I just had the roof replaced today on my year old cabrio. It was showing the signs of wear on both sides. When I picked it up, they told me to not operate the top for two days, and to get it wet and park it out in the sun so it will stretch, because right now it is too tight. Has anyone else been told this with a new roof? Could this actually be MINI's recommendation? Anyway, it seems to me, operating the roof would stretch it, and getting it wet and drying it in the hot sun would shrink it.

 

Hello Steve,

Did you had you roof replaced at the dealership or a local upholstery shop.
Let me know
Thanks

Victor

 

Hi Victor,
It was replaced under warranty at the dealership. They say they now have a fix for the roof wear problem, and it appears this top is a little different than the first one.
Steve

 

I would think that getting it wet and letting the sun dry would tighten it up (if anything). Mine has been replaced and was not told that...

Was the Service Advisor smiling when he/she told you that?



Pulling your leg a little?

 

The roof fabric on a new roof can be very tight on first install.{not a bad thing}. The common fix is to leave the top in the up possition so the fabric will strtch a bit. Yes wetting the roof & letting it dry a few times also helps strecth the fabric and let it conform to you car.
If it is still to tight after a week or so, have the dealer readjust.

 

Thanks, BLIZZ,
I'll follow their advice then.
Steve

 

Hi Steve,

I just got my roof replaced this week and I was strictly told (multiple times) not to operate it for a week to a week and a half. Not that that is a great problem since sunny California is due for two more weeks of rain, but that's three times as long as what your dealer told you...

I got mine done at East Bay MINI and they said they have done quite a few now. The top seems very tight and it's nice to have a showroom look again.

Teri

 

I had a top replaced at the dealership a few months ago. They suggested that I not open it up for a couple of days to stretch the fabric and ensure proper automated closure. They did not, however, say anything about wetting it down. I suspect that was some some extemporaneous, silly advice.

 

Most parts of the country, at this time of year, there is a good chance that the roof will get wet and then dry naturally. Not so likely in Vegas.

 

Pteri,

How have you found service at EBM? Who's your MA? I'm almost due for my first service and I'm hoping to get a sense of what to expect. My sales experience was mediocre at best. I've shown no signs of roof wear, but I am starting to see some of the crescent scratches on the rear windows. I have a late 05 cabby, picked up the last day of Sept. The weather sure has sucked out here hasn't it?

Thanks!

 

They actually had me wait while they wetted it down before they would let me take it home!

 

I was told to leave my top up for at least a week after it was replaced. Since it was the middle of winter, that was not a problem.

 

Hey Tahoe,

It's been a mixed bag:.

• With just a "I want to go on record" about my fading top, they ordered me a new one (green); then they gave to someone else and I stupidly waited two months for the "your parts are in" phone call.
• The new, reordered top only took one day to install and so far looks great
• My husband has had his MCS in for a number of things and while he has had great (mechanical) service, TWICE he was left with gouges in his aerokit that had to be repainted

So definitely a mixed experience. The upside is we always get the work done, we feel like valuable customers, but we only live about 8 miles from the dealer (my husband's office is across the freeway and I have a home office). So they've got flexible, easy-going clients in us. Other folks might call our experience a disaster.

Last I checked they didn't have an answer for the crescent scratches yet.

Matt was my MA (no longer there) and Eddie D. has helped both my husband and I since and been great. The manager there is fantastic if you ever need special attention.

If it helps, I've heard great things about MINI of Concord's service department.

I picked up my MCC in Sept of 04 (can that be right!?) and I haven't even had my first service yet...working at home should lead to LOTS of motoring, but that hasn't been the case.

Cheers
Teri (another BRG MCC!)

 

Steve, how long did the replacement take on your Cabrio? Did you have to order in advance or just show up? If ordered, how much time in advance did you have to give notice? Did it require a trip in to the dealer and then another trip to have the work done? Sorry for all the questions but I am also beginning to see signs of roof wear. All your help is appreciated.

Hey, hope you remember me from the Valley of Fire run at AMVIV.....you asked me to follow you on the longer Lake Mead route after the Valley of Fire run. Hope all is well.

 

I thought you're supposed to go in for service at least once a year even if you don't reach the service mileage.

 

I've been in a couple of times for cosmetics, but they're counseling me to keep to my computer countdown service (~1200 miles away). If I am going to take a long roadtrip, they'll do the oil change, etc., but don't want to reset the computer.

I keep an eye on my oil, etc., but yeah, I'll be lucky if I see three oil changes before I'm out of free service.

 

Hey MJO MINI,
Sure, I remember you from the Valley of Fire. You showed me the great Megquir's product to condition my dashboard. Hate to have the inside of my cabrio sunburned.

I took my MINI in for service because I had owned it for a year, but hadn't reached the 10,000 miles on the service indicator ( had about 9000 actual miles, and the indicator said I still had 2500 to go). I pointed out the wear marks on the top then. They changed the oil and gave me it back, and I think I waited from Thursday to Tuesday for them to get the parts in to change the top. It then took them two days to do it (but I let them know ahead of time that they could have it for two days if they needed it.)

Steve