I keep getting the top not secure warning light and it IS secure? I even cleaned and oiled the mechanism and it went away a few days now its back? Any ideas? My next attempt is to disconnect the battery and try and reset the computer. Thanks jim f

I keep getting the top not secure warning light and it IS secure? I even cleaned and oiled the mechanism and it went away a few days now its back? Any ideas? My next attempt is to disconnect the battery and try and reset the computer. Thanks jim f

Do you get the chime when it finishes? You need a Tech-2 scan to see what is wrong, but at a guess a position sensor has failed. What year car? Have you had all software updates applied?

HTHs

Jim:

It's real good to hear from you although I wish you weren't having top problems.

When the message occurs have you opened the trunk lid and tried to lift/move the top? As you know thre is a latch there that is supposed to hold the top and sometimes the top just rests on top of it.

I found that in my 2004 the top would lift in the 2004 when the "Top Not Secure" message appeared. This was also the cause of the small ding in the top that many experienced from the top screw hitting it.

There are some more posts in the top section on this issue.

Hopefully your business is coming back to life for you and you guys will be able to get out and about soon.

By the way, we are trying to drum up some forum interest in another XLR Gathering. Hopefully you guys may be up to it.

Regards

Jerry

Hi guys, sorry for not being on all month seems with more free time (no work) I have less time! Plus I have been fine detailing my 76 Rolls Silver Shadow for The Rolls Nat;l meet and since I just painted it, rebuilt the engine and much more I figure Ill do a Concours and see how I do. Had the X out today and my top is not secure light is back on! I have since taken the latch apart cleaned it reinstalled opened it by hand checked most connections and disconnected the battery and re connected and today it was back. I really hate to take it to a dealer as the closest one is over an hour away. Jim

Greetings Jim!

I agree; it behaves a lot like a sensor or switch is either going South or has shifted just enough to change the end of travel value. If I understand the symptoms correctly, the top seems to be traveling the whole cycle, but isn't indicating it has. This can be helpful when trying to isolate the cause.

The Folding Top uses switches (that report their status as "On" or "Closed") and sensors that change voltage during top movement. The switches are used to indicate status (like Top Closed) and the sensors indicate the position of moving top components.

Useless Trivia: Sensor position is measured in counts. 51.2 counts equals one volt. A typical range for a Rear Tonneau's position sensor might be 190 counts when it's extended, and 109 counts when retracted. This gives a range of 81 counts --or a voltage change of 1.58 volts during it's motion cycle. For anyone contemplating acquiring a Tech 2, recording (known good) sensor count values and switch position status when the Folding Top is raised or retracted is a must. If the top fails, you need only compare the measured values on the Tech 2's screen to the recorded values to quickly figure out what's wrong. This takes just a couple of minutes.

Back to the post:

When a dealer's Folding Top Learn procedure is run with a Tech 2, the top is cycled from a fully closed or open position to the opposite position. The values of all sensors at each end of travel are placed in the Folding Top Control module's memory. Some values are set (like the Top Closed switch on the right/front of the windshield header and others (like the Top Sensor, for one) are variable. The FTC module knows what switches need to be set, depending whether the top is opened or closed and compares the sensor values stored during the Learn procedure while the top's moving components are in motion.

For example, if the Luggage Barrier, Valet switch aren't closed, or the windows aren't Nomalized (indexed) the FTC module won't allow the top to move at all. The switch values are hard-coded into the FTC module. Indexing the windows stores a new count value in the FTC so it knows when they reach their lowered position.

If a sensor goes bad or becomes loose and shifts position, the end of travel value will change and the movement of the top can be affected. If your top is moving from the fully closed or open position to the other, but still indicates Top Not Secure, you may have a bad indicator switch. Generally, when a sensor goes, the top will move a certain distance and stop as a self-protection measure, since the FTC module doesn't know where the folding top is positioned during it's movement cycle.

If the top is in the fully closed position and the switch on the upper part of the windshield header isn't registering "On" to the FTC, it can enable the "Top Not Secure" indication. This might be a good switch to test. It's activated after the roof top's right side alignment pin engages and then seats in the receiver just forward of the hinge of the passenger sun visor. If you need more info to remove/check it, write back.

---My apologies if I've made this sound more complicated than it really is. The Folding Top is designed pretty well and isn't too hard to troubleshoot if you understand how it works and have the necessary tools. Otherwise, you're pretty much dependent on a dealership. Early XLR's paved the way for improved top systems in later years. There were some changes made to the sensing system in the '04s and 05's (and a different PN for later FTC modules) to increase the system's reliability.

CC :cheers

CC (since we dont really know your 1st name!) No such thing as too much info in my book. I am the Nat'l pres for the Rolls Royce foundation and have several of them and they are way over engineered so I am used to working on them alot in pre computer cars! The bigest problem for me after reading your post is the location of these switches I need to check out. In my 76 Rolls Shadow I have extensive pages of electrical drawings but they never tell you were the items are located! Experience helps! That said give me a picture or location of these sensors and I will check them. BTW the top works perfectly up and down the final bell indicator works fine and with the double click of the window switch the windows then close. Then once down the road a bit could be 1 minute or 1/2 hr then the "Top not secure" warning and gong goes off. Yesterday after it went off about 5 times it stopped and all was fine again.
To me this sounds like a intermitent bad switch on the lock securing area?
Thanks in advance! jim

Jim,

If you're handy with a multi-meter and like to take things apart, the procedure to test the switch isn't too bad. It involves removing the windshield garnish molding to access the switch and it's connector which are located in the upper part of the windshield on the passenger side. You need to remove the two windshield side garnish moldings by pulling them off the windshield frame, electrically disconnect and remove the rearview mirror, remove the visors, (another procedure, but easy) then pull the windshiled garnish molding from the windshield frame. The accessible position connector gets a length of string tied to it, and the receiver housing is removed, with the string left in place for ease of routing during subsequent re-installation. Checking the operation of the switch is easy with an ohm meter.

If you want to do this, PM me with a email addess and I'll copy the procedure(s) and forward them. As in most things XLR --where any kind of maintenance is concerned, a shop manual is a must!

CC :cheers