After trouble shooting it was determined I.need a new control module for the convertible top. After searching the internet I found there are several modules for the car all very expensive. There was one I thought might be it. It was listed at $2,600. I had the top down for a couple of years. I can operate it manually but the back wing Windows stay down.

 

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to XK8/XKR forum. This is the place to post technical questions about your model.

Graham

 

Cosmo,

Sorry to hear your woes. That’s a lot of money for a module that isn’t guaranteed to fix your problem.

From a financial point of view, maybe keep your convertible top fully manual, as a lot of members do it - to remove the risk of hydraulic failures. However you seem to have trouble with the putting up the rear quarter windows.

Simple hack fix that - using the small relays in the trunk fuse box. Here’s a Youtube link.


There is a Rev Sam wiring solution to put a up/down switch on these rear windows too. You might consider this as a long term solution.


Let is know what you decide to proceed with.

 

Thank you for response and the You Tube videos. When you say convert to fully manual I am not sure what you mean. I did read an extreme!y long thread related to this. It seemed a very complicated process. You also mention something about hydraulic hose failure which I don't understand. I had the top down for a long time. I was hoping maybe the fluid just tried up and it would be simple. Do people convert to manual because of financial reasons ? Frustrated. Can't afford to buy a new module IF that is the problem.

 

Hmmmm...... lots to think about....

The convertible top system is a hydraulic system where the high pressure pump, in the trunk, pushes high pressure fluid around the system. This actuates a lot of things - the top latch above the windscreen and the hydraulic rams for the hinges. To complicate matters, there are microswitches which let the car know where things are at any given time. All controlled by a computer (BPM).

With any high pressure hydraulic system, the hoses and seals go bad with age. There’s an infamous “Green shower” scenario with our car where the top latch, above the windscreen, goes bad, leading to hydraulic fluid leaking onto the driver.

So a lot of users disable the top latch system and so need to manually unbolt the top, using the Allen key, and then press the centre console button to let the hydraulic pump lower the top.

When I say full manual, you can completely lower the top manually, without using the button, if you press on the hinges behind the head liner “curtains” and then lower the convertible top. But hydraulic pump’s stop **** needs to be turn fully anti clockwise to disable the hydraulic system.

How do you want to proceed?

 

Owners sometimes convert to a manual top operation because it is indeed expensive when the hydraulic hoses develop leaks and must be replaced. Also, the rams can develop leaks and need to be sent off for refurbishment. Plenty of threads here on the forum describing how to go about replacing/refurbishing a leaking hydraulic system yourself or opting instead to convert to a fully manual system. Search the forum using "convertible top green shower" as your search phrase and prepare to do several hours of reading....

 

Cosmo,

It might be worth the effort to do some cross-checks on the trouble shooting that has gone on so far. I would not swear to it, but don't recall a case reported here where a new module was required.

Is it true that your convertible top's hydraulic pump does not run at all? (You would hear it with the car's engine off). If so, for starters, I'd suggest checking the 40 amp fuse that protects the pump.

 

Our cars are approx 20 years old, and just like anything, the hydraulic convertible top system needs maintenance. The hoses tend to break at their end crimps. Even the fluid needs changing every 3 years or so otherwise it’ll eventually “gum up.”

To overhaul the system, you’ll need to send components to specialists to replace buried seals etc. That’s Expensive!

My concern with your situation is you don’t know what is wrong. Your rear windows not rising maybe just the microswitches in the right quarter hydraulic ram. Or worst.

Just throwing parts at a problem, may not fix the problem and maybe a waste of money. You lived with an inoperable convertible top this long, so maybe easier to just sort a way to close the rear quarter windows.

 

David,

For many years the general consensus here on the forum has been that the proper Pentosin CHF11S green-colored hydraulic fluid does not gum up or break down as long as it is not compromised by something else in the tank. Perhaps that is not the case in your very climate-hostile part of the world....

I continue to run what I presume to be the factory fill of CHF11S fluid in my wife's 2006 XK8 (built in May 2005). I have never had to top it up. I do not even have a spare can of it on my garage shelves. I do know that NAPA supposedly sells it here in our neck of the woods if I ever need more of it....

 

Cosmos, first before laying out $2,600 for a module lets try a few other things.
As far as I know the convertible top system is a sequential system of relays and micro-switches and contains no control modules. It does communicate with the Security Control Locking Module to tell it the top is up and secure or down and open. It does this thru the Body Processing Manual, other than that no other modules are involved. Since you are operating it in manual i assume you have opened the pump petcock.
Is the pump fluid level in the operating range? If not you need to start there and fill the pump reservoir. In the boot/trunk fuse box there is a set of relays. They are roof up, roof down, windows down and windows up. A bad relay will play havoc with the system.
Follow the link below to Jagrepair web site and go thru Gus's write up and troubleshooting. He is the guru for the convertible operation. If you need some assistance in troubleshooting just let me know.

JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

I have been having problems with my top starting and stopping, rear windows not going up and down. Just checked and the fluid is well below the bottom line. I hope this is only because it has never been checked/refilled. No sign of leakage('06 XK, 94K miles??). Is the CHF11S available in the US? Can anything else be mixed with it?

 

Just about all major auto stores, autozone, oreilleys, pep boys etc. all carry it.

 

[QUOTE=Cosmo2020;2255835]After trouble shooting it was determined I.need a new control module for the convertible top. After searching the internet I found there are several modules for the car all very expensive. There was one I thought might be it. It was listed at $2,600. I had the top down for a couple of years. I can operate it manually but the back.

My XK8 2006 just had a top down problem and we thought it was the Right Ram microswitch. After stripping down the car it was Not the top latch, neither the microswitch on the right Ram; only 2 LED Rear flashers light Bulbs that were replaced when the previous one burned. Those « canbus LED best quality » bought in a specialized auto parts were responsible for the latch disfonction and the warning signal. So before taking the car aparts like we did and test everything, remember that Jaguar is a very sensitive cat.

if you had any bulbs replaced with LED with or without resistance, try this first. Remove all LED and resistors and put back all original bulbs. It may be as simple as this.

 

Thx.

 

Amazone shipped it in 2 days at my door.

 

 

Thx. I will check the local store, then move to Amazon if needed.
I did pull the insulation to try to get to the filler cap. It appears to be well under the rear fender inside lip. It appears the designers did not want owners refilling this reservoir.

 

Attach a ¼ in flexible hose (like aquarium one’s) to a funnel. It works pretty well.

 

Just did a refill of my reservoir. It took 1/4 can of fluid. Found that the filler cap was too far up under the fender lip to reach easily. Instead, I pulled the 2 screws and slipped the pump outr., refilled and returned. All took less than 1hr. Top works normally so far.