I picked up my '05 Cabrio S last night and this evening decided to work the top. It went down with no problem. After showing my wife the top down, I went to raise it and nothing happens when I push the other button. The key was in the correct position and I even tried starting the engine but nothing. No whirls, no groans, no buzzes, nothing.

Anyone have an idea what I may have overlooked? I just remembered that I did change the battery today and saw something about initializing the sunroof and windows (did the windows) but there was nothing mentioned about the top.

 

One thing I wonder is about that platform in the trunk that you need to move. I don't know if I had it in the right place. The top worked but I don't know if there's any safety in the positioning. I had an Audi A4 that needed a flap to be in a specific location or the top wouldn't go down, but it was also an electrical interlock to prevent anything from going wrong. This shelf/flap doesn't appear to have an interlock. If I put the top down and it was in the wrong place I don't know if that caused a problem and blew the 50 amp fuse that is mounted in the bottom of the fuse block and not the 5 amp on the top that is still good.

 

If you are looking for info on how the top works and components, here is the link when people have problem with putting the top all the way down and the little trigger switch locations in the trunk ( on the left side) as the rear deck shelf has to be in the lower position with the foot of that shelf pressing on the little micro switch.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-position.html


If the top went all the way down and back , the shelf must have been in the correct position ? I have never had the shelf move that mush since the top will set on it. I have not really tested the function of the switch when putting the top back up. I would inspect the micro switch and make sure the switch is depress with the top down and laying on the shelf.

Did the 50 amp fuse blow ? Check all the fuses. If so replace it and try again with the top, there might have just been a surge on the motor. With the top down its hard to inspect the motor ( when you can see in the linked thread to determine if that's the problem and blowing the fuse. Or maybe a bad line which would leak the hydraulic fluid. and you would see the oil stains and leaks.. Are you getting the red flashing light hen you tried to put the top back up, before the blown fuse?

Thanks

 

I did attempt to get to the 50 amp fuse last night, but got discouraged when I realized how difficult it is to actually get to. Serviceability didn't seem to be in the minds of the designers. I'm going to do a manual closing today (I'm at work right now) to at least be able to use the car, and when I am in the right place to actually do the work, I'm going to attempt the 50 amp fuse again.

I also reread the information on being able to raise the back of the top manually. I'll give that a shot too, although I still don't think it will solve anything. I will say that no red lights stick out in my mind, although again, last night I wasn't thinking about looking at one either.

 

I was away for the weekend without the car, but had a chance to look at it again last night for a while. The indicator light on the switch does not illuminate so I will go with having blown the 50 amp fuse. Hopefully tonight I'll find/make the time to dig into that problem again. It would have been nice if the fuse were a wee bit more accessible though!

 

I finally gave in and did a manual raising, planning on taking the car back to the dealer I bought it from. When I got the top up to the sunroof position, I couldn't figure out how to close it so I took a stab at pushing buttons and lo and behold, the top closed! I left it be until today when I took the car back and attempted a demonstration for the dealer. The top went back to the sunroof position, but then all that happened was the pump ran, but nothing else but the windows worked. The sales guy told me the original problem was that I hadn't put my foot on the brake (What does HE know!). The car is spending the night and is supposed to be worked on tomorrow. Perhaps the problem will get resolved, although I am not clinging to much hope.

Fingers crossed!

 

Update. At the moment the dealer has determined that the pump is bad and has ordered a new one. While the pump being bad may be a part of the problem, I don't understand why after opening the top the first time, everything was dead. No lights, no window movement, nothing. And trying it by the door key, the only thing that happened was that the doors locked, nothing else.

 

All I could think is the pump grounded out and blew a fuse on related items ? Did you change any fuses? The pump only comes on when the top is past the sunroof position and you are closing and opening , thus you hear it. Other then that the motor in the center of the convertible top opens and closes the top (sunroof portion ).



