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Roof Stuck open won't close

95K views 34 replies 19 participants last post by  voxmagna 
#1 ·
I took delivery of this Car an 07 TD Sport on Good Friday, 2 hours before I collected it they called to say that the roof was stuck open but they managed to fix it before i collected it from VW Boston Lincs, the next day i took the roof down and it snagged part of the interior trim pulling one of the D rings off near the rear screen, so it was back to them Thursday Friday this week to be sorted. Collected Friday evening and all seemed well but yesterday Saturday it was nice and Sunny so took the roof down and went about the daily jobs. Got into town and tried to put the roof back up but had a system Error code come up and the roof would not close. So went back home called VW assistance who told me someone would be with us within the hour, nobody arrived so called again they were too busy so sent the RAC who didn't have a clue what to do and just said it would need to go to the dealers AGAIN. this is now 3 hours after calling VW assistance the car was sitting on my drive roof down to the elements, so drove the 25 miles back to Boston VW who said these things happen. I have rejected the car under the Sale of Goods Act under the Satisfactory Quality clause they now have the car at the dealers and i have a Golf plus while they decide what to do with it.


Has anyone else had this problem or am i just unlucky??
 
#2 ·
I have read of one other person with this problem on the forum.

I think you could have just been unlucky I'm afraid :(

Would recommend looking again at another Eos though.....:eek:
 
#3 ·
The dealer is talking crap... This stuff doesn't normally happen! Your case is clearly very bad luck.

It is most likely that they didn't fix the issue properly in the first place, or they just fixed it enough to get it closed!

With most EOS roof issues, the problem is usually more with the dealers than the cars!
 
#4 ·
Reply from dealer

Had the dealer on the phone and they replied via email as i copied VW uk in and Trading Standards with my letter of Complaint/ rejection



Reply Reads

With reference to our telephone conversation today please accept this e-mail as requested as a guarantee that if your vehicle Registration number AE07should have any further problems with the Roof within the next calendar month you will have available the following three options,

1. A full refund of the invoice purchase price of AE07

2. The option for me to locate a vehicle replacement of similar specification.

3. We will cure any issues under warranty.

I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope we at Lookers Volkswagen Boston can continue to provide you with the quality of service you would expect.

Regards

Martin.



We will see what happens next
 
#5 ·
Problem Sloved Great Dealer performance

Have now got the car back, had it past 2 days with no problem they had replaced one of the micro switches for the roof it was telling the car that the roof was closed already so confused the ECU.
They also fixed a scratch that was on the boot while it was in there.
Great service from the dealer and VW UK after my letter to them, the car came back cleaned fully re fueled with a Bunch of flowers for the wife and a letter from the dealer as a good will gesture the next service is on them which all helps especialy as the next service will be the 40,000 mile service.
So in all the service you would expect from a company thet boasts " If only everything was as reliable as a Volkswagen"

5 Star service just a pitty I had to throw my toys out of the pram to make them sit up and pay attention
 
#6 ·
Sij2000 - You can't honestly say dealers are to blame for the fault stated if you understand the system we are dealing with ie 13 hall sensor roof on newer models 5 section roof in order to accomadate for slide and tilt sunroof and sloping A pillars which competition does not have all I'am saying is people should lay off the dealers
 
#7 ·
OK, Let me clarify... I appreciate how the roof works, what I was referring to was the quote that they "managed to get the roof closed". I suspect, unfortunately, that this meant some kind of manual intervension. Due to the fact that the following day, the customer opened the roof and it got tangled up with the interior trim tension strings suggests that it was not closed correctly in the first place.

That is what I meant, but I suppose it was a bit of a sweeping statement. There have just been too many occasions where issues have arisen and have been made much worse by the dealer simply because of lack of decent technical training on the roof from VW.

The dealer I use have no such issues and the EOS guys there are well trained and happy to discuss issues.

All I ask, is that the dealers work more closely with VW to understand the correct troubleshooting and maintenance processes laid out for this roof mechanism.

I appologise if I have offended any dealers who do follow the correct procedures and have appropriate training.

