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Top Won't Raise

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Old Jul 21, 2020 | 12:42 PM
  #1 (permalink)  
druebel1's Avatar
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From: Florida
Default Top Won't Raise

I recently purchased a 2007 Crossfire and have successfully raised and lowered the top probably less than a dozen times. Today I tried to raise the top and nothing happened other than I heard an intermittent beeping sound coming from the dashboard. I would really appreciate help in fixing this problem.
Thank you,
Dennis
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 02:16 AM
  #2 (permalink)  
Viper-666's Avatar
Joined: Aug 2017
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From: Germany
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Please have a look in the trunk, there is a divider who has to be locked properly in his position. There is a switch what controls this position.
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 08:21 AM
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druebel1's Avatar
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From: Florida
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

HI VIPER,
SINCE I DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT RAISING THE ROOF, COULD YOU PLEASE FURNISH ME WITH PHOTOS OF WHERE THE SWITH IS LOCATED AND HOW TO TURN IT ONE SO THAT IT IS CORRECT AS WELL AS A PICTURE SHOWING ME HOW THE VERTICAL PANEL SHOULD LIKE.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THANKS SO VERY MUCH,
Dennis Ruebel
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 10:29 AM
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ZERACER's Avatar
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From: Orange County CA.
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Watch this video.
https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...operation.html
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 12:17 PM
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KeithTexas's Avatar
Joined: Jun 2017
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From: Austin
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Originally Posted by druebel1
I recently purchased a 2007 Crossfire and have successfully raised and lowered the top probably less than a dozen times. Today I tried to raise the top and nothing happened other than I heard an intermittent beeping sound coming from the dashboard. I would really appreciate help in fixing this problem.
Thank you,
Dennis
Hi.
Welcome to the forum. There are some true Crossfire experts here.

I've had my 2005 Roadster for about three years. I bought mine with a top that didn't work and spent some time figuring out how to fix it. The folks on this forum were a tremendous help.

Since you've raised and lowered it a few times initially, I guess you know the basic process. There is a switch where you unlatch the top (above the windshield), there is a switch above the passenger's head along the railing of the top, and there is a switch on the driver's side of the trunk divider near the top of the trunk divider. If you aren't familiar with those switches, let the folks here know and they will give you more pointers.

But my problem was leaking hydraulic cylinders. There are seven cylinders (if I remember right) that operate the top. I had TopHydraulics refurbish the two main cylinders. There is a hydraulic fluid reservoir on the driver side of the trunk behind the lining. You ought to remove the three or four pins that hold that lining in, pull the lining back, and shine a bright flashlight back in there to check the level of the fluid in the reservoir. I'm going to go ahead and make a wild guess that it will be low. You could try adding fluid, but most likely it will leak out again. Just my guess. Always start with checking those switches, first.

The nice thing about this forum is that if I've said anything wrong, it'll be quickly corrected!

Be sure to watch the video that Pizzaguy made on opening and closing the top manually. Get the special tool for that if you don't have one. I manually raised and lowered my top for about a year before I got it working. It has been working perfectly ever since....
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 12:30 PM
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KeithTexas's Avatar
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 288
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From: Austin
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Originally Posted by druebel1
HI VIPER,
SINCE I DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT RAISING THE ROOF, COULD YOU PLEASE FURNISH ME WITH PHOTOS OF WHERE THE SWITH IS LOCATED AND HOW TO TURN IT ONE SO THAT IT IS CORRECT AS WELL AS A PICTURE SHOWING ME HOW THE VERTICAL PANEL SHOULD LIKE.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THANKS SO VERY MUCH,
Dennis Ruebel
Here are a few photos showing top switch (in rail above passenger's head), trunk divider switch, and fluid reservoir in trunk. These photos are all from the forum.










 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 05:18 PM
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GraphiteGhost's Avatar
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From: Central South Carolina
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Originally Posted by KeithTexas
Here are a few photos showing top switch (in rail above passenger's head), trunk divider switch, and fluid reservoir in trunk. These photos are all from the forum



Am I reading the fluid level correctly, that is is BELOW the 'Min' mark?


.
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 07:57 PM
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pizzaguy's Avatar
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From: Fort Worth, Texas
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Originally Posted by GraphiteGhost
Am I reading the fluid level correctly, that is is BELOW the 'Min' mark?


