electric roof

[steven2.8]

Hello,

I've got a problem. My electric roof doesn't work anymore. The roofwarninglight isn't lightening and it is not possible for me to unlock the roof at the windowside. The central button for the 4 windows doesn't work. What could be the problem?

[Grappa]

Hi Steven,

welcome to this board.
There are some guys around here who will be able to answer in english. So keep asking....

In order to get closer to your problem I have got some initial questions for you (I assume you know these points, but just to be sure):
Did you engage the park brake before tattempting to turn the central handle?
The vehicle was haltet completely = 0 km/h?
Ignition is on?
Trunk lid is closed?

If all this is answered with a clear YES then proceed as follows (and please feed back the results here):
1) lock the trunk with your key mechnically. Then test the entire procedure again.
2) check the trunk cable looms (right hand side oom holds: central locking system + necessary status indication for the trunk lid lock)
--> It shall be said at this point that checking the looms is not easy because they usually look fine from outside, but are broken inside. Secondly: In order to check electrically whether or not they are broken you must rise the trunk lid resulting in a different bending angle in the loom bending section near to the hinge. This can result in a working connection which dissapears again when the lid is down... I (and many others here) made this experience and decided to simply exchange the looms with new ones rather than keep testing and testing and guessing and never beeing sure... If you replace the right loom, do not forget to replace the left one as well. Both are the same age... There is a cheap resource for the looms (better quality than oem, really cheap in price: 50 Eur each. Keyword for the search in this board would be FOBA...)
3) follow up for later. Just give it a start....

[steven2.8]

Thank you very much Grappa for responding so quick. I've installed the 50 km/h module from Reinhard and that other module also so I don't have to need the park brake. The roof did work very well with this two modules.
The strange thing was that a few weeks ago I took my key from the ignition but the warning lights on the dashboard where still blinking and my car didn't start anymore. I disconnect and connect the battery and the car was running but my roof didn't went open. A few days later suddenly the warning light of the roof was blinking and I could open my roof. But later it didn't work anymore because the hydraulic oil level was at minimimum because of a broken "spannbugel" at the right side. I've changed this one for an new one and I refilled the hydraulic oil but it didn't matter: I can't open the roof. Do you think it is the right trunk cable room? Or is it something else?

[Grappa]

Steven,

would have been better to mention the full history of your case in the first post.
This now looks totally different to me.

At first you should solve the main electric issues you had when the lights in the instrument panel went crazy.
My advise would be to replace the ignition switch at first. This switch could be one possibility for the root cause of the electric issue. This switch is docked onto the ignition lock from behind and can be changed quite easily. It is a cheap part ~20 EUR if I recall correct. This should solve the "lights stay on" / "engine does not start" issue.
With a little bit of luck, this solves the strange behavior of the roof electric as well. Just imagine one contact did not work in the ignition switch resulting in a lack of voltage for the roof-ecu.

After replacing the switch and closing out related contact weaknesses in the main electric you can go on solving the roof specific topics. Before that it appears to me just guessing....

[steven2.8]

Hello Lorenz,

I'm sorry that I didn't told the whole case. To me it seems not important to tell this because my engine is running very well. I've got an question: what do you mean with a "ignition switch"? Do you have a picture? I've got a 6-cilindre 2.8 engine.

[Grappa]

Steve,

it is this part:





And here is a description on how to get behind the ignition lock where the switch sits:
Zuendschloss_Reparaturanleitung.pdf

[steven2.8]

Hello Lorenz,

Thank you for your clear answer. I'm going to try this. Do you have more such clear explanations for an audi cabriolet?

[Grappa]

Steven,

the entire board is full of clear answers - but in german
You might want to give the google / babelfish, etc. translation tools a try. I do not have experience with these translators, but if I was in your position I would try it. This board and the related FAQ here is definitively one of the most comprehensive data collections for Audi Cabriolet that I know. Priceless.