This also goes for lubrication of the seals. I had a fight with a dealer about this also, but luckily after consulting documentation, it was shown to be part of the service. How many hundreds of cars never get lubricated because of this? We shouldn't have to fight for this, it should just be done. That process alone would have abaited most leaks and creaks!

Lastly, I do appologise for being so blunt about it, but we do come accross some really frustrating stories on here as you can imagine!
 
#8 ·
I would be interested in hearing how you can close the (main) roof manually in the event of a system failure such as a flat battery or something else. I've just asked my local (supplying) dealer and they said instructions are in the supplied manual. Err, no. Under the "What to do when the CSC roof stops or does not move" bit (page 49 booklet 3.1) it tells you about the glass sunroof, and in booklet 3.2 "Tips and advice" it tells you again how to close the glass roof or reset it. Nothing about the MAIN roof. I've just had the display show two messages over two days, one said "Temp too high convert top" and the roof stopped in it's tracks, pressed the button again and all was OK, and the other said "System error-no convert top operation". Again, using the button/lever a second time completed the operation. This is why I contacted my dealer. This hasn't happened again and the workshop foreman suggested that sometimes error codes come up even tho' there is no real problem and that if it happens again I should remove the key from the ignition and then re-insert key which should clear the display. I would still like to know how to manually close the roof if it failed during the operation! All the manual say's is "contact a VW dealer". Fine if it is not about to rain!
 
#9 ·
Fine if it is not about to rain!
Carry a spare tarp and cover up if it rains. Sooner or later, the rain will stop and then you can drive it to a dealer. Except for a few 2 seater convertibles, I don't think you can raise most tops (ragtop or metal) manually unless you cut a hydraulic line to relieve the back pressure. Not a good method.
 
#11 ·
Mu EOS roof is stuck down right now

Today my 2007 EOS went to the VW dealership to look at the air conditioning that is not working. Yes it broke and is a $4,000.00 CDN reparir job. Fortunately it's still under warranty. When the car was back from the dealer we tried to put the roof up as it was raining. The roof started to go up then froze. We tried to put it back down and the roof went into the trunk but none of the other door hatches closed. We can a warning of a roof malfunction and it said drive slow. We could not open the trunk to get stuff out of it as it was also now broken. No idea what is wrong. We will take it back to the dealer tomorrow if it is not raining. We called VW when it happend and they said they are now closing so bring it in tomorrow.

I am not sure if they did something while looking at the aircon or if it's just more going wrong.

Has anyone else had the airconditioning break on a 2007 or roof problems.
 
#12 ·
Today my 2007 EOS went to the VW dealership to look at the air conditioning that is not working. Yes it broke and is a $4,000.00 CDN reparir job. Fortunately it's still under warranty. When the car was back from the dealer we tried to put the roof up as it was raining. The roof started to go up then froze. We tried to put it back down and the roof went into the trunk but none of the other door hatches closed. We can a warning of a roof malfunction and it said drive slow. We could not open the trunk to get stuff out of it as it was also now broken. No idea what is wrong. We will take it back to the dealer tomorrow if it is not raining. We called VW when it happend and they said they are now closing so bring it in tomorrow.

I am not sure if they did something while looking at the aircon or if it's just more going wrong.

Has anyone else had the airconditioning break on a 2007 or roof problems.
I am having roof problems right now on my 2008 - the top will not go up or down and I am being told its because the hydralics have shorted out due to water in the trunk which no one is sure where its coming from and supposedly its not covered under the warranty I wish you good luck with your issue!
 
#16 ·
My first question might be how do I get a wiring diagram and servicing information.

That little lifty-uppy switch is going to have some wires, relays, fuses and safety switches somewhere, even possibly some safety cutouts.

Well, we know that the trunk tray operates a microswitch to enable roof operation. I haven't checked if the roof is on the diagnostics, it should be since they put their oem radio on it and you can't get stranded and wet with a faulty rear speaker!
 
