Roof motor sticking

Dadzilla

Dadzilla

Member
 Yorkshire
I recently purchased a 2008 E85 and the roof has been working fine for the last couple of weeks. It already had the roof motor relocated to the boot when I bought it. However it has started to experience problems both in raising and lowering the top. When raising the top, it struggles and stutters to raise the top and now stalls with the roof about half way. I find that I can gently coax the roof by hand, quite smoothly and once mostly out, the motor will continue to close the top firmly onto the windscreen. SImilarly when retracting the top, it's fine to start with but struggles with the last part of the opening. Has anyone had any experience of this problem, or an idea about what the likely problem could be?
 
Firstly, check the fluid level hasn't fallen. Though a leak would empty it pretty quick.
Then check that the red ring hasn't been pulled. Even if it's reseated it can leave the bypass plunger half in, allowing pressure to bleed past it.
It may be that the pump is starting to get a bit tired, in which case a replacement is the only real answer. The pump being the square section on top of the motor.
 
enuff_zed said:
Firstly, check the fluid level hasn't fallen. Though a leak would empty it pretty quick.
Then check that the red ring hasn't been pulled. Even if it's reseated it can leave the bypass plunger half in, allowing pressure to bleed past it.
It may be that the pump is starting to get a bit tired, in which case a replacement is the only real answer. The pump being the square section on top of the motor.
Click to expand...
Thanks for replying, I'll check those.
 
enuff_zed said:
Firstly, check the fluid level hasn't fallen. Though a leak would empty it pretty quick.
Then check that the red ring hasn't been pulled. Even if it's reseated it can leave the bypass plunger half in, allowing pressure to bleed past it.
It may be that the pump is starting to get a bit tired, in which case a replacement is the only real answer. The pump being the square section on top of the motor.
Click to expand...
I don't see any red ring manual release at all on my motor, but nor do I see any obvious hydraulic fluid in the reservoir. Generally it's hard to see the top section of the motor without removing panels.
 

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Is the motor struggling, or does it cut out completely accompanied by the red light on the dashboard flashing? If the latter, you could have a break in the loom in the headlining, most likely in a little red wire at the point were the loom folds. It’s difficult to find but easy to fix.
 
Dadzilla said:
I don't see any red ring manual release at all on my motor, but nor do I see any obvious hydraulic fluid in the reservoir. Generally it's hard to see the top section of the motor without removing panels.
Click to expand...
The red ring pull is up under the left hand side of the underside of the section between the boot lid and the adjustable roof storage floor. A cable from that goes around into the motor to release the hydraulics to manually close or open the roof should it be required.
 
Zedebee said:
Is the motor struggling, or does it cut out completely accompanied by the red light on the dashboard flashing? If the latter, you could have a break in the loom in the headlining, most likely in a little red wire at the point were the loom folds. It’s difficult to find but easy to fix.
Click to expand...
On raising the roof, the motor whines and changes pitch as if it's struggling and then stops when it's 25-30% of the way up, leading edge just past the roll-hoops. When lowering the roof the motor is usually ok.
 
Pop the parcel shelf and its support tray out and top up the fluid. Sounds like there’s not enough to create full pressure.
The bypass valve is a brass plunger under that black plastic cover. Check it is fully out.
 
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