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

Thanks for you help I have eased open the carriers but they are still sticking so I will give this a go
will let you know what happens
Cheers
 
Hi Vagpro

Just a post to say thanks so much for the guide. To help others here were my symptoms.

Hood would open and stow away with no issues. When putting the hood back up the storage box lid would raise 1 inch and then stop. We would open the storage lid by hand and then attempt to lift the hood this seemed to free the motor and it would them close electronically, although the system was obviously still pressurized and would not allow us to lift the roof manually. This issue was intermittent.

I followed the guide but did not pry apart the brush holder and was not too happy with one of the brushes. I put everything back together but the hood would not even go down, it would only unlatch from the windscreen. So worse than before.

So back to square one, read another 6 pages of the guide, remove everything again and pry apart the brush holders. Lesson learnt, don't put everything back in place just yet. Tried the hood and she runs lovely. Now it may be my imagination but it seems to run faster too.

One question I do have is that I can't seem to unlatch the cover of the storage compartment manually. Every time I use the key, I can hear it unlock but you can't raise the storage box cover by hand, if the roof is down. It feels like its still being held. Is this due to the system still being pressurized. Should I have the ignition off and wait 10 minutes and then try to lower and raise manually.

Thanks again.

Regards
Rob
 
Rob McConnell said:
Hi Vagpro

Just a post to say thanks so much for the guide. To help others here were my symptoms.

Hood would open and stow away with no issues. When putting the hood back up the storage box lid would raise 1 inch and then stop. We would open the storage lid by hand and then attempt to lift the hood this seemed to free the motor and it would them close electronically, although the system was obviously still pressurized and would not allow us to lift the roof manually. This issue was intermittent.

I followed the guide but did not pry apart the brush holder and was not too happy with one of the brushes. I put everything back together but the hood would not even go down, it would only unlatch from the windscreen. So worse than before.

So back to square one, read another 6 pages of the guide, remove everything again and pry apart the brush holders. Lesson learnt, don't put everything back in place just yet. Tried the hood and she runs lovely. Now it may be my imagination but it seems to run faster too.

One question I do have is that I can't seem to unlatch the cover of the storage compartment manually. Every time I use the key, I can hear it unlock but you can't raise the storage box cover by hand, if the roof is down. It feels like its still being held. Is this due to the system still being pressurized. Should I have the ignition off and wait 10 minutes and then try to lower and raise manually.

Thanks again.

Regards
Rob
Click to expand...
 
To release the pressure in the system so you can raise it manually, turn of the ignition and pull the up / down button for 5 seconds then the pressure releases or just wait for 10 minutes
 
VagPro said:
The spindle with the armature and commutator all come out together from the aluminium casting, you have to press it out in a controlled manner. I have made a tool that bolts to the casting and pushes the spindle out the other end.

I honestly feel there is no need for dismantling the motor, just pry open the carriers.
Click to expand...

It was a big mistake to attempt removing the armature using a press because the bearing stays on the spindle and there is no way it will come off, neither can it be re-assembled because the retainer clip cannot be refitted. However, I did find the reason the brushes where stuck is because the brush had cracked and expanded so it would never move unless taken out so it would seem I will need a new motor regardless.
 
Hi Vagpro

I still have the problem where the storage box lid won't release manually with the key. With the ignition off I use the tool to manually unlatch it from the windscreen, the roof can be lifted and so can the rear window section.

Then I unlock the storage box cover with the manual tool in between the rear seats. I can hear it unlatch but when I go outside the car to lift the cover to stow the hood it won't budge. I even tried to depress the switch that raises and lowers the hood for 5 seconds with the ignition off to depressurise the system. No luck. I have even left it for 10 minutes with the ignition off and it still won't budge.

Luckily the system does not seem to have got out of sync but I did want to go through the process just to make sure. The roof is working well now after your fix.

Any ideas from anyone would be welcome.

