Cadillac XLR Top on bench, showing the full opening and closing sequence
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Super-cool: a complete XLR convertible top assembly with trunk lid is shown in operation on a bench. This allows you to see all the hydraulic components in action, which are normally hidden by the car's chassis and trim.
Klaus of Top Hydraulics walks you through the function of the top step by step. You can see all eight hydraulic cylinders, the pump and the whole top in action. Instead of the car's computer controlling the top movement, we have set up a simple switch box that lets us activate the pump and its five electric solenoid valves as needed.
Hopefully, you will be impressed by the ingenuity that went into the design of the XLR roadster top, yet be encouraged to work on your own top once you see how it works.
Top Hydraulics supplies and rebuilds all the hydraulic components for the XLR top, making them better than new ones from Cadillac. We have a complete series of DIY videos that shows you how to remove and replace any one of these components.
The amount of time it took to set this video up, make the controller, hook everything up, test it, have the nerve to actuate the first sequence knowing if you have a switch out of place you can have a real mess on your hands is awesome!!! I worked on aircraft for a number of years and most of the landing gear on a plane is no where near this complicated!!!
Thanks for appreciating it! It was a lot of work and a lot of fun to make this video...
I don't know why I enjoy watching your videos so much. I happen to have a Lexus SC430 which uses electric motors, rather than hydraulic cylinders to operate the top. I always compare and contrast the two different systems. It is clear that you make a quality product, are committed to customer service, and just enjoy the heck out of your work.
Thanks for your kind words! The vast majority of convertible top systems are hydraulic, as compared to the one based on electric motors in your SC430. There are pros and cons to both approaches. The hydraulic systems are a bit more complex, but they allow for extra tight storage of the top system. In the end, anything is fixable and we enjoy doing it...
Wow this is magnificent. I was thinking of making something like this for a DTS, but it may require additional space as the roof may need to be divided. Thanks for the inspiration!
Excellent, excellent video - and your enthusiasm for your craft is exciting in itself.
the best . . . here in the shop working on one of this. . . best way of star the morning with this walkthrough and i love it.
Glad you enjoyed it. It is one of my favorite videos because it allowed us to get a lot of information across in a short time.
Great video, thanks for posting.
My top won’t go down is it because my deck lid won’t open now ? i can manually open my deck lid though. what could be the problem ? the fluid level is full
If the pump won’t lift the trunk lid, then it also won’t lift the top. You have already checked the fluid level, so we know the problem is not caused by a leak.
If you can hear the pump running while opening the deck lid manually, then we can assume that the pump is weak.
If the pump isn’t running while you are opening the deck lid, then it is still most likely that you have a bad pump (about 95% likelihood), but it could also be a missing signal from the trunk lid’s electrical latch that it is unlatched (that quite rare) or a bad control module. A bad control module almost always either damages the pump or they both get damaged at the same time (in case of significant water intrusion in the area where the pump and the module are mounted).
Looking at the odds described above, it is best to start with replacing the pump. The GM part number for the pump is 88958028. It is not availability from GM any more and by far your best options are to either get a rebuilt pump from Top Hydraulics’ inventory first and then ship back your old one for a refund of your deposit, or to send in your pump for rebuild. The good news is that you can do the job of removing and replacing the pump yourself, as shown in detail in our video on pump removal: ruclips.net/video/vySUjECUpSQ/видео.html
The top control module, if you end up needing it, is currently still available from GM, part number 25840734.
@@TopHydraulics Thanks for the response. Just an update for you, I actually got my trunk deck lid to open and close properly i hear the pump but i’m not getting anything when i try to open the top ! What could be the solution to this ? when i hit the switch i get nothing. i have the cargo divider in place as well.
I wish you could shorten or remove time wait for trunk close, especially on roof close operation...it seems it's waiting few seconds while it seems it could safely go down simultaneously with the inside cover. Ofcourse i'm not sure if it could go safely, there are maybe some other reasons for the delay
Hello. What fluid do i use for the convertible top pump? Mine is a little low.
The closest match to GM fluid is Pentosin CHF11S. However, it smells just as bad as the original fluid. Our fluid of choice is Mercedes 000 989 91 03 10. It is cheaper and does not smell bad.
If your fluid level is low now, then you have a leak somewhere. These leaks don’t fix themselves and they only get worse, so you should locate the leak and take care of it. Most likely, you have a leak from the bottom of one or more cylinders.
Thank you!
