Can anyone point me towards an exploded parts diagram of the MK 3 (2010) folding roof mechanism please?
I have tried a number of different searches with no success.
Thanks
https://www.miata.net/garage/Mazda%20MX-5%20PRHT%20Removal.pdf
This may go some way to what you ask for.
Is there a problem with yours?
Richard.
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Thanks for that information - I will need to study it carefully!
Yes, a problem with the roof on the way down. Difficult to explain, if I knew how to post a video on the forum, it might be clearer. There are two folding 'elbow' brackets either side of the rear glass screen. When the roof goes down, there are two small black rollers that should just clear the black plastic brackets which are secured with an allen-head screw. The rollers are just catching the bracket rather than rolling around it as they should & the roof momentarily judders before continuing to go down. I have checked another MK3 & the clearance is miniscule, probably 1 or 2mm at most. Unfortunately, when we were on our recent European road trip, a small shoulder bag was left in the roof void - you can guess what happened next!
If anyone can give me an idiot's guide to posting a video on the forum I will give it a go!
Thanks for that link. The roof doesn’t have anywhere near that amount of gap when closed, but there is a slight wind-whistle from the rear windscreen when the roof is up, indicating a gap. I will post a video of the roof going down as soon as I can.
Hi
My line of thought was that as the OP of the miata.net thread had posted a link to an adjustment manual section for the PRHT (post 9) that when your shoulder bag fowled the glass/roof it may have shifted the panels at these adjustable points and your repair would be adjustment.
The alternative will be bent hinges which you may be able to straighten but at risk of further damage, maybe you could find a second hand hinge but how do you know that is not damaged so that leaves a new hinge.
If you do replace the hinge then you may find that to fine tune it you may need to adjust it as per the info in the manual adjustment section.
Can’t help you with posting a video but my guess is put you video on you tube and post the link.
Richard.
OK, so I think I have identified the problem. The solution may be harder to find!
I have uploaded the following 4 very short videos (4 separate ones because I don’t know how to edit). Apologies for the amateurish nature of the filming and my rather dismal delivery ( I struggled holding the 'phone, a torch and commenting all at the same time)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLzIjfPPdCw Video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEcz-eCxy40 Video 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E5KUFWIDUs Video 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwAkIdPwMaY Video 4
Anyone else experienced a similar issue with their roof mechanism?
Any solutions gratefully received.
Hmmmmm, just had a quick look at my roof in the same location. There appears to be a bigger gap between where the roller is situated and the other part of the mech on yours? Also, your roller looks a bit battered, I’m wondering if it’s not turning (rolling) so does not complete its action when a ‘flat’ on the roller hits the plastic receiving part? I’ve not looked at the Miata.net link for adjustment of the main roof but I have had to adjust my deck panel after the car was at main dealers for a replacement motor as they made a right mess of it and it was almost catching the rear edge of the door and panel gaps were atrocious! I presume adjustments can be made to main roof also but the hinge appears to be slightly out of alignment (the gap) so roller not fully engaging as it makes contact with the reciever. Ideally, you could do with someone who also has a PRHT model to do side by side comparisons/measurement with you. Not much help I know but it’s difficult for you to illustrate fully the problem and equally difficult to diagnose fault remotely too Good luck.
Barrie
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Not sure if there is anything here that may help?
http://www.mellens.net/mazda/Mazda-Miata-2006-2007/exterior_trim.pdf
Barrie
Thank you for that information. Yes , the roller does look a little worse for wear. I experimented with removing the rollers from the metal pins & carefully lowered the roof (using gravity at the end rather than the motors to see if they cleared the plastic moulding. Unfortunately they didn’t.
There is another similar MX5 in our village & I have had a look at the mechanism to compare. The clearance on it is very small (probably no more than 1.5mm) but it is enough to allow the mechanism to operate smoothly. As shown in the video, if I pull the bottom of the rear screen forwards very slightly (gaining access through the hatch behind one of the seats) the mechanism operates as it should. I just need to find a way to get the rear screen brackets to move about 1mm forwards under normal operation
Thanks - some bed-time reading!
Hi mxomatosis
If you chose the second hand route, how about this:-
Not sure what colour your car is but it looks silver in your videos, (the glass will match)!!
Second-hand hinges on eBay are advertised for about £25 so this maybe the way to go on the off chance that the metal work on both sides of your roof is damaged. .