Thanks
Rob
 
Hi Rob
I don't quite understand, if it is now working electrically why are you trying to raise it manually?
It sounds as if your not releasing the rear latch fully, it does need a bit of brute force
 
So i had the dreaded problem with this...

windows go down, Roof would raise about an inch from the windscreen, then nothing... can close roof into lock position using button?

Had codes read which brought up - 02000

02000 - Switch Position
02000 - Switch Position: Implausible Signal
Possible Symptoms
  • Automatic Roof not working
Possible Causes
  • Automatic Roof Switch Positions implausible
    • Micro Switch faulty
Possible Solutions
  • Check Micro Switches
    • Check Measuring Value Blocks (MVB)
Special Notes
Have tried the manual reset but need to know a few questions..

a. should i have key in ignition?

b. i unlock roof > rear storage > close into compartment > lock rear storage > open rear storage > pull up roof > lock rear storage > lock roof into windscreen?

Is this correct?

Dave
 
Weverall said:
So i had the dreaded problem with this...

windows go down, Roof would raise about an inch from the windscreen, then nothing... can close roof into lock position using button?

Had codes read which brought up - 02000

02000 - Switch Position
02000 - Switch Position: Implausible Signal
Possible Symptoms
  • Automatic Roof not working
Possible Causes
  • Automatic Roof Switch Positions implausible
    • Micro Switch faulty
Possible Solutions
  • Check Micro Switches
    • Check Measuring Value Blocks (MVB)
Special Notes
Have tried the manual reset but need to know a few questions..

a. should i have key in ignition?

b. i unlock roof > rear storage > close into compartment > lock rear storage > open rear storage > pull up roof > lock rear storage > lock roof into windscreen?

Is this correct?

Dave
Click to expand...

Hello Dave,

Is your fault as per this video ?


If it can open and close as per the video and the vehicle is a B7, chances are it's the hydraulic roof motor. Refer to page 1 of this thread for repair instructions.

Regards
 
VagPro said:
Hello Dave,

Is your fault as per this video ?


If it can open and close as per the video and the vehicle is a B7, chances are it's the hydraulic roof motor. Refer to page 1 of this thread for repair instructions.

Regards
Click to expand...



Yes this is exactly it.,,

Heartbreaking.. Haha
Tbh my confidence in doing the motor clean is not great.. Would need to psyche myself up and make sure I know exactly the plans! Could be a busy day tomorrow.. Off with snow so could sort a lot of things!
 
Hi Dave, as replied to in your original post, and to second vagpro's considered opinion, motor does seem to be the culprit. The motor becoming inoperative doesn't generate a direct fault code - during the top operation cycle just check to see if you have a voltage at the pump motor immediately after the front section of the frame has unlocked and lifted away from the screen frame. Don't forget to ensure the adaptable luggage compartment is lowered and boot lid is closed.......

At least you will be confident that you have identified the faulty component, whether you referb or replace the motor is your option.

Good luck with your quest !
 
Last edited:
So had the day off work, snowed in.. So got the car in the workshop at the farm and had a crack at the refurb option...

And it was a success! The walkthrough guide is a massive help!
Feels like it may have been done before as the Amp & Motor were both missing a single bolt each...

But now I know how to do it it's absolutely easy :)

Couple of struggles.
A. Removing the connection from the 12v socket.. Thought I was defeated before I started haha!

B. putting the side trim back in again flush!!

But Now have a fully functioning roof!! Winning!
 
Hi Weverall
Its a great feeling when you get it all working again isn't it. I must have done mine at least 6 times in 4 years so don't go thinking its a permanent cure, in the end I fitted another new motor from Audi costing £214 it had already been replaced before I bought the car and cost the previous owner £1200 at an Audi dealership. Its an easy job to replace it, just make sure all the fluid drains into the reservoir before dismantling the motor from the hydraulic unit.
Good luck and take care in the snow
 
pondside said:
Hi Weverall
Its a great feeling when you get it all working again isn't it. I must have done mine at least 6 times in 4 years so don't go thinking its a permanent cure, in the end I fitted another new motor from Audi costing £214 it had already been replaced before I bought the car and cost the previous owner £1200 at an Audi dealership. Its an easy job to replace it, just make sure all the fluid drains into the reservoir before dismantling the motor from the hydraulic unit.
Good luck and take care in the snow
Click to expand...

