store them in the back. Drove it for 22k miles and sold it. Those tops don't last that long before needing a replacement cuz the plastic windows degrade over a short few years. Loved my Jeep with the 4.0L straight six! I won't ever own a convertible car again as I like the A\C and not the sun in my face. I also do not like cars with a sunroof as I don't use them and don't want to maintain the drain ports. My current '07 Lexus RX350 has a sunroof which I never use, I'm sure its plugged up. I hardly drive the thing, maybe less than 50 miles a month.
I fixed the rear cover latch cylinder for cheap…hasn’t occurred to me to do them all, that’s a major pain in the ass
Mercedes over engineered the heck out of that. I realize people that could afford these cars when they first came out wanted the ease of pressing a button but it just seems so much easier and cheaper to make a good manual top that can be taken down quickly.
Yep that complexity is madness!
The chrysler 200 convertible /last gen sebring didn't have daimler insanity in it though right? I thought their source was like a french company for the 200
Nice summary David. I've had a 96 SL 500 since 2013 and have learned a bit about it. The two cylinders above my visors gave out probably 11 years ago and I replaced those and it wasn't for another six or seven years where the main ones started going
As you know the ones over the visors are pretty easy to get to just taking off the plastic cover.
At Top Hydraulics they were telling me those are usually the first ones to go out because they get all the heat particularly with the top down
One thing I would like to emphasize since I'm a graduate of the school of hard knocks
ALSO REBUILD THE BLOCK DISTRIBUTER. It is directly above the rearview mirror and I didn't do it and what happens is when that thing leaks the corrosive hydraulic fluid goes through the dome light assembly. It literally melts the plastic and fortunately I was able to get a new one from the dealer at $800. These parts are drying up and it's the little square block distributor.
I've liked Top Hydraulics in Florence Oregon
Anyway I still like the car and if you discount the complex hydraulic top system and you don't have the car with that air suspension they are pretty much like any other car
I used to think that Daimler pioneer the hydraulic top but look at Jay Leno's review of his 66 Lincoln convertible
That thing is so complex and he said they lost money on everyone but Lincoln was doing it decades before
Anyway I always enjoy your videos and thank you for another good one but remember that block distributor also needs to be rebuilt
I had to do mine years ago. Klaus from top hydraulics would send you rebuilt ones and then you would send the leaking ones and he’d return your core charge
I own a 97 Z3 with a manual top that I bought brand new. A tip for Mrs. Wizard -when you lower the top put your free hand in the middle of the plastic rear window to prevent it from binding up. A tip that the dealer gave me 27 years ago.
I did my R129, it's not that bad, any decent shade tree mechanic can do whole job, very satisfying
Miata… 2 latches and flip it back. Simple and effective.
Convertibles are like the car equivalent of a mullet hairstyle: business up front and party in the back ! 😂😂😂
😂
Congrats to Wizard again for making it on DailyMail for a 2nd time! You deserve it Wiz!!!
I've owned BOTH cars and Wizard is 100% correct! I had those EXACT issues.
They had one with 12 cylinders, the 600SL, so 24 cylinders all together.
I had a 1973 Fiat 124 Spider, and the best working part on the car was the manual convertible top! Seconds to put it up or down, It fit nicely and you could still see through the plastic rear window. If only the rest of the car had been so reliable!
Never an issue with an NA Miata which only came with a manual top.
And snap on hard top
At 8:50, you have a problem with the rollbar not moving and the top system not working. I do NOT think the problem is the rollbar module or the soft top module. I ran into this too. You can force the module to synchronize its state by putting the soft top in place, put the top on the two front hinges, close and lock the tanneau cover, and put the back of the soft top down into the holes (but don't latch). Then, use the top button (turn car off, remove key, put key in, within 2 mins press the button) and push the button UP to close the soft top. At this point, the front should latch, it will lift the bow cylinders, and then re-lower the rear and latch the rear too. Now, your state is synchonized.
I have a video - RUclips won't let me link it. But if you search "Replacing all of the convertible top hydraulics on my 1994 SL320 (R129)" and skip to 8:23 in my video, you can see the procedure and explanation. The red button blinking means it ran into an error. After I synchronized, that error went away and the rollbar worked great.
