Introduction

CONVERTIBLE INTRODUCTION:





The 3 Series Convertible tradition has been continued with the introduction of the E36 Convertible. Initially offered only as the 325i Convertible, it is a four seat, open top, variant of the E36 coupe.





In order to make the transition from coupe to convertible, the body structure has been stiffened by additional bracing and/or thicker sheet metal on the engine supports and front side members, the rear floor pan, door sills, and A and B pillars. The rear wheelhouses and quarter panels have been reformed, and a new double wall partition between the passenger compartment and trunk/soft top storage well has been designed, which incorporates a cut-out for installation of a ski sack. The rear deck has been lowered to make a smoother body line with the top down, and the trunk lid has been lengthened.





The soft top design and operation are similar to the E30 convertible, but several improvements to the top and operating mechanism have been included.

The soft top material has been improved with a new outer layer of material which is longer lasting. The rear window is of the zip-in replacement type like the later production E30s. A full inner liner is now included with the soft top to insulate heat and noise, as well as improving the appearance of the interior.

The soft top material is fastened to the frame with screws and pins at the front and rear bows, and with two-sided tape at the other bows. This method of attachment greatly reduces the time required for top replacement.

The 325i convertible will come with E-M operation standard. The top mechanism has been designed to be both a manual or E-M system, but the E-M operation has been designed in from the beginning and is not an add-on.

The front latching mechanism is now operated by a single, central handle, which connects to the two latch mechanisms through linkages. The top must still be manually lifted away from the windshield frame to get past the over-center point, but the micro-switch is now located on the over-center linkage to ensure that the top mechanism is in the proper position before the electric motors can be engaged.

Operation of the E-M top is similar to the E30 EM top, except that the windows do not have to be lowered separately prior to lowering the top. If the windows are fully or partially up when the top actuation button is pushed, the first thing that happens is the windows are automatically lowered approximately 50 mm. The remainder of the operating sequence is the same as the E30.

An interlock to prevent operation of the top when the trunk lid is open, as well as preventing opening the trunk when the storage lid is in an unlocked position, is provided. A microswitch in the right storage lid lock and one in the trunk lock provide the inputs to the CVM and ZKE IV.

An additional button is present on the console for opening or closing all four windows simultaneously.








The drive motors for the top are located behind the left side trunk compartment trim panel. One motor operates the storage compartment lid, and the other motor operates the soft top linkage. The storage compartment lid motor (B) uses a Hall sensor for position recognition, and the top drive motor (A) has integral S1 and S2 switches (non-adjustable) for position recognition of the rear bow. In addition, switches S3 (top fully lowered recognition) and S4 (enable EM operation) are located on the top linkage, and can be adjusted.

Emergency operation of the soft top is accomplished by pulling a tab under the left rear seat. The top can then be raised manually. As in the E30, emergency operation is not intended to be used to lower the top, as there is no means of fastening the storage cover in place.

To reset the system after emergency operation, lower the windows, and then manually lower the top into the storage well. Close the storage lid and press down on the lid on the right side to activate the switch on the latch, allowing the trunk to be opened. Open the trunk carefully so that it does not contact the storage lid, remove the left side trim panel. Engage the top drive motor first, as it may be necessary to partially open the storage lid to allow the top frame to be moved up and down slightly so that the motor engages the gear box. Once the top drive motor has been engaged, the storage lid motor can be engaged. After both motors have been engaged close the trunk, hold the top switch in the "lower" direction, turn the ignition switch to the "R" position and continue to hold the top switch. After approximately 10 seconds the storage lid will close completely and the switch can be released. The initialization sequence will be completed approximately five seconds later. If the initialization sequence must be stopped for any reason, switch off terminal "R".

Since the storage lid system uses a Hall sensor to record the position of the lid, the convertible top module (CVM) stores the position count in memory. This is a non-volatile memory so that the top mechanism does not have to be re-initialized if the power to the CVM is interrupted. However, if the power is interrupted twice while operating the top, the CVM is notable to update its memory count, and the top must be re-initialized the same as after emergency operation.