Aye i figured it had been done, but if i have to do mine again5 times in the next 4 year.... id be ok with that, saving me £214 is worth the half hour hassle to do it one morning :)
Need to maybe get it out next time it breaks and get a good proper rub down on the coils,feel i could have cleaned it up better tbh, but it will do for now :)
 
Hey guys, don't know much about Audi's but I'm a bit of a DIY'er when it makes sense and my girlfriend's 2007 A4 Cabriolet has been having a weird issue.

Basically, girlfriend hadn't put the top down in weeks and doesn't recall doing anything goofy with the car before the message (Soft Top Not Secure) popped up. But one day on a hard bump it set off and now it will continually set off (usually on bumps) throughout a drive. I was on my phone and looked up the info for the manual release guy and unlatched/re-latched in the front hoping that would help. Next time started car up, it seemed to be better but after a real big bump about 4 minutes into drive it popped up again and is back in full force. The interesting part is the top actually works fine all the way around and if she puts the top down, the message goes away and everything is fine. But when back up, issues arise. This is the key piece of evidence that makes me feel like it isn't just a "reset" issue but perhaps a pure sensor issue.

I again manually released the front lock and pulled down hard on both side (had friend to help) and relocked. Everything is good until a big bump is hit and the message is set off again. Is this a case of definitely needing codes? I just thought it was interesting the top still functioned fine and the message completely disappears when roof stowed. Makes me think it's gotta be latch issue since it is setoff on bumps.
 
So, I had this same issue for just over a year. Audi SA wanted to charge me R6000 to look for the problem, and an additional R28000 for a replacement motor. I printed the method for the repair as posted by VagPro in the beginning of this thread - worked like a charm!!! Took me 4 hours but save me a lot of money and effort dealing with Audi (they are quite useless here).

Thank you VagPro, you're fantastic!
 

Attachments

  • 1929690_11927869618_8884_n.jpg
    1929690_11927869618_8884_n.jpg
    79.2 KB · Views: 577
Colin Macdonald said:
So, I had this same issue for just over a year. Audi SA wanted to charge me R6000 to look for the problem, and an additional R28000 for a replacement motor. I printed the method for the repair as posted by VagPro in the beginning of this thread - worked like a charm!!! Took me 4 hours but save me a lot of money and effort dealing with Audi (they are quite useless here).

Thank you VagPro, you're fantastic!
Click to expand...

Hi Colin, great you have sorted the motor !

Where abouts are you - I was guessing South Africa, only because of the R currency unit ? If so, the stealers there sure do know how to charge - makes their UK cousins seem a positive bargain :scared2: !!
 
gary_tfsi_quattro said:
Hi Colin, great you have sorted the motor !

Where abouts are you - I was guessing South Africa, only because of the R currency unit ? If so, the stealers there sure do know how to charge - makes their UK cousins seem a positive bargain :scared2: !!
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm in South Africa. It seems it's not only our government that have learned the fine art of daylight robbery!

I love my car and intend to keep it so, was imperative I have the roof sorted. Gonna tackle the next items now: New Nav system (old RNS-E is too far out of date), Upgrade to OEM Xenon's (or at least a retrofit) and a front spoiler (just to update the front end a bit). May even consider a chip.
 