Is this the same with the folding metal top Mercedes? I’ve had 2 convertibles in my life, I’m 77 years old. First was a 66 Chevelle, SS396, 4 speed red convertible. It had almost 0 options, with no PS or PB, or PW, the top was manual. It was easy up and down with no problems. Putting the cover on with all the snaps was a chore. This was the same whether the top was power or not. I loved this convertible. Years later, married with 3 kids. I bought a 1984 Ford Mustang Convertible, 5.0L, 5 speed, black loaded, power top. After about 20 years the top wouldn’t go up without some help. The top was still original and in good condition ( I’m in the Chicago area, but car has never seen snow, only a few times rain), always garage kept. When I tore into it, research on the way, I didn’t find any leakage anywhere, but suspected a lack of hydraulic fluid. I had a heck of a time removing the rubber plug from the hydraulic pump. I finally wiggled it out, got a new plug, and filled the pump. It’s been working for the last 20 years without any problems. The hydraulic lines look like nylon and they are much larger than the Mercedes one shown. I suspect if I removed all the hydraulics, this topwould go up and down without a problem. The covering, when top is down, is a much better and easier cover to install than my 66 Chevelle. It has a channel that you just slide into place. Kind of difficult to explain. My Mustang loves sunny days……and so do I. Thank-you!
I lived in San Juan for about 9 months in 1995 and bought a 1980 Fiat Spyder to drive around. That had NO power top whatsoever; You undid two latches near the windshield, threw the roof over your shoulder, and down the road you went.
I really just do not understand power convertible tops. These are just problems waiting for a place to happen~
Great video!
i am so glad that my 96 z3 has a manual top.
Thanks for the Mercedes info. I've got a 2004 CLK 500 with soft top issues might be bringing it in.
91 cabriolet with manual top, works everytime.
Ive never understood why they have to make everything so damn complicated!
German engineering I suppose
The Germans who remained in Germany after WWII were upset at their colleagues who came over America, the same colleagues who took us to the moon. Having no real space program of their own the remaining Germans decided to apply their rocket science to basic every day things like convertible car tops...
Or atleast that would be my guess 🤣
@@admiralrustyshackleford119 actually DLR is German space agency but even Germans just say it's the German NASA all delivered with a wry smile ..worked in aerospace eons ago😊
That’s why they lost the war.
German automotive OEMs design cars to meet a specific market. The US market is lucrative for German OEMs - a market that demands cars that can be operated with as little effort as possible. This includes the operation of a soft top - that can be operated by a simple push of a button.
These gen convertibles were the best. Peak SL and peak BMW Z.
I have a 1999 R129 and just had the roof control module replaced for the second time in the last 8 years - cost me £1,100 this time, £950 last time. Money well spent you buy these cars for their looks, performance and features in the knowledge they were expensive new, maybe not so now to acquire, but will remain expensive when things go wrong.
Does everyone in Kansas live on a dirt road? Every car that comes into OAC is filthy beyond belief. Exterior, interior, engine compartment - unbelievable.
It's farm country.
I live in northern Maine and every car is covered in dirt.
It's nothing like suburban roads. I washed and waxed my truck 3 weeks ago and it already looks like I never really touched it.
Wizard only wants to work on exotics now so all the peasant cars will be in the past
@@melvingibson4525Re-watch that video. I never said even once, ONLY exotics.
Yeeuh us hicks in kansass only has dirt roads n cows.
What a moron.
The BMW Z3 now works the top like the MX-5 Miata. Very simple, all done while the driver is seated & buckled.
wow what a pertinent subject. bought a 01 mustang gt cov. in 2022 with a new top. it went up and down for a few months and then stopped working. I saw spritzing by the hydraulic rams. have to do this. hopefully that is it.
have a toyota solara convertable 128 thousand and the power top works just fine and no leaks around the windows, bmw and audi convertables not reliable
Our z3 had a manual top. I have had many many convertibles with power tops that never failed me. Even our 75 olds 88 convertible which we drive during the summers
Still operating like new
I love the manual top on my R107.
Pulled the handle that turned my Z4 into a manual top. Wasn't about to spend 1200 to fix it.
The "rebuild" for the cylinder is replacing the square-cut o-ring behind the scraper ring. If you're good with a hand drill, you can drill a small hole through the cylinder at the flange so you can compress the circlip with a nail. Then, you push shop air into the inlet, and the ram will shoot out. You can then replace the square-cut o-ring with a viton o-ring. Reassemble. Total cost: 15 dollars for a bit, nail, and o-ring-- assuming you have a vice, hand drill, and air compressor.
Not a Benz fan in the LEAST, but both those models and their maroon interiors (RIP all of them, I still love it) look very classy and nice. I wouldn't feel like an a-hole rolling around in them.
