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My 03 NBC has a fickle electric top: I never know if it will work. I know I'm not alone. This vintage is famous for unreliable, convoluted service and $$$ Repairs. The rear window cable/mech is broken on both windows, the top panels don't work/were removed. The top open image is ALWAYS displayed (even when the top works) and the warning beep goes off from about 1mph to 10mph Every time.
Now, All my problems are "fixed" as far as I'm concerned, anyway....
I'm not recommending this as a proper fix, and I'm not proud of what I've done, but if you're in a similar situation,
you can easily "hot wire" the top motor bypassing all the switches that prevent it from going up and down. Easy.
I became angry with the car, the dealer, the design and myself: Now, I'm smilin'. And the sun is shining on me.
Yes, a hack, but still uses the motor relays to switch the high current, so there should not be any issues with
over amperage: ie: blown fuses, smoke, melting, fire.
The only danger is human error, as it should be. No disclaimers or warnings: I did this because
I'm too cheap and proud to fix it "right"....because the design "sucks"....and because the dealership is lazier than I.
And when I push a button for the top to go down, I don't want some computer to take it as a suggestion....
I wanted to do as little modification as possible and cut the minimum number wires. Also didn't want to add any new wire:
Description first, step by step below:
The Top Operation up/down switch is supposed to give a ground signal to the ECU:
BUT by cutting the ground to the switch
and soldering it its own lamp 12V power Into the brown wire (was ground) at the switch,
it now supplies 12V to the 26 pin ECU plug - which is unplugged....
Jump that 12V from THAT plug to the relay pin on the ECU's Other T12 plug (unplugged too), and Bob's yer Uncle.
Simple, really:
after removing the passenger side cover panel in the luggage compartment,
unplug both connectors at the ECU (sell the ECU on eBay)
bind, bridge, or jump : on the 12 pin connector: the blue #6 to the brown wire at the T26 connector #7
, and separately the green #5 at T12 to the yellow/red wire #19 at the T26 - and you're done in the trunk.
Reach into the center bin and cut the brown (ground) wire behind the up/down switch and the Gray with Blue wire
connect the brown from the switch to the GR BL from the harness
you will lose the switch light, meh...and
You will need to turn on the lights to pop the top.
There's your "safety". Heh.
Now, All my problems are "fixed" as far as I'm concerned, anyway....
I'm not recommending this as a proper fix, and I'm not proud of what I've done, but if you're in a similar situation,
you can easily "hot wire" the top motor bypassing all the switches that prevent it from going up and down. Easy.
I became angry with the car, the dealer, the design and myself: Now, I'm smilin'. And the sun is shining on me.
Yes, a hack, but still uses the motor relays to switch the high current, so there should not be any issues with
over amperage: ie: blown fuses, smoke, melting, fire.
The only danger is human error, as it should be. No disclaimers or warnings: I did this because
I'm too cheap and proud to fix it "right"....because the design "sucks"....and because the dealership is lazier than I.
And when I push a button for the top to go down, I don't want some computer to take it as a suggestion....
I wanted to do as little modification as possible and cut the minimum number wires. Also didn't want to add any new wire:
Description first, step by step below:
The Top Operation up/down switch is supposed to give a ground signal to the ECU:
BUT by cutting the ground to the switch
and soldering it its own lamp 12V power Into the brown wire (was ground) at the switch,
it now supplies 12V to the 26 pin ECU plug - which is unplugged....
Jump that 12V from THAT plug to the relay pin on the ECU's Other T12 plug (unplugged too), and Bob's yer Uncle.
Simple, really:
after removing the passenger side cover panel in the luggage compartment,
unplug both connectors at the ECU (sell the ECU on eBay)
bind, bridge, or jump : on the 12 pin connector: the blue #6 to the brown wire at the T26 connector #7
, and separately the green #5 at T12 to the yellow/red wire #19 at the T26 - and you're done in the trunk.
Reach into the center bin and cut the brown (ground) wire behind the up/down switch and the Gray with Blue wire
connect the brown from the switch to the GR BL from the harness
you will lose the switch light, meh...and
You will need to turn on the lights to pop the top.
There's your "safety". Heh.
