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This is my story about my convertible repair.
We purchased the car 3 years ago. The prior owner had experienced the "green shower" and had disconnected the latch lines and plugged the ports, just using the allen wrench to open and close the latch. We were fine with that modification and used the car for 2 years that way.
As part of this story, I have to admit that I do not have a garage to park the car in during the summer when we are using the car. Our driveway also has a steep slope as the garage in our our ranch style house is actually in the basement. About a 7 foot grade drop in 30 feet.
About a year ago in July, we had to leave town for the weekend and neglected to cover the car with the car cover before we left. In addition to this mistake, my wife had pulled the car down the driveway about half way, as opposed to leaving it on the "flat" spot near the top off the driveway. Car was facing nose down in the driveway. While we were gone, we had a very heavy rain storm go through. This storm left about 2 inches in about an hour.
On Monday, my wife jumped in the car to go to work and noticed several oddities and warning lights. First off she found that the key fob did not unlock the car. She had to use the key in the lock. Got in, started the car, tail light warning on driver display. When she got home from work and reported this to me, I went out to investigate. My investigation found that rain water had infiltrated the trunk seals and left about 1/2 gallon of water in the spare tire recess area. Lucky for us, the spare tire created enough of a baffle that the water did not reach the super fuses directly above. Since the temperatures were in the high 90's, there was lots of condensation in the trunk area. I removed things from the trunk and got the shop vacuum out to clean up the water. Since the tail light warning was displayed, I also found the 2 modules between the spare tire and bumper wire looms were damp. I dried them out and checked the car out. All the lights were working, no warnings on the display, car appeared to be no worse for wear other than the key fob did not respond.
About two weeks later, we were visiting the grand kids and I decided to lower the top. I released the top latch, pressed the button to lower the top. The back windows lowered, the the top started to retract, then stopped. Front windows would lower for the top movement, then go back up. The top and windows just kind of bounced up and down for a few seconds while I realized that there was a problem. I pressed the up button and rear windows went back up, so I latched the top and decided when we got back home I would have to look into this.
A couple days later I went to try the top and this time it went down just like it had been since we had purchased the car. Unfortunately, the top refused to go back up. Pressing the button up, the top would start to move just enough to see start of motion and then stop and settle back down. I found that I had to open the petcock to be able to raise the top to be able to close the car. Next problem, the rear windows would not raise. I came to this forum with request for help. The members responded, letting me know that the windows would not raise until the micro switch on the right ram was made. I was unable to feel the ram to pull it up. The members of the forum again responded to SOS and showed me how to "jump" the relays to raise the windows. We went a couple weeks using the car and top this way as I did not have time to do more trouble shooting.
As I was scrolling through the forum one night, I came across a post that made me decide to look into the SLCM. Security, locking control module. Since it is located in the trunk, under the fuse block near the battery, I decided that maybe it had gotten wet and was the root of my problems with the key fob and top operation. Sure enough, the SLCM showed classic signs of water damage, including the key fob receiver module inside the SLCM. I'm now in trouble. SCLM is a programmed part to the car. I started searching for a replacement that matched the code number on the SCLM. To my dismay, I could not find anything that matched online. Adding to my frustration, the date code sticker in the module appeared to be newer than my car. Must have been replaced sometime. By this time, the weather was turning cold and with a early snow, the car went to it's heated garage for the winter.
More internet searching found a place that claimed they could repair SLCM. I contacted them, told them what my problem was, and was advised that they could repair it. Nervously, I sent it to them knowing that if it got lost or damaged in shipping I would have a 2 ton paper weight in the in-laws garage. A few days later, I got a call from the company I sent it to that they were unable to repair it. The only repairs that they are able to make is the stop light problem that is in the earlier model years. They only charged me for the return shipping. A few days later, the module was back in my hands and I was very relieved that I could at least drive the car in the spring.
The next step was to determine what was going on with the top. I have decided that the key fob receiver is probably a lost cause without replacing the SCLM. That is something I can live with as the key in the door will lock and unlock just fine and the security still arms and works. I know this because I tried using the key to open the trunk while the car was still locked and the alarm went off. Note to self, unlock the car with the key, then push the trunk release button on the trunk.
