The folding hood has stalled in a position about 99% fully extended. In this situation,the workshop manual gives instructions for manually closing the hood to its stored position. i.e open a bypass screw on the hydraulic pump and lift the hood upwards and backwards to its stored position. This is supposed to reset the control sequence. Despite numerous attempts I am unable to move the hood from its stalled position. It is not being held by the latch on the windscreen top.
Does anybody have experience with this mechanism.
Also, on which model was the vinyl hood cover for the stored position replaced by the folding tourneau cover or was this a version for the USA market only.
Thanks for any advice
Graham
Australia

Later. I have just read through some earlier posts re the same problem. Plenty of good advice to follow up. One must ask - who the hell designed this.

 

Who designed it? Had to be Rube Goldberg....

 

Mountain,

I'm not as frequent a visitor to this Forum as I used to be, as I recentlu sold my 1999 XK8 but reading your problem there's a few obvious things to check in this Rube Goldberg mechanism. BTW I had to overhaul the system for my convertible top but ended up with a reliable convertible which I enjoyed for 3 years.

I'm not sure your predicament is a problem in the control sequence as I suspect a microswitch has gone bad either in the rear right hydraulic lifter or maybe in the latch mechanism. Basically the BCM module doesn't realise that the roof is in a position that the latch should open to receive the top hook.

To get our of your current problem with the hood 90% closed, you're doing the right things - opening petcock on pump - but from what you wrote you now cannot move the hood. Behind the rear quarter windows, behind the loose headliner are the pivots in the top's hinge mechanism. I suspect they're locked and need a bit of force to loosen up - DON'T force them sideways/laterally as they'll easily bend sideways and you're f&*ked! It needs force aligned along the length of the car to "crack" the locked pivot. Once lubed (don't stain the headliner) this should allow you to move the hood back and fro easily. Then you're in a position to stick the allen key in the hole above the wind screen to open/close the latch to recieve the hood catch.

FWIW I would do a quick check of the hydraulic fluid level in the pump tank - might be low. When you start the car make sure either the convertible top is fully open, or closed otherwise the BCM might get confused.

Good luck.