Technical 500c roof only goes as far as the spoiler.

typecastboy · Mar 10, 2017

I've been playing with the soft top the last couple of days and taken advice from some threads on here. I've done the relearn procedure but the problem I have is that the roof won't go back beyond the second (spoiler) position.

I've also put a socket on the manual winder and once it gets to that position the nut won't even turn any more.

If the roof is back to that position and I touch the boot release, it puts if back to the front position, so it's as if the car thinks it's fully wound back.

Any ideas anyone?

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Mar 11, 2017

typecastboy said:
I've been playing with the soft top the last couple of days and taken advice from some threads on here. I've done the relearn procedure but the problem I have is that the roof won't go back beyond the second (spoiler) position.

I've also put a socket on the manual winder and once it gets to that position the nut won't even turn any more.

If the roof is back to that position and I touch the boot release, it puts if back to the front position, so it's as if the car thinks it's fully wound back.

Any ideas anyone?

Seems to suggest it's been removed and incorrectly re-assembled at some point.

typecastboy · Mar 11, 2017

I would like to think the previous owner would have taken it back if that was the case. When I get the V5 I will write to them to ask for the spare key and will ask about the roof.

Apart from a dealers where do you take a car with a problem like this?

Mercky · Mar 11, 2017

Does the roof report any fault codes? I've a weird issue with my electric sunroof at the moment that my fiat specialist is trying to get their head around, fiat have requested a download, apparently they've a new wireless gizmo now that's cloud based that gets plugged in to the obd that they can analyse remotely. Are there position sensors on the roof?

typecastboy · Mar 11, 2017

Mercky said:
Does the roof report any fault codes? I've a weird issue with my electric sunroof at the moment that my fiat specialist is trying to get their head around, fiat have requested a download, apparently they've a new wireless gizmo now that's cloud based that gets plugged in to the obd that they can analyse remotely. Are there position sensors on the roof?

Haven't plugged it into MES but as the car seems to have an ECU for everything I wouldn't be surprised.

The thing that concerns me is that it wouldn't manually wind back using the nut in the boot either.

jrkitching · Mar 11, 2017

This is one of those situations where it would help considerably to have a known good car to compare it with.

typecastboy · Mar 11, 2017

Plugged into MES doesn't seem to be anything that controlled in but have found what seems like a broken runner both sides at the point it stops. I've tried to take some photos and have uploaded them. I imagine that is something to do with why it stops. Or it could be the fact that it stops that has broken them.

typecastboy · Mar 12, 2017

Here's a video which shows the split roof runners. Anyone know if these can be replaced individually?

[ame]https://youtu.be/0bo_pkNGvso[/ame]

John202020 · Mar 12, 2017

typecastboy said:
Here's a video which shows the split roof runners. Anyone know if these can be replaced individually?

https://youtu.be/0bo_pkNGvso

Sorry I cant help, but can you delete some of your inbox messages as it won't accept any new ones?

typecastboy · Mar 12, 2017

John202020 said:
Sorry I cant help, but can you delete some of your inbox messages as it won't accept any new ones?

Emptied

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Mar 13, 2017

typecastboy said:
Here's a video which shows the split roof runners. Anyone know if these can be replaced individually?

This image is a bit vague but it suggests the runners are all interconnected by the fabric strap (6), and not available individually. There was no index of the item numbers with this image unfortunately.

I'm looking for something that tells me exactly how the whole thing works.

typecastboy · Mar 13, 2017

Thanks for that. It's the number 3 things that has broken. I may have to try to get a second hand hood. Heaven knows how that final bit works though. I don't know if it not working has caused it to break or it breaking has caused it not to work if that makes sense.

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Mar 13, 2017

typecastboy said:
Thanks for that. It's the number 3 things that has broken. I may have to try to get a second hand hood. Heaven knows how that final bit works though. I don't know if it not working has caused it to break or it breaking has caused it not to work if that makes sense.

I've found a listing of the parts in that diagram. It's a US site but I daresay the parts are the same. https://www.fiatpartswebstore.com/s...embly=1099001&ukey_make=1200&ukey_model=19431

Also I found this video
The camera work is awful and I haven't watched it right through but it might give you some clues if you haven't already seen it.

typecastboy · Mar 13, 2017

Thanks i will have a look at that.

typecastboy · Mar 13, 2017

Looks complicated but he describes the bits I have broken, so it's made a lot of sense. Still don't understand what stopping it from going all the way back though. Possibly the Motor or a blockage.

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Mar 14, 2017

typecastboy said:
Looks complicated but he describes the bits I have broken, so it's made a lot of sense. Still don't understand what stopping it from going all the way back though. Possibly the Motor or a blockage.

Just tried mine and found that if the boot is open, or just unlatched, the roof will stop at the spoiler and refuse to budge further. I don't want to muck around too much with it so I didn't try to turn the nut and see if you can still wind it down with the boot unlocked.

After viewing that video I understand a little more about the operation however and really wonder if the broken bits would affect normal running, especially stopping the roof exactly at the spoiler.

Mine's over three years old and the roof is used almost every time the car goes out so I'm wondering about lubrication of the runners. Has anyone done this and what was used?

Funky Spike · Mar 14, 2017

Piccolo Nero e Bella said:
Just tried mine and found that if the boot is open, or just unlatched, the roof will stop at the spoiler and refuse to budge further. I don't want to muck around too much with it so I didn't try to turn the nut and see if you can still wind it down with the boot unlocked.

After viewing that video I understand a little more about the operation however and really wonder if the broken bits would affect normal running, especially stopping the roof exactly at the spoiler.

Mine's over three years old and the roof is used almost every time the car goes out so I'm wondering about lubrication of the runners. Has anyone done this and what was used?

If I recall correctly lubrication of the runners is part of the scheduled servicing in the handbook, don't remember the frequency, if it actually gets done is another thing.

Spike

typecastboy · Mar 14, 2017

Yes I agree there. I don't think those broken clips are the cause it's something more sinister. Interestingly, when the roof is wound fully open and you try to open the boot, the roof will automatically move to the spoiler position. When mine is at the spoiler position it moves back to position 1 so it's like the car thinks that it's fully open.

Piccolo Nero e Bella · Mar 14, 2017

typecastboy said:
Yes I agree there. I don't think those broken clips are the cause it's something more sinister. Interestingly, when the roof is wound fully open and you try to open the boot, the roof will automatically move to the spoiler position. When mine is at the spoiler position it moves back to position 1 so it's like the car thinks that it's fully open.

That could be because it's learned that it can't go back further than the spoiler and therefore that's the limit of travel. Do you still have to hold the button to fully close it from position 1?

typecastboy · Mar 14, 2017

No, just a single press will do it.

Technical 500c roof only goes as far as the spoiler.

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