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

Ok guys I managed to align the motor and it latches and unlatches now.
The convenience module is an issue. I was driving and I heard some clicking and then my hazards came on. I took the key out at the traffic light and pressed unlock and all worked, central locking, Windows and even the roof up until it gets to the end (fault 7). I got to my parents and started fixing the I latching motor. Fixed it but control module was not working. After a few minutes I tried it and it was working and now it's not.

So guys I need help with dismantling passenger footwell carpet so I can clean the module with contact cleaner. Also need to know what it looks like so pics or video would be great.

I also need the location of the microswitch for the rear deck and procedure on how to get to it.

Thanks guys
 
gary_tfsi_quattro said:
Good luck Matt. See post # 704 above - might be all it is ?
Click to expand...
Hi Gary , thanks for advance I managed to fix the roof in the end and it works really well now ☺️so it was a loose locking motor in the front roof which I tighten and reset the roof manually by putting back and forward twice and started the roof whilst it was in the boot postion ,Luckily it was just a loose locking mechanising rather than a bigger problem like the switches .If I'd checked this before I changed the hydraulic brushes first I would of saved me a few bucks .....You live and learn ...
 
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GeoA4Cab08 said:
Tried the roof again today and.... everything works. I did nothing.

Go figure.
Click to expand...
Hi geo,
You had the same problem I had it sounded like ... I was racking my brain on why the roof wasn't opening and I could hear the motor latch at the front working? So I opened the front locking mechanism by taking the plastic cover carefully and I found the lock (latches)was very loose so I tighten them up checked there was sufficient power going to the motor and there was .... So did the manual reset with the roof twice and started the roof from the boot and the lovely wining sound started and the roof works lovely I hope other people read this and it helps them know where to look if they had the same problems like yours ... Glad it's sorted for you and hope you don't get anymore problems ... Cheers mat
 
Pleased that it's sorted Mat, I wouldn't fret about doing the pump e-motor brushes, it's good preventative maintenance There's a fair old chance that the there may have been a prob there waiting in the wings anyway !
 
Hello,
I went to put the top up and the back lid only opened about 4 inches and stopped. I pushed the switch up like i was opening roof and the lid shut with no issue. I did not notice any lights besides the one showing I was putting the top down-it was not blinking. I shut the car off, let it sit for 1/2 hour started car and the roof closed with no issue. Is this something that just sometimes happens, or should I take it to get it checked? I have a 2009 A4 Cabrio.
TIA
 
Jean B said:
Hello,
I went to put the top up and the back lid only opened about 4 inches and stopped. I pushed the switch up like i was opening roof and the lid shut with no issue. I did not notice any lights besides the one showing I was putting the top down-it was not blinking. I shut the car off, let it sit for 1/2 hour started car and the roof closed with no issue. Is this something that just sometimes happens, or should I take it to get it checked? I have a 2009 A4 Cabrio.
TIA
Click to expand...

Does sound suspiciously like the pump motor starting to play up. They seem to becom e intermittent on their journey to full failure :(
Check out @VagPro 's guide at the beginning of this thread hope to give the motor a new lease of life
 
lo there and first of all i must say what an awesome thread/forum this is 5 years and the thread is still going and active :)

Anyway we have just got an A4 B6 1.8t cabriolet, and you guessed it the roof dosnt work, I used vcds to check for faults and go tthe 02000 - 08 implausable signal, after a few checks i found that to be the rear left locking switch, well to be accurate it was the little plastic rocker that activated the switch that had broken. so a temp repair has been made for now and all checks looks fine. mvb values with roof closed are 11011010 10 1010

now what happens is NOTHING lol, with car started handbrake on in neutral pull the switch to open the roof and the roof light on the dash flashes but nothing happens, no noise no movement nothing. the windows stay still absolulty nothing happens

