Found a few comments for you online
1) Do not ever pull that tempting red cord that sticks out from under the back seat - it is a nightmare to get the convertible top working again.
But think this one might help :thumbsup:
All you have to do is open the trunk, remove the trim panels on the left side (pull up trunk mat, remove plastic tail-light trim panel, remove plastic trunk floor panel, remove felt covered side panel). Once removed, the two top motors are visible. The one on the rear fender is for the lid and the one hanging from the back dash is for the top. Assuming your top is currently up, you will need to swing both motors back into the gear/linkage assembly. For the lid motor, reach behind the assembly and you can feel the motor which is hinged at the bottom. You will eventually need to pull the top of it toward the trunk but to be sure the gears will mesh, you need to be sure the lid lock levers are fully engaging the lid. There are two parallel cables visible on the gear/linkage assembly facing the truck compartment (horizontal), those cables need to be tight so rotate the levers they are attached to clock-wise (should hit a stop on the assembly housing) while pulling the top of the motor. It should mesh with the gear in the assembly and allow the release lever to hold it in. The release lever is attached to the single cable. This will all be easier to understand once you see it. The same process for the top motor.
Problem is, not to sure which BM cabrio this is for and dont know what cabrio you have
I think this one might be for E36 but could be wrong
Let me know if it helps
@ri you beat me to it
You can also try this one as well :thumbsup:
Resetting the Convertible Top
This is the procedure to reset the E36 convertible top in case you have used the emergency
release handle that’s located under the rear seat*. This works on the author’s ’97 which had
the fully automatic top. It may also work on other E36 models and years. The owner’s
manual says to take the car to a Dealer for service but why do that when the procedure is so
simple [APPARENTLY!!]
The owner’s manual describe the method for closing the top manually, presumably in case
you have a dead battery with the top down and it starts to rain! The top mechanism is
driven by two electric motors that are located in the trunk/boot – one for the lid of the
storage bin/compartment and for the top itself. Closing the top manually requires releasing
the two motors from their transmission drives [using the afore-mentioned lever*, which,
through a cable release mechanism, causes the motors to pop away from their drives],
pulling the top out of its storage bin/compartment and then using an Allen wrench/Allen
key [from the tool kit in the boot] to fully close and lock the top to the windshield. The
Allen wrench/key gets inserted into a socket that is hidden behind a plastic cover at the
leading edge of the top, and then you turn it many, many times to stimulate the action of
the electric motor. NOTE: there are interlocks between the storage bin/compartment lid
and the trunk that prevent you from opening both at the same time.
Once the two motors have been disengaged, the top can only be operated manually – the
LED in the control switch blinks, and the owners manual says you have to take the car to
the Dealer to reset the correct operation of the top. The reason is that the two electric
motors have to be re-engaged with their drive mechanisms and also re-synchronized with
each other [you wouldn’t want the top to crash into the lid of the storage bin].
Never fear, there is a fairly easy way to reset all of this yourself! The following is courtesy of
Brett Anderson, who came to the author’s rescue on this topic. He was having a new
subwoofer and amplifier installed in his car, and the installer had the rear seat out when he
decided to pull on the release handle to see what could happen [it has a red tag on it that
just seemed to scream ‘pull me’ -- who could resist?]
First, manually open the top, placing it back into its storage compartment, and then close
the lid of the compartment as far as it will go. You may need to push down the lid so that it
closes far enough to allow you to open the trunk/boot [there’s a safety interlock that
prevents the trunk/boot from being opened if the lid is open at the same time]. Working
inside the trunk/boot, remove the carpet liner from the left side of the trunk. There are two
plastic clips that hold the liner in place – you can pry them out with a screwdriver. Behind
the liner are the two motors that work the mechanism -- one drives the top and the other is
for the lid. Each motor is mounted on a spring-loaded pivot mechanism. The gears on the
motors normally engage the gears for their respective transmission mechanisms, but when
the lever is pulled the motors pop away and disengage.
So you have to push the motors back into their original positions so that the gears reengage.
When you do this the spring-loaded catch mechanism will firmly latch into place.
Be sure that the motor is firmly seated into the drive, and not just partially
engaged.
Once both motors are re-engaged, get into the car, and with the ignition key in the ‘off’
position press and hold the top control switch in the up [for closing] position.. Continuing
to hold this switch, turn the key to the ‘accessory position’ [second position ie without
starting the car] and hold it there. After about 12 seconds the lid will be sucked down into
the locked position and then, after a few more seconds, the top will start its normal closing
procedure. The motors are now re-synched, and should be all set. Work the system a few
times to ensure that both motors are properly engaged and all is well.
GOOD LUCK!!
