Please help!

[Zooropa]

Hello to all!

I posted here last year and got some great help. I am in the process of bringing a 1998 1.9 Z3 back to health and, although I am nearly there, I do need some advice again.

I noticed not long after I got the car that above both windows (offside and nearside) there is a cable popping out from under the hood canvas which is severed. I believe, though feel free to correct me if I am wrong, that these are the tensioner cables.

Firstly, since the hood is in decent condition, is it possible to change these cables out without removing the hood and if so do you know how?

Secondly, I have noticed that occasionally water gets in when I wash the car just above the top of the windows where the cables have snapped and are sticking out. Would the cables being snapped cause this?

Many thanks in advance!

Z

 

[billz]

If it is the tensioner then it is usually a cord not cable. If you just lift the fabric you should see a triangle shaped piece of metal which you can re run a new cord and thread through the existing holes and crimp together

 

[Zooropa]

If it is the tensioner then it is usually a cord not cable. If you just lift the fabric you should see a triangle shaped piece of metal which you can re run a new cord and thread through the existing holes and crimp together

Thanks a lot for that Billz. I appreciate your reply...do you know where I can source a new cord? The broken cord is quite sharp like metal inside it if that makes it any clearer? Also, would this likely be causing me the leaking issue? Thanks again!

 

[billz]

If the cord gets trapped between the window and roof then yes this will allow water egress.
You could try and seach the Web for a nylon cord and use that. The hardest part will be trying to get it to fasten together

 

[Zooropa]

If the cord gets trapped between the window and roof then yes this will allow water egress.
You could try and seach the Web for a nylon cord and use that. The hardest part will be trying to get it to fasten together

Ah I see. It certainly doesn't look like that's what has happened. Goodness knows how both sides have sheared! I have seen replacement tension cables online for sale but they look ready assembled with spring at one end and bracket at the other. I take it these aren't an option for me without taking the whole canvas off then?

Thanks!

 

[oldcarman]

I think you should be able to just peel back the top material from the corners over the cables to expose the springs and cable ends. Then you should be able to contact cement the corners back down after replacing the parts. Good luck and I believe my old top had metal cables if I remember correctly. @FRANKIE may be able to advise better as he's replaced his top himself. JIM

 

[FRANKIE]

Hello to all!

I posted here last year and got some great help. I am in the process of bringing a 1998 1.9 Z3 back to health and, although I am nearly there, I do need some advice again.

I noticed not long after I got the car that above both windows (offside and nearside) there is a cable popping out from under the hood canvas which is severed. I believe, though feel free to correct me if I am wrong, that these are the tensioner cables.

Firstly, since the hood is in decent condition, is it possible to change these cables out without removing the hood and if so do you know how?

Secondly, I have noticed that occasionally water gets in when I wash the car just above the top of the windows where the cables have snapped and are sticking out. Would the cables being snapped cause this?

Many thanks in advance!

Z

On my Z3, '96 1.9L, there were cable tensioners. These had at one end a plate with a cable in it. At the other end was a plate that the cables went through. Since my top didn't have new cables, I had to un-crimp the back end plate to free the cable and remove it from the old top and then slide the new cable through the channel in the new top and place the rear cable end back into the plate and re-crimp the plate over it. On that model you can't get away from removing the cable from one of the plates. What a bi*** is was!!!!! I should have bought new cables and plates. I'd have to go back over the videos of it again to see why I either couldn't or didn't want to do this. See these sites:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fits-1996-2...ash=item4d30f68b07:g:uMAAAOSwpIdW7bO0&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fits-1996-2...ash=item35e8b3bb29:g:r4oAAOSwpIdW7bNo&vxp=mtr

Notice that the lengths of the cables are DIFFERENT.
I believe that you can't get to these cables without removing at least the corners of the top at the front of the car but I could be wrong. Since they run along the very edge of the top, you just might be able to get to them without touching front screws. I can't tell you for sure as I never looked at it from that position, only from the aspect of having the entire top off. If you unscrew the plate that holds the front of the top on, you must also probably have to remove at least one of the plastic rib coverings that hold the material that wraps around the rib from the top and is glued to the roof rib. Frankie
PS. Your top may be totally differant that mine.

 

[Zooropa]

Your replies are very much appreciated, especially yours Frankie. Looks like I'm being forced down another learning curve soon! Thanks again!

 

[oldcarman]

Take your time and familiarize yourself with what you need tool wise to remove the parts and have some small containers available so you can put parts in them in the order you remove them, then just reverse to put back together. Also take pics if you have a memory like mine to ensure you have a pic on how it looked before , during and after removal!! HTH. JIM