RESOLVED ⭐ 2006 A4 Convertible remote roof operation module weirdness

[gsmdo]

Hi there,

I had a remote roof module fitted in my A4 about six years ago and it worked fine. Recently it started playing up - specifically it wouldn't open the hood remotely. I thought six years was fair for a cheapish after-market gadget, so ordered another one to replace it - this one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143424315368

 

I removed the door card to fit it and, since it was similar in appearance to the defective unit, and had identically coloured wires, I just cut the old unit off and, using crimp connectors, joined like to like.

Before I put the door card back on, I tested it. Nothing - not a sausage.🤦‍♂️

I put the car away for the night, having also discovered that I had bought the wrong size door card clips. 🤨

The following morning, I came out to the garage with a mate of mine to explain the snag. Before we took anything apart, I tried the unit again (you press 'lock' three times within five seconds to raise the roof; 'unlock' three times within five seconds to lower it) - bingo - it worked perfectly 😃👍

My mate (an RAF Techie on the F35 LIghtning) just said "Ferking canbus - there's no understanding it" 😆 He reckoned the canbus does a system check during down time and finds and adopts new stuff. This might not be accurate, but certainly follows the early snags I had with the original module, which was a nightmare for 24hrs - and then worked perfectly... 🤔

Fast-forward two weeks and it has become unreliable. Normally when you press the remote for the third time you'll get a 'click-click' noise from the car, and then it'll enter its routine. Today I've been unable to raise or lower the roof remotely (although the button on the centre console still operates normally, as does holding the key in the locked or unlocked position in the driver's door to raise or lower the roof).

Anybody have any ideas on what might be causing this, or how to persuade it back to normal operation please?

I'm going to drop the vendor a line with a link to this post, although my feeling is that it's not a fault in the module - more likely another canbus interface thing.

I recognise that this is likely the ultimate first world problem 😆 but any advice/experience would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike 😎

 

 

[gsmdo]

Well the vendor has been brilliant 😃. Here's the response from him first thing this morning:

Hello

I found out what is the issue.

You have a rare version of software in door ECU and this is actually making a mess.

It happened only twice so far for a few hundred modules already sold.

Today morning I posted a compatble version of the remote control module that will solve the issue.

Tracking available at  XXXX

We stay in touch.

Regards

I don't think you can ask for better service than that 😎 The vendor is based in Poland, so from experience it'll take a week or so to get here. It'll be ten minutes work to fit it (now that I have the right door clips - and some spares😆).

My car is a 'facelift' 2006, which I have found differs from its predecessor and successor in some weird ways  - like keeping the relays under the ECU, for example - so this may be another anomalous example of that.

I'l post the result once it's been fitted.

Cheers,

Mike😎

 

 

 

[Steve Q]

10 minutes ago, gsmdo said:

Well the vendor has been brilliant 😃. Here's the response from him first thing this morning:

Hello

I found out what is the issue.

You have a rare version of software in door ECU and this is actually making a mess.

It happened only twice so far for a few hundred modules already sold.

Today morning I posted a compatble version of the remote control module that will solve the issue.

Tracking available at  XXXX

We stay in touch.

Regards

I don't think you can ask for better service than that 😎 The vendor is based in Poland, so from experience it'll take a week or so to get here. It'll be ten minutes work to fit it (now that I have the right door clips - and some spares😆).

My car is a 'facelift' 2006, which I have found differs from its predecessor and successor in some weird ways  - like keeping the relays under the ECU, for example - so this may be another anomalous example of that.

I'l post the result once it's been fitted.

Cheers,

Mike😎

 

 

 

That's great news. Hopefully once the new one is fitted it'll resolve the issue 🤞

[gsmdo]

So - once it had reached the UK (yesterday, having been posted in Poland on 23rd June 🤔), the Post Office delivered it the next day...

So, it's meant to get a bit warm this afternoon, so lets go outside (in the shade at least) and fit it...

This is familiar ground to me, having fitted the last module a few weeks back. Gently lever off the faux-aluminium trim panel. Undo the two torx and two crosshead screws revealed (mine only has one of the crossheads - and no spring clip for the second one to screw into, but this doesn't seem to matter; use a spudger, antique tortoiseshell comb or credit card (whicher you have to hand) to lever out the window switch cluster to reveal...

...the final hidden screw - another torx - which was incredibly tight. I can't remember putting this much effort into doing it up...🤨

Finally, the last crosshead screw at the bottom, centre of the doorcard.

You can now pull the doorcard off, starting at the bottom, pulling the clips out of the door. Once you have it free, you need to disconnect the door handle cable, the main connector to the  door ECU and the cable...

...from the tweeter loudspeaker in the front of the window.

All but one of the brand new clips I had put in when doing this job broke... 🤦‍♂️

Thankfully I over-ordered last time and have plenty left - including some different looking ones from another supplier which I think I'll be using when reassembling... 🤔

The module is snuggled between the back of the ECU and the foam door lining. I get my trusty box of electrical connectors and get to work...

I soon have the new module hooked up...

...and give it a test. It works perfectly 😃

I fit all new clips in the doorcard and reassemble everything - test it again and call the job a good one... 😎

Weak clips

New clips - don't know if they are going to be any better, but they sort of 'clicked' into place in the slots, where the others were pretty loose.

Work's not done yet, though. I got a text telling me that the Mass Air Sensor I ordered from eBay will be delivered tomorrow - so I'm going to do some prep work for that job...

I pop the intake off, then remove the engine cover. It's pretty warm and I'm not fully focussed - and manage to drop my little Bosch power screwdriver down the front of the engine and hear it come to rest on the undertray... 🤦‍♂️

There's only one way to deal with this situation. Shut up shop and deal with it tomorrow. I run the car into the garage and close it down.

Before doing so, I noticed that the sensor is held in the body of the unit by two screws, which I initially thought were security torx - but they turn out to be a five-pointed star with a security pin in the middle. I search my (pretty extensive) range of bits and don't have these. 🤔

I found these on Amazon, which will be delivered tomorrow.Time for a bit of rehydration and teasing my dog, whilst we wait until it's cool enough to take her out for a walk...