I still do not understand how you release carriers and where you pry to free brushes
 
  • Like
Reactions: VagPro
no no ....wait....I've already doing this instruction and it worked for long time. I've already release the brushes, but they stop...it's seem there is much dust and they are not free to move
 
Wow, this really helped me out, Great guide roof fixed in and hour and a half. :) Thanks so much VagPro!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: VagPro
Wow, 4 years later and 17 pages down, well impressed.. Here's my experience.. Out and about, another sunny day in Australia, roof off, get to shops, can't close the roof, just un-latched at the rear, raised about an inch, that's it... Took it home, closed the roof manually then came on here as I know the internet is the best place for instant information and fixes, read your post and saw same symptoms.. After putting baby to bed, wife tucked away, time was touching midnight it was my time to attack with 9% battery life on phone and limited battery life on my torch.. Made it to the hydraulic pump, gave it a tap and it was all systems go again.. So I knew I had to clean the commuters before putting back together.. All done with in an hour, but run into problems.. After reinstalling the pump back I gave it a try, but I got as far as only the Windows opening then nothing.. So I thought I'd give the pump another inspection, when I noticed while I installed the nut at the back to bolt down the pump, one of the hydraulic tubes got wedged under the nut.. Luckily I didn't tighten too tight so no damage, so there's something other should take note.. But still nothing working.. So I read that maybe I need to do the roof reset... Tried that maybe a dozen times and believe me I'm an expert now and still didn't work.. I was about to give up and while the roof was down I thought I'd just give it a try and I heard the back latches release and the roof started to close, it made it half way then froze.. So back to manually closing.. Then back to square one.. What I notice was that the front latches wasn't working hence while roof closes, the front latches would usually open up half way through the closing process and hook into windscreen section. Now what no one's tells you (even the manual) when opening the roof manually is that once you turn the handle on the front latches, once opening and raising roof, you must re-close the latch, because once you've put the roof inside the rear box, if you didn't close the latch and they are sticking up you will pierce the inside of the lid.. I'll show you in my photo.. I'm guessing everyone who's ever closed there roof manually will have holes inside the rear lid... Anyway it was pushing on 5am and gave up and went to bed...

The next day I went to the shops had a few thing to do.. Then before going to bed I thought I'd having another go at sorting this and flicked the switch and it all worked perfectly.. Don't know how or why, but now working as it should...

So big thanks to you VagPro, love your work...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2015032315947.jpg
    IMG_2015032315947.jpg
    45.1 KB · Views: 588
  • IMG_201503233187.jpg
    IMG_201503233187.jpg
    47.3 KB · Views: 512
  • Like
Reactions: VagPro
I need to replace the pump/motor unit. How do I remove the black hydraulic tubing from the pump? Any advice or a link is appreciated.
 
I need to replace the hydraulic pump/motor unit. How do I remove the black hydraulic tubing from the pump. Any advice or a link is appreciated.
 
Hi, just sign up to your forum, i'm from Quebec, Canada and i've being looking for my issue all over the Audi forum in north america and couldn't found my answer. Now i discover this forum via VAGPRO and i hope he can help me, my problem is that the soft top is not opened by the inside switch but open/close like new with the key on the driver door. I check the switch (E137) with my multimeter (via your wiring diagram page 3/79) and it looks good. Also i check the voltage between pin 3 and 4 and getting 6.5 volts (?). Oh yeah my car is a 2005 a4 B6, cab, v6, quattro.
Excuse my english i'm french from Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Best regards
 
VagPro said:
When you press the roof open button, do the windows go down?

Any messages on the dash when you press the button?
Click to expand...

Hi, my issue's ok now, i was having problem with my ABS module so i didn't have speedometer either then esp, abs and check engine light where lite on the dashboard. After reparation, everything is back to normal.
Best regards

I'm keeping this forum in mind to my next issue
 
JF1957 said:
Hi, my issue's ok now, i was having problem with my ABS module so i didn't have speedometer either then esp, abs and check engine light where lite on the dashboard. After reparation, everything is back to normal.
Best regards

I'm keeping this forum in mind to my next issue
Click to expand...

Out of interest, who repaired your ABS controller?
 
