How To Guide Z3 Remote soft top closure

Koles13

Koles13

Newbie
British Zeds
Joined
Sep 24, 2024
Points
3
Location
Veszprem, Hungary
Model of Z
1.9 Roadster
Hi Everybody!
I want to share a post about my project about the soft top closure from my remote key.
I hope it will be ok to stay and can discuss about is good or not etc.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuxE_jZKEXE

(Captured from YouTube)
How the existing system works is as follows.
The roof motor/pump is fed via one of the two violet relays (mounted on it), one is for 'open' one is for 'close'.
These have a permanent +12v all the time, ready to be swiched for the motor supply, but the relay coils are switched as follows.
The +ve for both coils is via the brake light circuit.
The -ve is fed via the roof microswitch, to the roof open/close button in the car, and then onto the -ve side of the relevant relay coil.
When all these conditions are met, ie foot on brake, roof flap lifted, the roof will move depending on whether up or down button is then pressed.

I have used two additional relays to mimic this:
One, when switched, provides a separate 12v to the brake light circuit (Blue/Red wire on the switched side of the pedal) and this energises the +ve side of the existing motor relay coils.

The other, which is switched at the same time, provides the -ve to the existing 'close relay' coil.
This -ve is sourced from the Brown/Orange wire on the back of the roof button (Its the -ve from the microswitch) and then goes (via the new relay's normally open contacts) to the Brown/Yellow 'close' wire on roof button (which in turn supplies the existing close relay on the pump.)
both additions are linked in parallel,... dont disconnect the existing, just join new wires into those circuits.
However the roof microswitch will disconnect the -ve circuit when the front of the roof flops down.
IMG_5452.webp


What I will do now is supply my new brake circuit relay coil -ve, with the microswitch circuit -ve, and this will also disconnect the brake circuit at the same time.

Just remember to remove 30amp fuse no1 when hardtop is on to prevent roof movement.

Attached YouTube link is for represent the post :)
Wiring diagram attached.

Tell me if any incorrect in my write up.

Thank you,
 
All I'd say is that I would never feel comfortable operating the Z3 roof remotely - if that back plastic screen doesn't fold correctly it will split and crack.

Appreciate each car is different and some have a tendency to fold as desired without intervention but my experience is that more often than not you have to apply the karate chop approach - that for me is why my preference i the Z3 is a manually operated roof.
 
RickyBobby said:
All I'd say is that I would never feel comfortable operating the Z3 roof remotely - if that back plastic screen doesn't fold correctly it will split and crack.

...more often than not you have to apply the karate chop approach
Click to expand...

True, however this would allow you to operate the power roof from outside the car and be able to do the 'chop'. Plus it's not like you can do this while you're walking towards your car that's been parked in the sun all day, you're going to have to be by the car anyway to do the latches.

For me the perfect roof would be one that could be powered up, but manually dropped (without twisting the knob on the pump each time)
 
Your right of corse but however, now there is no sitting in the rain going through the motions getting soaked..and 15 seconds seems a long time in a torrential downpour, been there a few times. 😅
 
Great idea and knowledge getting this to work , but as above seems a little pointless as the latches still need to be done by hand unlike the Z4 .
 
@gookah did this years ago, that's his Z3 in the vid.
 
Nodzed said:
@gookah did this years ago, that's his Z3 in the vid.
Click to expand...
You’re right, it’s Gookah’s video, and it’s his car in the video, although he sold the car to me about 18 months ago.
He demonstrated this to me at the time, and said it’s just a fun thing to do - but very handy if it suddenly starts raining when you’re in the house and you’ve left the roof down ( which has proven to be right!!)

It’ll also do remote engine start and remote roof down together, which looks pretty cool (as long as you remember to undo the catches sometime beforehand when no one’s looking). You can discretely press some buttons as you approach the car, and it’ll open the roof, fire up the engine, unlock the doors, wind down the windows and be ready for you to drive off as soon as you get in. Brilliant. Except I can’t remember which buttons to press and I’m too embarrassed to ask him😂😂

He’s still around, I met up with him at Zedfest this year & had a good chat about loads of things. He doesn’t log on here much anymore though which is a great shame as he was such a great source of knowledge, and very helpful
 
I have to agree, Pete got fed up of some people picking fault with things he did, helping out where he could, he would. Eventually he to decided to "retire" from regular forum posting, which is a shame I think.

Tony.

ps. I didn't do Zedfest as there was a local(ish) event which clashed.
 
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