Roof doesn't finish lowering anymore

Z

Zoomer

Senior member
 Staffordshire Moorlands
Hi Guys just started having this problem, where when I lower my roof it works fine until the last couple of inches when the motor stops. At this point if I push the button to lower it again it won't start the motor. Conversely if I push the button to raise the roof it doesn't start , unless I tease the roof up,slightly . The roof motor then starts and the roof raises all of the way then locks correctly. I have removed the man switch in the boot and forced the contact down, which did nothing, added extra oil as it looked low and raised and lowered the roof a couple of times to make sure there's no air in the system. I am beginning to think that it must be either a wiring issue or a hall sensor at the bottom of the stroke of the hydraulic cylinders. I am wondering if any of you have seen this or could point me in the right direction.

Many thanks in anticipation.

:D
 
So a quick update from further investigation. If I lower the roof to where the motor stops and then try to lift the roof, the motor cuts back in to try to lower it as it thinks it's not at its down position. So I guess the motor is fine, but does anyone know where the wires from the hall sensors connector is located, as I can only assume is a wiring issue or the hall sensor that detects the fully down position.
 
Hall sensors are mounted on the left hand side of the roof frame near the motors original location. If you have relocated your motor without removing the roof, it's possible that you have moved the hall sensor position, whilst removing the motor or casing . Has the motor been relocated ?
 
Yes Durham Dave did it but it was last year . Do you you know how to get to the sensor. It looks like you might be able to if you remove the plastics around passenger side pod. Is that correct
 
Does anyone know how to remove the lower hall sensor and where the cable connector is located as today I have removed the pump motor run it both ways in diesel for 5 minutes, refitted it and the roof works exactly the same.

B@@@@y cars
 
So I thought I had made a breakthrough as I spotted that the line was not sitting quite correctly and thought that this may be stopping the roof from lowering, so tonight I reset this and.... It still stops about 25-50mm above the plastics behind the roll hoops. Also I have listened to another roof and mine just stops at that point, it doesn't do the motor growl that you get in the last few seconds. Has anyone got any suggestions as apart from changing the hall sensor which I can't see how to get off and where it's connector is.

Also is it possible to adjust the position of the hall sensor?
 
Zoomer said:
Yes Durham Dave did it but it was last year . Do you you know how to get to the sensor. It looks like you might be able to if you remove the plastics around passenger side pod. Is that correct
Click to expand...

I also had mine done by Dave last year, and experiencing similar issues to you since then.

My roof does go right the way down, but doesn't quite click into place so the red light keeps flashing. It requires me to push the roof gently until I hear it click.

I've not had a chance to look into it properly yet, but hopefully something simple
 
So thanks for the help so far from the guys who have offered some possible things to check but alas the roof still stop at about an inch before the deck .
So far I have
Topped up the fluid
Lubricated the hinges
Tried the motor the other way around
Taken the motor out and checked the pump

And finally run the motor direct off a power pack

All of the above have made no difference whatsoever as the roof still stops at the same place, only the direct power will bring the motor down all of the way to the deck, also when I look at the piec of the frame that activates the hall sensor ( proximity sensor I guess) that seems to work, so I am tending to think that the issue is the roof control module that's fitted behind the passenger seat. So before I look on fleabay does anyone have a spare one to sell/ loan /use to compare with mine.
At this rate I'll be on 200 posts just on this issue :headbang:

Thanks
 
You said oil (I presume hydraulic fuild) was low and you topped it up. But maybe there is air in the system?

The only other thing I'll note, as I'm sure you've already done it (and also I don't think it should affect the roof operation) is the luggage compartment? It's in the down position?

z4 luggage compartment.png
 
kis said:
You said oil (I presume hydraulic fuild) was low and you topped it up. But maybe there is air in the system?

The only other thing I'll note, as I'm sure you've already done it (and also I don't think it should affect the roof operation) is the luggage compartment? It's in the down position?

z4 luggage compartment.png
Click to expand...

If this is in the wrong position the roof won't activate at all, so that's not his issue. If you run power to the motor direct and it lowers all the way, it's not a folding issue, it's not a fluid issue and it's not a motor issue, it's either hall sensors or the roof module .

Have you tried loosening the main mount bolts and moving the whole assembly slightly ? Sometimes is is enough to align the sensors . If Durham Dave relocated the motor it is possible that he's knocked one slightly out of position , now if the roof was perfect when he first did this, it's also possible that he knock it slightly and over time it's moved further away from where it should be , and now it doesn't sense correctly . Or your roof module is faulty . From my experience with these things and I know many others here do the same for others ( Number 5 , Bowser134, duck lake view) ( feel free to chip in guys ) I'd say your sensor has moved . Unfortunately roof removal may be required, to sort this ,but if someone can lend you a module, I'd try that first . But my feeling is the sensor .
 
Dietcokeman said:
If this is in the wrong position the roof won't activate at all, so that's not his issue.
Click to expand...

I'm sure mine operates with it up or down? :? But anyway like you said I don't think that's OP's issue either.

Hmmm :|
 
kis said:
Dietcokeman said:
If this is in the wrong position the roof won't activate at all, so that's not his issue.
Click to expand...

I'm sure mine operates with it up or down? :? But anyway like you said I don't think that's OP's issue either.

Hmmm :|
Click to expand...

There is a micro switch on the back bulkhead which is triggered by a tab on the parcel shelf. If yours operates with it up or down then the micro switch has been bypassed . The up position does not give you enough packing roof for the folded roof panel to sit in , that's why the micro switch is there. If the shelf is up the micro switch tells the roof module there is not enough room for the roof and nothing will happen apart from the roof button blinking orange . No unlatching no window drop, nothing apart from the warning light on the button .
 
Thanks guys I've bypassed the micro switch already so I know that's not the issue. What it doesn't do is the little bit of grunt from the motor as it pulls the hood down in the last couple of seconds. My father law has a z4 as well so have looked where the roof mechanism makes the hall sensor and mine just starts to cover the sensor and stops , where my father in laws completely covers the sensor at the down position. The sensor seems a real pain to get to but I think I may try my control module on my father in laws car to remove that from the equation.
 
Quick update guys, it worked last week once, as I thought I'd just go for a blast and couldn't belle it when it lowered all he way on its own. Then I tried it again a little later and blow me the fault is still there. I changed the motor today with my father in laws and his motor stops in the same position in my car so that's ruled out. So options now seem limited to
Hall switch, which I don't think it is now.
Roof controller ( which seems more than just a relay set)
Damage to a hydraulic ram actuator
Damaged pipe
I am off tomorrow so may end up taking the roof out, but one quick question is the switch that controls the roof just a switch or is there more too it ( another controller)

Thanks for all of the help so far
 
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