I just bought a 05 R52 with a defective top. I tore it apart yesterday and I think i know what caused it to malfunction and strip out the gear inside the motor which is directly above our head. So 2 questions...where can i buy a replacement nylon gear which goes inside the motor above our head? How do we properly clean out the tracks and lubricate all the moving parts of the mechanism which operates the sunroof? Also what is out there to patch small holes in the top?

 

I look at the ECS Tuning Guy as the Vert pro around these parts as he owns one.

He should chime in here and can point you in the right direction

 

following

 

Hey guys, I am here. Just back in the office from a busy weekend. Thanks for the mention. Always here to help the convertible people.

The gear internally is not a separate part from MINI. What must have happened is one of the sliders jammed on the rail system and then the gear stripped on those cords that are coiled.

For the tracks if they are gummed up that bad you have to take apart booth side of the rail, clean out with WD40 ( its like the replacing the cables DIY but you go a step further and clean) and a rag on everything that slides. Might be good to use a Q tip and a long pick to clean it all out. Then grease with the sunroof grease packet, linked.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...top-cable.html
I would check also to make sure the rail system did not get a shard of metal stuck in it.

Then replace the motor with a new one and replace those cables as something might be broken, check them first though.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...tible-top.html



On the convertible patch, some people have gone to a convertible top place that does custom cars and tops. Find one that deals with haartz or webasto systems and they might have a patch, overwise is a whole new top. If they have done them, most of the time they can do a fix, might not look like factory but it does the job.

Convertible tops: new ones. With install PDF

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...abric-top.html

Lots of the hardware here:

https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2005-...y/Convertible/

Let me know if you need anything else, i have messed with the Convertibles soo much over the almost 300K on mine.