Dust etc in the bay where the Z3 hood stows

srvtenod · Post by **srvtenod** » Sun 06 Jul, 2008 08:19

How can I vac out the cavity where the hood on my Z3 stows when it is folded down ? I clean it off carefully when it's closed but the retracting process gets it dusty again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun 06 Jul, 2008 11:12

Have you ever thought of cleaing the inside of the hood? It's surprising how much dirt it attracts - keeping it clean when down is about the only advantage of using the tonnau cover.

Use carpet shampoo and a J-cloth.

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Sun 06 Jul, 2008 14:29

I wiped the inside of the roof with a kitchen sponge soaked in Autoglyms hood cleaner, seemed to freshen it up, you can hoover the recess out with a small handheld hoover if I can find one that will plug successfuly into the lighter socket

partybish · Post by **partybish** » Mon 07 Jul, 2008 07:53

I had a go at doing this over the weekend with the hood up and it was awkward to say the least! I think the best bet is to use a brush to agitate the dirt and then a hoover attachment to pick it all up...

Good luck!

Post by **Robert T** » Mon 07 Jul, 2008 10:07

Which bit of the roof is getting dusty? For the most part the roof folds in such a way that the outside rests against the outside, so the inside and outside don't touch. It is the inside of the roof that will rest against the lining of the soft-top box.

Cleaning of the soft-top box is probably easiest with a reasonably powerful vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment. Bonus points for using a cordless one.

You can do the same with the outside of the roof when it is nice and dry. This will suck the dust out of the little gaps in the fabric. Then a good clean with some soft-top cleaner and a re-proof with some proper waterproofing agent (I use BMW products - others use Renovo).

Some people think I'm mad for what I do for general day-to-day cleaning - I actually take my car to the jetwash regularly and rinse the roof with clean cold water (no soap as this removes the proofing agent). You do have to be careful where you point the lance as the window seals WILL leak. I point it a shallow angle to that the water bounces off taking the dust with it rather than letting it "dig in" as that would damage the roof. It does work and apart from a few wear patches where it folds, my roof does not look 9 years old. It just needs a little care, that's all.

Cheers R.

srvtenod · Post by **srvtenod** » Mon 07 Jul, 2008 14:30

Thanks chaps I'll give all of these a go and see what helps.