Being a retired Sailor my first response is to be profligate with profanities, but I shall restrain myself. This saga begins after the totaling of my BRG Mazda Miata when my cousin offered me his Chili Red, 2005 Cooper convertible. He said the Mini’s top didn’t go down, but the sunroof worked. He wanted to take it to Mini of Grand Rapids, in Grand Rapids, Michigan first to see if he could get it fixed before he sold it to me. He dropped it off to their service department in Grand Rapids and when he got it back the top still didn’t work – and the sunroof didn’t work anymore either, and they charged him $300. I’ve been a wrench for 40+ years, so I know things mechanical. I saw that the window seal rail at the top of the passenger’s window was now bent inward, jamming the mechanism.
I bought it anyway, thinking I’d get to it sometime. This year, as spring approached here in Oregon, I took it to Mini of Portland for diagnosis. I asked them for a Countryman loaner because I was thinking of getting a Mini with a little more space. (In 1976, when I lived in Scotland I had an original Mini in baby blue with a white roof and have been hooked ever since.) They gave me a 2015 Cooper S, which was OK with me. They kept my car for three days, doing a thorough job. The upshot was that the sunroof cassette has bent rails (just like I saw) and is damaged beyond repair, and is a $6,000 replacement item. I must say that I have nothing but the absolute highest praise for Mini of Portland, and am very pleased with the service I got. And when they couldn’t do anything for me they didn’t charge me for the diagnosis, which is what Mini of Grand Rapids should have done. The praise I have for Mini of Portland, I have the exact opposite regard, (insert profligate profanities here.) if not contempt, for Mini of Grand Rapids. They damaged the cars fully functioning sunroof cassette, and weren’t honest enough to admit their tech made a mistake, making top down enjoyment impossible... and ruining the cars resale value. My cousin said when he went to pick his car up the service reps attitude was dismissive, like ‘Sux to be you.’ Don’t go to Mini of Grand Rapids.

 

Sorry to hear your problem. Did you get a new cassette for the top ? I have heard of these becoming damaged when the sunroof cables set section sticks (breaks most of the way back ) , and then someone forces to put the top up by hand , nudge it, while the hydraulic motor tries to work. One side starts to go up and then twist the frame.

Convertible Sunroof Assembly / Top Box 54347180038

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/54347180038/



Hope you can get it working again. If you can replace that main section yourself, or at an indy shop who know convertibles on BMW / MINIs , they might be able to replace it.

 

Sorry to hear about this. I keep reading these "my top won't work" threads and it just makes me nervous that mine will quit working one day...in the rain.

In regards to your broken part....could you find one at a junk yard and try to repair yourself? Surely there's a cabrio out there nearby that got totaled due to some front end damage or something. Just a thought.

Good luck.

 

Dealer says the sunroof cassette is replaced as a unit, at $6,000, $1,200 more than I paid for the car. Then, they can try to figure out why the top doesn't go down for unknown $$$$. All this is the definition of 'money pit.' I really like Mini's, so I've started looking for a coupe. I've also written a stern complaint to BMW of NA about the Grand Rapids dealer.

 

Yea, we have the part linked above. If you know an indy place that does convertibles ( like the BMW new tops and hardtop ) out west, they could tackle this.

 

At the cost to repair my top against the resale value of the car repair is just not worth it. I'm beginning to look for a Mini coupe, those tops don't deteriorate as fast. We sailors have a rep as prodigious purveyors of profanity, but I've used all mine up on this. I resisted such use in my letter to BMW of NA.

 

I learned a good chunk of my vocabulary in the Navy too. Good luck with the roof.

 

I noticed the other day, there is someone parting out a R52 on the FS Forum, I would drop him a line and see what he wants for the top. It could be a inexpensive replacement.

Motor on!