[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by izjamest

I gather touchless car wash is a nono?

IMHO, you lease the car it is really a non issue because in a few years it will be someone else’s issue.

If you purchase the car, I would never consider using one.

[Timdon]

Fabsil gold 👍

[phdat28]

Originally Posted by Geradeaus

I just recently read a piece from the manufacturer of soft top material concerning maintenance and they say you should only wash the top when it gets stained (bird droppings, tree sap, etc.). Before each car wash you should vacuum the top to remove dust and debris so that it doesn't turn to "mud". BMW suggests retreating the top with protectant after every third wash or so.

I treated my top with Chemical Guys cleaner and protectant (two different bottles) and it looked great with the water dancing around in small beads. I was washing the top with each car wash (about every two weeks) but with the above knowledge will now change my proces. It was a pain draping the car with plastic to keep the protectant overspray off the paint and I don't really want to do it again after only six weeks or so. My car is garage kept and when I'm on the road the top is always down (rainy season just starting) so my hope is it won't really need more than the quick vacuum.

I've seen opinions that using a sticky roller actually leaves some glue behind which will then attract dirt / dust more. For what it's worth.

What did you do with the chemical you protectant bottle? I just bought one but my top still looks like new even after a couple of car washes.

[GerryC]

Originally Posted by phdat28

What did you do with the chemical you protectant bottle? I just bought one but my top still looks like new even after a couple of car washes.

How often you need to treat the roof is highly dependent on your circumstances. My car is 10 months old and the roof still beads water like it was new. But I keep it garaged (top up) and most of my driving is top down. And it's a fun car so I don't drive it daily. Mostly I've just rinsed it off. I'll treat it when looks like it needs it.

I had an E85 years ago. With the same use case, I treated the roof about once a year. If you daily drive it or it's parked outside regularly, it'll need it more often.

[BmwIowa]

I use 303 Protectant on my soft tops...easy spray on / wipe off and water beads. Once applied, black tops look nearly new again. Use it perhaps 2x a year.

[Rcasa20]

Originally Posted by BmwIowa

I use 303 Protectant on my soft tops...easy spray on / wipe off and water beads. Once applied, black tops look nearly new again. Use it perhaps 2x a year.

Thx for the reminder about this. I’ve been told 303 is the best for this.

[boss2k]

What are the washing tips for soft top , never owned a convertible and want to know how to wash the soft top as part of regular car washing schedule?

Can you apply pressure washer to rinse
Can you apply car soap
Can you scrub the top with a mitt?

[Rcasa20]

Originally Posted by boss2k

What are the washing tips for soft top , never owned a convertible and want to know how to wash the soft top as part of regular car washing schedule?

Can you apply pressure washer to rinse
Can you apply car soap
Can you scrub the top with a mitt?

I’ve got a friend with a 911 with a grey fabric top and he ruined it with a pressure washer thinking he was doing good. In my experience running two sided tape over the top gets off all the debris that collects on a black top. I don’t think a mitt hurts although most kits use a brush. I need to brush up on this process via YouTube before mine comes. It’s been 15 years since I’ve owned a convertible and I’m sure methods have changed.

[Argo]

Use a clothes lint roller. Very effective in my experience.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Rcasa20

I’ve got a friend with a 911 with a grey fabric top and he ruined it with a pressure washer thinking he was doing good. In my experience running two sided tape over the top gets off all the debris that collects on a black top. I don’t think a mitt hurts although most kits use a brush. I need to brush up on this process via YouTube before mine comes. It’s been 15 years since I’ve owned a convertible and I’m sure methods have changed.

Use a lint roller as it removes most of the debris and then you can always hose off the remainder.

[Rcasa20]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

Use a lint roller as it removes most of the debris and then you can always hose off the remainder.

Good call. I’ve used that in the past too but had to be careful not to press too hard on the end or else it would leave stripes. Thx for the reminder!

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Rcasa20

Good call. I’ve used that in the past too but had to be careful not to press too hard on the end or else it would leave stripes. Thx for the reminder!

Agreed, I don’t press too hard with the lint roller. 👍🏻

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

Use a lint roller as it removes most of the debris and then you can always hose off the remainder.

Hose off with a garden hose not pressure washer?

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by boss2k

Hose off with a garden hose not pressure washer?

Either one but if you use a pressure washer go easy.

[amutti]

I’ve owned seven convertibles, six were soft tops, two BMWs - a couple for more than 7 years.

They are designed to get wet and be in the elements. Obviously, they will last longer if you baby them (I’ve never gotten close to having one leak). Even an occasional touchless car wash with all the harsh chemicals are not going to have a significant negative impact (or even, dare I say, a touch car wash). If you garage your car, even better.

Here is my $.02.

I would never use a pressure washer with a pressure attachment directly on a soft top. It’s likely to tear if you are not careful, as well as too deeply clean (take off the protectant). However, I’ve used automotive foaming car wash products (chemical guys for example) with a foam cannon (low pressure) without any issues. A car wash mit isn’t going to hurt anything either except if it sheds on the roof. I like a soft brush and a soft top specific cleaner.

As far as waterproofing treatments and cleaners, the BMW brand ones works fine. I’ve gone the route of mostly using Chemical Guy products and think thier product are great. I’ve used 303 too. They all work. How often you need to reapply depends on your individual situation - if water isn’t beading very well it’s probably time to apply a fresh coat. For me, I just do it once a year during the summer. I’m sure I could get away with less often.