Hi, Could someone help. I have the same roof symptoms in this thread.
I have done the roof motor com clean and brush check but to no success.
I have checked the solenoids on the pump and they all click. I have VAG and the code it gives me is 01986 which is the frame position sensor but when I move it manually and measure the blocks it does what it is supposed to.
The measured blocks read correct when full open and full closed.
The pump does turn and make a good noise.

When you see the roof trying to open the hydraulic rams seam to be pushing the roof down instead of pulling the roof open.
Has someone got a picture or diagram of the hydraulic connections on the pump

I have
pipe numbers connected on the side of the pump in this order

33...........31
11
........32
..............34
13
24...........23
22...........21
12...........14


I have a feeling someone has connected the pipes the wrong way around.
 
Just a suggestion, try putting the roof manually to a halfway open position- front header section of the frame verticals , stowage cover fully open, ( making sure the front header latches fully open - as they will be in normal cycle until about 75% back ) switch on ING and try operation..... Does it move correct way ?

Is the motor rotating in the correct direction ? ( The pump motor changes its direction of rotation through the stages of the cycle ) Just wondering if when the motor is reassembled , if the casing with the magnets in is assembled 180 deg from original position, does this cause the motor to rotate the opposite direction from its original state ??

Hope this might be of some help !

Good luck, Gary
 
  • Like
Reactions: VagPro
steveasap said:
Hi, Could someone help. I have the same roof symptoms in this thread.
I have done the roof motor com clean and brush check but to no success.
I have checked the solenoids on the pump and they all click. I have VAG and the code it gives me is 01986 which is the frame position sensor but when I move it manually and measure the blocks it does what it is supposed to.
The measured blocks read correct when full open and full closed.
The pump does turn and make a good noise.

When you see the roof trying to open the hydraulic rams seam to be pushing the roof down instead of pulling the roof open.
Has someone got a picture or diagram of the hydraulic connections on the pump

I have
pipe numbers connected on the side of the pump in this order

33...........31
11
........32
..............34
13
24...........23
22...........21
12...........14


I have a feeling someone has connected the pipes the wrong way around.
Click to expand...

Hello,

Hose connection diagram below, however this is also stamped on the plate. If the rams are pushing down, are you sure you MARKED the bell housing before you took it off?

A4%20Hydraulic%20Hose%20Diagram.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: gary_a4_quattro
Hi Gary, Many thanks for the suggestion. I did exactly what you said.
I turned the back case containing the magnets 180 degrees and the roof works correctly.
You are a genius.
Looks like someone tried to clean the brushes on the motor and put it back together the wrong way....
VagPro thanks for the pipe diagram you were spot on as well.
Many, many thanks for your help...
 
  • Like
Reactions: gary_a4_quattro and VagPro
Hi, VagPro,

Old Nige' here. You last helped me a couple of years ago when I got an intermittent fault - see #367 and #369 above. That problem resolved itself when I ran into the back of a car at a roundabout - not a repair method I'd recommend!

Everything has been working fine until today when I experienced a different problem. When I pulled back the switch nothing happened at all except that I got the flashing warning light and a dashboard message 'Soft Top Cannot Be Used'. I've tried opening and closing the hood manually and taking the pressure out of the system.

I didn't ever buy a diagnostic device (see our previous posts) so can't look at error messages or clear them. The only good news seems to be that the fault doesn't seem to be intermittent this time.

Presumably if nothing's happening at all it's not going to be a motor problem?

Any advice would be very welcome!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
A4 Cabriolet soft roof problem..
Replies
1
Views
3K
Joe_Murphy21187
Joe_Murphy21187
R
a4 Soft top roof help please.
Replies
9
Views
2K
Mart838
Mart838
E
Audi A4 Soft Top problem
Replies
9
Views
3K
Evans94
E
E
a4 roof motor
Replies
4
Views
1K
Joe_Murphy21187
Joe_Murphy21187
V
Need new soft top electric motor
Replies
6
Views
1K
gary_a4_quattro
gary_a4_quattro
Top
Back