Hello Forums, My name is Peter and I've just acquired a crossfire roadster with a few issues for quite a deal and I'm currently stuck in troubleshooting the issue. Right now, the vertical top will not function at all. Like, when I press the top down button and whatnot it does not work. It basically just gives me that "something is wrong" beep. I've already checked the divider sensor and whatnot and they all check out. Then when I got the car, I was able to put the top down manually using the tools provided, and then when the top was down, I tried raising the top up and same issue. Nothing happened and it started beeping right away. Now, I then tried to put the top back up and it seemed like there was some pressure in the lines and prevented me from being able to pull the top back up all the way. I did a quick search online and found out a way to depressurize the hydraulics and it worked and I'm able to work the top manually. So me and my dad took out the control unit and tried to jump the motor by hooking it up to a battery and I didn't hear the motor turn or work. I just want to know if I troubleshooted this this correctly and if I did, would that mean the motor is bad and I have to get it sent out? Any insight for this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ahead of time

 

Peter,

welcome to the forum, and congrats on your new roadster!

Exactly how did you hook up the pump's motor to a battery? Did you put voltage directly on the two thicker wires going to the pump motor?

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com
http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/5...sler-crossfire

 

Hi Klaus,

That is essentially what we did. My dad had a portable car battery jumper/charger that we used to run voltage through a couple jumper cables to the pump motor (I believe they were the power cables) and either we weren't able to get a good connection (which I kinda doubt, but that's a possibility) or the motor isn't working. Just wanting to see if the motor wasn't working, would the car beep just like how it does if one of the sensors weren't good? Ie the divider isn't up or something.

Peter

 

Peter,

frankly, I don't find it most likely that the motor is the culprit, and that's why I asked right away how you tested it. I don't have any experience with when it starts beeping in the car upon opening or closing the top - let's see what other forum members have to say.

Once all micro switches have been checked, you could check the one connector for the four travel sensors on the left side for a bad connection. If you cannot find the fault on your own or with the help of our fellow forum members, then have someone read the error codes and report back.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

 

Klaus,

So jumping the motor wouldn't make it run on it's own? I have no experience in hydraulic motors and convertible tops and neither does my dad. My dad is a mechanic and he did hook up the OBDII to the car to try and find any error codes but weren't able to locate any. So I'm kinda at a loss right now haha I could try looking at the connectors, as the owner I bought it from had the rear window fall completely out on her and when I did a complete run through of the car after I bought it, I found a pool of water in the tool compartment of the car. I'm unsure if the control board could have been damaged? But even then, I was able to put the spoiler up and down just fine. I'm really lost right now haha. Hopefully some members here can help me with that.

Peter

 

Peter, slow down and be thorough. It is difficult to fix something when you don't know roughly how it works. If the problem on your car was an easy fix, then the PO would have probably taken care of it by paying a cheap mechanic. Now you will have to be smart and thorough, or pay a good mechanic.

Yes, it would. Question is whether it was done correctly. If your dad is sure that he got voltage on both of the two larger wires that go to the pump's electric motor and the electric motor wasn't turning, then there you have at least part of your problem.

Excuse my ignorance - I work with so many brands that I don't recall (without looking it up) which exact scanner Chrysler is using on the Crossfire. In any case, you cannot normally get convertible top codes through OBDII.

The spoiler is independent of the hydraulic system, so a moving spoiler doesn't prove anything.
If you want to test the pump again, then locate the two wires on the relay sockets of the pump that actually supply voltage to the motor. They are one per relay socket. It does not matter which polarity you apply, because the motor turns in both directions. Try it out, and check the hydraulic pump 5142638AAoff the list.

Getting submerged is a problem for any computer and electric motor, or for most electrical connectors. Try to figure out where all there has been standing water, and which parts that would have affected. There are lots of folks on this forum who have had water collecting in the rear, and they would be better qualified than I in telling you what will fail first.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

 

If you don't already have it, perhaps this will help :

 

+1 Emphasis mine. This is why I always ended up writing a four paragraph description of operation every time someone asked a top question.

I like having you here, Klaus - I got tired of helping people and spending tons of hours - for free.
At least YOU have a way of getting paid for SOME of your time.

Carry on!

