Help 2018 F-Type R Owners!

In my earlier post I explained how the convertible top of my 2018 F-Type R would not raise after being lowered for first time by me. Car was purchased one week ago as a "CPO" vehicle from a dealer more than 900 miles away so I can't take it back there for service. My local dealers won't let me in for 3 weeks. Earlier replies suspected a battery issue but the AAA has checked the battery and told me it's fine.

My question now is how to manually raise the top so I can drive the dammed thing while waiting for a service appointment in 3 weeks. The owners manual contains information on how to do so but the illustrations appear to have nothing to do with my vehicle!! For example, there are supposed to be special tools concealed in the car but can't find them. Even if I could, step one calls for loosening a bolt with the ellen wrench but there is literally no way to access such a bolt on my vehicle--the entire area allegedly providing access to the bolt is sealed: there is no opening. Has anyone dealt with this issue? Thanks in advance.

 

I've had battery shop people tell me my battery was fine and refuse to sell me a replacement (I was having electrical issues in a 2004 XKR). I bought one online, charged and fitted it and all my (car) problems went away. In your position I'd be inclined to give the battery a good charge if you haven't already, and then see if the problems persist - cheap to do and it'll at least eliminate the battery as the cause if it doesn't fix things.

 

I would agree with SCM. Had issues on my bike starting intermittently and was try to figure out relay issues. Finally took my neighbours advice and replaced the battery. No issues. An easy and somewhat inexpensive fix.

 

Okay I'll do it. Is it okay to connect a trickle charger directly to the battery terminals? How long would you estimate a full charge to take? Overnight? Thanks!

 

I connect mine to the positive bus bar under the trunk cubby and the negative post on the floor. Overnight should usually be enough - does your charger have a "battery ready" light? My CTEK does.

 

Can't help with the sealed access point, but the tools for operating the top are hidden!!
Took me a while to find them.
On my 2021 R-Dynamic, they are right at the front LHS of the passenger footwell.
There is a small carpetted cover that pops out. I missed it the first time.
Hopefully, tha battery charge will solve the problem.
You did not indicate whether it operated before you purchased it, though the CPO check list should indicate whether the dealer worked the open/close..

 

When I looked at a CPO F-Type the dealer showed the CPO check list and list of what had been replaced/repaired, including new tires, brakes etc.
I am not sure that CPO means the same to all dealers - less about vehicle quality, more about higher price.
But if your dealer sold you a CPO vehicle with a defective top or a dead battery, then they should make good on it.
I would expect them to pay for a battery if that turns out to be the cause, because it was obviously bad when they certified it..

 

Battery first! Do not connect directly to the battery terminals. You can charge the battery by using the connection points in the engine compartment (right side), black/red covered box contains the + connection point, and a threaded post to the windscreen side of that box acts as the - (neg) connection point.

New batteries are virtually NEVER fully charged, regardless of what the clerks say. And very, very often, quick tests that pronounce the battery "good" do not assess the battery fully. The modules in modern cars need full battery voltage - and the top mechanism puts a pretty geavy demand on the battery.

The liklihood of a fault with the top mechaism compared with the liklihood of an insufficiently charged battery is very low. It can happen, but the mantra is first and always: "battery first!".

 

Thank you all! Excellent points. Before I left the Atlanta dealership last Monday, the one piece of paper that I wanted was the CPO checklist pertaining to my vehicle. The people I was dealing with couldn't locate it immediately but promised to email it to me. They have yet to do so despite one follow-up request. I intend to get it. As for the charging of the battery, my trickle charger (I agree that the hood terminals should be used, as I previously did with my former F-Type when storing for winter) is currently blinking green meaning the battery is at least 80% charged. I will wait until it turns solid green indicating a full charge. However I already did that a couple days ago and it didn't budge the roof. As for the tools, I did locate the compartment in the passenger footwell that someone mentioned but I haven't pried the lid off yet because I have nothing to do with the tools once I access them. THERE IS NO SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE DESIGN OF MY VEHICLE AND THE PICTURES IN THE MANUAL DEPICTING THE MANUAL ROOF RAISING PROCESS. So I'm stuck for the moment unless I can get my dealership to at least raise the roof manually for me while I wait 3 weeks to get into their shop. I am not happy about this. The 2016 F-Type I traded was a so-called RAV ("Lemon Law") vehicle. It never gave me any problem for 2 years and 21000 miles of ownership, although I did need to replace the battery just before I traded it. Never any problem dropping or raising the top even when its battery was on the blink. Is my "CPO" the real lemon??

 

A couple of thoughts:

1. It seems odd that your battery was not fully charged after your long road trip.
Suggests a battery problem regardless of the (only) 80% charge. Or is there some other reason why the battery was discharged?
Perhaps somebody else might comment about the advisability of jumping the Jag battery from another running vehicle to see if you get enough power.
You might also put a volt meter on the battery. Despite apparent charge level the voltage would show you if it is functional.
Fully charged should read 12.8 volts or better. 80% should read about the same 12.5-12.7 volts. Much less and the battery is junk.

2. If you end up with the dealer closing the roof mechnically, it might be worth trying the electric open/close once more before leaving the dealership.
Perhaps it just needs the magical computer reboot!!

 

SUCCESS!!! Thank you to all of you battery banditos! As soon as trickle charger turned steady green I fired it up and, lo and behold, open sesame, the roof rose up from the dead and shut back into place! So, as several of you suggested, the battery was indeed the culprit. I'm going to try to get them to replace it under the CPO as my next step. As mentioned, this is the second time I used the trickle charger to fully charge the battery. The first time nothing happened. Glad that you folks made me try again. All the best!

 

Did you disconnect the battery when charging? If you did, is it conceivable that reset the module(s) responsible for the roof? Anyway, glad you got a result!

 

Thank you. I did not disconnect the battery when charging it although the manual says to have authorized service personnel remove it from vehicle before charging. I simply used the terminals located under the hood for use when "jumping" the battery. The trickle charger indicated a full charge after about 3 hours. I'm not clear why you would not always use those terminals when charging battery. When garaging my prior F-Type for winter I used the same terminals to connect the trickle charger, which soon indicated solid green and stayed that way for the entire winter. Car started immediately in spring.

 

You should still check the voltage

 

Yes thank you I will check the voltage.

 

It's also possible you have the battery drain issue. When you close and lock the car, does the red hazard warning triangle turn off after 10-15 mins? If not, you have the OBD battery drain issue. Just need to disconnect and reconnect the battery and that should fix it

If not then as others have said, your battery is failing

Also one thing I don't understand. Even if battery was weak, you presumably tried doing it when engine was running and alternator putting out 14V. That should have ample power for the roof. So I'm wondering whether there is another issue here.

 

Thank you. Yes the red triangle does turn off after 10-15 min. Just tested battery after car was sitting overnight. 12.73 volts.

 

Have fun trying to get a battery. CPO doesnt cover the battery the last time i remember. I would get the dealer you bought it form to replace the battery at their expense.

 

I hope it is all good. But it still leaves a few open questions. Why was the battery "flat" afer a 900 mile drive? Why did the roof not work with the engine running?
If it were me, I would be exercising that roof several times a day for a while, to make sure the issue has really gone away before letting the dealer off the hook.
Best of luck. Hope all goes well.

 

That sounds healthy. I think it should be above 12.5V after 24 hours of non-use ....