How to take care of convertible top

[jaydeep]

I have 325ic and would like to know what to use to clean top. I did search and some people says use regular soap to wash it. Let it dry and use leather conditioner.

[spike68]

They usually shouldnt need much maintainence. I usually just rince mine with water every now and then. I dont condition it, i dont wash it, I just leave it. And it still looks like the day i replaced it. (replaced in January 2011)

The only thing the guy who replaced it told me to do is never leave the top down for more than 24 hours. Thats uaully what causes tears over time and it wears the rear window.

Oh and one more thing. Clean the inside of the top conpartment where the top is when its down. A lot of people forget to clean inside there when they wash their car. All it does it gets the top dirty when you put it down. Just throwing that out there.

[Vivek]

Don't put leather conditioner on a canvas top. That's a really terrible idea.

[N2MYE30]

When I got both my cabrios, I gave them a good scrubbing with a canvas cleaner. The dirt that wrinced off them was pretty bad. Once cleaned, i didnt even touch it. In the ~4 years that I have had my Glacier, I could almost count the days it has seen rain. When parked outside, it is under a Bav auto ultimate car cover. Most of the time its in a garage away from the elements.

IIRC, BMW does make a convertible protectant that seals the top and beeds up like wax. I guess I would try that if my car was exposed to the element more.

[mikeedler]

BMW actually sells a kit for cleaning and sealing the top.

here is a link to it in German, couldnt find it in English.

http://www.bmw.de/de/de/owners/accessories/accessoryfinder/finder.html?cat=1007

[Thizzelle]

mr raggs convertible top cleaner and repelant stuff is all I use.

[OrganicMechanic]

I use a camping waterproofing spray for canvas, works out rather nicely.

[e30vert]

Ragtopp Cleaner and then Ragtopp Sealer afterwards. Do not get it on your paint work as it can etch the paint slightly. Essentially causes a haze that is hard to buff and polish out.

Stuffs magic!

[MAXELHOFF]

soft top

The only thing the guy who replaced it told me to do is never leave the top down for more than 24 hours. Thats uaully what causes tears over time and it wears the rear window.

Yes, I have my top down most of the time. Weeks at a time. They will chafe themselves when driving. (HOT!) It is a "rag-top", time for replacing soon enough. Whether up or down. NBD Bauer I have seen.