CORRECT CARE FOR CAB ROOFS??

[jase k]

I have recently bought a 2003 M3 convertible and after washing it a couple of times i am a bit unsure of the correct way to clean the cabriolet roof?? brother in law owns a boxster which he reckons doesnt need to be washed so he uses no detergent and just sprays it with water?? what happens when a bird craps on it? do the roofs require any aftercare to keep them supple etc?
Thanks in advance for any responses......

[baz1985]

buy the BMW kit. Its about £40.

[jase k]

can i wash it with soapy water??

[m3evo2]

Don't wipe the roof with a leather when drying, pad it. Fabric conditioner can be used in weak concentrations and to help with bird lime. Roofs are waterproofed obviously so treat with care use a specialist product ideally.

[baz1985]

jase k said:

can i wash it with soapy water??

use Zymol Autobathe.

[m3evo2]

jase k said:

can i wash it with soapy water??

Yes, car shampoo will not damage it.

[Trellis]

don't use washing up liquid though (obviously!)

[belleair302]

Autoglym do a fabric hood kit, a cleaner and a protector....maybe worth a look as their stuff is pretty decent. I would also look at the cleanser made by RaggTopp which can be found easily on the web.

Edited by belleair302 on Wednesday 25th April 13:31

[Wiggy001]

belleair302 said:

Autoglym do a fabric hood kit, a cleaner and a protector....

I've always used a simple soapy water method when cleaning my cab, but after the winter the back (around the bottom corners of the window) was looking a little green. Also noticed that rain water wasn't really "beading" on the roof...

Bought the Autoglym kit and, after washing the car as normal, have it a bit of a scrub with the cleaner, which got rid of the greeness and generally got it looking good again. Then applied the protector and have to say I'm very impressed - any water now beads as it should! To the point that I put the roof down with a few droplets of water still on the roof, drove the car in last weekend's heat and, four hours later when putting the roof back up, the water droplets were still there (rather than soaked into the roof as would've happened before).

Give it a go.

Slight hijack but does anyone know a way of getting my roof back to black, rather than the dark grey colour the sun has turned it to?

[belleair302]

Have you tried this link?
www.elitecarcare.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=55&products_id=306

Edited by belleair302 on Wednesday 25th April 15:16

[jase k]

Thanks for all the tips and pointers... have just ordered a bottle of raggtopp cleaner, to give this a go to see what its like!?!? It looks like the best choices are the autoglym, raggtopp, and renovo options with them all doing very similar things.
Will post on here with results to give feedback on this particular product!!!

[Bennem]

With respect to blackening your roof once it has gone a bit grey in the sun. I have used renovo on my Spitfires Mohair hood with good results. Just don't overdo the application of it or your roof will go shiny. Best to apply what you think is too little to begin with, let it dry and then see if you need to apply a bit more.

[anorakuk]

When - not if, you get birdcrap on it, let it dry, then brush it out with something like an old toothbrush - otherwise it will get smeared into the weave.

Would also recommend running a vac over the roof, with a soft brush attachment, before washing. This lifts worked in grime out of the fabric that could cause wear.

Also the Renovo products are excellent on fabric hoods, and having used Autoglym too would opt for the former