The hydralic pump comes in a full kit : #1

Hydraulic Unit For Convertible Top Kit 54347019872


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/54347019872/

&


And then has the fluid: #8


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/54340394395/ES2676935/




Other then maybe the top hydraulic motor being used and not moving ( powered ) drained the battery low enough ?

Good luck and hope you get things working again.

 

I didn't change any fuses and I doubt the guy at the dealership did either. He probably determined that the pump was bad since the top would only open to the sunroof position. We should find out in a week or so when the new parts arrive and he installs them.

 

Thanks for the update. Most likely it drained the battery to the point other things would not work. Good luck with the fix.

 

As a continuation on this topic~

I am still waiting for the dealer to contact me about the new pump. I'll probably call him tomorrow on it. In the meantime I've avoided trying anything with the top. However, this evening I decided to check my tire pressure as I replaced them earlier in the week and am heading out of town for the weekend in the Mini. I needed to open the passenger door and it seemed to me that the window wasn't doing it's usual partial drop prior to opening. I decided to try and initialize them since the battery had been disconnected along the way. Nothing seemed to work so I figured I'd open and then reclose the windows. The drivers side worked fine but the passenger side just made a few clicks in either the up or down position. It did work a few days ago because my wife was in the passenger seat and opened it, plus it was working when I first attempted to open the top a week or so ago.

I'm beginning to wonder if the car was originally traded in because of the dreaded BMW gremlins, forget any Mini ghosts that might be rattling around as well. I can accept a bad motor/pump for the top, except that it opened fine and then the red light went out and the entire top went dead. It sprang to life again after I manually closed the top and couldn't figure out the manual override for the sunroof. Now it opens the sunroof and won't open the top. That's where the mechanic decided the pump was bad and is ordering a new pump.

The adventure continues.

 

Thought I'd post an update on the top issue. Late this past week I took the car to the mechanic. He and I spoke last evening at length. He replaced the existing pump assembly and was happy to see the top go down without a hitch. Fortunately (for me!!) when he tried to raise the top it gave him the same thumbed nose reaction that I had gotten, no hum, no buzz, nada. He is now studying the problem, the safeties, the micro switches, the entire processor control thing. He appears to be extremely cognizant of what to study and where to go. He's also puzzling over the passenger window problem and trying to determine if the two are somehow related. The car will spend the weekend inside his shop with the top down and he will attack it again on Monday.

I'll post as we learn more. I will say that this guy gives me confidence that when he is done the problem will be fixed, not masked.

 

Here we are over a week since my last post but with some news. My mechanic reported that his scanning device wasn't one that could give him all the answers and requested permission to take it to an associate nearby to use on his unit. That report came back a few minutes ago. According to them the failure of the passenger side window motor resulted in the top getting a no power situation. The window only stopped working prior to my originally planned trip to get the pump replaced because of it not working, however in todays cars I can believe anything and everything is interrelated.

The window motor is supposed to be installed this afternoon and I should be getting a report back soon. As soon as I hear, I'll pass along the information.

Not bad, I bought the car on October 30th and have not had it in my possession for 2 of those weeks plus it spent a weekend in a garage with the top down in lousy weather.

 

I just received a call from the mechanic and he says the window motor replacement did the trick. I'm going to pick the car up tomorrow and run the top through its paces to prove or disprove the reality. I hope it fixes it!

 

I picked the car up about an hour ago and wish to report that the top functions perfectly! Even the trunk that seemed to want to lock itself after every opening is working well. I don't understand any of the interconnections going on, but as long as things are working well I will accept it all as bizarre as it seems to my aging mind!

 

If it is like my second generation MINI, it automatically lowers and raises the windows when opening or closing the doors and when operating the top.

 

Yes, on Gen 1 and gen 2 when you hit the open top button or toggle past the sunroof position the back windows dip down a bit together , follow by the front, then the convertible top can release from front latches.

Glad you were able to get things fixed. Let us know how it goes. I would cycle a couple times through the top open and close function to match sure everything is good. Do this with the car running so you don't drain you battery.

 

I plan on giving it a workout for a while. And although I do comprehend the interconnectivity, I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around it!