Any thoughts on how I can get my top working?

D

DashingDaryl

Member
 Arizona, USA
"red ring is back in place. It goes into place but the top doesn't go up or down via motor and it still lets me put the top up and down manually."

I purchased a 2003 2.5i with a faulty top. (it wouldn't go down or up)

When you push the top button (w/ the motor off) you can hear the motor run.

The first thing I determined was the roof latch motor gear was broken. I replaced the gear with a brass one.

Once I got the top to unlatch, I could hear the motor run, but the top would still not retract.

I pulled the red ring out, but the top would not go down manually. I pulled the ring repeatedly and then twisted it so it could not go back in. It took a lot of pushing but the top did go down.

I have been using the top in "Manual mode" for about a month. It latches in both the front and back properly.

I tried turning the red ring back into place. It goes into place but the top doesn't go up or down via motor and it still lets me put the top up and down manually.

Any idea what is going on? Ideally I would like to know how I can make sure the red ring is in it's proper place and the valve is in it's proper position, before I tackle the hydraulic cylinders. I would love if the valve being open was why my top doesn't work.

"Help me Number 5, you are my only Hope"
 
This is stuck in and allowing the hydraulic fluid to bypass back to tank and not go to the roof rams.

IMG_3346.jpg
 
Definitely take a look at the post above. With the motor engaged you should not be able to put the top up and down. So I would say it's possibly still not engaged. Otherwise I would get it to a forum roof guru, if you can.
 
Hey thanks! I am still on my original pump motor and it is still in it's original spot.

Does that mean I have to take the top completely off to access it? Or does anyone have a better idea? I heard that the OEM packing/sealing makes it too hard to pull out the trunk.

Since I live in Sunny Arizona in the USA, we hardly get any rain and the motor never got wet.
 
DashingDaryl said:
we hardly get any rain and the motor never got wet.
Click to expand...

But you must wash your car

so the water drains off the hood and down a small gap and into the chamber the motor is in if the drain holes block the chamber fills with water and then gets into the container the motor/pump is in and there is no drain hole in that one so it stays wet.

Off to you tube to find the video showing the motor extraction

Back soon
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3HSwL6grM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVi6BNcNWEk

There you go two ways to do it
 
So watching the second video at this exact spot, I see the gentleman has his hands down from the top side and he is grasping at the bucket.
https://youtu.be/qVi6BNcNWEk?t=241

Can it be reached from the inside?

Do I just move the seat all the way front and reach back there?

That is much more practical than me reaching all the way back from the trunk because the leverage angle is so bad. If I can do it as a two part process, I think I will have a decent chance of success
 
I relocated mine even though it was working ok just in case it got waterlogged in the future. Not the easiest of jobs due to the access and the zip tie that holds the motor container inside the well cavity. I forced a long bar into the top of the container and using a built up pivot point in the trunk forced the unit upwards till the zip tie broke and freed up the container. Lifted it up and back into the trunk and repositioned it behind the carpet. Good video here explains all, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPhwOO654JA
Well worth doing and its now easy to get to just in case it needs future attention.
 
Thanks for the good tips and videos.

The fact my valve doesn't switch back makes me wonder if that is because there is no hydraulic fluid in the system.

Does that make sense to anyone?

If that is the case, then I might just go straight to taking the top out and working on the cylinders.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter?
 
DashingDaryl said:
The fact my valve doesn't switch back makes me wonder if that is because there is no hydraulic fluid in the system.
Click to expand...

No it will because it is seized in the in position

Try and go in through the boot to get at the roof motor I have done it once by removing the roof and around 15+ through the boot
 
I worked with the roof again yesterday. I tried to pry the top of the Motor Housing off with a Crowbar from the trunk. I could feel the housing move up and down, but still could not get the zip tie to break, or the top to come off.

While I was taking a break, I tried to open and close the roof the normal way.

With the engine off and the retract button pushed, the latches released and I could hear fluid running across the way from me on the car's right side. This makes me think the pump is pumping fluid (Since it was the hydraulic ram farthest away from the pump.

Does this sound like it is a hydraulic cylinder leak? Should I give up on pulling the motor, and just focus on removing the top assembly since I have to get my cylinder repaired?
 
If there was a leak you would probably see evidence where it will leak from under the car, looks to me that the brass push valve is stuck in preventing the fluid from being circulated under pressure. You do need to get it out of its location and back into the boot to free that valve off. A little lube on it and repeated presssing it in and out with a screwdriver should free it up. Once it is fully out give the roof another go using the buttons. Once its working again reposition it in the recess on the left side of the trunk/boot behind the carpet. There is a bracket behind the carpet that you can secure it to with some zipties.
You have to get the whole unit out and into the trunk, just getting the lid off the top of the container will allow you to pull the unit out and back into the trunk as a whole. I would want to get the whole plastic container out of its location to avoid the risk of having it fill with water over time, including times the car gets washed. Whilst you are at it look up from underneath the sills and take the rubber one way valves off the drain pipes, give them a poke out to make sure they are clear to drain.
 
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