#17 ·
EOS Roof problem and dealer didnt fix it yet

On Tuesday my roof did the oddest thing. It opened while you can see smoke coming out of the left side of the car. When i tried to close it, it stoped mid-way and gave me "System error-no convert top operation". Tired to pull the lever up again and it gave me "Temp too high convert top" error. One important piece of info is that i hardly open the top so i was quite surprised that it did that while i hardly used it. The next thing i know, I cannot put the windows up and i cannot open the boot. I sent it to the VW repair service and the last thing i heard from them was they can't open the boot to get to the problem. That was Thursay and They have not replied to my phone calls on Saturday. (they close sundays only). I am quite annoyed at the fact that they have gotten back to me with neither an answer nor an estimate for repair fees. I am also annoyed at the fact that there is nothing in the manual that tells you what to do when such a thing happens. How come we cant close the roof manually? I also wonder if the roof should carry a different warranty than the rest of the car. I know that this is not the case now.
 
#18 ·
"Glad" to see that not only in Portugal VW's customer service sucks hard.
Bought last year my 2007 EOS, and only had leak problems.

First time, the draining pipes were out of place, second time dealer was completely unhelpful because the fix was Half-done. Put some silicon glue on the roof drains in order for the water to flow INSIDE the drains. Smooth now.

I had severe problems with vw's dealers for an Audi A6 before. Things like being told that i need a new Airbag system because the red light came on (found out it was only a side impact sensor, that costed 120€, VS the 1500€ airbag system...). That was my last visit to the dealer (and i was at 4 different dealers).

Nowadays with internet it's pretty easy to find out the information you need and to get parts from ebay.

Oh.. the dealer took my EOS to Autoeuropa (where the EOS is assembled), and they also suck hard doing these leak fixes.
 
#19 ·
The MY2006 EOS carried to the best of my knowledge detailed instructions on how to manually close the roof. They also had a plastic emergency cover. Both were discontinued because no one was able to close the roof just by following the instructions, specially because there are many reasons for a roof to stop.
One of the most often reasons for the roof not to operate is a malfunction of the boot lid catch, aka ZZH. This also causes the boot not to open/close. In an emergency you can open the boot by pulling on a red plastic ring that can be found behind the rear seat's central arm rest.
Operating the roof by hand would then involve opening the boot, accessing the pump and opening the purge valve. This is simply a screw on top of the pump which you can undo (not remove) with an Allen key. The purge valve relieves the system of all pressure, so you can push all the bits to where they belong without much effort. The only problem is that even if you manage to close the roof completely, it is not possible to lock it because there is no access to the locking mechanism. That means you won't be able to drive the car and it won't be water tight.
 
#20 ·
Roof probs

Yikes guys, I was just considering buying a 2008 with the roof stuck up...it supposedly was at a dealer for 2 months and they gave up and talked the insurance company into "totaling it". It is going cheap because it now has a salvage title, but after reading everyone's horror stories about troubleshooting the EOS roof mechanism, mebe I'll stick with my 1990 Buick Reatta with a manual roof....though my old 1972 MGB's roof went up and down manually faster and with a lot less muscle than the Reatta. ;-) It really sucks being handcuffed to a dealer's service department.....I wonder what the shop manual says - NOT the owners manual.
 
#21 ·
Yikes guys, I was just considering buying a 2008 with the roof stuck up...it supposedly was at a dealer for 2 months and they gave up and talked the insurance company into "totaling it". It is going cheap because it now has a salvage title, but after reading everyone's horror stories about troubleshooting the EOS roof mechanism, mebe I'll stick with my 1990 Buick Reatta with a manual roof....though my old 1972 MGB's roof went up and down manually faster and with a lot less muscle than the Reatta. ;-) It really sucks being handcuffed to a dealer's service department.....I wonder what the shop manual says - NOT the owners manual.
I think the dealerships only see a small volume of these cars and have to learn on the job.

If you buy an EOS with a such a complex electric roof system and efi , you should know what you are getting into. Across the VW range there are many common parts, but the EOS roof is a unique one off. For every stuck roof problem, there are many more EOS's that don't give these problems.

The service manual will say a lot about the roof, including much time and care spent checking and setting the electronic sensors and stops that tell the roof system parts when to stop. Get those wrong or damage them and bad things will happen. One thing I have learned about error messages and diagnostics- they may seem frustrating but are there for good reason and usually come with a 'lockout' to stop the average Jo messing and doing more damage.