With any of the protectants, take precautions to keep it off the paint. Once dry the stuff is hard to get off (think bad water spot).

[BDG123]

It's a car in the end. Convertible or not, you can drive in the rain as much as you want. Just don't put the top down while it's still wet.

I did coat mine so unless it rains for an extended period of time, the water beads off of it.

[StanDiego]

Originally Posted by BDG123

It's a car in the end. Convertible or not, you can drive in the rain as much as you want. Just don't put the top down while it's still wet.

I did coat mine so unless it rains for an extended period of time, the water beads off of it.

It's okay to put the top down when wet as long as you don't leave it down overnight or otherwise extended periods.

If you get caught in a rain and have to put the top up for a while then put it back down for the drive home? No problem as long as you put it back up to dry after arriving home.

[stlcdr]

Originally Posted by StanDiego

It's okay to put the top down when wet as long as you don't leave it down overnight or otherwise extended periods.

If you get caught in a rain and have to put the top up for a while then put it back down for the drive home? No problem as long as you put it back up to dry after arriving home.

yeah I've been caught in the rain, put the top up, then when cleared up put it down. When parked, just put it back up.

Indeed, if there's a water repellent on the top, a few minutes of brisk driving sheds most of the water...

[BEAR-AvHistory-2]

I don't do anything special with the tops. Have not had any issues with long term tops up to 13 years in personal experience.



The top on the 135is was 9 or 10 years old when the picture was taken. Was traded in a year later for the M4C

Wash it along with the rest of the car with car soap & use a hose to rinse it off. Agree don't keep it down if it is wet, that said I try not to put it down wet.

Have found the Moonlight tops dry very quickly compared to the standard top.

[StanDiego]

Originally Posted by ZZZ4 G29

The safest and easiest, most effective way to clean a modern soft top is blow out the dirt with a battery powered handheld leaf blower (mini size). Blow the soft top and big clouds of dust will float into the sky, even when it looks perfectly clean. Then gently brush with soft horsehair brush to loosen any remaining dust and blow again. Then spray (not saturate) a bit of convertible top cleaner on a microfiber towel and gently go front to back to wipe off any surface dirt and leave it looking clean and new. As bonus use the blower to dry your wheels and trim in front.

A lint brush merely lifts lint off the surface, but the problem that needs to be addressed is the dirt below the surface. Your soft top is far more dirty than your floormats, but you would never clean your floormats by rolling a lint brush over the surface and calling it a day. Using water to get the dirt out is not good because it’s just making mud and unless you do a perfect job of rinsing (impossible) the mud will not all be washed way and may become embedded in the top.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

I doubt anyone uses a lint brush to "clean" their top but only to remove debris on the surface. Suggesting water just makes mud is woefully incorrect as is the suggestion that a leaf blower is more effective. That's almost as bad as if one were to suggest a leaf blower will remove dirt from the paint more effectively than water.

Using your floormats (carpeted) analogy, blowing or vacuuming doesn't get all of the dirt out (but is a good first step), easily proven (especially light colored mats) by subsequently hitting the floormats with carpet cleaning solution and/or water rinse as a second step, watching the dirt (remaining after the leaf blower) flow away.

I typically use only a water rinse except when water isn't enough to remove everything (rare because it is garaged). Top cleaners can be a bit harsh on the fabric protectant so should typically be followed up with a fabric protectant. Furthermore, simply wiping the top with a microfiber towel after applying top cleaner is a big no. The towel doesn't remove all of the cleaner chemical from the top's fabric. I've used most/all major convertible top cleaners and every one I've encountered instructs you to rinse with water afterwards, and for good reason, to ensure all of the cleaner has been removed from the fabric. Cleaner solution remaining in the fabric would continue to break down any remaining protectant.

Last, I have a moonlight top on my '22 Z4 that has a rougher texture than the black top. As such, I can't use microfiber towels on it for anything (I've tried several brands) because the towels catch on the top's surface, leaving fibers that I then have to remove using other means such as a horse hair brush.

As mentioned in my earlier post, Haartz (the top fabric manufacturer) provides clear and sound guidance on cleaning the top.

https://www.haartz.com/cleaning-guid...h-top-cleaning

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by StanDiego

Last, I have a moonlight top on my '22 Z4 that has a rougher texture than the black top. As such, I can't use microfiber towels on it for anything (I've tried several brands) because the towels catch on the top's surface, leaving fibers that I then have to remove using other means such as a horse hair brush.

Have you ever tried this microfiber towel? The shop that did my PPF and ceramic coating swears by it.

https://www.carpro-us.com/microfiber...towel-28-x-40/

[rikwynnpa]

BMW makes a soft top cleaner and a also water beading protector/renewer. I bought them from the online place in MD.

Originally Posted by z4viper

Hi All,

I'm literally typing this while I'm at a weekend away at a resort, but I have so much anxiety leaving the G29 out in the rain!

I'm sure a top manufacturer like BMW have designed a car roof that can take some light rain, but I just care for my car so much I hate seeing the roof get wet haha! I'm so extra about parking, just everything really - anyone else act like this?

Which leads me on to my question, how do people care for their roof? What products do you use, I've seen a water proof coating spray which you can use to top up the waterproofing - but longer term i want to keep the roof solid, leak-proof and no sun colour bleaching!

Here is a link to the spray: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/ca...6g-836814.html