A sensitive roof

[Busterboo]

Not a problem, but (a reminder of) a solution.

I shoot a lot and so often carry empty ammunition boxes in the boot. If one of these quite light cardboard containers moves outside the 'shadow' of the folding luggage cover, the roof won't work. No big deal, I know, but it continues to surprise me how sensitive the boot sensors are.

Even this week, having had the car for 50,000 miles, I still said 'Oh, dear me' automatically as I tried to open the roof and it stuck with the red light on, when all that was needed was to put an empty box where it should have been already - where it couldn't move.

 

[Smartbear]

Not a problem, but (a reminder of) a solution.

I shoot a lot and so often carry empty ammunition boxes in the boot. If one of these quite light cardboard containers moves outside the 'shadow' of the folding luggage cover, the roof won't work. No big deal, I know, but it continues to surprise me how sensitive the boot sensors are.

Even this week, having had the car for 50,000 miles, I still said 'Oh, dear me' automatically as I tried to open the roof and it stuck with the red light on, when all that was needed was to put an empty box where it should have been already - where it couldn't move.

There’s no sensors in the boot area that detect errant items out of place Buster, there’s a sensor to detect the luggage cover’s in place but it definitely won’t detect a cardboard box as a few unlucky people have found out, the roof still operates and simply crushes whats been inadvertently left in harms way....
The red light you see must be caused by something else :?
Rob

 

[Nictrix]

Not a problem, but (a reminder of) a solution.

I shoot a lot and so often carry empty ammunition boxes in the boot. If one of these quite light cardboard containers moves outside the 'shadow' of the folding luggage cover, the roof won't work. No big deal, I know, but it continues to surprise me how sensitive the boot sensors are.

Even this week, having had the car for 50,000 miles, I still said 'Oh, dear me' automatically as I tried to open the roof and it stuck with the red light on, when all that was needed was to put an empty box where it should have been already - where it couldn't move.

There’s no sensors in the boot area that detect errant items out of place Buster, there’s a sensor to detect the luggage cover’s in place but it definitely won’t detect a cardboard box as a few unlucky people have found out, the roof still operates and simply crushes whats been inadvertently left in harms way....
The red light you see must be caused by something else :?
Rob

I dont think there is sensors either.
I left fish food on one of the side shelves and the container got squashed when the roof went down. Glad is was just a soft plastic container.

 

[Busterboo]

There’s no sensors in the boot area that detect errant items out of place Buster, there’s a sensor to detect the luggage cover’s in place but it definitely won’t detect a cardboard box as a few unlucky people have found out, the roof still operates and simply crushes whats been inadvertently left in harms way....
The red light you see must be caused by something else :?
Rob

I recognise my ignorance in this (and many, many other things), Rob, so now I'm double-foxed, because yesterday I put my gun & shooting kit in the boot - i.e. a normal load that I know won't interfere with its operation - plus 2 empty 250-catridge boxes. I started to lower the roof from outside with the key and it stuck with the boot lid vertical. Got into the car and closed the roof again with the button.

Suspecting what was wrong, opened the boot and the two empty boxes were further forward that I'd normally put them. They were against the bulkhead between boot and seat backs. Moved them back under the 'shadow' of the luggage cover. Roof then opened with the key.

Have had similar experiences with plastic shopping bag handles and other sticking-out things.

 

[Busterboo]

I dont think there is sensors either.
I left fish food on one of the side shelves and the container got squashed when the roof went down. Glad is was just a soft plastic container.

Please see my reply to Rob above.

 

[Smartbear]

There’s no sensors in the boot area that detect errant items out of place Buster, there’s a sensor to detect the luggage cover’s in place but it definitely won’t detect a cardboard box as a few unlucky people have found out, the roof still operates and simply crushes whats been inadvertently left in harms way....
The red light you see must be caused by something else :?
Rob

I recognise my ignorance in this (and many, many other things), Rob, so now I'm double-foxed, because yesterday I put my gun & shooting kit in the boot - i.e. a normal load that I know won't interfere with its operation - plus 2 empty 250-catridge boxes. I started to lower the roof from outside with the key and it stuck with the boot lid vertical. Got into the car and closed the roof again with the button.

Suspecting what was wrong, opened the boot and the two empty boxes were further forward that I'd normally put them. They were against the bulkhead between boot and seat backs. Moved them back under the 'shadow' of the luggage cover. Roof then opened with the key.

Have had similar experiences with plastic shopping bag handles and other sticking-out things.

When the roof operation stopped with the boot lid vertical, was the roof stowed inside the boot or had it not got that far yet?
If it’s the first scenario, could your boxes have been crushed by the roof & stopped it from sitting down correctly?
This could explain why the bootlid remained open if the roof had not been detected in its correct stowed position :?
Rob

 

[Nictrix]

My first guess would have been the key fob was running low on battery and stopped the roof operation but as you said you used the fob after moving the stuff rules that out.

 

[Busterboo]

My first guess would have been the key fob was running low on battery and stopped the roof operation but as you said you used the fob after moving the stuff rules that out.

Yep, and there was the usual red light on the roof button inside the car.

I'll 'play' with the roof and some empty boxes tomorrow and report back.

 

[Busterboo]

Well, I've tried to reproduce the 'empty boxes stopping the roof' and I can't, so I was probably wrong.

That said, will report back again if it happens again.

 

[enuff_zed]

Well, I've tried to reproduce the 'empty boxes stopping the roof' and I can't, so I was probably wrong.

That said, will report back again if it happens again.

My immediate thought was that when I put the roadster bag suitcases in the boot, they project rearwards from that cover, yet I never have any issues with opening the roof.
So I suspect yours is indeed a different issue.

 

[Smartbear]

Well, I've tried to reproduce the 'empty boxes stopping the roof' and I can't, so I was probably wrong.

That said, will report back again if it happens again.

Has your car got comfort access Buster? Those cars don’t have the rechargeable fob battery so need periodic replacements, just a thought?
Rob