I know the actual roof switch is fine as it shows open and closed etc in vcds

where do i start, any help willingly received :)
 
oohh things are looking better lol, anyway found an intermittent fault on the drivers door, must be a break in hte door harness wiring as the door goes completely dead some random poking and the door power comes back and the hood now wants to work :) so hopefully when i get a bit of time this week i can rip the door apart and check the loom
 
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Mr. Vagcom.... question for you. I had a look at your website, and found the video's with the common faults on the A4.... to my surprise , the thing that happens on mine is't there :)

Here goes : we'll open the roof from a closed position. I hold the switch throughout the whole proces... roof unlocks, goes up...shell goes up as per normal, roof folds into the compartment and the shell comes down....but....doesn't... lock in place. I hear it go "clunck" on the metal pieces where it would normally go in.

I then lock the shell with the tool, and can drive off... or let's try to close the roof again. Shell unlatches, goes up, roof comes out, shell goes down again and " clunck "...will...not..lock ( stays open about 1-2 inches ). The back of the roof does want to go down on top , but can't and all action stops. From here on I can lock the shell manually, and then have to close the front manually as well.

I did the reset procedure ( full manual opening of the roof, closing the shell... openening the shell , lifting it, take out the roof, close the shell and close the roof in the front. A few times that solved it, but not today.

I scanned the module and got this :

2 faults found :
02000 - switch position
008 - implausible signal - Intermittent
01992 - Convertible Top Compartment Latch Switch ( F293); unlock
008 -implausible signal - Intermittent

Also, upon closing of the roof with the switch, the rear window on the right hand side ( passenger side in Europe, driver side UK ) tries to go up, stops and lowers again. All the other windows close properly.

I can make a video of the whole thing if that would help ?
 
Hello Oscartango,

If you could send me a nice video I can add it to the library :)

The issue you are having is something to do with the micro-switches on the rear locking assembly, I would recommend to check the output of each of the switches on the measuring blocks on VCDS, you probably have one switch that is stuck or not moving state, it may be F293, but do not believe the codes, look at the live data and check them yourself.

At the front of this thread you will find wiring diagrams for the cabriolets.

The issue with the window simply basic settings, disconnect battery for 15 mins and readapt the windows. I cannot remember if the windows have to be open or closed when you disconnect the battery.

Good luck and let me know if you need any other help

Regards
Khurrum VAGPRO
 
Thank you for the quick reply. I'll go out and record what happens...

just thinking a few steps ahead, can you tell me how to get to the rear locking mechanism ? I've been to the dealer , and asked if the switch was available seperatly, but (of course) it wasn't. The whole assembly needs to be exchanged...

EDIT : went into the garage ...and of course everything works properly now :whistle2:
I'm almost hoping I can replicate it in the next few days. This has happened before, all good...few days of not opening the roof and it stuffs up again. Could an old battery be the cause of this ? Asking because the first turnover on start-up is sometimes hesitant.
 
Last edited:
Tried again...no luck. Roof works normally. I Checked the error codes again and this showed up :

00532 Supply Voltage B+
002 Lower Limit Exceeded - Intermittent...

Can I deduct that it could be indeed my battery that is on it's way out ?
I compared the measuring blocks with the link on Ross-Tech and they match up.
 
Oscartango said:
Tried again...no luck. Roof works normally. I Checked the error codes again and this showed up :

00532 Supply Voltage B+
002 Lower Limit Exceeded - Intermittent...

Can I deduct that it could be indeed my battery that is on it's way out ?
I compared the measuring blocks with the link on Ross-Tech and they match up.
Click to expand...


It is a sticking microswitch in one of the locks, compare measuring blocks when it happens again
 
Will certainly do that. Thanks for your quick responses...appreciated :respekt:
 
VagPro,

After taking an age to get around to this job, I have finally had an attempt at fixing my dodgy roof motor this afternoon in the sunshine.

My 2007 A4 Cabriolet has shown the usual symptoms where you press the roof release button and the windows come down part of the way and the roof unlatches itself and lifts up a few inches and then everything stops.

