CabrioDave
Active Member
My 1995 cabriolet roof was working perfectly.
Then (is this relevant?) I took it for some underfloor rust treatment, including welding and under sealing. On the way home, I found that the roof action gets interrupted.
For ease of discussion, the normal stages are:
1 to 4 are working just fine. 5 begins: the bow begins to move up, but stops after anything between 50 and 200 mm. The tonneau cover then opens up and rises, hitting the roof. Everything stops.
I'm thinking: could be hydraulic failure on whatever cylinder lifts the rear bow, OR failure in the "bow raised" switch circuit. I'm assuming that that circuit detects that the bow is fully up, and THEN allows stage 6 to begin. Since stage 6 is indeed beginning, my thoughts are that the "bow raised" detection is operating too soon. If I read the circuit dagrams right, the "bow raised" switch, when it operates, connects its cable to earth ... so I was hoping to find a cable damaged in the recent floor work, and shorting to the body. So far, I haven't.
Findings so far:
a. Fluid reservoir in the boot is at just above the minimum line.
b. I can lift the bow by hand to the vertical position (VERY stiff - scared to force it) and then everything can continue as normal, until the hood is correctly stowed. Putting the hood back up, everything is normal until the rear bow again tries to raise, to let the tonneau cover fold down. It raises slightly, cover comes down and hits the roof.
I did this a few times, and then it started to object - red light in switch flashing.
I'm getting scared now! Do I continue to try and expose all the workings ... or do I take it to someone who knows what they're doing?
The car is too old for a dealership to understand it (and I'm too poor, anyway) - but do we know of anyone roof-savvy among the independents?
I'm in the West Midlands, in case that's relevant.
Then (is this relevant?) I took it for some underfloor rust treatment, including welding and under sealing. On the way home, I found that the roof action gets interrupted.
For ease of discussion, the normal stages are:
1. Release catches above windscreen; red light goes on in switch.
2. Push switch backwards.
3. Windows (and if necessary rear head restraints) all lower.
4. Rear bow of hood unlocks.
5. Rear bow rises to vertical.
6. Tonneau (hood compartment) cover raises to vertical.
7. Hood folds back and down, into compartment.
8. Tonneau lowers, and locks.
9. Close windscreen catches.
10. Use main switch (or individuals) to raise the windows.
2. Push switch backwards.
3. Windows (and if necessary rear head restraints) all lower.
4. Rear bow of hood unlocks.
5. Rear bow rises to vertical.
6. Tonneau (hood compartment) cover raises to vertical.
7. Hood folds back and down, into compartment.
8. Tonneau lowers, and locks.
9. Close windscreen catches.
10. Use main switch (or individuals) to raise the windows.
1 to 4 are working just fine. 5 begins: the bow begins to move up, but stops after anything between 50 and 200 mm. The tonneau cover then opens up and rises, hitting the roof. Everything stops.
I'm thinking: could be hydraulic failure on whatever cylinder lifts the rear bow, OR failure in the "bow raised" switch circuit. I'm assuming that that circuit detects that the bow is fully up, and THEN allows stage 6 to begin. Since stage 6 is indeed beginning, my thoughts are that the "bow raised" detection is operating too soon. If I read the circuit dagrams right, the "bow raised" switch, when it operates, connects its cable to earth ... so I was hoping to find a cable damaged in the recent floor work, and shorting to the body. So far, I haven't.
Findings so far:
a. Fluid reservoir in the boot is at just above the minimum line.
b. I can lift the bow by hand to the vertical position (VERY stiff - scared to force it) and then everything can continue as normal, until the hood is correctly stowed. Putting the hood back up, everything is normal until the rear bow again tries to raise, to let the tonneau cover fold down. It raises slightly, cover comes down and hits the roof.
I did this a few times, and then it started to object - red light in switch flashing.
I'm getting scared now! Do I continue to try and expose all the workings ... or do I take it to someone who knows what they're doing?
The car is too old for a dealership to understand it (and I'm too poor, anyway) - but do we know of anyone roof-savvy among the independents?
I'm in the West Midlands, in case that's relevant.