355 spider roof

Perhaps this question is right up there with the infamous cambelt question as one of the most frequently asked.

Has anyone converted this roof to be fully manual and would this even be possible? Quite honestly I am never to sure whether I should do any or all of the following before attempting to lower this roof.

1: Look up and hope Enzo is smiling down on me
2: Put my hands together and say some sort of prayer
3: Walk around the car and say nice things to it

This particular roof works some of the time, though it does not have the elastic in the middle which seems to be critical to its operation. What I have found seems to work when lowering it is to release the catch, push back and then get the beep. Then starting lowering but simultaneously contort myself to push up on the centre portion of the roof as it is going back, all while being moved on top of the steering wheel.

Equally when raising it some assistance is needed during the process.

Hence me wondering if it would not be easier to simply make the entire operation manual.

 

Don't do it.

I tapped into the emergency switch and put a small two way momentary switch in the console near the ash tray. There is a blank spot just for it.

Now I just move the seats up, set the windows and push and hold the switch forward or backward to run the pump up or down.

I'll install the rebuilt seat pots when I sell the car and it will run just like new. Just got tired of them breaking.

My 2 cents.

I'd get you some pictures but, it's complicated at the moment.

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You can also wire up the existing console roof switch to the emergency switch connector.

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Then you only have to worry about leaky hydraulics, not worry about a faulty ECU or seat potentiometers. Also, it's critical that you remember to lower the windows (as you may crack them) and put the seats forward.

 

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Exactly.

 

You can use a cheap 5 pin female "window" plug kit to plug into your existing roof switch. That way you don't need to mess around with spade connectors

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Watson, now that I think about it, the windows are semi-independent of the roof controller. They should drop automatically when you unlatch the roof. When the roof is fully down, normal window operation will resume (courtesy of the microswitch at the bottom of the LH primary actuator slider).

Do your windows drop automatically for roof closure (as soon as you start moving the roof up)? I mean, if your roof is currently down and you drive the windows fully up with the window switches, then activate your custom roof UP switch (ignition on).

I made up this window control flow chart, but I'm not 100% sure of roof closing part.

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It would be good if someone created a plug and play roof bypass wiring harness, but I can't find a source of emergency bypass switch connectors.

The OEM connectors are AMP (amphenol) 6 way (but flat).

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The side with the pins is required. It has some very specific keyways.

Here's the socket side for reference:

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Looks like buying a second hand bypass switch just for the white connector is out of the question.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283682565858

U$263.99 plus postage

 

I think I've found the plugs (or at least the white shells)

(TE Connectivity, MULTILOCK 070 Connector Housing, 3.5mm Pitch, 6 Way, 1 Row).

https://au.rs-online.com/web/p/wire-housings-plugs/7201225p?

The other half of the connector here (not required, just for reference)

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/wire-housings-plugs/3629020

I've ordered some parts and will see if they are compatible.

 

Oddly today the roof has behaved pretty well but I do find it helps to tilt the backrests of the seats forward even when they are fully forward. Fortunately I am fairly athletic so its not so bad being forced against the steering wheel.

All I can say is someone at Ferrari really had a sense of humour when they invented this roof mechanism.

 

Like the rest of the car, it appreciates being used

I'm not sure you can blame Ferrari entirely for the roof system. It was produced by a Dutch manufacturer and is also found on an Opel convertible of that era.

 

There may not be a practical way of making an easily fittable plug-and-play system. To avoid the disassembly of the centre console, the wiring would have to be force fed through narrow gaps, i.e. gaps too small for a plug and play harness.

Note that directly wiring the console roof switch to the bypass switch means that the secondary rams won't activate. The roof will have to be manually closed for the last third.

@Carmellini Did you feed the wires on your first roof mod between the carpet and the console frame/leather?

 

The prior owner had already made mine a manual roof. I just wanted you to know putting it up & down is easy & fast, if you take that route.

 

This I did not know...apologies Ferrari.

 

Yes. It was easy.

 

When I first started using my top I found that the pump seemed to be struggling. I decided to change the fluid with the Mercedes fluid and noticed the pump definitely liked that. I went through the seat pot repair (many threads on here about that) and since then the top is working as it should even though I cant agree more that this top should have been a manually operated unit. Wayyyy overengineered. I start by putting the seat backs in the forward position and then getting in and apply the parking brake. Then turn the key on and make sure windows are down, unlatch the top and push back while pushing up on the middle support until the beep. Then push switch and the seats go forward (while being squished into the steering wheel) and the top goes down. I saw a youtube video that someone made a 355 top completely automatic with the use of a remote fob. Pretty cool especially if you are a tall person that wouldn't be able to sit in the car with the seat all the way forward and the seat back tilted forward. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, I do very similar, I found putting the seat backs forward does help quite a lot. What I have also found is that after the "beep" it helps to push the middle bar of the roof up and then it goes down fairly easily. Raising the top...well that is another story but generally seems to work a bit better.

What I have noticed is there is a piece of elastic on the inside of other 355's, for some reason this roof does not have this and I think this might be one of the issues.

 

OK, I have followed all the instructions. I have checked the hydraulic fluid, pulled the seats out and rebuilt the potentiometers as per instructions. I glued the parts and reinstalled. However I was unable to adjust the pots to 4.4 k ohms. The best I could get was 3.9 k ohms. Any further adjustment returned the reading to zero. What next should I try next ? ECU or should I wire in the bypass switch? Any help appreciated.

 

@red57 I think you have exhausted the options and should resort to using the Bypass Switch in one of the ways mentioned in this thread. At least that is what I would do if I were in the same situation.

 

Sounds like the potentiometer is fried. Did you open up the potentiometer to see if the internals were ok? There is a repair kit you can buy, but I'm not sure it would work in this case.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ferrari-355-seat-position-potentiometer-drive-repair-kit/143665671697?

Looks like it's out of stock, but perhaps you can contact the seller, Niles, to see if he can make some more.

I'm still waiting on some parts for my bypass kit.

To make the kit truly plug and play, I'm going to wire the earth wire to the bypass switch. No messing around with grounds. Also, that way, the handbrake is still in the circuit.

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I would have to go back and look into what I had for measurements to see if 3.9 k is high enough. It may be that the ECU will allow normal function with that reading. I'm not sure just how sensitive the ECU is, and if .5K is a no-go.

 

Thanks JR that will be appreciated

 

Thanks for that advice Ian regards the by pass switch earth. I didn’t pull the pots apart and yes I think they are fried as both could not achieve. 4.4 k ohms. The passenger seat did improve slightly in the full forward position but struggled to get to 4.0 ohms. I guess both seats need to be working for the roof to operate. I’m thinking the by pass is the best option but at some stage if I ever sell the car the roof would need to operate as manufactured.