The Issue of the Divider and Top Open Switches
The Background:
Let's think about what we've done so far. The top is up, we have turned the "D" latch and pushed the top up and away from the windshield frame. In doing so, the 'top open switch' is now relaxed. The divider is up in the trunk and we are about to hit the button to start the pump and get the top moving.
1) If we were to hit the button and the pump starts, the divider better be up, so that we know nothing is in the way of the top as it goes down into the trunk area.
2) And if the pump starts, the top BETTER be released from the windshield frame. If you start the pump with the top still attached to the windshield frame, you will do damage to the system. Cylinders may break, hydraulic lines may burst, or the pump/motor may be overloaded and fail.
The divider and top open switches are there to STOP these bad things from happening.
The divider and top open switches are wired in series. When the top open switch is relaxed, it closes. When the divider is up and pressing on the divider switch, that switch is also closed. With these two switches closed, they provide a ground signal to C1 pin 7 on the PTCM. THIS SIGNAL is what 'tells' the PTCM that it is safe to start the pump.
The Frontground:
Ok, so you turn the "D" latch and push the top up. You hit the button. IF the top open switch and divider switches are both closed, you might think the pump will start. It will. But several things happen first, and they all happen in under two seconds.
If you have turned the "D" handle and pushed the top away from the windshield frame, when you hit the button the first four things below happen in the short time before you hear the bow latch "SNAP" and things start happening:
1) The PTCM checks with the BCM to see if you are driving over 9mph, if you aren't it continues...
2) The PTCM checks with the BCM to see if the spoiler is either in the fully down position OR in the fully extended position, if it is, it continues...
3) The PTCM checks with the BCM to see if the trunk is fully closed, if so, it continues... (The sensor that tells the PTCM if the trunk is fully closed is discussed in post 6.)
4) The PTCM commands an electric lock in the trunk lid to activate (locking the trunk for the duration of the top cycle) and expects to see an indication that it is locked. If it gets that indication, it continues...
5) The pump starts and the bow latch is released, and we are on our way.
But back to the divider and top open switches. What if the divider moves slightly and no longer presses on the switch enough to activate it? Well, the top may stop moving in the middle of it's travel. Or it may keep moving. You see, as the top goes down, after a certain point,
the PTCM ignores the top open and divider switches. Look at the next photo, as the top does down, in the approximate position shown, the PTCM ignores these two switches after this point. (Think about it, there is no reason to keep watching these switches; we KNOW by now the top is unlatched and the divider is up - otherwise we'd not have started the pump.)
There is NO indication the PTCM has started to ignore "the two switches", I had to test and test to see where it no longer mattered. Once the top gets about to THIS point, the PTCM starts to ignore the top open and divider switches:
But What About Putting The Top Up?
So, you are driving along and it starts to rain. You pull over and put the top up. The LAST thing you want, is for the top to refuse to move. The designers thought of this (or at least it seems they did). If the top is down and you hit the button, the PTCM does not look at the top open or divider switches. (Again, there is really no reason to.) As the top rises, when it gets just about to the point shown in the photo above, it DOES start looking at the two switches. IF the PTCM finds that either of the two switches is not closed, it will beep at you - but the top will continue to keep going up. If you stop and try to lower the top, it will beep and refuse to move, but if you THEN press the "UP" part of the button, it will continue to go up. Again, the designers were thinking here.
This is important - if you have a top that won't go down, try putting it down manually (see post 9). Then, try raising it. If it goes UP but not DOWN, it is reasonable to assume the issue is the top open switch OR the divider switch. And we already know that if there is a problem with EITHER of these two switches, it is almost ALWAYS the divider switch.
I Don't Need This Crap - I'm Going To Bypass Those Switches
Many of us have bypassed the divider switch. Yes, we MUST be careful to always make sure the divider is up, or AT LEAST that nothing is in the way of the top.
But I would NEVER bypass the top open switch. Doing so would mean that, if you hit the switch by accident, the top motor MIGHT start - and that is a threat to the entire system, as I described before. DO NOT bypass the top open switch.