Technical New 500C: Roof won't close!

[Simple Man]

Hi everyone. I picked up my new 500C this Tuesday. It's not really season for driving with the top down yet, but I wanted to try it anyway just to see what it was like.
Problem is, once the roof is in fully opened position, it won't close again. It slides up to the "spoiler position" just above the rear window, but then it stops and slides back down into fully open position.
I eventually managed to get it closed without making use of the emergency tool after struggling with the buttons operating the roof for 5-10 minutes.

I took it back to the dealer yesterday, but since the 500C just hit the market in my country this March, they don't yet have the knowledge or resources to do anything about it.
They told me they would call me back when they have undertaken a course sometime soon. Until then I'm not supposed to fully open the roof.

Has anybody else experienced this or know what the problem might be? Is there anything I can do about it myself?

 

[Midlife Crisis]

I haven't experienced this with mine and can't give you any ideas but hope someone with more technical knowledge might come along with some help or suggestions. Trouble is I imagine now you have finally got the roof up you are anxious about having another go incase it gets permanently stuck down.

Seems mad that the dealer cannot help and you have to wait for them to go on a course I would be pretty fed up as well if that was all they can suggest. If it were me I might try calling Fiat Head Office if there is one in your country. Otherwise I suppose you could try the one in the UK and see if they can point you in the right direction.

Really hope someone can help - very frustrating for you.

 

[PandaLounge]

Hi

Its interesting that you should write this thread. When I first had my C I seemed to be pressing the down button when I wanted the up button and to great amusement to my partner the roof would seem to go up, then down, then up and then down.

I just thought that it was my Homer Simpson sized fingers and my apparent older age that gave me the problems with recognising the correct button to press.

This happened a few more times and I began to doubt that even my level of clumsiness could really be at fault. In actual fact when the roof was fully retracted and then brought to the spoiler position as if to close it completely, pressing the close button opened the roof again!

I'm not sure whether this is a fault, but it hasn't happened the last few times.
As the mechanism (but not the buttons) are the same as the glass electric roof I wonder if anyone else has had their roof refuse to close??

As I say though mine hasn't done it for a while and I have my roof down most of the time so may be its ironed out its niggles?

Steve

 

[Simple Man]

I think that was what happened to me as well. I was getting pretty desperate and tried both buttons, and it eventually came up to spoiler position and maintained the position after I pressed the open button. I don't remember if it was the open or close button that then finally closed the roof.

I'm guessing it is a fault if Midlife Crisis doesn't have the same problem? But he's right that I'm pretty anxious about opening it now. It's foggy and overcast today. The interior would get wet if the roof gets stuck open again. But I might try it on a clear day, and this time pay attention to which buttons does what. It may be a matter of just pressing the open and close button in the right order.

 

[Cucciolotto]

This is more than baffling to be told to wait for them to go on a course! What a joke!

I wouldn't care if the car had been released an hour ago, the supposed course had to be done before. This is not really client orientated, unless it is just an excuse to hide their incompetence on the subject.
Until then, follow Midlife Crisis's advice and try yourself the customer service.
Good luck!

 

[Simple Man]

This is more than baffling to be told to wait for them to go on a course! What a joke!

I wouldn't care if the car had been released an hour ago, the supposed course had to be done before. This is not really client orientated, unless it is just an excuse to hide their incompetence on the subject.
Until then, follow Midlife Crisis's advice and try yourself the customer service.
Good luck!

Well, they did hook the car up to a computer and tried diagnosing the problem. They ran an initializing program which made it work... but only while the car was connected to the computer.
They just couldn't do anything else about it at that time.

I may try Midlife Crisis' advice if I don't hear anything from dealer soon. I'm not in a rush right now though. Even if I could operate the roof, it doesn't seem like the weather would allow it until sometime in next week at earliest, so I might as well wait and see if I hear from the dealer.

 

[Anniebee]

Has happened on mine once - I turned the engine off and then on again and voila, all okay again. Not a perfect situation but ok

 

[Cucciolotto]

Well, they did hook the car up to a computer and tried diagnosing the problem. They ran an initializing program which made it work... but only while the car was connected to the computer.
They just couldn't do anything else about it at that time.

That's a bit different then.
Only you can appreciate how much they tried (or not). Again good luck mate.

 

[Simple Man]

Thanks.
I just went out and tried using the open button. It got stuck in spoiler position but it didn't fold back down this time. I then restarted the engine and was able to fully close it.
Still not ideal as the roof is supposed to be operable at speeds up to 37 mph, but at least now I know what to do to get it closed until the issue has been properly sorted out. Thanks for the advice to all of you.

