E46 M3 Hardtop Help

i was so shocked the 1st time I used the wind deflector the difference it makes is staggering. Deffo a must must have with the convertible

 

Thanks a lot for this. I will have a look this weekend. One thing I noticed is that the front right handle of the hardtop seems very tight. (This is the side that is letting a bit of water in).

 

Its probably great for the one day of summer we get

Looking forward to trying mine out.

 

I live in scotland so not always guaranteed a day of summer. Lol. I actually prefer driving with the roof down in spring and autumn as the hot sun can burn ur scalp unless u wear a hat. Even coldish days with the seat heating on, wind deflector up, are great driving days. Although you do get strange looks from other drivers, but I leave them to enjoy the exhaust rasp as go past them!

 

Now you see I totally agree with you there sometimes in the really hot days (we have them down south occasionally) it’s too hot and many a time I’ve actually got sunburn going to shows other the roof down cod you don’t notice how hot it is when your actually belting along only when you stop.
my rule is if it ain’t raining then usually the tops down, that’s why you have heaters right? also I read the had book and you can use the air con with the roof down, as long as you have the windows up! I guess that’s to do with cold air falling not rising like hot air so it stays in the car. I know people slate the convertibles saying they are not a proper M car and they wobble with roof down (can’t say I’ve notice that) but to me it’s the best of both worlds the hard top looks amazing when fitted and the car looks epic with roof down the driving experience with the top off is just another level the sound etc really can’t be beat, it’s even better with my eventuri and eissenmann fitted too always puts a smile on my face I must look like such a div driving around on my own laughing to myself in an empty car

 

Totally agree. With our roads up here, the potholes do remind u sometimes ur in a convertible. I had a look under the bonnet of an M3 coupe once, and it looks pretty similar to my 'vert, so my M badge will stay on the boot. I dont do track days or drive flat out all the time so a 'vert is fine for me and it still presses on ok when I press the loud button. The hardtop gives coupe looks and better sound protection so it gets used. Horses for courses........some want a manual coupe, others like an smg 'vert, but we all drive M cars. We're all winners!

 

agreed my not a track car either although I have done a few track days with the top down flying round Goodwood race track was just epic!! Driven a few SMG cars and it was fun and I liked it I really don’t know why people hate on them it really does like you say come down to preference. Mines a keeper and I don’t think there will ever come a day when I don’t get out of it after a drive with a smile
On my face!!
Interestingly me and my wife have been talking about a road trip up to Scotland and up round the lochs etc in the summer the roads and scenery you guys have up there is nothing short of breath taking

 

Go for it! Avoid the M9 and all the speed cameras, and the summer months when the motorhomes and caravanners are enjoying the roads too. Though it will save u money on fuel sitting behind them doing 45mph!

 

Don’t think my car does 45mph........

 

So, my hardtop is leaking more than ever now. The corner above the drivers head is constantly wet and my seat is soaked every morning.

I put a towel down when I got to work yesterday and by the end of the day I had to squeeze the Water out of it.

I think my hardtop rattles, but some people say convertibles rattle generally? Any ideas ?

 

BimmmerMThree Sorry to hear that, it sounds to me that a leaking hardtop on these is quite rare, I and others I know have not had a any problems with any leaks at all.
I've got to say though, you should be very careful not to let the leaks continue, if you do you'll be risking the onset of rust, which is an all too common problem in general. If it was my car I'd take that hardtop off and use the soft top and see if there was still an underlying issue where the roof meets the windscreen, have you already tried this? But yea, I would be removing the hardtop immediately and I'd then dry out those areas that the water has got into. All the best.

 

See my previous post about the bmw recommended gap size and how to adjust it. The hard top shouldn’t rattle

 

Did you get round to adjusting the hardtop or measurements from the gap?

 

So, an update, took the hardtop off to see if the soft top was water tight.

I found out that the soft top is leaking in exactly the same place (front right corner).

I have been told that these cars had a recall on the seals when they were newish and it looks like mine havent been done.

So new front seals for both the hardtop and soft top it seems. Reading on here it seems the seals are circa £300 each so its going to be very expensive but its a must.

 

I think they are more than that on the convertible as the it’s one whole piece for both the windscreen and door seals. I saw a Post on here recently and it was mentioned around £500/600!!

 

monkeyboy sounds painful, £500-6, not nice. On a happier note, I had my first good drive of the year this morning, thank you 'self isolators', I enjoyed the empty roads. I'm sure I could feel the weight of that hardtop
though, having said that, it does definitely add a little welcome rigidity. I quite like the looseness of it off too, what's your opinion? BimmerMThree, that's cr** luck, but pleased you're wise to it now, and keep that water
out . .

 

owned my M3 years now and still can’t believe how much of a difference going for a blast with the roof down makes to the driving experience, the sound and feel are brilliant. Just crank the heaters up lol

 

I'm sure the lighter/tighter coupes are quicker still, but like you say, with the roof down and hearing that vanos, together with a little scuttle shake, and if you're lucky a stainless exhaust, well it's alright isn't it. I'm ordering up
some oil and a filter, as that last drive took me to my 5K interval, all best.

 

I’ve got a eventuri intake and eisenmann exhaust and with the roof down it sounds nothing short of epic!! Had the roof off again today I’ll never get bored of driving this car

 

yea, I have a non res straight through system, they're just too civilised otherwise right? Once I change out the oil I'll remove the hardtop, I tend to always delay as they look so nice with it on don't they. But it's such
a liberating experience lifting it off after the winter hahaha