At first you can push the switch the other way and the roof closes again but after maybe two attempts the whole thing just sticks and nothing more will happen, meaning that you then have to close the roof with the manual tool.

I have stripped down the rear of the car and have followed the excellent guide to the letter. The commutator assembly was heavily soiled and is now gleaming copper coloured. There is no other debris in there and the contacts spring back into position as they should do.

The housing was marked with a permanent marker and was repositioned as instructed also.

I have put everything back together and reconnected all plugs and wires.

Upon trying again the exact same problem occurs with the windows going down part way and the roof unlatching and then stopping. As you can imagine I'm rather p155ed off.

As I don't have access to a VAGCOM code reading device, are there any other checks I can do to try and diagnose the problem?

Do I need to disconnect the battery at all to try and reset anything first before retrying the roof?

Any pointers would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

J:)
 
HELP!!!

Looking for some help here and not too great with car electrics! I have a 07 plate 3.O TDI Quatro (B7?) with a low mileage and which I've had from day one. It's in really good condition and not been costing too much in repairs. I really like this car!!

Last year I tried to open the softop and it cracked and then stopped, I could not get anything to happen for ages and then after leaving it for a while it I managed to get it to close and latch using the control. Been OK since until recently when it did the same again and this time having waited for ages and tried numerous times it just remained unlatched. Had to manually latch it and took it to the dealer who has looked after this car since day one. Having plugged it in and stripped it down and gone through the roof mechanism the story is that the "pump is sticking" and although they managed to get it to work it's not recommended that I try to use the softop and they have quoted me well over £2K for a recommended fix which involves a replacement pump! For obvious reasons I don't like that approach.

Looking at this thread I think it might be a sensible alternative at the cost of few hours labour and consumables if I can find an independent garage to do it. Particularly one that specialised is car electrics? Really appreciate any feedback which will help me figure out the best way ahead.

Appreciate the help!

Ian
 
IanDM said:
HELP!!!

Looking for some help here and not too great with car electrics! I have a 07 plate 3.O TDI Quatro (B7?) with a low mileage and which I've had from day one. It's in really good condition and not been costing too much in repairs. I really like this car!!

Last year I tried to open the softop and it cracked and then stopped, I could not get anything to happen for ages and then after leaving it for a while it I managed to get it to close and latch using the control. Been OK since until recently when it did the same again and this time having waited for ages and tried numerous times it just remained unlatched. Had to manually latch it and took it to the dealer who has looked after this car since day one. Having plugged it in and stripped it down and gone through the roof mechanism the story is that the "pump is sticking" and although they managed to get it to work it's not recommended that I try to use the softop and they have quoted me well over £2K for a recommended fix which involves a replacement pump! For obvious reasons I don't like that approach.

Looking at this thread I think it might be a sensible alternative at the cost of few hours labour and consumables if I can find an independent garage to do it. Particularly one that specialised is car electrics? Really appreciate any feedback which will help me figure out the best way ahead.

Appreciate the help!

Ian
Click to expand...
Not read the twenty pages but for your issue, can't you just sorce a used pump from scrappers to replace your faulty pump?
 
Moorzy. Firstly thanks a lot for getting back. Sorry I could have been clearer, pages 1 and 2 appear to give a solution to the "sticking Pump" problem which involves a very minor repair to the existing Pump motor and I think the symptoms are pretty much the same as Audi have indicated I have. I don't know much about these things and I was looking for any thoughts or experience that could help me decide if this was a good way to go.
 
I've carried out the fix a number of times now, has worked every time but the problem keeps recurring because of the sub standard carbon brushes used by Audi. Even a new pump at £175 (ish - takes a hour to fit - where do they get £2k from!!!) will only have a limited lifespan. Khurrum (Vagpro) offers a brush upgrade kit which I've just gone for. He's a top guy, if I was you I'd get in touch with him and discuss options.
 
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Stevie thanks for getting back.

The local dealer wanted just short of £2.5 K to replace the "sticking pump" I was laughing way too much to take too much notice of how they worked it out.

