Audi A4 Cabriolet Soft Top/ Roof / Hood Motor Repair Guide

VagPro said:
Did you mark the housing before you took it off, making sure it goes back the right way?
Click to expand...

Thanks VagPro, I've been putting up with an intermittent roof opening/closing for 6 months until I came across your very clear instructions/photos re cleaning Motor Commutator etc. In fact hardest part was replacing the side panel and alligning the grommet holes etc.

Thanks again
 
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VagPro said:
Did you mark the housing before you took it off, making sure it goes back the right way?
Click to expand...

Hi , yes housing marked up , noticed today when taken manually down it will raise on auto an inch then stop also same as front,motor still audible at rear
 
pez5918 said:
Hi , yes housing marked up , noticed today when taken manually down it will raise on auto an inch then stop also same as front,motor still audible at rear
Click to expand...

Hmm that's interesting, was the motor audible before you cleaned the commutator ?

what fault codes are you getting ?
 
Ok, so in my rush, I skipped the brush prying and spring action check. So, I get the roof working and I think life is great. Just saved $650 from Audi of Tysons, VA. They quoted new motor. This after passing the 50K and 48 months by 2 mos. and 100 miles. They offered $100 off the new motor and nothing on labor.

Long story short, the motor worked great for 3 weeks, and then fail. Repeated the cleaning (used rubbing alcohol too) and nothing. Checked the brushes, and I am sitting pretty.

Now if I could only find a cheap VAG COM cable for my 09 a4 cab. Any ideas? Love to be able to write so I can activate my AUX on the symphony II+.
 
nedfp said:
Ok, so in my rush, I skipped the brush prying and spring action check. So, I get the roof working and I think life is great. Just saved $650 from Audi of Tysons, VA. They quoted new motor. This after passing the 50K and 48 months by 2 mos. and 100 miles. They offered $100 off the new motor and nothing on labor.

Long story short, the motor worked great for 3 weeks, and then fail. Repeated the cleaning (used rubbing alcohol too) and nothing. Checked the brushes, and I am sitting pretty.

Now if I could only find a cheap VAG COM cable for my 09 a4 cab. Any ideas? Love to be able to write so I can activate my AUX on the symphony II+.
Click to expand...

you are "sitting pretty" ? Is the roof not working ? Make sure the brushes are making contact with the commutator. You HAVE to pry open the brush carriers

vagcom cables eBay or NHN on the forum
 
VagPro said:
Hmm that's interesting, was the motor audible before you cleaned the commutator ?

what fault codes are you getting ?
Click to expand...

No the motor was inaudible till a good clean , now audible and will raise the rear in auto to close but stops after an inch , I'm thinking maybe hydraulics ? Not got fault codes as yet as no cable etc , trying to obtain one or take a trip to local garage
 
Sitting pretty = the roof operates as expected. The issue has been resolved. The point of the reply was to stress that in my haste to complete the cleaning, I did not check the brushes. It was the culprit. I am admitting to my stupidity so that others may learn that the brush checking is vital to the DIY.

I am do wonder if I should have added a lubricant to the brushes though.

A friend who lives next door, who is a chemist for Mobil, gave me some "product" (red lithium grease) for the top of the spindle as suggested. Also allowed we to sample some M1 0w-40 for my next oil change. Shame, I just did my first extraction last weekend (mityvac 7201) and refilled with Rotella T6 5w-40. Off topic - I know.

I did get a cheap K+CAN cable from ebay. Can't verify it works as VAG Commander and VCDS do not recognize it. I guess I need to do more research/buy another. I bought a Bluetooth elm-327 reader that works great, just can't write.
 
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Managed to aquire a Bluetooth code reader thingy which is reading no faults , I know it works because its picking up one on the wife's A3 so still stuck
 
Ended up getting a true Ross-Tech VAG COM scan. Had 2 codes for the roof cleared:

02000 - Switch Position
008 - Implausible Signal

Went on 40 mile top down cruise in sunny 85 degree weather. The joy of owning a Cabriolet!

Aux is now work - I'll post the wiki.
 
nedfp said:
Ended up getting a true Ross-Tech VAG COM scan. Had 2 codes for the roof cleared:

02000 - Switch Position
008 - Implausible Signal

Went on 40 mile top down cruise in sunny 85 degree weather. The joy of owning a Cabriolet!

Aux is now work - I'll post the wiki.
Click to expand...

happy days, don't worry about those codes they won't come back as they get generated after manual operation
 
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pez5918 said:
Managed to aquire a Bluetooth code reader thingy which is reading no faults , I know it works because its picking up one on the wife's A3 so still stuck
Click to expand...

No codes..... Hmmmm can you access the roof module from your code reader ? Is it using the same protocol as vcds or is it a generic obd2 reader ?

Is your wife's a3 a cabriolet ? And can you acess the roof module using your reader ?
 
