crappy German engineering

The electric-hydraulic pump for the top on the beemer sits right in the trough of the top drain in a non-waterproof housing, ergo they all short out and fry themselves after a while (once they are out of warranty).

and the parts aren't cheap.

and I had to crawl my fat arse into the trunk to unbolt the MF'er. Note this is a pic of the beemer with no top at all....

Many thanks to the help from Dan-