How To Care For Your BMW Convertible Top

Over the past decade or so, a number of beautiful BMW convertibles have came onto the market. In the past, drivers had to deal with the hassle of manual convertible tops; when they wanted the top down, they had to get out of the car and put it down themselves. Today, every BMW convertible top is power electric (Z3, Z4, Z8, 335ic, e30, M3, etc.) which makes the user-friendliness and allure of their cars only more appealing.

If you own a late model M3 or a BMW Z4 convertible, you probably won’t need to worry about replacing your canvas top anytime soon. Fortunately, they manufacture high quality tops that you should be able to get years of use from. However, if your car is from a few years back, such as a BMW Z3, it may be time for a replacement. Even if there are no tears or rips, the UV rays can fade the fabric over time. This is why it’s so important to park your car in a shaded area (ideally a garage) whenever possible. Not only will this help protect your convertible top, but also it will help protect your paint from premature aging. However it’s not only the sun you need to worry about, but also snow, hail, freezing temperatures, and other extreme weather.

Here are 3 quick tips to extend the life of your BMW convertible top, whatever year or model it may be:

1. Cleanliness. Just as this is true for the exterior paint, the same applies to your convertible top. Never let any sediment stay on it for an extended period of time. A thorough car wash once per week would be ideal if it’s a daily driver.
2. Garages. Whenever possible, keep your BMW convertible top shaded from the sun, even if that means using a car cover. Not only do UV rays prematurely age your skin, but your car’s canvas top too!
3. Protect. There’s ongoing debates about the effectiveness of so-called convertible top protectors. However, they probably can’t hurt, can they? It’s only spending a few extra bucks once in a while to buy a bottle of convertible top protectant from Autozone or Kragens, so you might as well do it.