My convertable top is half way open and stuck. its a BMW 328 I. what can i do to close it manually?

SOURCE: how to raise and lower the 328ci convertible top manually

I just bought a 1996 328iC (the "C" is for convertible). I bought the car with the knowledge that the roof needed a motor replacement (~$300 for the part alone + ~1-2 hours labor) and that I would need to open and close the roof manually if I wanted to take advantage of the convertible part of the car.

After some trial and error, I figured it out and now it takes me <30 seconds to open or close the top (manually). Note: my top is a semi-electric roof, which I think is what came on the 328iC, you have to lock into place after you close it.

Here's what you do:
1- open all of the windows
2- unlock the roof by turning the latch between the sun visors.
3- push the front of the roof towards the rear of the car - be sure to push in the middle of the roof, where the latch is.
4- lift the back of the roof up off of the roof storage compartment
5- while holding the back of the of the roof up, lift up the roof storage compartment door
6- let go of the back of the roof so that it drops right into the storage compartment
7- push the rest of the roof into the storage compartment
8- close the storage compartment door.

To close the roof, follow the steps above in reverse order. Remember: this is a German car, so you use a little bit (or a lot) of force and you won't hurt it (I think it actually likes it ;-D ).

Good Luck!!!

Roman

SOURCE: I can't get my convertible top to go up or down,

The convertible top motor and release lever are in the luggage compartment.
From the Bentley manual, the following general procedure is suggested in order to close the top in an emergency situation.
Main motor. To release the top linkage from the motor, lift the left corner of the rear seat to access emergency release handle.
It is then possible to push the top manually to a near closed position. In case of the semi-automatic top, simply attach and lock the front latches.
Front latches. Once the fully automatic convertible top has been released from the motor and manually pushed to near-closure, emergency latching of the top is possible by using the S-shaped hex key provided in the emergency tool kit(attached to the trunk lid underside).
First, remove the the plastic cover over the latch motor in the front bow of the convertible top.
Next, use the hex key from the tool box to crank the front latches shut.

SOURCE: Torque Converter Clutch Circuit/Open

hello there

The problem is with the gear oil. To keep ahead of the rest BMW started what they call life time oil for their gear boxes, though that sounds great it doesn't really work in reality, they have now gone back to recommending a gear oil change every 60k miles.

In short you need to change your gear oil and soon, the oil in your gear box is no longer effective and will damage the gear box. You'll need about 5 litres for your car and costs around £15 a litre, expensive stuff!! I had the same problem with my 328i auto, the dealer was clueless and kept quoting the lifetime oil, I changed the oil and the problem has gone and it's so much smoother.

Hope this helps, please don't forget to rate me.

SOURCE: convertible top won't go down on my 1998 bmw 323ic

Sounds like the sensor has faulted or the pump has become disengaged. Usually when the light is flashing it's a sensor. You can check for a pinched line or low fluid also. There is a manual lock overide procedure to get the windows up, it's in you owners manual.
Good luck...i hope this helps,

SOURCE: e36 BMW convertible top operating it manually

Hey there, I have experienced the same problem. You need to reengage both motors if you have disengaged them pulling the lever undernearth the rear driverside seat. Make sure to put the black lever back under the seat to the position before pulling on it.

You should have the top in the down position before engaging the motors back in place.

To engage the motors: The motors are located under the carpet in the trunk on the driver side. There are two black clips you will need to remove in order to pull the carpet back. One of the motors is located near the taillight. This motor is responsible for the storage lid cover. The motor that is located further in the drunk is the motor for the fabric top to move up and down. Make sure to firmly press these motors back into place. They should not move.

Once you have engaged the motors, go into your car put the key into the ignition and have the convertible top button pressed up (meaning to close the top), move the key to the accessory positio and hold it for 10-12 seconds. You will finally see the trunk lid get pulled closed. The car will now attempt to completely close the lid. If your motors are working fine it will close. If your only intention is to get the lid to close on it's own it should be accomplished.

Good luck!