Help!!! R129 Hardtop won't lock down 😭

[RichWeath]

Please help.
Today I have put the Hardtop back on the car for the winter. I placed rear pins in first then front.
Pushed the button to lock it all in place, it pulls the rear down 3/4 of the way and then the front fully locks in. Unfortunately I am left with about a 1cm gap from hardtop to car, if I keep the button depressed, it will pull the roof down a little more but doesn't seem to lock any further.
Can anyone please advise on what may be the issue, this is my daily driver so unfortunately can't just park it up for the winter and the canvas roof is 100% waterproof

Sorry admin, didn't know where to out this.

Thanks in advance

 

[BTB 500]

It's been over 2 years since I last put the hardtop on mine but IIRC unlike operating the hood you need the doors open (windows down in both cases)? I also always have the engine running when doing anything with the roof. If it's not that, check that the hood still goes up and locks normally to rule out a more general issue.

 

[RichWeath]

It's been over 2 years since I last put the hardtop on mine but IIRC unlike operating the hood you need the doors open (windows down in both cases)? I also always have the engine running when doing anything with the roof. If it's not that, check that the hood still goes up and locks normally to rule out a more general issue.

Thanks BTB500 have been out for dinner this evening (can highly recommend Middle House in Mayfield, Kent) so will give that a try after work tomorrow. Thankfully can use the wives car for time being.

I tried to do the manual lock down from boot but couldn't get it to lock down anymore than it was and didn't want to apply too much pressure for fear of breaking something.

 

[R129mine]

Not sure what the issue may be (have also not had the hard top on for a few years) but if you move the red roof button in the other direction and then try again does it engage fully? I seem to remember i have had to do this once or twice?

 

[SpikyMikey]

Thanks BTB500 have been out for dinner this evening (can highly recommend Middle House in Mayfield, Kent) so will give that a try after work tomorrow. Thankfully can use the wives car for time being.

I tried to do the manual lock down from boot but couldn't get it to lock down anymore than it was and didn't want to apply too much pressure for fear of breaking something.

Can't help with your hardtop issue but certainly can endorse your comment about the Middle House.

 

[Doodle]

The fact that it's trying to lock at all suggests that the rest of the sequence has completed ok up to this point (otherwise you'd get a red flashing light and an alarm). However in your previous posts you mention the roof is a different colour, this means it almost certainly isn't the original roof for the car and that means you're potentially in for some pain.

What is frequently overlooked is that the hardtops for the 129s are not universal, they require fitting to the individual car. The front latches will need aligning and shimming to match the header rail and the depth/squishiness of seals, the fasteners are moveable to allow horizontal adjustment fore/aft/left/right, and then you add or remove shims to set the height of the front pins.

There is an emergency spanner that can be used to latch the hardtop in the event of the electric system failing but that still relies on the hardtop being correctly aligned. I see from your post in the meantime that you've already tried that without success

 

[RichWeath]

Not sure what the issue may be (have also not had the hard top on for a few years) but if you move the red roof button in the other direction and then try again does it engage fully? I seem to remember i have had to do this once or twice?

I have tried this, have removed the roof completely and retried whole process, then back and forth with red button to no success.

The fact that it's trying to lock at all suggests that the rest of the sequence has completed ok up to this point (otherwise you'd get a red flashing light and an alarm). However in your previous posts you mention the roof is a different colour, this means it almost certainly isn't the original roof for the car and that means you're potentially in for some pain.

What is frequently overlooked is that the hardtops for the 129s are not universal, they require fitting to the individual car. The front latches will need aligning and shimming to match the header rail and the depth/squishiness of seals, the fasteners are moveable to allow horizontal adjustment fore/aft/left/right, and then you add or remove shims to set the height of the front pins.

Only thing is I'm certain when I purchased the car and drive it home with the Hardtop on, it was sealed correctly, I even had the guy remove hardtop to show me the softop in working order and then refit the Hardtop to drive home.

