Hello all,
I have a couple problems that I'm not sure if related or not. A couple weeks ago, my 02XKR convertible was parked nose down on an incline during a heavy rain storm. One of those 1 inch plus an hour storms. We were gone for the weekend and forgot to cover the car before we left town. My wife to it to work on Monday and came home complaining that the car was giving all kinds of fault messages on the dash. I opened the trunk, removed the spare tire cover and found water in the spare tire recess. About a gallon or so, up to the black foam tool holder under the tire. I'm know the water sloshed around when she drove to work and back.
Main complaint was that the key fob quit working, along with check lights, boot open etc.
I vacuumed out the water then started blowing air to dry things out. The module on the left rear of spare tire recess and the suspension module wire connectors had moisture on them so I disconnected them and dried them out. Everything appeared to work except both key fobs now do not work. Key in door does lock and set alarm.
It is possible that the SLCM got wet as there was moisture on the tray below it, though when I took it out a couple days later to check it due to fobs not working, I did not find any evidence of moisture. I am able to enter the fob programming mode, but I am unable to get it to acknowledge either fob.
This weekend, I went to put the top down, (using the manual latch unlock due to prior owner conversion due to green shower) unlocked latch, pressed down button, front windows dropped, 1/4 windows lowered, then top did not move, I could not hear the pump motor,(radio was on at the time), we were getting ready to leave so I just pressed top up, front windows came up, 1/4 windows raised, I close the latch and we went on for the day.
This morning I went out and tried to lower the top. To my surprise, it went down, (a little slower than usual I noticed) But, the top would not go back up. It tries, right corner moves up slightly and then stalls out, when pressing down button you can see it settle back into place. I checked the fluid tank and found it about 1/2 inch below minimum level. I opened the petcock and raised the roof manually, latched the top, pressed the up button to raise the 1/4 windows, but the would not go up. Closed petcock, still no change. I went and got the correct fluid, filled the tank and tried again. Top went down like normal, but it still will not go up under power. I have raised the roof manually, and closed the car up with the 1/4 windows down, while I try to decide my next move.
My questions now are, knowing the the SLCM is possibly not working, does it have anything to do with the top raising? Or are they separate issues? I can live with the key fob not working if they are separate. Is it likely I have problems with the lift cylinders? Is it pump failure? I have not found any leaks anywhere, but I have not pulled the back seat out yet. Do I need a complete rebuild of the top mechanism?

Sorry this post is so long, just trying to give as much information as possible to help diagnose.
Thanks

 

Dcarlo,

I'm not familiar with the SLCM but there is an aftermarket mod that uses the keyfob to raise and lower the convertible top, so there might be a connection. More learned Forum Members could comment on that. So I'll stick to the checks you can do on the convertible top.

First thing, flood damaged cars seem to have all sorts of electrical gremlins, so I actually think you got off lightly with your problems. Rear 1/4 windows stuck down seems to be a common problem with our cars. First thing I noted from your text is that the latch has been converted to manual and the convertible top went down without any issues. I would ensure you're the car running while trouble shooting as using the top needs a lot of electrical power which drains the battery rapidly (there's a 40amp fuse which I presume is ok). Check the trunk relays. Pic below.

There are different ones for both the up and down control for the convertible top and the rear quarter windows.
I suspect that's where your problem is.

You can always jump the relays to get your quarter windows up. If that doesn't work, I suspect there's a problem on the microswitch located in the right hydraulic ram. See pic below. Getting to it is relatively simple and maybe you can get away with a simple clean of the wire connections.



I would also advise that you look at how a very large volume of rain water got into the trunk. So I would check the trunk seal plus the 2 drain pipes at the front of the trunk. Take the vertical liner out to expose the back of the fuel tank. You should see two drain pipes one on each side that take rainwater from the convertible top through the floor to the bottom of the car. I suspect that's how the water got in.

Let us know how you get on.

 

Thank you for the relay diagram. I had not found that diagram yet. I admit that I am more mechanically inclined than the electrical side of things. At this time, I would like to try to jump the relays to get the windows up so at least the car is secure until I get the top sorted out. Does anyone have advice or instructions on how to jump the relay? Or do I have to do it at the micro switch, which I would guess removing interior to get to.

 

Shorting a relay is simple, pull it, & just put an “insulated” wire across the “fat/big” connections. Make sure you’re not touching metal on the wire

 

Check this out

 

Thanks to David, I was able to jump the relays and get the 1/4 windows up.

Due to having to manually raise the top, I don't think the ram cylinders are getting to the full up/lock position, so they are not hitting the micro switch to let the relay to allow the windos to come up using the top up button.

I am beginning to wonder if it is possible that the pump may be faulty, Is it possible for the pump to run down, but not up?

 

dcarlo,

It's unlikely to be a faulty pump as it works going down.

When was the last time the hydraulic fluid was changed? Fluid goes old (just like everything) and can "gum" up.

