Help, I've forgotten how to collapse the wind deflector. Any tips?

 

Sure - kind of a problem if you are not used to it...


1. Fold the windblocker and remove from the car.
2. You will notice that the horizontal portion has two pins on each side, rear small and the fronts larger.
3. The smaller (rear) will move toward the center with a cutout that lets them lock in place.
4. The larger front have a handle that rotates toward the front of the car.
5. Hold the windblocker in your hands and notice how the hinges operate.
6. On the DRIVER'S side, the lever has a TWO STEP operation. The first, like the passenger side, but with another step.
7. Pull the DRIVER'S pin toward the center of the car, and pull to the second stop.
8. When you release the pin on the driver's side, the horizontal half will fall away from you and the (former) vertical half will hinge toward you.
9. Try it and tell me if ya got it...

 

Not to hijack this thread, but it was kind of chilly here today. But brilliant sunshine. And I always knew the value of the wind blocker would show it's presence, and today was the day. I played with putting it up and down and up and down, and it was really nice to have it up today. Made the difference between full force heat, and normal heat. It is expensive, but completely worth the cost. Just in case anyone cares. I spent so long debating whether I should get it in the first place, and I'm so glad I did. It is one of my favorite options.

Oh, and it is a pain to fold in half until you get the jist.

 

On the hard top, close the sunroof and / or go real fast. :smile:

regards,
Red

 

I just drove ~380 miles today with the top down - from the D.C. area (where my wife lives) to my home in Albemarle, NC. The temps were in the upper 60' to the mid 50's by the time I got home. Yes, the wind blocker is worth it. Down I-66 to I-81, a beautiful drive with the leaves changing, but saw AT LEAST 20 dead deer on the side of the road. One area looked to have about three - like a herd tried to cross the interstate - and didn't make it...

 

I can't believe how well they work.

 

Duh... That works with the convertible too - if all you want open is the sunroof!

Soft-top MINIs are all about choices! Judy and I used ours in every mode this weekend on our 700+ mile club run from LA to Laughlin, NV, Oatman and Lake Havasu, AZ, and back! Sweet!

And to avoid hijacking charges: The wind deflector is great - as long as you have no rear seat passengers. It really adds to your open motoring choices.


_Dave_

 

I got a great tip last night that didn't help me . I love hearing abour your recent trip but can yoy help me collapse this wind deflector

 

Look at the driver's (left) side of the FRONT pin. The round plastic female portion that rotates is held in place by the male stud. If you look closely at the little graphic, you will see that it has TWO steps that you have to use in order for the pin to be pulled back into the housing. Once you get the pin to slide into the housing, the windblocker will collapse by itself.


Do you need pictures?

 

If you have pictures that would definitely help. Thanks so much for yoour help!

 

Kinda hard to do it with pictures, but here we go. If you still can't fold yours, you may want to ask a convertible owner to SHOW you how it's done. Or go to the nearest MINI dealer.





Grab the handle and as you pull it toward you (at the arrow), slide toward the center of the windblocker. You will feel it "click" one time. Go thru the motion again and as you feel it "click" the second time, the pin holding the (former) vertical section to the horizontal section will be released, but it is spring loaded and will return to the "locked" position if you let go of the slide handle. When the locking pin is fully detracted, you can release the (former) vertical half from the horizontal half. You may want to giggle the handle a bit as you slide it toward the center of the windblocker. NOTE: All of this good stuff is happening on the DRIVER'S side of the windblocker - NOT the passenger side.








As shown, the (former) vertical section rotates toward the left (counterclockwise), and the horizontal half rotates (clockwise) at the middle.



Does this help? I assume you know how to remove the windblocker from the car in the first place. Right?

EDIT: I should add - DON'T FORCE ANYTHING. Once you get the hang of it you will see how easy it works. If you force the (former) vertical section away from the horizontal section, you MAY break the pin that holds them together or rip the "nylon hose" section.

 

I'm an engineer and I like to think of myself as a good one, but I found myself embarrassed when I tried to fold it up for the first time. The procedure is quite intuitive except you just have to learn the one step that many seem to stumble on. It is the two-step release on the end of the deflector that has a double-arrow (the driver's side, the first photo in Rev. Limiter's post). The handle just slides to release the tab from the vehicle, but it is not intuitive that you can pull the handle further (against a spring) to release the hinge that allows you to fold it in half.

 

You've been incredibly helpful. My problem and been the retaining pin was stuck. Once I got it retracted and repeated it several times ...all is well. Once again, thank you very much. I can now head off for the Natchez Trace PkWY next week with a functioning deflector.

 

I also, was embarrassed when I tried to fold mine the first time. I am a structural designer, but this darn thing had me baffled. When I bought the car, the Service Advisor showed me how to do it, which (smell of the new car in the background, cool dash, neat top, nice wheels, etc., etc.,) I promply forgot what he just said. I wanted to motor.


The first time I tried to fold it, I had to cuss the darn thing apart.

Y'all tin top owners just don't know what you are missing.

 

yes we do.................a car full of snow!

 

Maybe... but it's a fun snow!

 

Just got my deflector today. (Oh well, it's 90 degrees out now, I could have used it a few weeks ago!) Anyway, got it set up just fine and then couldn't get it folded. I'm glad I wasn't the only one with this problem. I thought I'd bump it up to help everyone else that's ready to put the deflector away now that it is warm out!

 

Once you go moonroof, you dont go back

 

What and where is this wind deflector. Are you speaking of the little flaps that pop up when the moonroof is opened, or the screen that slides forward and back??

 

Nope. This is a "cabrio thing" and represents a two-part screen that - when the top is open - fits over the opening of the rear passenger area and has a vertical section of screen behind the driver and passenger to shield them from the worst part of the wind at higher speeds. In any cabrio, the worst wind is the stuff coming at you from the rear - due to the suction caused by Bernouilli's Principle (higher velocity means lower pressure). Thus, the effect of the screen is to interrupt all that air getting sucked into the lower pressure coccoon you are in with a cabrio at high speed....

On interstate driving, I never leave home without it !!

Bill

ps - the cost of admission for this item is high - in the $300 to $400 range - but worth every cent in letting you comfortably motor in situations where you might otherwise put the top up.

 

Thanks to Rev Limiter for the instructions. I'd folded the wind deflector before but couldn't remember how to do it now that he weather has gotten warm and I don't need it every day. It turns out that the mechanism was stuck and wouldn't do the second position without increasing the pressure. The wind deflector is so expensive I wasn't about to force it. Knowing for sure what to do allowed me to chance the necessary power. Now it works fine.
It is very dusty here in New Mexico and I suspect the fine dust the wind deflector is constantly subject to may have contributed to the problem.

Despite the expense I find the wind deflector to be essential. Thanks to yesterday's drive south with NMMINI my top down temperature range is now 9 to 101 degrees F.