 

[Ulpian]

It's a software glitch, isn't it.

 

[DraigFlag87]

Can you not open/close the roof by holding lock/unlock on the central locking key fob? Did you try that? Worth a go maybe

 

[123tcpip]

Thanks.
I just went out and tried using the open button. It got stuck in spoiler position but it didn't fold back down this time. I then restarted the engine and was able to fully close it.
Still not ideal as the roof is supposed to be operable at speeds up to 37 mph, but at least now I know what to do to get it closed until the issue has been properly sorted out. Thanks for the advice to all of you.

I picked up my 500c yesterday and found out you can't close the roof if your driving down the motorway and slowing to 37mph (40mph for me) seems dangerous to me.(What are you supposed to do if it rains?)

I'm assuming this can be changed by the dealer but has enyone had any experience having this lock removed?

Another thing I've noticed is the speedo seems to lag behind the real speed of the car by around 4 seconds. I'm comparing the speed to a dedicated gps and TomTom.
Has anyone else noticed this?

Rob

 

[Sluggy]

I picked up my 500c yesterday and found out you can't close the roof if your driving down the motorway and slowing to 37mph (40mph for me) seems dangerous to me.(What are you supposed to do if it rains?)

I'm assuming this can be changed by the dealer but has enyone had any experience having this lock removed?

Rob

This is the case for any convertible and 37mph is actually quite a high speed for being able to do something with the roof. You usually have to be stood still on most.

Also how can you just have found it out now. Was it not something you asked when buying.

Like any convertible, if it rains, you get wet.

 

[306maxi]

I picked up my 500c yesterday and found out you can't close the roof if your driving down the motorway and slowing to 37mph (40mph for me) seems dangerous to me.(What are you supposed to do if it rains?)

Errrr sorry to be blunt but perhaps use a bit of common sense and either don't drive on the motorway with your roof open when it looks like it's going to rain?

 

[Welshblue]

I've owned 3 convertibles and 37mph is very high to be able to use the roof, my old Megane CC was a reatively new car (07) and the fastest you could go was 15mph but saying that my Smart would go as far as the rear window at any speed but you could take the roof pst the rear window without stopping and getting out.

I do think that the bigger problem is the fact that the dealer as taken your money and doesn't know what they are doing!! If this is a main dealer then this is disgusting, Fiat shouldn't be supplying units to dealers who cant off the after service

 

[T14086]

voltage affects the roofs strategy.

I also note that some dont seem to know how the roof operates, did the salesman explain how to operate the roof...has anyone looked in the manual.

The 500C roof is actually very very reliable aswell as simple in design and setup, most problems i have came across are user error.

 

[Simple Man]

Can you not open/close the roof by holding lock/unlock on the central locking key fob? Did you try that? Worth a go maybe

I just tried that. The roof doesn't close if I use the central locking key. Is it supposed to?

 

[Anniebee]

I just tried that. The roof doesn't close if I use the central locking key. Is it supposed to?

If you have a wee look in the separate manual for the 500c ( it's a small CD cover size fold out) it'll tell you how to do it with the key.

 

[Simple Man]

I did as it's described in the manual, but only the doors locked. The roof stayed in open position.

It also says in the manual that it's not advised to close the roof when the engine is not turned on, but that's not an option with the remote key.
It could be a voltage problem. When I opened the roof today, I wasn't able to get it closed until I turned the engine on.
I might try and see how it works on the road tomorrow.

 

[123tcpip]

I've owned 3 convertibles and 37mph is very high to be able to use the roof, my old Megane CC was a reatively new car (07) and the fastest you could go was 15mph but saying that my Smart would go as far as the rear window at any speed but you could take the roof pst the rear window without stopping and getting out.

I do think that the bigger problem is the fact that the dealer as taken your money and doesn't know what they are doing!! If this is a main dealer then this is disgusting, Fiat shouldn't be supplying units to dealers who cant off the after service

Sorry for not replying soon but been busy.

My Smart Cabrio roof would open and close at any speed, likewise the Mini Cabrio also opens and closes at any speed, likewise my wifes VW Polo...
all have the same roof design as the 500c hence why i'm a tad annoyed.

My audi cabrio with has the traditional flip type roof which acts as a big sail so I can see the logic in this not opening as it would damage the mechanism. Where as it doesn't on the other cars as techincally your only opening and shutting a large window.

I should add I'm not wanting to open with the glass down, just enough to get some air and sun in the car. (as for the person who said don't drive down the motorway with the roof open, I can just imagine your life

I'm looking at asoftware fix for this but as I seem to be the odd 500C owner when i do I guess no one else would be interested.



Rob