Maybe the poster came from a different make where the switch functions were the reverse a'la Mercedes. I know I did and is taking a long time to learn the opposite switch.

 

Of course, 99.9% of us have come from different makes. I've had convertibles from 6 different makes.

As I tried to say in a different post, this is the first one that can be operated while driving (up to 30mph) and with the switch on the console. So it makes sense to not have to look at the roof and focus upon the road while lowering and raising while driving. Down for down, up for up, on one button by the shifter makes sense for this car.

 

There's that but also: if you've ever played a first-person shooter game, you can usually swap the pan up/down control. When you pull the joystick down, should you look down, i.e. things on the screen shift up? Or should things on the screen shift down, i.e. you look up? Seems to be pretty evenly split which is intuitive for people. The default is usually backwards from what I assume, as is the convertible switch. It makes sense, but it isn't what I expect without thinking about it.

 

As I said, I get that, and it took me maybe 2-3 cycles to have it become automatic. Now I prefer it. As soon as I get the urge to put the top down, I automatically think to push down .

It's great getting off a highway exit, slowing down to 30mph, and lowering the top for driving around town. I find myself using this convertible far more than any other just because I don't have to stop to perform that operation.

Mastering that little button is hell of a lot easier than transitioning from manual sports cars all my life to paddle shifters on each side of the steering wheel.

 

Agreed - I feel like a rebel putting the top down when I'm doing 20MPH. Got the Smart Top mainly so I can raise/lower the roof/windows while walking to/from the car.

 

Remote use best feature of Smarttop!

 

I installed mine this morning. Took longer to get the driver installed in my laptop than it did to actually install the unit in the car.

One tip - you must disable any antivirus or firewall protection before trying to download the driver. I keep an old laptop around for just these occasions.

It is cool to operate the top from 100' away walking back to the car from the store or wherever. Also it is nice that it can be programmed to automatically raise the windows after dropping the top while driving, or when putting the top up. Well worth the money.

 

The main reason I would like it is that I am a tall man and solidly built with it (ok fat) and while I don't have any real trouble getting in and out with the roof closed, it is certainly easier to get in and out with the roof open, particularly in carparks where you can't open the door all the way.

It would be great to drop the top while walking towards the car and get out with it open and close it while you walk away.

 

It is.

 

There is a similar (though much harder to install kit) for my old XKR. Best part on both cars is having the car button up as I walk away and unbutton as I approach. Not as good as the Batmobile security feature but as close as I'll likely get.

 

Excellent addition to the car - I just finished installing the module and it works perfectly. Quite hard to get the grommet out as mentioned but not bad when forewarned. It is quite easy to install with the USB port left accessible without removing the cover again for future changes to the settings or to disable the unit before dealership visits.

 

I really like the smart top module for the F-Type. I once had a car whereby on a dreadfully hot and muggy day, didn't like getting into it, with the wheel hot to the touch, heat index >100 degrees F, etc.

Being able to open and close remotely is a Godsend, especially for this 6'3 guy. I can get in and out without any problems, but making things in life easier with new technology features is my middle name.

Will this potentially void any warranties, and does this mean that when I go to the dealer, I need to "uninstall" this mod? I hope not, in that this could be an inhibiting factor in my opinion. Would think not, but in the US worried about warranty voids.

Thanks all,

 

I also just installed it, after getting my car out of storage. (Whee!) Easy to install and works great. It's also easy to disable it, which they recommend before taking it to the dealer. Just read the instructions. I didn't bother to leave access to the USB port since you can reprogram it with a series of turn indicator/top up-down clicks. That's also how you enable/disable it.

 

Thanks DJS, I read that but the instructions were a little unclear and I didn't want to get into a menu of 'clicks' I didn't understand. Have you tried the programming using the console switch? The instructions don't mention the turn indicator clicks, just the up/down button and cluster buzzer which indicates the function and it's setting. I suppose if I get lost in the reprogram I can always reload the module settings via the USB again!

 

I haven't yet, but as a geek, it's something I'll have to try soon. I like knowing how/if everything works.

 

Just discovered a 'feature' - I tried to demonstrate to a friend that I could put the roof down remotely, and it didn't work. You push 'unlock' on the remote three times to drop the roof and windows (that's how I have it programmed.) But seemingly, this only works if the car was locked. If the car is initially unlocked, then it doesn't work. Pushing unlock twice to drop the windows also only works if the car was initially locked.

 

Thanks for explaining that issue. I was wondering why it didn't always drop the top after three clicks. Now I want to go play with it again

 

Hmmm. Car goes in for scheduled maintenance tomorrow, so I just tried disabling the smart top module. I can disable it fine per the instructions, but when it's disabled, I can't operate the top at all. I had assumed it would go back to normal operation, rather than no operation. Not sure if I should take it to the dealer like that, or uninstall the module.

 

So far it has been to the dealer a number of times, they've had no issue with the top. Never had to disable it.

 

The mods4cars website needed a serial number to submit a support question, so I popped it out to get that. Easy enough to do.

Otherwise, I like it a lot.