I changed mine out myself. See How To replace the convertible top hydraulic ram
Top stuck midway
Hello! I had a small wooden picket fence that was caught in the left passenger window. I closed the roof on it by accident. Now it's stuck and won't go anywhere. It closed properly, then opened this morning until it stopped. Now I can't close or open! Or drive it to be repaired. Any suggestions for my stupidity lithe than a swift kick in the head? Just to make matters worse I pushed down on the roof so it would lock in. Yep, not real smart, am I? It does make a hydraulic sound and the windows go down.
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My little project
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My guess is that you would be getting an error message on the radio if you had the original. If you decide to keep the car, you might want to consider doing the 2009.5 instrument cluster upgrade to get the messages and the controls back. That is for another day.
The dinging is a warning that something is not right. The most likely item is that the trunk cover is not in place (or not being sensed). Looking into the trunk from the rear, look to the right and you will see the plastic side panel with the trunk light on it. You will also see the spot where the trunk cover hooks into place. In that spot you sill see a switch that gets pushed in when the cover is in place. That is how the folding top module senses the cover is in position. Problems in this area would be:-
As with any internet advice, especially when defeating safety features, do your own research and attempt at your own risk..... Good luck with getting it working again.
The dinging is a warning that something is not right. The most likely item is that the trunk cover is not in place (or not being sensed). Looking into the trunk from the rear, look to the right and you will see the plastic side panel with the trunk light on it. You will also see the spot where the trunk cover hooks into place. In that spot you sill see a switch that gets pushed in when the cover is in place. That is how the folding top module senses the cover is in position. Problems in this area would be:-
- Someone checked the hydraulic fluid / pump and forgot to reconnect the switch
- The switch could be faulty
- The cover might not be in position to properly depress the switch
As with any internet advice, especially when defeating safety features, do your own research and attempt at your own risk..... Good luck with getting it working again.
You could, depending on how they made the swap. If the original harness is intact. Personally, I would not bother at this stage. The information you get from the DIC in this instance is minimal. Usually something like check cargo top, top not allowed, top not secure, trunk ajar, etc. It is not going to tell you in any real detail what is wrong, just provide some clues that you could probably work out for yourself. If it turns out you have a more complicated electrical problem with the operation of the top, a bi-directional OBD II scan tool that can address the folding top module would provide additional insight. For now I would stick with and check the basics, before spending more time and money. Just my opinion, you get to make our own choices
Just a convertible owner who has experienced some of the same issues
It can be one if you are careful. Another option would be to keep adding more hydraulic fluid (Pentosin CHF 11S) until you get it fixed. If required, you can then do what I would term a 'hydraulic assist' (two people lift / assist the top through its range of motion whilst the 3rd person presses the button to move the top). This would only be appropriate if all the rams were still connected and in place. Please also have everyone be careful as the top is heavy, the hydraulics powerful and human appendages quite fragile by comparison. I should add that you need to wait 5-10 mins since you last activated the pump for the pump to lose pressure before you attempt to move the top by hand if you are doing so without the assistance of the hydraulics.
Once the top is in the trunk, it is easy to lift off the cover by the rear windows to expose the front of the ram.
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