Time to call in help. I am fairly mechanically inclined, but my electrical skills are limited to a simple circuit in a house. I called on a friend of mine who is pretty good at tracing and diagnosing electrical issues. We were able to determine that the power to the hydraulic pump would start when pressing the top button, but only for about a split second. We then began wondering if the pump was stuck as it would not run, but moved slightly when energized as if the torque was trying to twist it and then it stopped. It seemed like it lost power then as well. After looking at the fuse and relay diagrams, along with a diagram I had found that listed the steps and logic of the top operation with each of the different modules. We decided that since we knew that there was damage to the SCLM, lets see if we can send power to the pump relay. Using the diagram to determine the top down pump relay and looking at the diagram on the relay it self, we tried sending power from the battery to the #2 pole on the relay. We used very thin wire (24 gage) hoping it would melt first if we were wrong. The "jumper" attempt worked. The pump started running. At this point in the diagnostics, all windows were down, the top had been lowered manually and the petcock valve was open. We then tried the jumper on the other relay and discovered that the pump would run as well. Success to a point. We have discovered that the SCLM being water damaged was trying to send power to the pump relay's, but for unknown reasons was dropping out.
Now the fun part. How can we bypass the damaged SCLM and restore top operation. We manually raised the top, closed the petcock, and jumped the relay. The top came down. Top down works, will it go up. Moved jumper to the up relay. Pump ran, but top was trying to lower instead of raise. That is when we discovered that the pump only runs one way. The pump does not reverse to reverse direction of hydraulic rams. That is why there are solenoids on the top of the pump. One solenoid operates the direction of flow for the rams. The other solenoid operates the direction of flow for the latch hoses. When we added a jumper to the outside solenoid as well as the up relay, the top raised up and I was able to latch the top manually. I then pressed the top button up and the rear windows went up. This told us that the window function was still working. From the top operation logic that I had found that showed how the top worked. It became obvious to us that the SCLM was not allowing operational power to the pump relays and solenoids to fully operate the top using the button on the console.
We decided that we could source a 6 pole momentary rocker switch with power to the switch and send power to the #2 leg of the down relay to lower the top and then using the other side to send power to the #2 leg of the up relay as well as the outside solenoid would restore operation of the top as it was when we purchased the car. Time to remove the console and back seat to add a rocker switch in the console somewhere to operate the top in this manner. Use allen wrench to unlatch top, press down button to lower rear windows and door windows if not already down, press rocker switch down side to lower top. To raise top, press rocker switch up to raise top, use allen wrench to latch top, use top button to raise rear windows. Functionally works, but not stock. But barring a replacement SCLM the seemed elusive at the time, My wife and I decided that this was acceptable compromise.
During all of this, it was discovered that rams were in good shape and did not leak, but the hydraulic lines were in bad shape due to age. No leaks, but housing was falling off with the slightest touch. I decided that since the car was in storage for the winter. Now would be a good time to replace the hydraulic lines so I would not have to worry about failures in the future. Due to forum member recommendations, I sourced Top Hydraulics hoses, the 6 pc set. I might as well replace the already failed latch hoses while I am in there. Good value on the hoses, they also include as small coupler to connect old hose to new hose to enable pulling new hose up to the "A" pillar.
Using the forum, I was able to find the thread "Franks XKR Story" His story was well written with lots of photographs detailing how to remove the interior of the car to be able to replace the hydraulic lines. Many many thanks to frankc for his story. I also want to give credit to Wayne Tate and Jon Gibson for their write up of 2000 XK8 Ragtop Rams/ Rear Hoses Replacement. Both of the threads gave me the confidence to tackle removal and replacement of the interior of the car to be able to replace the lines. Using both of their stories, I was able to easily and in just a couple hours had the interior removed to have access to the hydraulic lines. I ordered the hoses, they shipped the same day, and two days later had the hoses. It was another month before I was able to go back out and work on the car. Starting at the pump, I pushed the 2 latch lines through the opening to the back seat and started pulling the hoses through the car. I did mark each end of the hoses with colored tape to identify which hose was which. I also taped the hoses together every 20 inches or so as I went to keep them organized as I went. I did not remove the carpet under the driver seat, so I had to reach under and pull lines through that area. Pulling from the left sill plate up past the dash to the "A" pillar was probably the hardest. I kept getting the 2 hoses caught on the hose clip behind the fuse panel. It took a bit of fiddling, but they finally moved past and I got them pulled through and up. I followed Franks directions and replaced the rest of the lines. Now that the hydraulic lines were replaced, I removed fluid from pump and replaced with new pentosin and connected all the lines. Now I needed to add my momentary rocker switch to gear shift surround and run the wires to the relays in the trunk. I added a "hot" wire from an accessory fuse to provide power from the switch to the relays. I told you I'm not an electrician, it works, but it is hot all of the time when I was hoping it would only be hot when ignition was on.
Now to test my work.
After assembly of the latch I had left it unlatched as it was when I started. Top was down for access while working on it.