Richard.
Brilliant! Thanks so much for the heads up. I have bought it, and it’s only one hour away from me so I am collecting tomorrow! Our MX5 is aluminium silver, so it may match but it’s the glass & brackets I need anyway (hopefully)
Really appreciate the help
A very helpful person on the US-based Miata forum has kindly sent me some very useful information including detailed diagrams of the roof mechanism. If anyone would like copies, PM me.
Hi,
sent you a pm a week ago,
How are you getting on with your repair?
Richard.
I did send the diagrams to your email address, let me know if you haven’t received them.
Not making much progress with the roof I’m afraid. I took the car to a recommended repairer but after examining it carefully they concluded they were not confident enough to take it apart & adjust.
The mechanism is fiendishly complicated. The folding bracket s that attach to the rear screen, & both roof panels are fitted with 5 sets of shims (two different designs) each which are presumably factory fitted to get the roof to operate perfectly. One captive bolt has 3 shims where it connects to the rear screen, the other equivalent side has 5.
The danger in attempting a repair is that by ‘fixing’ one part, it may well have a detrimental effect on another & so on.
At the moment I am thinking I will go to the National Rally at Gaydon next month & see if I can find someone who has actually completed such a repair successfully. I find it hard to believe that I am the only person who has experienced such a problem.
If I have no luck at the rally, the quest continues!
I attended the rally at Gaydon and asked around but no-one had any experience with hard folding roof problems, not even an MX5 restorer who had a stand there.
I spoke to one of the technical guys present on the Mazda UK stand & he at least understood the issue but couldn’t recommend anyone to fix the problem. He explained that Mazda had run training sessions on the folding hard roof but it was a long time ago & many of the technicians would have either forgotten or moved on by now. However, he seemed to agree that if I replaced the folding brackets & made a careful note of the number & location of the shims, the job was do-able.
Having completed a number of outstanding jobs around the house I decided it was time to bite the bullet & see if I could rectify the hard folding roof problem. You may remember from an earlier post I managed to get hold of some replacement roof brackets & a rear screen from Ebay (thanks to Coconino for the heads-up)
I decided the entire roof needed to be removed to improve access to the brackets and also record the number & location of the shims as originally fitted. This involved first removing a number of interior plastic panels and the curved brackets to which the seat belt mounts are attached.
There are 3 different types of shim used between the brackets & the roof panels & rear screen (see photo attached). Some bolts had as many as 5 shims fitted, 2 had none, there didn’t appear to be any particular logic to the number fitted in any one location though.
To cut a long story short, I fitted the replacement brackets & rear screen and then it was a matter of trial and error to get the roof to operate correctly. In the end I fitted 2 more shims to the bottom driver’s side screen bolt & moved the brackets forward towards the front of the car, (the bolt-holes in the brackets are slotted rather than perfectly circular to allow for some adjustment).
There is now enough clearance between the small plastic rollers on the motor arm and the folding brackets & the roof operates smoothly as it should, both up and down. The whistle caused by a gap between the roof and rear screen has also disappeared. I need to check all the seals for water-tightness when I wash the car next, but the seals look uniform & snug when the roof is up, so I am hoping they will be ok – fingers crossed!
I would estimate the job took 4 days overall to complete, but that included a significant amount of ‘thinking time’ and coming away from the job to mull the next stage over in my head. I am not very good working under time pressure & once I accepted if it took me 2 weeks to complete the job that was OK, it helped with a more systematic & considered approach which was vital. I also needed help from a neighbour to lift the roof off the car and onto a suitable work surface.
I don’t know if the original folding brackets and/or screen were distorted or bent in any way (the brackets appear to function as they should off the car) or if a simple re-adjustment of the brackets forwards, by loosening the mounting bolts would have also done the trick (which would have been much quicker obviously). I will never know!
Time and patience is the key. I am lucky in that I could allow myself unlimited time to attempt the job & don’t need the car for essential transport.
A decent toolkit is essential including allen key sockets & a torx socket set.
Anyway, if you are ever presented with an identical problem, I would be happy to offer what limited experience I have with this particular issue if it would help.
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Well done and fingers crossed for the water test!
Richard.
I have the same model as you fortunately with no problems with the roof mechanism (said with much relief). I cannot commend you highly enough for taking on this daunting task in the first place and many congrats on what appears to be a successful outcome. Best wishes for the water test!
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