BMW 3 Series Convertible Top Failure: Sensor Alert!

Hey there! I've got some experience with convertible tops, having dealt with a similar issue on my 2006 BMW 6 series. I also own a BMW 5 series, so I'm fairly familiar with these cars. I had almost identical symptoms, the top would stop mid-operation and that annoying red light kept flashing. Turned out it was just a loose connection in the wiring harness. Had my trusted mechanic check it out, and he found the culprit pretty quickly. The fix was straightforward, they cleaned and reconnected some corroded pins in the plug, and all was good. Total bill came to 95 Euro, which wasn't too bad considering I was worried it might be something worse! Before I can give you more specific advice, could you share: Have you checked if there's any visible damage to the cables near the hinges? What error codes are you getting exactly? Does it make any unusual sounds when trying to operate?

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm having mine serviced next week, as it's due anyway (last service was at 55521 KM). Before scheduling, I did check around the hinges but couldn't spot any obvious damage to the cables. The weird thing is that sometimes it works perfectly fine for a few operations, then suddenly starts acting up again. It makes a slight grinding noise when stopping mid-operation, which doesn't sound healthy at all. Haven't pulled the exact error codes yet, but planning to get that done during the service appointment. Really hoping it's just a wiring issue like yours and not something more serious!

Hey again! Interesting update about the grinding noise you mentioned, that's actually quite different from what I experienced with my 6 series. When mine acted up, it was completely silent during the failures. That grinding sound you're describing makes me think there might be something mechanical going on too, possibly with the hydraulic system or the drive motors. You know what? I actually learned something useful after my initial repair, the intermittent nature of the problem (working fine sometimes, then acting up) is super typical of electrical gremlins, but that grinding noise is making me second-guess my first diagnosis. My mechanic told me later that these convertible tops can develop multiple issues at once, which is exactly what happened to another member of my family with their 3 series. Since you're taking it in for service anyway, definitely have them check both the electrical connections AND the mechanical components. The grinding noise really shouldn't be ignored. My initial repair cost was pretty low because it was just wiring, but if you've got both electrical and mechanical issues, you might want to prepare for a slightly higher bill. Would you mind updating us after the service? I'm really curious to know what they find, especially with that grinding noise. It might help other BMW convertible owners who run into similar issues!

Will definitely keep you posted after the service! Really appreciate your detailed insights about the potential dual nature of the problem. You've got me a bit worried about the repair costs now, but I guess it's better to fix everything properly rather than having it fail again. You're right that the grinding noise is concerning, I actually recorded it on my phone to show the mechanic, just to make sure they can hear exactly what I'm talking about even if it decides to behave during testing. I'm also going to ask them to check the hydraulic fluid levels since you mentioned the hydraulic system might be involved. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's really helpful going into the service appointment with some idea of what might be wrong. I'll update this thread once I know more about what's causing all these issues!