Anyway I've already been in touch with Khurrum who is an absolute star and I'll get a new pump from him, it may have the design flaw but given the length of time the original has lasted and that I expect to replace this car in the next couple of years it should not be a problem. In fact was it not for the 700 mile round trip I've have taken the car to Khurrum who was happy to fit a reconditioned unit for an extremely attractive price!

My problem is that although going by the instructions I've been given, this repair for most people on this board may be pretty simple it's beyond my capabilities so I need to find a garage to do it, but obviously not the Audi dealer!!!!!! Given you have done this a few times can, I expect to give any reasonable garage the instructions and the motor to fit and they will have what it takes to do the job competently or do I need to look at an auto electrician or anyone with any kind of specialist knowledge or equipment? I sense not but thought it best to ask just in case!

REALLY Appreciate the response you have given here and any guidance you can offer.

If anyone reading this knows of a garage in the NE of Scotland they can recommend that would be really great!

Thanks

Ian
 
Khurrum might be able to supply you with a reconditioned pump with his new design of brushes, personally I'd take that over a new one if one's available.

Any competent mechanic could fit the new part, the hardest and most time consuming part of the process is removing and refitting the boot trim pieces, this guide should make it very easy for them.

I'm not a mechanic and can do it start to finish, including removing the motor and cleaning the brushes, in about an hour. A straight swap of the motor would be even quicker. Mind you I'm now probably approaching expert level on this particular job!
 
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Hi khurrum i was just reading these posts, you are helping everyone with roof problems, I have a an audi a4 2006, its doing the same thing, it opens up a little bit and it wont go down, I assumed that its the motor its self and bought a reconditioned motor from roof motors.co.uk I just got it today and im gonna try to fit it on tomorrow, I hope it works, I'm too late to read this thread now, I could have fixed it my self like you mentioned, I didnt check the power coming to the motor aswell, anyway well see how it goes, if it didnt work please guide me if you can. thanks
 
Hi khurrum i was just reading these posts, you are helping everyone with roof problems, I have a an audi a4 2006, its doing the same thing, it opens up a little bit and it wont go down, I assumed that its the motor its self and bought a reconditioned motor from roof motors.co.uk I just got it today and im gonna try to fit it on tomorrow, I hope it works, I'm too late to read this thread now, I could have fixed it my self like you mentioned, I didnt check the power coming to the motor aswell, anyway well see how it goes, if it didnt work please guide me if you can. thanks
 
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We have an A4 cabriolet 2009 and our roof just unlocks and opens couple of inches. Is there anyone in the North Wales area that can look into this problem and won't rip us off?
 
I worked with VAGPRO's tutorial, as well as Ross-Tech's cables and software, but didn't have any luck. I cleaned the commutator, played with the brushes, assembled, disassembled, tested each of the switches. No joy.

But then I put on my old-man magnifying glasses and looked at the brushes really closely. I thought I had addressed the spring-iness issue, but as it turns out, one was still a little stuck. Just a little.

To help you understand how close it was, here are two pictures, one where it wasn't quite touching, and then another after I pried open the sleeve just a little bit more and pulled the brush back (careful not to break the wire though) and let it snap back in place a few times.

Once the sleeve was loosened enough to let the brush slide freely, the motor worked, the hydraulics did their thing, and my roof was FINALLY opening and closing again!

Hope these images help someone else.

(BTW - a few light taps on the end of the case with a rubber mallet (not metal hammer!) were needed to seat the case back over the motor before I could tighten it all back together.)

Before:
motor-open.jpg


And after:

motor-tight.jpg
 
thanks for the excellent move by move instructions on how to remove clean up and replace the hydraulic pump for my a4 cabriolet. Without your tutorial I would have been at a loss as to how to fix this. I found it quite an easy fix but as you say the brushes look really poor quality and I doubt that the clean up will last to the end of the summer so will be in touch with you regarding either an exchange unit or having my unit upgraded with replacement brushes. I cannot see how Audi can come up with the crazy prices to supply and fit this pump which for me was less than an hour so should be a simple task for them or maybe I was just lucky!!!
 