I would go with the following check list
1. Check all relays and fuses
2. Check the hoses for leaks esp. at the pump (they're on the back of the pump - your manual conversion of the overhead latch should have removed the hoses on the front.)
3. Check hydraulic rams behind the rear quarter panel

I attach a few pics of what to look for.


The hydraulic ram hoses are on the back of the pump (outboard) by the car body

Evidence of hydraulic fluid leak at the hydraulic rams shows under the rear seats


The rams themselves are buried behind the rear quarter panels. Bit of a "faff" to get to but DIY-able

 

The SLCM does play a part in the operation of the top as it controls the top up & down relays, together with the control valves. It works in harmony with the BPM to manage everything, and it's still communicating since you can access the fob programming mode.

Given its position in the trunk, it's entirely possible that it has got wet (you certainly wouldn't be the first victim). My recommendation would be (although it will involve some downtine with the car) is to remove it - or at least disconnect the battery - as soon as possible and open up the casing. Any corrosion that may have formed should be gently cleaned off and the module to be allowed to dry out thoroughly before reassembly.

The radio receiver for the key fobs is also inside the casing and may need some attention too.

David's guidance has got you to a better place, so a simple replacement of the presently-bypassed relays may be all that's necessary. I would also take the time to give the loom and connectors some TLC: I use silicone spray liberally whenever I have connectors apart as it's a good water repellant.

Good luck.

 

Thanks Michael, that is where I was starting to lean. I will try your advice. If it is damaged, is there a recommended place to send it to?

 

Hi,
US members report good results with ASI:
https://www.autoecu.com/

I'm not sure if they do the SLM but I'd certainly give them a call.

You will minimise the effects of water ingress by removal/disconnection of the battery (always do the latter first). Even if you do decide to send yours for repair - and it's a better option than replacement as you will have no compatibility issues - you will do no harm by removing the module and carefully opening it to allow it to dry out. Gentle application of a hair dryer or putting it in an airing cupboard for a couple of days will help.

 

I removed the sclm, took it out of the case, does not look good to my untrained eyes though. can it be cleaned, if so with what? q-tip, and?

 

I cleaned dirt and corrosion off with dry q-tips and dry soft tooth brush. dried with hair dryer on low heat. looked better, will try reinstalling and see if it still works or even works better.

 

Classic PCB water damage. Almost all of the corrosion you can see is caused by the circuit board being powered up when wet.

Cleaning with a toothbrush is fine: you can use a little distilled water to help if there is any awkward remaining crud now that the circuit is unplugged. Key is to get everything completely dry, and there are a couple of relays (marked 'Tyco') that are enclosed and harder to dry out. I would give it another 24 hours in a warm place before you try it back in circuit

Fingers crossed.

Is the other circuit board OK?

 

Good evening all, It's been a while since I had a chance to work on my car. Now that it is in storage for the winter and I had some time, I thought I would dig deeper into my top problem. The car has been stored for the last two months hooked up to battery tender. Today, I decided to remove interior components to get a better idea why hydraulic tank was low earlier this summer. I had to lower the top manually, as it would not go down under power. I removed the back seat cushion and back, front seats and rear interior panels and speaker boxes so I could see what I am dealing with. To my surprise, (and frustration) I could not find any evidence of hydraulic fluid leaking. Rams, fittings and lines all looked dry. No oily spots or residue spots any where. I kind of wish I had found evidence of a leak, as I would feel better about why tank was low. With everything exposed I tried the top button up and down to see if I could hear pump running. When I pressed the up button, I heard 2 clicks in the trunk area. When I pressed the down button I heard 1 softer click. I did not hear any whirring sound that would indicate the hydraulic pump running. I did try swapping the up and down relays to try to see if possible bad relay and got the same result as before. At this point I am beginning to suspect the pump is bad, or both relays are bad. Can someone please give me the jumper locations to jump the relay to test the pump? Or is there a better way to test for pump operation? Since I already have most the interior out, I do plan on replacing all 6 lines over the winter. Now I just need to get the pump sorted out. Thank you to all that have responded thus far, I really appreciated the help.

 

Also, now that I have the correct size torx wrench, I will also remove the key fob receiver card and clean it, to see if it will respond again.

 

Resolved (sort-of). I had my friend who is good at electronics come give me a hand today. We were able to trace the problem of the top hydraulics not working to the SLCM. The power from the SLCM would drop a split second after it sent power to the up and down relays, (pole #2) so it would appear that the pump would try to start and then stop. We were able to supply power to pole #2 of the relays and get the top to come down. We also had to supply power to the solenoid on the pump to allow it to open for top up operation. Since we were able to get power to relay and pump and cause correct function. We have narrowed the problem down to the SLCM which we know had water contact while powered and everything worked as it should. Now to send the SLCM off for repair and order a set pf 6 hoses to replace while the interior is disassembled.

I have not figured out how to change the title of thread to a resolved status, nor how to post an update into the original post.