boot carriage handle stopping roof opening

[monty]

hi all

I'm new to forum. but hopefully someone can help. I have 1997 a4 cabrio. I have an issue with the roof not opening. I took it to the garage(used car dealer) but he said it wouldn't he in warranty. 

I appears that there's a loose cable on the boot carriage lever which acts as a safety device which is stopping the roof opening. 

I don't need the extra boot space so not worried about it but now summers back id love to put the roof down.

any ideas?

 

[Magnet]

Hello Malvin,

Sorry to hear of your problem. 

It would be important to know when you bought this car, and if you have just returned it to the used car dealer you bought it from. 

It would also be important to know if you tested the roof operation before buying, since it would appear this cable issue hasn’t simply decided to cause issues now. I guess it would be unusual for a buyer not to have tested the important roof operation on a convertible, but...

...’not in his warranty’..? Possible, but it would depend on the terms and conditions of the sale, and how long you have owned it, how you inspected it prior to sale etc. Of course, the car is an ‘old lady’ now, and things are expected to go wrong, but a convertible with a roof that doesn’t open.... Fit for purpose? 

Perhaps you could fill in some more details Malvin.

Re.  sorting out the problem - it would be worth googling local companies which supply and fit replacement convertible roofs. Someone else on here, more local to you, might be able to advise you on this. 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[monty]

thanks for the reply Gareth, but the roof was working fine before. I don't hold much hope on the dealer/warranty. I was just hoping someone might have had a similar issue or how-to quick fix the problem with out costing an arm and leg. 

[Magnet]

Hello Malvin, 

Many thanks for the additional information, which clarifies the roof has been working under your ownership. 

Let’s hope someone else on here might be able to offer you some advice on what the issue is, but to my quite sparse knowledge of the operation of these roofs they can be a minefield of minor micro switches and linkages. Not necessarily expensive to repair individual bits, but difficult to diagnose. Probably someone on here will be able to offer you more in depth advice.

In the meantime, all I can suggest is what I mentioned in my last paragraph. If you cannot find anyone local, then there is someone west of me in S. Wales who is knowledgeable and very reasonable in his convertible hood replacement (and trimming) and is quite likely to have come across most ‘associated roofmechanical issues’. Could be worth giving him a ring. Phone number? ,but Google ‘Jack Smith Trimming, Swansea’ - you should find him. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

 

[monty]

thanks. I'm going to try resetting the roof tomorrow. hopefully this will work. if not off to see the experts