You need a competent VW dealer and be prepared to pay the costs. Or you are clever with electro-mechanical fault finding, buy a shop manual and diagnostic tools to do work yourself. If you can't manage these options then a specialist vehicle like the EOS is probably not for you.

If you buy it cheap, you could always have the roof locked down and drive a smart looking non-convertible.:) Perhaps this vehicle was in the shop so long because they were waiting for Insurance go ahead, or needed their guy to get on the next VW EOS course.

I believe that only VW roof trained staff are approved to work on it. So has your dealership with the cheap stuck roof EOS, actually got a VW trained roof technician?
 
#22 ·
Time and patience will take you very far, but not all the way. When the roofs get to a certain point, the usual policy is to "replace", meaning dispose of the old roof and get a new one in. Unfortunately this is a very difficult operation and I wouldn't trust anyone in the world but me and a few other people to do it.
What you have to figure out is what is wrong with the roof and whether it is irreversible or not. Electronic problems are usually straightforward. Just replace components until it works. Mechanical problems are more tricky because you'll probably have to disassemble a lot of stuff, replace whatever is broken and put everything back together.
Furthermore pay attention because broken or bent mechanics cannot be repaired or replaced, so if this the case, forget about it.
 
#24 · (Edited)
If the roof is 'stuck open' then you must be getting a cockpit warning but you haven't said so? You have not said if the roof is stuck part way open or it is fully open in its normal cab mode and just won't respond to the switches. I assume you haven't filled the trunk with shopping and the trunk tray IS lowered in its correct position to allow the roof switch controls to operate?

If there is a cockpit warning, then diagnostics will tell you where the fault may be. If it has only been stuck open some minutes, the error may cancel after leaving it alone for 10-15 mins with key off, then back on.

The headlining is not the best place to start, but computer diagnostics is.

There is a VW emergency procedure to release pressure in the hydraulic system (a screw on the pump) but it requires 2 people either side to safely hold and lower the roof when the manual release valve on the pump is opened. Only after releasing hydraulic pressure can the roof components with their rams be pushed into the closed position.

You can gather from this that opening the roof is a very similar procedure. I have never had to do this, but given all the warnings about the roof not being locked closed for driving, if the roof is stuck part open, it might be better to get the roof fully open, stowed and garage the car, or get it to the dealer for further investigation.

You do not want to go into the roof system gung ho unless you have full roof service technical info, diagnostics and serious skills. If you do not have those, then your best bet is to get the roof lowered manually (but read on) and take it to the dealer for a fault diagnostics scan, as the original fault should still be stored. You could try leaving the battery disconnected a couple of hours then re-connecting it. But sadly the electronic system has memory and it may still be locked in the fault position. The roof may have stuck open because something has fouled up. That is why the roof system should be checked thoroughly first. Then diagnostics may clear the fault and everything could be ok. But reading the fault code first should give up some clues.

What you need to know is here but when you have read it, you may prefer to call out the AA or get the dealer to tow the car back to the workshop: Note there is a warning that after manually lowering the roof system it will not be locked in and safe to drive the car. The procedure in the link is a rip from the VW technical & service manual. The pump bypass release is in the location '2' shown in the last picture. You should also know about the 'hinge supports' which VW recommend to hold up the roof weight when it is in the 'service position'. In this instance, there would be no hydraulic pressure doing the job once the roof pump pressure relief valve is opened.

PS - Do you really want to go through this? Remember if you get it wrong and trash the roof, you could trash the car with an uneconomic repair bill.

http://www.justanswer.com/vw-volksw...dlights-drained-jump-started-electronics.html
 
#25 ·
Just had our first bit of sun ,so roof down did all the running about got home tried to put roof up and no joy , no warning on dash , windows came up and nothing else. Could hear a clicking noise on operation of switch like it was trying but remained stuck in boot /trunk.
Drove to localVW dealer who had a quick look , hey presto the damn thing worked . He told me the boot wasn't shut properly ? Thought this would have shown on dash ? I felt like the biggest cock on the block:mad :eek:
 
#26 ·
Don't worry it has probably happened to most of us!

