355 Convertible Top Control Module Repair

Ah, you mean the lower number on the relay. I don't know if that is significant or not. It may just be a batch number or date code.

 

Calling @m.stojanovic

 

Tyco bough over the Siemens Electromechanical Components division so the former Siemens relays are now Tyco. The important number on the relay is only the V23081-C1061-A303. You can just buy the relays from the Chinese seller on Ebay because they are made in the large Tyco factory in Suzhou. And if you buy them from a US seller, or even from an official Tyco dealer, they will most likely be also from China.

PS: I often remember the comment in the movie Armagedon: "American components, Russian components, all made in Taiwan".

 

You can also go for this Siemens relay: SIEMENS V23081-C1061-A303 23081C1061A303 V23081C1061A303 | eBay. However, these are/were most probably made in a Siemens factory in China. Siemens also have large factories in Suzhou.

 

Get in quick before the China tariffs are applied The price may go up by 2 or 3 dollars.

 

Not really, you would need to unsolder and remove it. There are actually two relays in the box and, to test them, you need to connect 12V supply to their coils which, if done in-situ, is likely to damage the electronics to which the relay coils are connected. Ohming the relay coils may give you some indication but it will not be conclusive, again due to electronics connected to the relay coils.

 

I am unable to comment on the probability of relay failure as I did not have or work on a 355 and my 348 was a hard top.

 

I can tell you that the potentiometers that are under the seats can be problematic, just do a search here. They read seat position and send a resistance reading to the convertible top ECU. Let us know what fixes your issue when complete, a lot of threads go dead when the OP moves on without posting what the actual solution was. Thank you!

 

Not sure, but I think the potentiometers only come into play when the roof switch is being used. I guess you could disconnect the plug on the pot to prove this. I thought the pots may affect the limit of seat movement when using the seat switches, but I didn't test that theory, mainly because the previous owner of my car didn't use an SD1 tool to calibrate the seat movement, so it may not have factory settings.

Does your roof switch move the seat forward? If it does, then the seat switch or the relay isn't the issue.

 

Yes, if you satisfy the roof operating logic.

In preparation, lower the sunvisors to prevent damage to the leather on them, unlatch the roof (observe the windows drop a few centimeters). If the windows don't drop, don't operate the seat button. I forget if the doors have to be closed or not.
Handbrake on, car running. Pull back the roof manually until you hear a single beep (if it beeps continuously, you have other issues).
Operate the roof switch (backwards). Both seats should move forward simultaneously. If you have long legs, be prepared to have them squashed around your ears

 

Put it back up? This should be an interesting logic test.

Handbrake on, engine running. Push the roof button forwards. The seats should move forwards unless they are already (almost) fully forward. The windows should drop if they have been manually fully raised.

I don't suppose you know how high your roof hydraulic levels are?

 

Note that all kinds of things could go wrong during roof raising, especially if the roof hasn't been operated for a while. e.g. The hooks behind the seats may not engage with the pins on both sides, leading to roof bending and the conical pins which mate with the windscreen frame may not engage.

My roof has a tendency to slam down hard on the window frame. Be prepared for this.

 

P.S. Since you've removed the upright section of the centre console, now would be a good time to check your roof fluid levels.

In theory, if only one seat moves forward, the roof shouldn't work. If the roof does start moving with only one seat forward, stop roof operation immediately.

 

My 348 spider has what appears like a 1960 Alfa Romeo s pram hood , simple as a wheel barrow going forwards in time . Hoods not even lined with hidden elastics which inevitably snap .

355 spider electro hydraulic hood was parts lifted off the then current Merc SL ….turned out to be a dreadful system multiple hydraulic fluid leaks , air into systems , micro switches going bad and this same “ control box “ issues .
They weren’t to know .

Luca MM ( by 1995 ) was on a mission to make Ferraris more useable , open to a wider market , add more comfort like this roof and power steering , making the chassis “Micky mouse driver proof “ on the limit , sport and comfort switchable damping amongst other mods so your auntie Mable could go shopping in it especially if a F1 box in “auto “

 

Under the pump.

Where's the pump?



See the semi-transparent fluid reservoir with the level markings on it.

 

Interesting. I wonder if the driver's seat potentiometer (position sensor) is indicating that the seat is almost fully forward (i.e. it's broken or missing). This is on the seat rail under the seat.

Que? I think I'll need a photo of that.