If you take off the top trim on the drivers side you can see the valve block and wires. I had a worn wire near the valve connector, so there is a chance you have a bad wire there too.

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

 

Thanks taylor192, I did look at the valve body, but it is so tight and hard to see with the top mechanism nearby, how did you get to it? Right now, my top is down. Is it easier to get to and repair when the top is up?

I am simply amazed that the top worked perfectly up until I had the wire in the top break. Now there seems to be multiple issues. I know that the faults for the top up and down permanently active were done by me trying to figure out what was going on.

 

I wrote the hydraulic sticky. Give it a read, you'll see I removed the entire top from the car. Unfortunately if you're having baker problems, or problems with the wiring near the valve block, then you're going to have to do the same.

Did you electrically test the wires after repair?

Also try resetting the codes then operate the top and see what codes come back. I'm surprised the shop didn't do this for you.

Sent from BimmerApp mobile app

 

I did test the wires after the repair, everything I could test was good. I am not looking forward to removing the top, it seems possible for me to eff it all up. Plus I think I will need an overhead hoist or another strong guy. Was it simple enough to put back into place, or do you need a series of shims with trial and error?

I will read the hydraulic sticky once again, but I am not looking forward to removing the top, only to find that it was maybe not the valve body after all!

It is that old money/ time trade-off. Take it to the dealer and pay $$$$ or stick to home diagnosis and curse nightly. I will say that the BMW wiring diagrams in the Bentley manual are horrible for the convertible top. Audi and Honda factory manuals are much better.

 

So I gave up after reading the hydraulic sticky. It seemed like it could not be that, given that it all worked fine one day to the next. I decided to take it to the dealer, Daniels BMW in Allentown. After digging into it, they found a missing fuse and a bad ground. Fixed! Just $300 to have someone else figure that out. I guess it could have been worse! Thanks to all that offered suggestions.