Ignition on, pressed up on the new rocker switch that I installed where the coin slots location was on the right side of shift lever. Top started raising after a few seconds, to my surprise though, the latch closed. Did I get the latch lines reversed? Pressed down on the new rocker, top started going down, but latch stayed closed. Ah hah, I remembered that there was two solenoids on the pump. Unless the inside solenoid is powered, the latch will default closed when the pump is running, just as ram cylinders will default to open the roof when pump is running. Remember that I added power to the solenoid for the up function. While I thought about how to do this, I went and disconnected the latch lines at the pump and reinstalled the plugs in the latch lines off the pump. I could now manually open and close the latch with the allen wrench, and raise and lower the top with the added rocker switch. The top now operates almost the same way it did when we bought the car. I still had to use the original top button to lower and raise the rear windows, but the top was functional again.
After thinking for a few days, I decided that I needed to add another switch to activate the inner solenoid to be able to change the direction of the hydraulic fluid to open the latch. I decided that a small push button (similar to a starter button) would work to activate the solenoid. I found a small button switch at the local parts store that was only on while pushed that would work. I removed the shift cover and drilled a hole in the wood below the rocker switch and installed the switch with the lead going to the trunk and to the inner solenoid. Time to test my theory out. I removed latch line plugs, reinstalled latch lines and pressed new button while pressing down button on rocker switch, after a few seconds, the latch opened and the top went down. After the top had cleared the latch, I did release the push button and the latch closed as the top was still going down. Once the top was down I released the rocker switch. Top up test time. Pressing the rocker switch to the up and pressing on the push button the top started raising and about 1/2 way up the latch opened. Once the top was at the latch, I released the push button while still holding up on the rocker switch. Latch closed, top was closed. I then pressed the up on the original top button and the rear windows closed. Now to put the interior back together. Going back over the instructions that Frank C had written I was able to get the car back together almost 4 months after I had taken it apart.
Again, many thanks to the forum members who gave me advice in my earlier post's asking for help. Thanks to Frank C. Wayne Tate and Jon Gibson for their written instructions on how to replace hydraulic lines.
The biggest take away from my story. While I still have a defective SCLM, I was able to restore function to my convertible top, all be it with a few more steps as I am now using 3 switches/buttons to do the function of one.
Original top operation, press and hold down button, (front windows drop, rear windows lower, latch releases, top goes down, latch closes, modules know top is down and shuts off button) Press and hold up button, (top starts to raise, latch opens, top catches latch, latch closes, rams locked, rear windows raise, front windows close, module know top is closed and shuts off button)
Current top operation with my modifications. lower front windows, press down on original top button to lower rear windows, press down on new rocker switch and new push button, once top has cleared latch, can release push button to close latch, watch for top to stop moving in down position and release rocker switch. To raise top, press and hold both push button and up on rocker switch while latch opens and top contacts latch, release push button while latch closes and top stops, press up on original button to raise rear windows, close front windows. Note, BPM still knows when latch is open as it will display on drivers message like before. I have been using the car and top this way since I got the modifications done just before taking it out of storage for the summer and has worked well.
I hope this story explained some of the way the top functions, and how I was able to bypass a partially failed module (SCLM). The only reason this was done this way was lack of replacement part availability, and fear that replacement could not be programmed at dealer. If forum members could let me know what to look for in replacement SCLM and what is programmed on it other than key fob, I would be able to restore stock function.
David, Well, I'm surely impressed with your fix.
Wonder how many folks will be asking for the color wires you spliced into. A wiring diagram would be the answer to solve the SCLM replacement issue.
Thanks for a great story.
The method that I used was virtually no splicing of wires other than tying the power wire into the solenoid. I used a part called "add a circuit"at the fuse panel which is a fuse that you add another to to create a new circuit for the hot wire to the new switches, one lead for up relay and one lead for down relay, one lead for up solenoid from rocker switch, one lead from button to latch solenoid. For the relays, I just stabbed the wire in the#2 slot and replaced the relay. on the solenoids, There are just 2 wires going to them, hot and neutral, I just spliced into the hot. If I get time, I will add a picture of the console switches and splices to solenoids.
Well done, especially being able to correctly reassemble the interior four months after you had taken it apart. Wayne and I did the reassembly a couple of weeks after taking everything apart. Taking good notes during the disassembly process and storing all the bits and pieces in matching order on both sides of the car really helped us. Hard to believe that job was more than five years ago now....
I went out and took some pictures for those interested. crude wiring diagram we used, the switches are only sending power to relay and solenoid that the SCLM was not. wire loom that was ran from switches to trunk, white, red and yellow from rocker switch, additional yellow to latch solenoid only splice in the job, white wire to ram solenoid, yellow to latch solenoid switches that were added, momentary rocker in coin tray where coin slots were, had to add push button to operate latch solenoid since latch defaults to close when pump is running without solenoid activated.
I looked high and low for a smaller rocker switch, even looked at window switches, but had to settle for that one.
09-03-2020, 04:42 PM
'02 XKR convertible top issues RESOLVED, my story