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Hi everyone

I'm having similar issues with the roof on my 08 a4. Roof had been working fine until 2 days ago when I tried to lower it and I am getting a message on the dash saying 'soft top can't be used', also the soft top warning light flashes 10 times. Unlike others my windows and roof don't move at all. I've taken my car today to my local garage and they have kindly hooked it up to the machine for me, the error code is 02023 Terminal 87 implausible signal. Could this be the motor as well? Should I try to clean as per page 1 of this thread?
My concern is taking it to the garage and being stung for an expensive repair. The storage box in the boot doesn't appear to be working properly either, does not raise or lower correctly with the lever, I think the cables have come away from the winding mechanism, could this cause the fault.

So many questions! I hope someone may be able to find my some answers.

Thank you in advance.
 
Dear Experts

I have an Audi A4 Cab 2002 - the roof stopped working so I tried the manual reset with no luck so I asked a friend with a diagnostic machine to check the problem but unfortunately no signal is being sent to the diagnostic machine to even let me know what the problem is, there is no light on the dashboard for the roof and no sound of any kind from the open/close button so I'm guessing a new motor is required? I have read with interest all the expert tips above but I am not a mechanic and fear I would do more damage than good if I even attempted to try it myself! Therefore, what I'm after is a recommendation from you for someone in my area who could do this type of repair at a reasonable price, perhaps with a used part to keep the cost down? I live in Grays, Essex, postcode RM16 2 if you can help?

Thanks in advance for any replies, this is my first post, hope I did it right!
 
tc-audi said:
I worked with VAGPRO's tutorial, as well as Ross-Tech's cables and software, but didn't have any luck. I cleaned the commutator, played with the brushes, assembled, disassembled, tested each of the switches. No joy.

But then I put on my old-man magnifying glasses and looked at the brushes really closely. I thought I had addressed the spring-iness issue, but as it turns out, one was still a little stuck. Just a little.

To help you understand how close it was, here are two pictures, one where it wasn't quite touching, and then another after I pried open the sleeve just a little bit more and pulled the brush back (careful not to break the wire though) and let it snap back in place a few times.

Once the sleeve was loosened enough to let the brush slide freely, the motor worked, the hydraulics did their thing, and my roof was FINALLY opening and closing again!

Hope these images help someone else.

(BTW - a few light taps on the end of the case with a rubber mallet (not metal hammer!) were needed to seat the case back over the motor before I could tighten it all back together.)

Before:
motor-open.jpg


And after:

motor-tight.jpg
Click to expand...

Hi,

Good stuff, bear in mind the root cause of the brushes getting stuck is that they crack and get tight in the carriers

You can't carry on opening the carriers out, but best way to eliminate the issue is to replace the culprit
 
Nicola913 said:
Hi everyone

I'm having similar issues with the roof on my 08 a4. Roof had been working fine until 2 days ago when I tried to lower it and I am getting a message on the dash saying 'soft top can't be used', also the soft top warning light flashes 10 times. Unlike others my windows and roof don't move at all. I've taken my car today to my local garage and they have kindly hooked it up to the machine for me, the error code is 02023 Terminal 87 implausible signal. Could this be the motor as well? Should I try to clean as per page 1 of this thread?
My concern is taking it to the garage and being stung for an expensive repair. The storage box in the boot doesn't appear to be working properly either, does not raise or lower correctly with the lever, I think the cables have come away from the winding mechanism, could this cause the fault.

So many questions! I hope someone may be able to find my some answers.