When I hold the red button down the roof does move down further still, but just wont or can't hold there.


And no flashing light/alarm indicating that the process is incomplete


Thanks for the responses, I really don't want to take it to my mechanic I've only just got it back

 

[Doodle]

Did you see him fit it, or was the car just produced with it refitted?

One trick that can help is to give the front of the hardtop a little bump sideways just to seat it more happily onto the latches before pulling down. Also, do you have the instructions with the emergency spanner? The first latch only goes halfway to start with, then full on the other, then back to finish the first one - that sometimes gets overlooked.

 

[RichWeath]

Did you see him fit it, or was the car just produced with it refitted?

One trick that can help is to give the front of the hardtop a little bump sideways just to seat it more happily onto the latches before pulling down. Also, do you have the instructions with the emergency spanner? The first latch only goes halfway to start with, then full on the other, then back to finish the first one - that sometimes gets overlooked.

Yes, was standing next to the car when roof was taken off, soft top raised and then put back away, hard top put back on.
The front is locking in perfectly fine, it's just the rear that's sitting high.

I do not have the instructions, will have a look online for proper tutorial.

 

[Doodle]

Unless something is very much amiss with your roof system, that doesn't make sense. The fronts will not latch until the ECU receives signal that the rear is locked.

Re-reading your original post, I wonder if you're misunderstanding how the hardtop is meant to sit. The rear does not sit down flush to the body, there is intended to be a gap as the sealing rubber is further in. You should be able to get your finger between the rear edge of the roof and the quarter panel. This image gives some idea:

If it doesn't look like that, can you post a photo so we can get a better idea of the gap?

I've got some images of the instructions from my emergency tool somewhere...

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

Was about to say the same, there is a gap of about 1cm between the car and top around the rear. Why not carefully try pushing a piece of card through the gap and see how far it goes..

 

[RichWeath]

Unless something is very much amiss with your roof system, that doesn't make sense. The fronts will not latch until the ECU receives signal that the rear is locked.

Re-reading your original post, I wonder if you're misunderstanding how the hardtop is meant to sit. The rear does not sit down flush to the body, there is intended to be a gap as the sealing rubber is further in. You should be able to get your finger between the rear edge of the roof and the quarter panel. This image gives some idea:

If it doesn't look like that, can you post a photo so we can get a better idea of the gap?

I've got some images of the instructions from my emergency tool somewhere...

Interesting

Have taken some photos this morning, was a tad dark so may not be the best. But hopefully good enough

Thanks

 

[RichWeath]

Was about to say the same, there is a gap of about 1cm between the car and top around the rear. Why not carefully try pushing a piece of card through the gap and see how far it goes..

Will try when home

 

[Doodle]

I’d say that looks latched from those pictures (viewed on a phone, at least!). When the latches actuate they go over centre and then back to resting point so if you push the button again it will suck the roof down ever so slightly, but springs back when you release.

 

[RichWeath]

I’d say that looks latched from those pictures (viewed on a phone, at least!). When the latches actuate they go over centre and then back to resting point so if you push the button again it will suck the roof down ever so slightly, but springs back when you release.

Yes it does do that.
So this how it should be?

Haha feel a bit of a fool now but thank you all for your inputs

I will take a better picture tonight just to be sure.

 

[RichWeath]

Have taken a pic of a piece of paper slide under roof, so you can see how far it goes.
Do you think this is right?

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

Looks fine to me. The rear wing is still rising at the outside edge of the roof so there will be a gap there. The roof seals will rest and hopefully seal on the black piece that raises up. The bit on the compartment for the soft top.

so yours should be water tight going by that

 

[R129mine]

That looks as good as it can get,

 

[RichWeath]

Thank you everyone, really appreciate the time taken to help me out.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , no doubt most of us have made similar mistakes , I have and I go and hide in the corner for a few minutes.