Hi everyone, I bought my r52 right at 1 year ago, knowing the top didnt work. I fiddled with it a very small amount then and then just left it alone after not having any success, and not really knowing what the he#l I was doing. Up until this past week, the top would not do anything except lower the windows, cycle the hyd, and flash the red light at me all of the time.

Last week I was reading a thread, that someone responding to it stated that he had a dealer recycle the top by initiating the top down and up buttons for 30 seconds, one right after the other and it fixed his problem. I hadnt had any success with anything else, so I figured why not. I cycled both up and down, tried the down button again, and, I'll be damned the sunroof motor actually cycled!! It didnt open the sunroof, but it did cycle the motor. I took it to a shop that is owned by a longtime friend, not to sure they would be able to diagnose, and they really couldnt they just dont work much on verts.
I brought the car home today and pulled down the overhead motor cover, started the car, hit the down button and verified that the motor is spinning the shaft/gear. I then pulled the motor to check the gear, and was somewhat confused by looking at a steel gear. It has been my impression that the gear is supposed to be plastic. Anyway, the motor spins, the gear looks good, leads me to think that the cables are broken. Is there any way to verify the cables before digging into the dismantling to replace them?

 

If the cables are in fact broken, if I pull the motor again, would i be able to move the cables in either direction, or would there be something holding them?

 

The cables can sometimes jam in the slot due to the front mechanism that hols them jamming, then the teeth on the motor pull the cable wound wire and then the motor just kills the cable in that part, then you are done and need a new set of cable. The motors themselves dont go back near as much as the cables get jammed front not cleaning/greasing and wear.

Check this thread out and fix the cables yourself. If you need anything else let me know i have an R52 Convertible with about 300K now and the top still functions, it has had a new set of cables but a grease everything once to twice a year.

MINI Convertible Top Repair DIY with genuine MINI parts linked: see post #12 for videos.

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

 

ECS, I am starting to dig into the top today using the videos as reference, I cannot get the locking arms to open all the way to be able to lift the front of the top. It sounds like the back edge of the sliding mechanism is hitting something and stopping the movement.

 

Did you tear into the rail system and remove all the plastic to expose it?

 

We had the inner covers off to expose the rail system, ended up removing the bolt that attaches the locking arm (because it would not fully open) so we could raise the top up. Verified that the cables are not attached. In the video, I believe he is pushing the block behind the locking arm further back into the slide to create slop in the roof to be able to fold it back out of the way. This same block (behind locking arm, that the cable attaches to) seems to hit a stop with the locking arm only about 1/2 way open. Hence, per the video I am not able to fold the roof back.

 

have you confirmed the motor itself is working properly. you see the steel gear outside but if you pop off the cover you will see the plastic gear inside and that is what would have stripped..did you confirm all that is fine?

 

hotairgypsy, I have not done that, but the motor is driving the cables

 

well then i would say your motor is fine if both cables are moving. when i bought my first r52 it also had a non functioning top and when i got all fixed i came to the conclusion previous owner didnt use it so crap built up and it needed a very good cleaning so all would slide properly. it may be to your advantage to break down all the cable sliding area and do a very good cleaning and greasing and see if all starts to work properly...u could a lot of build up preventing stuff from working properly

 

hotairgypsy, I concur with all you are saying. When we messed around with it a while back we were thinking it might be relays, after pulling the rear seat base out we found broken rear window glass, so I have to also assume that the top may have been replaced. I am not so concerned with that though. The sticking point that we are at right now is, as ECS has stated that the mechanism seems to be jammed, with the locking arms only opening about 1/2 way. We got the top lifted up by removing the bolts holding the locks and lowering the locks out of the way. This does not allow us to get slack in the top to fold it back so we can progress with the surgery!! So, as of now we are still stuck in Pre-Op!! Hope this makes sense.

 

 

that 3 part series will get you broken down

 

yessir, I am aware of the videos and have watched a couple of times. When he pulls open the locks by hand they open about twice as far as mine. Mine dont open enough to lift the roof without actually taking the locks out by removing the screw. I have not tried to push that mechanism back with the screwdriver as it seems to hit a positive stop before they completely open. so I will try that, just not sure its going to work. I did see, in another thread that I may be able to lift the arm at the back end of the mechanism to clear. That was in a thread discussing the tab being broken in the slide. I dont believe mine is broken, but not positive either. A pretty busy week ahead, but I will post when I can take another shot at it.
I appreciate the help, as it sure would be a lot more fun to drive a vert that actually verts!!

 

i know for myself i have to top down more than up...weird having it up for me

 

Let us know what you find and take some pics, i can see whats going on or if anything looks a miss.

 

Locks not opening completely

Black tab not back far enough and I cant push it any further

A good shot of the locking arms opened as far as they will, just not far enough, and the orientation of the black tabs which will not slide back any further
Hi guys,
We are working at it again today, basically repeated what we did last week, but taking some pics along the way.
The first pic will show that the locking arms are not opening as far as they should. Removed the bolts for them again to raise the top.
The next pics show how far the black tab that the cables connect to do not slide back as far as in the video, and then will not push back from that point either, hence we cant get any slack in the top to be able to fold it back out of the way.
We did already pop the clips across the front of the top, during the process.
Appreciate any help. Thanks

 

A question to the wise. Does the rear parcel shelf have to be put in place for the locks to open in a manual state? I do not recall that it was put back in place in the videos.

 

Alrighty... after a few more hours of head scratching I finally figured it out. In the videos he says to push the black tab in and down, I found out the real important part is the down aspect, to get the cable end connector into the slide... and what do you know, it opens the top to proceed. PROGRESS!! We got the top folded back and the plate removed. It is a good day!! Im not going any further until we get some new cables, just to eliminate any undo confusion. Now off to order some parts.
Thanks ECS and hotairgypsy for the help.

 

ECS, what serpentine belt do you recommend for my R52?

 

Could You explain haw to fix it pls? In my Mini is the same problem, the latch on the left side is opening just little bit.

 

I run the Contitech aka continental belt on my R52 NON S. If you have the Supercharged MINI most people like the Gates version or Gates racing version.

 

szymon1977, To get that side to lift up you will have to remove the bolt holding the locking arm, once you have done that you can lift the top like in the video. When I reattached the locking arm I could see the reason it wouldnt open all the way is that it was hitting the black plastic piece behind it. That same plastic piece is what the cable connects to, and it needs to slide into the track that the cable slides in. The round part of it, where the cable attaches, has to go into the track If you watch the videos he explains that you have to push that piece back and down. I had to use 2 screwdrivers, one to push down, the other to push back. It doesnt take much pressure at all, just needs to line up with that slide tube. Hope you can understand this explanation.
I believe that when the cable comes loose, that the first time one tries to cycle the top and hits the close button, that the unattached cable pushes that piece forward and out of the track. I may be confused about that, but it makes sense to me.

 

ECS, 1404MM belt?
What kind of success are people having with the JB Weld long term? Also wondering if the cable could be soldered in.

 

Which part of video, and what time?

 

szymon, video number 1, about the 7:40 mark, but use 2 screwdrivers push down and back