My 88' Supra has the same color interior and it's just so nice. I wonder why they just went away to be replaced by black?
Also my Supra has a TARGA top. It's the best of both worlds, but also a complete nightmare with seals and fitment. Car is not super stable with it off anyway so NOPE.
OMG! I cant believe the Wizzards own a BMW! What a riot! LOL!😂
He can afford to fix it.
My Miata's manual top went up or down in 10 seconds or less.
That's a nightmare to repair & take apart. This is why I don't like convertibles & only buy 2 door coupes with manuals. Also avoid cars with unnecessary tech gimmick junk like remote start, lane keep, automatics, electronic parking brakes either.
Miata softop - literally 10 seconds manual closing/opening and will NEVER die!!
The Z3 well for sure the early years before the roof was powered was a manual roof 96 and 97 for sure. In the 98 in the video, you can see the center slot for your hand to reach over from the driver's seat grab the roof and swing it over your head. Two latches to lock in place. Clunk. Clunk.
Wow thats crazy, I had no idea....
I had the same issue with a c6 corvette because the rear covers were missing. So I just turned it into a manual top
A video of wizard talking about how he and other mechanics give each other advice and direction- share trade secrets.
Before he passed , my brother put a $4000 soft top on his 2000 SL500 . A month later , 2 cylinders leaking . Shop quoted me $4800 to fix . I sold the POS immediately . $9k on top ? F that
Ur a weirdo I wouldve fixed it in a heart beat
Those are actually great cars and you can send the cylinders off to be refurbished for way less than $5k.
@@juliandrake3159 Took me 4 months to sell
One man's trash...
Ur the worst brother and car owner
As to the Mercedes, and I am sure to the BMW and any car with a soft top, it is bad to leave the top down all the time. So I am told. I am also told you can raise the top and lower the top manually. But it's more "labor intensive" compared to the BMW.
Alpharetta ga was my home town.lol that’s crazy. If I ever see you up this way I’ll say hi brother. Yeah there’s a lot of money in this area brother, I’m sure some rich guy from home town does know a lot about Benzes. Sounds about right for the area.lol.
I got a '92 Celica with a motorized convertible top. It's funny to see these Mercedes Benz convertibles not work, while mine does with minor maintenance on ensuring its hinges are lubricated.
The BMW is sharp. I like the top can be manually operated.
My r107 still works great!
Woooo the little Z3 is so cute 🥰
Go for manual cloth top,
I had a MR-S , i had so much fun from it
I had a BMW Z4 with a convertible hard top. I don't think putting up manually would have been an option. Fortunately, I never had a problem with the mechanicals on the convertible top. The rest of the car however...
My 1991 300SL top did not work. So got the tool to do it by hand. Take 4 min to raise or lower. I got the car for $1500 in 2014. It had gone threw a bad hail storm. Top was full of holes.
For 4-5k im going to get a hardtop and call it a day 🤷🏻♂️
I've owned more than 10 convertibles in my life, all of them manual, and 3 of them were not even permanently affixed to the car, they broke down and stored in the boot.
What's a BWM? Haha, jokes aside, I also own a Z3 with a powered top. I do dread the day it stops working lol
I drive a speedster. No ragtop. It’s in a shelf in the garage. If it rains, I promise your car won’t melt.
On either of the Mercedes, can you disconnect the hydraulics in a few strategic places that would allow you to “convert” the top to manual? If so, The market just opened for me! (Just between you & me, OK?)
100% sure it would throw some check engine light with irritating chimes!!! 😂
I used to think I'd love to have a Mercedes. They really look good, but the problems associated with them and the cost of repairs tells me NO. I'll keep my Panther platform Lincoln Town Car and Ford Crown Vic.
I'd like to see a 'hardtop' convertible compare and contrast video.
Best car is a car with no convertible top, or even this new rubbish trend of full glass panoramic sunroof. It just causes leaks, whistling noises, and huge expenses down the road. Buy a normal metal roof car with ac, and they're much stronger structurally and safer against theft and occupant safety in a crash or roll-over.
"2018 was 7 years ago" hit hard.
As Derek would say "Help me understand" I had a 61 Ford ragtop actuated with an electric motor. One pull of the knob on the dash for up or down. Never failed, worked flawlessly for all the years i had it. That was 63 years ago what am I missing here?
I wish my '98 Sebring was manual. To close it i need someone to flick the switch up front while I'm in back seat standing up to lift the whole top. It's heavy!