I think you should have seen the trunk open warning in the cockpit. Now go and do 2 things: 1. With the roof up, first hook the boot tray in at the top, close the boot and see if you get the close trunk tray warning which you should.

2. Lock the tray in its down position and leave the boot lid unlocked to see if you get the trunk open warning, whether you operate the roof switch or not. The roof should not open! The trunk open warning is a safety warning normally given irrespective of what you try to do with the roof switch and I think there may be some 'dings' that go with it. I had mine open once driving along and it was the dings I first heard before I saw the symbol on the console display. As I had never left it open before, the warning and symbols were all a bit confusing. Still it is better than having the car spit out those warnings in German!

Perhaps you missed the trunk open warning? Easy to do when you are looking down at the roof switch? But I cannot understand why you did not hear/see the warning whilst driving to the Stealer.

Do checks for normal warning operations in the cockpit because the very act of opening and closing the trunk lid may have jogged one of the interlock switches which may show up as an intermittent problem later on, but that would not be too difficult to sort out. There is a microswitch for the loose tray and a switch in the lock mechanism. Open and close the trunk lid several times as well as lifting and dropping the boot tray - that should operate and clean the switch contacts.
 
#28 · (Edited)
This is what I couldn't understand when guy at dealers said boot was open,it appeared to be shut .

Which is why I thought you might have an intermittent switch and the force/vibration of opening and closing the boot lid made it work. Wifeys is the basic Tdi sport with basic non-MF display and I get warnings for trunk lid and (I think) gas tank flap open.

Now some sunshine has arrived in UK and you will be using top down more, the problem may go away.
 
#30 ·
When the tray (luggage compartment cover) is locked in the up position the roof controls should not operate and if you try to operate the roof switch my car puts up the warning in the lower half of the display (see shakey photo).

If the boot lid is open then the car puts out a 'ding' followed by a tailgate open warning in the lower half of my display. After a couple of seconds this goes away to bring back the preset display BUT a warning icon of a car with the boot lid open remains showing in the top half of the display see photo - perhaps you missed it?)

If I try and operate the roof with both the tray locked in the up position and the boot lid open I get the Close luggage comp. display, the tailgate open message flashes up and the boot open icon is still lit in the top half of the display.

The luggage tray operates a switch on the left side when it is down. Compare the two anchoring points and you can operate the switch with your finger. That switch tells the system when the tray is up or down. I don't know exactly where the boot close switch is, but it will either be in the lock unit or there could be a magnetic Hall sensor along the bottom of the boot lid. Never had to go there, but this car is full of magnets and Hall sensors!
 

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#32 ·
Ours is a 2007 UK Tdi Sport. Perhaps you have the multi-function steering wheel and cleverer display? That's the wheel that has the buttons on it which mine lacks. Or is your EOS 2007 reg. but 2006 model?

I would be surprised if our cheaper no frills EOS Sport (with the hard foam seats and expensive tyres) has less functions. It seems to me it only has sufficient to sell the car. Not like Japanese and Korean cars where you get everything as standard, HID lights and a 7 year oem warranty thrown in!
 
#34 ·
Hello all, as of a few moments ago I am a member. Well last week I bought a 2006 EOS. Being new to me I was showing off my car and to impress my mates opened the roof to everyone's amazement. Then came the big show up of the windows raising and then nothing more. The roof just stayed in the boot much to the amusement of my associates.Opened the boot, rattled the tray around a bit and with some aggression closed the boot lid. Still nothing until I removed the ignition key, remotely locked and unlocked the car, started the engine and tried to lose the roof again. It worked. Don't know if it was the rattling of the tray which may have operated the micro switch,the slamming of the boot lid, or just locking and unlocking the car with the remote. Now I'm a bit scared to open the roof again. My thinking is that if it works, then doesn't work, then works again it is most likely to be some small problem like the boot lid or micro switch for the tray. I think some lubrication and cleaning may assis I know what Im doing tomorrow.t
 
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