Hello, I have a 2002 360 Spider. I bought it with one of the capote flaps (the little flaps that surround the roll hoops seen when the top is down.) cracked. I would like to replace it, but need to have a good look at what it will entail to remove, and also to obviously perform the removal. Does anyone know if you can stop the top operation half way? I understand letting go of the button will stop it, but can I leave it that way for a period of time? The owners manual would lead you to believe if motion is stopped between top full up and full down, the automatic top sequence will "lock out". Then your only option is the manual retraction, for which I would rather screw rusty lag bolts into the side of my head. I would appreciate any input from someone with experience in the operation of the top. Thanks in advance for the help. John
I have stopped mine mid way before for a week or so so I could glue a piece of weather stip back on without a problem.
I suggest you get yourself a workshop manual. Replacing those flaps isn't as straighforward as it looks........................
Hopefully I won't need a week to get the job done! It will be a winter project anyhow. Yes, thanks for that, I have a workshop manual on CD. I'm always up for a challenge. Famous last words: "How hard can it be?" Thank you all. John
I bet it'll be hard, but you can chip away at it over the winter months so you should be okay. I replaced one of my hydraulic rams last year -- it was a tricky job, so you have my sympathies in advance! I certainly parked my top in various stages of close/open for extended periods of time. I don't think I'd want to do this all the time, but for the purposes of your task it should be okay. Does your workshop manual CD give you a step-by-step procedure for flap replacement?
I can tell you in my 2001 Spider I once got into the situation where the top get stuck mid-way. I was in the middle of putting the top down when I stopped and got out of the car. Engine was running and I noticed the weather was not good so when I sat back in I hit the button to close the top. Pushed the button and it would not close nor complete it's opening cycle. The dash display flashed the top was open and beeped a lot but would not budge. I could not put the car in gear with the top mid-way. I was able to manually close the top and use a big flat blade screw driver to lock the front clamps down, by removing a trim piece on the middle of the top over the courtesy light. This enabled me to get the car in gear and I drove it for the next week. Every time I'd get in the car the dash would flash top down/open and beep a lot but the switch had no effect. I turned the master power off over night and viola the next morning powered up and the top worked perfectly. Seems to me the top has it's own ECU and it must have gotten confused and it was the power cycle that reset it to a good state.
I always raise or lower the top with the engine running to save taxing the battery. When the top malfunctions I have restarted the car and the top works fine. This must reset the computer/sensors.
Same experience, have stopped it half way a couple of times, sometimes no porblem, other times, wont budge when I hit the button again. The simple solution appears to be ignition off for a few seconds and them switch back on, roof ECU seems to reset and work fine after that. Mine occassionally when closing will stop and not budge again (mid cycle, i.e. rear hood back in place but butresses in the up position, roof half cloased. Solution is always the same. Engine off, back on, works fine. Should probably find a way to install an ECU reset button without having to switch the engine off
I have removed and re-fitted a flap before. It's very fiddly and as Eddie says, get a copy of the workshop manual that relates to the spider roof. Also, please make sure you take the key out of the ignition before putting your hands into the mechanism - better safe than sorry!
Whenever I clean my car, I stop the top mid motion in order to vacuum out the storage compartment it sits in when stowed. never had a problem.