VagPro said:
No codes..... Hmmmm can you access the roof module from your code reader ? Is it using the same protocol as vcds or is it a generic obd2 reader ?

Is your wife's a3 a cabriolet ? And can you acess the roof module using your reader ?
Click to expand...

Its a generic obd2 reader , the wife's is not a cabriolet , going to have another play , how you fixed Fri for a visit lol
 
pez5918 said:
Its a generic obd2 reader , the wife's is not a cabriolet , going to have another play , how you fixed Fri for a visit lol
Click to expand...

Think ill pay you that visit before I tear the rest of my hair out , how you fixed wed eve ?
 
Would just like to say a massive thankyou to VAGPRO for the assistance , roof is now in perfect working order , and the trip to Leicester well worth it lol .

VagPro said:
Perfect lets do it, phone number on my facebook page

Facebook.com/vprouk
Click to expand...
 
olbyrne said:
Thanks VagPro, I've been putting up with an intermittent roof opening/closing for 6 months until I came across your very clear instructions/photos re cleaning Motor Commutator etc. In fact hardest part was replacing the side panel and alligning the grommet holes etc.

Thanks again
Click to expand...


Hi VagPro, After cleaning the Commutator etc as per your instructions the roof worked fine for a couple of weeks and then same issue as before ie roof raises an inch and stops. I cleaned the Commutator again and all works fine again though I suspect one of the brushes does not spring back as easily as the other brush.
Any suggestions on how to loosen a brush to enable it to make contact with the Commutator on its own accord?

Thanks again

Ol
 
olbyrne said:
Hi VagPro, After cleaning the Commutator etc as per your instructions the roof worked fine for a couple of weeks and then same issue as before ie roof raises an inch and stops. I cleaned the Commutator again and all works fine again though I suspect one of the brushes does not spring back as easily as the other brush.
Any suggestions on how to loosen a brush to enable it to make contact with the Commutator on its own accord?

Thanks again

Ol
Click to expand...

Hi Ol,

Definitely got to be sticking brushes, you need to pry open the carriers to free them up. (Be gentle)
 
VAG PRO -- Bristol Audi quoted £2,600 for a new hydraulic motor after reviewing my intermittently working roof. Other dealers said the problem was more likely the motor and quoted £370-£400. Following your excellent instructions the roof has now been working perfectly for 2 months. I think sticking brushes was the main fault and easing open the holders was probably made the difference. Thanks for saving me £2,600 and beware main dealers!
 
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Hi VagPro,
Thanks for this guide, the motor was originally not making any sound when I came across this comprehensive repair procedure.
Having followed the procedure the roof unlatches and I can NOW hear the motor but roof still fails to move any further.
This appears to be the same issue as that experienced by pez5918 above. Is there a quick fix for this, I have access to vcds.
Thanks
Regards
 
27mart said:
Hi VagPro,
Thanks for this guide, the motor was originally not making any sound when I came across this comprehensive repair procedure.
Having followed the procedure the roof unlatches and I can NOW hear the motor but roof still fails to move any further.
This appears to be the same issue as that experienced by pez5918 above. Is there a quick fix for this, I have access to vcds.
Thanks
Regards
Click to expand...

Hello,

Did you mark the rotor bell housing when you took it off and are sure you have put it on the same way?
 
Hi. Erm I did not mark the housing cover. It can only be mounted in two positions in order for the bolt holes to line up. Do you think turning the housing cover 180 degrees will make a difference then?
 
27mart said:
Hi. Erm I did not mark the housing cover. It can only be mounted in two positions in order for the bolt holes to line up. Do you think turning the housing cover 180 degrees will make a difference then?
Click to expand...

I know turning the cover 180 degrees will make a very BIG difference :)
 
Ok I will try that later. Thanks for the prompt reply by the way. Cheers
 
Top marks vagpro. I have rotated the motor housing as suggested. Roof now operates up n down. Many thanks for this guide. :D
 
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Hi
I too have probs with my roof and today booked it in at Audi they said maybe pump and cost £1800 for pump?.. My car is 2007 a4 may I ask as I also live in Leicester if you could probably check it for me happy to pay you. They charge £98 to diagnose and know its rip off place. Many thanks Kerry
 
Kjm2304 said:
Hi
I too have probs with my roof and today booked it in at Audi they said maybe pump and cost £1800 for pump?.. My car is 2007 a4 may I ask as I also live in Leicester if you could probably check it for me happy to pay you. They charge £98 to diagnose and know its rip off place. Many thanks Kerry
Click to expand...

Hi Kerry. Responded to your pm. Regards
 
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Hi All,

I have the same problem as most of you however I have cleaned the motor as above and still have issues.

mine started when I took my roof down and my battery then died on my car (long period standing still) I managed to fit a new battery but my roof would then not come back up so I manually bought it up. What I did forget to do was lock the hood cover down and just fastened the front roof clips. Only on driving did I notice the noise and then locked the cover down.

now I can retract the roof no problem but when I try and bring it up nothing happens period. Roof does not unclip, roof cover does not unclip and no noise from my motor.