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

Apologies for delay

Terminal 87 is down to your Central Convenience controller

Have you got the issue resolved? If not, let me know and I can work through it with you

Ring me if stuck, number on my website or Facebook page
 
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JoJoGrays said:
Dear Experts

I have an Audi A4 Cab 2002 - the roof stopped working so I tried the manual reset with no luck so I asked a friend with a diagnostic machine to check the problem but unfortunately no signal is being sent to the diagnostic machine to even let me know what the problem is, there is no light on the dashboard for the roof and no sound of any kind from the open/close button so I'm guessing a new motor is required? I have read with interest all the expert tips above but I am not a mechanic and fear I would do more damage than good if I even attempted to try it myself! Therefore, what I'm after is a recommendation from you for someone in my area who could do this type of repair at a reasonable price, perhaps with a used part to keep the cost down? I live in Grays, Essex, postcode RM16 2 if you can help?

Thanks in advance for any replies, this is my first post, hope I did it right!
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay !

Have you got your issue sorted? Questions

What software did he use to diagnose the car

Did he test if the K line buses are communicating ?

Have you checked the power to the roof controller?

If you're stuck give me a ring and I will direct you further (if I don't answer drop me a text )
 
Thanks for replying VagPro

No, I haven't had the problem resolved, just spent the best summer with the hood up :(

I don't know what diagnostics he ran but the thing is dead, there's no sound and no lights/signals so perhaps the motor is broken or a wire has become unattached?

What I need is for someone to take it apart and check it out but I don't know anyone who can do this and I don't want to go to an Audi dealer as I fear this will take hours to fix and therefore be too expensive for me. If anyone knows of anyone in Essex that knows what they're doing with these Audi hoods/motors I'd be pleased to hear it.

JoJo
 
VagPro said:
Apologies for delay

Terminal 87 is down to your Central Convenience controller

Have you got the issue resolved? If not, let me know and I can work through it with you

Ring me if stuck, number on my website or Facebook page
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks so much for the response. Problem with the roof is still not resolved so any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Does it need a replacement 'Central Convenience Controller?'
 
Hi there,

Like many, I had the problem with my roof unlatching, raising a inch or two at the front and then stopping.
I tried this excellent guide, and still no joy-the bushes looked to be a bit knackered and cracked to be fair. So I sent my motor off to the guy on eBay. Motor came back quickly, I fitted the 'new' motor, and now it seems completely dead. When I press the switch to raise the roof, there is no sound, no unlatching and no movement at all. I do get the hood warning light on the dash though. Have raised and lowered the roof manually a couple of times without success, and have checked the 30amp fuse.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Many thank's in advance.
 
Jamieyzfr1 said:
Hi there,

Like many, I had the problem with my roof unlatching, raising a inch or two at the front and then stopping.
I tried this excellent guide, and still no joy-the bushes looked to be a bit knackered and cracked to be fair. So I sent my motor off to the guy on eBay. Motor came back quickly, I fitted the 'new' motor, and now it seems completely dead. When I press the switch to raise the roof, there is no sound, no unlatching and no movement at all. I do get the hood warning light on the dash though. Have raised and lowered the roof manually a couple of times without success, and have checked the 30amp fuse.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Many thank's in advance.
Click to expand...

Hello

When you say warning light, does the roof light flash ten times, or do you get a warning saying roof not secure?

Test the motor off the hydraulic pump with 12v

Next step is to check it with VCDS.
 
JoJoGrays said:
Thanks for replying VagPro

No, I haven't had the problem resolved, just spent the best summer with the hood up :(

I don't know what diagnostics he ran but the thing is dead, there's no sound and no lights/signals so perhaps the motor is broken or a wire has become unattached?

What I need is for someone to take it apart and check it out but I don't know anyone who can do this and I don't want to go to an Audi dealer as I fear this will take hours to fix and therefore be too expensive for me. If anyone knows of anyone in Essex that knows what they're doing with these Audi hoods/motors I'd be pleased to hear it.

JoJo
Click to expand...

Hi

I have stopped doing callouts in your area this year, but if you fancy bringing it to Leicester on an evening or weekend I can sort it for you

Give me a ring or contact me via my website

Personally given the fact its a B6, I do not think its the hydraulic pump/ motor, unless its been changed in the past.

Regards
Khurrum
 
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