.
The level marks are only to be considered accurate in a 'relaxed' state. That is, with the system at rest, not in the middle of a cycle.
So the answer to your question, is a question - Is the system at rest or partway between fully up and fully down?
 
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 08:18 PM
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pizzaguy's Avatar
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From: Fort Worth, Texas
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Originally Posted by druebel1
I recently purchased a 2007 Crossfire and have successfully raised and lowered the top probably less than a dozen times. Today I tried to raise the top and nothing happened other than I heard an intermittent beeping sound coming from the dashboard. I would really appreciate help in fixing this problem.
Thank you,
Dennis
First, some general remarks.

If you are not putting the top up and down very often, you can expect trouble from the system. I will, sometimes, go as much as three weeks without driving the car. In such cases, I make it a point to start the car up and cycle the top down and back up at least every three weeks. I once had a Graphite Roadster as my daily driver for five years. I had to have put the top up and down AT LEAST 500 times and probably twice that, in those five years - never had a leak or ANY issue with the system.

As others have said, there is a switch above the passenger's head (the "top open" switch) and another in the trunk (the "divider switch"). These two MUST close, they are wired in series, and when they close, they put a ground on a wire that goes to the controller module. This tells the controller it is safe to start the pump and put the top down. (The idea here is that the TOP OPEN switch is there to verify you have released the top from the frame of the windshield, starting the pump without doing that will damage the system. The divider switch verifies you have put the divider up, so it is certain you have not left an item on the travel path of the top in the trunk - which would damage the top.) If the top is in the fully-down position, these two switches are ignored when putting the top up*. I doubt either of these switches is the issue.

If you did not complete the cycle, that is, get the beep at the end of the cycle (and the LED in the switch stayed on), and drove off, you may have confused the controller, in this case, the top will not move. The way around this is to watch my video and put the top up, all the way, manually. YOu need the top tool AND the 6mm hex key for this. In extreme cases, you may have to put the top up and down, fully, two or three times, to teach the controller where the top is. To do this, you perform the manual operation with the engine running, so the controller is powered up the entire time.

THere are a few things that will cause the top to refuse to go back up:
1) The system thinks you are moving over 9mph. (If your BAS/ESP light is on, your system may be confused about speed.)
2) The fluid level is REALLY low. (Not likely, take a look at the tank.)
3) The trunk latch switch is indicating that the trunk is not fully closed. (A rare failure but it does happen.)
4) The electric trunk lock is not moving to the fully locked position (a VERY rare failure).
5) The controller has been damaged by water some time in the past and corrosion has finally compromised the circuit board or the connectors on the module.
6) The sensors on the electric wing/spoiler indicate it is not either fully UP or fully DOWN. (Oddly, the top will move if the wing is all the way UP or DOWN, but not somewhere in the middle).
7) The Body Control module is screwed up.

One thing you can try, if the Top controller or body controller is confused is to:
1) Shut off engine.
2) Turn headlights on.
3) Yank battery cable off.
4) Wait 30 seconds.
5) Put cable back on (don't let spark scare you).
6) Turn off lights, start engine, try top again.

Let us know how it goes.


*In the eleven years I have owned Roadsters, I have never verified this statement, but I was told by a top expert that those switches are ignored when putting the top up. In all my years working with top issues, I have never once found one of those swtiches to be the cause of a top not going UP, but I have found it to be the case when a top won't go DOWN - DOZENS of times, in fact.
 

Last edited by pizzaguy; Jul 22, 2020 at 08:21 PM.
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Old Jul 22, 2020 | 08:32 PM
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KDW4Him's Avatar
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,287
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From: Alma, MI
Default Re: Top Won't Raise

Originally Posted by druebel1
I recently purchased a 2007 Crossfire and have successfully raised and lowered the top probably less than a dozen times. Today I tried to raise the top and nothing happened other than I heard an intermittent beeping sound coming from the dashboard. I would really appreciate help in fixing this problem.
Thank you,
Dennis
This has happened to a friend of mine twice now. This has not been confirmed by any other user and some say it's not possible. When my friends fluid level gets to about 1/4" below the min full line his top does not operate. We fill it with fluid and manually cycle the top and it will work the rest of the season. For those of you who think the cycling of the top fixed the issue, I would have thunk that too so we cycled the top manually several times prior to adding fluid, no fix. The only fix was topping off the fluid.
 
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