 

Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert on Crossfires

Just want to note that I had a non-functional top with similar symptoms to yours. It was caused by the hydraulic pump being completely bogged down by accumulated sludge (which likely itself was caused by deterioration of the hydraulic selas in the top's hydraulic system over time). You might want to see if the reservoir fluid appers quite dark (black) as mine did.

 

I think you have lost the basic principle that runs through this forum and that is to help people.
If you get fed up answering questions you should take a rest for a while. We certainly do not want someone to get burnt out, others could answer while you are convalescing.

 

Klaus,

I'll definitely try hooking up the motor up again to try and run voltage through it. We did spend a good amount of time using alligator clips, jumper wires, etc (all sorts of different ways to get voltage to the motor) and each time we did, there was no response from the motor. I might end up removing the motor and try to jump it outside of the car.

As for the spoiler, I believe it tells me the control unit at least isn't completely damaged? As I currently don't have the control unit in that would relay the signals to the convertible top as well as the spoiler. I have recognized that the hydraulic system and spoiler are independent of each other, but also at the same time, I was unsure as what the issues were, could have been the control board, motor, sensors, etc. So I was just going through the process of elimination.

The only place it had standing water was where I had mentioned, which was under the floor mats of the trunk. I'm sure water had leaked through the hole where the convertible top had latched into the body of the water. But it didn't seem like there was any sign of water in the hydraulic pump/control board area. I will double check to make sure though.

 

Quick update on the convertible top issue, if there is still help available to me.

I removed the convertible top motor yesterday from the wheel well and identified the power cable that connects to the PTCM and tried to jump it. No success. However, I went a little farther and went down to where the relays were located, removed those and applied power DIRECTLY to the motor and...guess what? It ran! So I am assuming that I have eliminated the motor not running issue. Next, I checked the relays to see if they were functioning correctly. I applied 11.5 volts to the relays and measured the voltage coming out of the other tabs and it seems like it was switching as it should (as well as hearing a mechanical "click"). So everything seems normal two steps out of the motor. Then from the relays, I believe is where the harness hooks up to the PTCM. I have hooked up the motor to the PTCM and tried to run it outside of the mount but it still has the same symptom. It starts flashing red and beeping at me right when I press the top down button. This is where I am stumped. Like I did say before, there was some water that got into the trunk before and may have damaged the connectors, or worse, the PTCM.

Am I right to assume this?

My brother also said that there could have been a break in one of the wires leading to the PTCM where it got split in the rubber insulation and are far enough apart where it doesn't supply a good current through it. What would be the best course of action to go from here? Should I try running an OBDII through it again? One that can find codes for the convertible top? Should I try cleaning out the connectors (I'm not sure how I'll go about doing this as we can't get into the pins in the connector very easily)? Or maybe I am missing a step somewhere along the way? Any help would be appreciated! I'm getting a little tired of the manual method lol

 

One thing I see missing in this thread is checking the functionality of the "trunk latched" switch.
This switch is a part of the latch assembly, but can be tested at the connector with an ohm meter by manually making the latch close with a big screwdriver shaft.
So, to summarize the sensors :
1. the divider switch.
2. the top latch released switch ( if windows go down when actuated, then it is OK )
3. the 'top ready to move' switch ( above the passenger's right ear )
4. the trunk latched switch.
Hope this helps.

 

Ahhhhh I had read that there was the "trunk latched" switch, but I'm unsure as where that would be located. The sensor would be located where the latch would be, correct? I had manually pushed the latch to the closed position while the trunk lid was still open. Do I need to have something in the latch (IE big screwdriver shaft as you mentioned) to trip that sensor? I didn't know there was a "top ready to move" switch as well, so I will have to check that out today. Thanks for the reply!

 

Also don't forget the switch that's located just about the passenger side window in the top itself. That can also be a cause of this problem.

 

Yea, I listed that one :
3. the 'top ready to move' switch ( above the passenger's right ear )

 

Hello.
Yes another top issue.
After reading much here, I think it's the trunk not
Locked signal.
1. I unlock the top handle and turn , the
Windows go down.
( as soon as the twist lock is opened
The light on the top down switch comes on)
2. I raise the top up about 8 inches or so
3. I never hear any noise from the
Trunk latch.
4. I hear a beep when pressing the top down
Button
5. I have placed Velcro on the divider rod
And switch. I believe the switch is constantly
On due to the Velcro I put there.

Is there a way to bypass that trunk locked
Switch?
Thanks