I've not checked any codes as of yet as I don't have access to the software.

im going insane with this car as not only has this happened but my tcm has just started playing up....!

thanks in advance for any help
 
Smithk77 said:
Hi All,

I have the same problem as most of you however I have cleaned the motor as above and still have issues.

mine started when I took my roof down and my battery then died on my car (long period standing still) I managed to fit a new battery but my roof would then not come back up so I manually bought it up. What I did forget to do was lock the hood cover down and just fastened the front roof clips. Only on driving did I notice the noise and then locked the cover down.

now I can retract the roof no problem but when I try and bring it up nothing happens period. Roof does not unclip, roof cover does not unclip and no noise from my motor.

I've not checked any codes as of yet as I don't have access to the software.

im going insane with this car as not only has this happened but my tcm has just started playing up....!

thanks in advance for any help
Click to expand...

Hi Smith,

When you cleaned the commutator on the motor, did you check the brushes if they are moving freely? Also did you pry open the brush carriers ?

In regards to the problem you have now, I think you already know that you need to get access to a VCDS cable and take it from there. Let me know when you have the fault codes...
 
VagPro said:
Hi Smith,

When you cleaned the commutator on the motor, did you check the brushes if they are moving freely? Also did you pry open the brush carriers ?

In regards to the problem you have now, I think you already know that you need to get access to a VCDS cable and take it from there. Let me know when you have the fault codes...
Click to expand...

Hi vagpro,

yeah I pried open and done everything exactly as stated. Gotta get my car serviced so may ask them to check and give me the codes.

I'm thinking of buying the cables from eBay for future help. My car is a 56 plate 2.0 fsi auto. What do I need to ensure the cables can do so it supports my car?

cheers,

kieren
 
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VagPro you are indeed a PRO at this and thanks for posting all this information up. Hopefully you can help me out with my 2007 Cabrio roof issue. My daughter had my car while I was away on vacation. She put the roof down and it wouldn't go back up. The lid would unlatch and that was all it would do. She went online and found out how to manually close it. When I got home the roof would unlatch and that was all. The motor was not running. I took it out and cleaned the armature and made sure the brushes were free. The motor works fine now. The roof only unlatches when open or closed. When closed it opens up just beyond the latches. The motor can be heard running and the second bar back starts pushing downwards towards the car instead of the front going upwards. I have cycled the roof manually open and closed with the key on to reset the switches. It still does the same thing. The roof indicator light flashes 10 times when the key is turned on. Do you know what this means? I do not have a VagCom setup. My nearest dealer is 15 miles from me and not liked very much by the average person because they raise the prices on parts over the MSRP of Audi. I wish you were 10 miles from me instead of my living across the pond in the US.
Jim
 
jimrob said:
VagPro you are indeed a PRO at this and thanks for posting all this information up. Hopefully you can help me out with my 2007 Cabrio roof issue. My daughter had my car while I was away on vacation. She put the roof down and it wouldn't go back up. The lid would unlatch and that was all it would do. She went online and found out how to manually close it. When I got home the roof would unlatch and that was all. The motor was not running. I took it out and cleaned the armature and made sure the brushes were free. The motor works fine now. The roof only unlatches when open or closed. When closed it opens up just beyond the latches. The motor can be heard running and the second bar back starts pushing downwards towards the car instead of the front going upwards. I have cycled the roof manually open and closed with the key on to reset the switches. It still does the same thing. The roof indicator light flashes 10 times when the key is turned on. Do you know what this means? I do not have a VagCom setup. My nearest dealer is 15 miles from me and not liked very much by the average person because they raise the prices on parts over the MSRP of Audi. I wish you were 10 miles from me instead of my living across the pond in the US.
Jim
Click to expand...

Hello Jim,

Thanks for the very informative post, always helps when I have all the information. Sir, you have got the rotor bell housing on 180 degrees out, did you mark it before you took it off?

Regards
 
Smithk77 said:
Hi vagpro,

yeah I pried open and done everything exactly as stated. Gotta get my car serviced so may ask them to check and give me the codes.

I'm thinking of buying the cables from eBay for future help. My car is a 56 plate 2.0 fsi auto. What do I need to ensure the cables can do so it supports my car?

cheers,

kieren
Click to expand...

Hi Kieren, not sure as I have the tulle version. but you can pm NHN on this forum as he's a retailer and will be able to shine some light on it.
 
VagPro said:
Hello Jim,

Thanks for the very informative post, always helps when I have all the information. Sir, you have got the rotor bell housing on 180 degrees out, did you mark it before you took it off?

Regards
Click to expand...

I did not mark the bell when I removed it. I'm heading out right now to switch it around. I will post what happens afterwards.

Thanks,
 
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