Great video, thanks for posting this! The one thing I don’t see is when the top is in the process of going down there are two hooks that latch to secure the top. My XLR top goes up and down but does not hold the top down long enough for the hooks to latch. Do you know what part failure causes this?
What sucks is that this car has no backup , like my Allante you can hard top it if soft top mech goes bad. Really cool design, but this would be a scary nightmare for me if something went wrong.
My top is down, the deck lid operates normally, top will not go up. Relay checks ok, does the system have a fuse? What's my next step? Dealer is not an option..
Thanks for asking. The relays for the pump are actually inside the top control module. The pump motor turns in opposite directions for opening or closing of the trunk lid. The relays obviously work if the trunk lid goes up and down, because one relay makes the motor turn clockwise and the other one makes the motor turn counter-clockwise. I assume that you are referring to the fuse being okay, because they is no other easy way to check the relays in the controller but to observe their function during trunk lid operation.
Does the pump motor keep running for a while after the trunk lid has raised? If so, then you may have a bad micro switch on the trunk lid frame as described below.
We will be releasing a video in a few days that shows all the micro switches and potentiometers in the XLR top system. This video will be pointing out the micro switch that might be responsible for your top's malfunction now. When the trunk lid raises, its scissor style hinge extends until it hits a hard stop. That hard stop is easily spotted a couple of inches in front of the top of the left trunk lid (deck lid) cylinder. Behind this hard stop is the micro switch that indicates to the top controller whether the trunk lid is raised. It is a common failure for this micro switch to have a broken lever. If the switch does not indicate to the computer that the trunk lid is up all the way, then the computer will not initiate the next step in the top closing procedure. You can switch if you stop the trunk lid from raising all the way.
You just pop my top !i!ii!
Could you post the wiring schematics for the switch box panel. I am a Cadillac tech and I feel that would be a great tool to have to diagnose the convertible tops.
Thanks for asking. The Cadillac Service Manual should give you the pin-out for the solenoids and for the pump's motor. The switch box itself is really simple: the single switches for the solenoid route 12VDC to the solenoids and power to the two motor wires can be handled via a double-throw three-way switch. For frequent use, you would have to get a connector that mates to the pump's connector, so that you don't have to pull the pump out all the way each time for single connection of your wires to the individual solenoids and to the power wires of the motor.
In general, Tech2 will give you most of the information needed to diagnose the top system, but it can mislead you if the relays in the top control module are bad or if the pump's motor is compromised. Tech2 can also be misleading when the top does not engage after the deck lid has opened all the way.
Can all the cylinders and motor be accessed in car without removing entire top assembly?
Thanks for asking. Indeed, the top never needs to be removed for access to any of the cylinders or the pump. This video was one of our first published XLR videos, because we were so excited to show off the "top on a bench". We will be releasing more videos soon on removal and replacement of every single cylinder and the pump, as well as manual top operation and troubleshooting. Subscribe to our RUclips channel, and you will get notified as the other videos get released.
You can hear the trunk latch unlock but does not open automatically. Again the motor running but nothing happening. I have to manually open the trunk
The pump motor runs but the lid is not raising, huh? Have you had any water intrusion in the pump area?
Also, let's start with the simple thing: is the pressure relief valve on the pump closed?
hi its pops.....when u open deck lid by hand do it stay up ?
I have a problem when the top goes down the module won’t change the direction that’s mean bad module or motor?
Also the rear tonneau cover won’t moved
@@yeisonnduran Let's see if I understand this correctly: during the opening process, does the system stop moving once the roof has retracted into the trunk and it is not moving the tonneau covers at that point? You mentioned that the motor isn't changing direction. If the motor keeps turning in the same direction as it did for retracting the roof, then the problem is most likely that the control module does not get the signal that the roof is down all the way. This could be caused by the potentiometer style sensor for the top frame being worn and it can hopefully be remedied by calibrating the top with a Tech2 scanner.
@@TopHydraulics it is exactly my problem. Could you tell me where the position sensor is located? because i'm looking at the diagrams and i feel a little lost
@@yeisonnduran Here is the top position sensor: ruclips.net/video/rSDHtzBFw-w/видео.html It is not available from General Motors any more. First try to have the roof calibrated.
@@TopHydraulics With which I have a scanner (Autel MaxiSys Elite II ULTRA) I was able to test the 3 position sensors and they work correctly. at this point i think it needs recalibration with tech 2 scan. I will make an appointment with the dealership
Hello Top Hyfraulics! my wife's 2005 XLR top fails to lift, so I would think it needs the main hydraulic pump. Do I need to take the car to the dealer to get this fixed, or are there mechanics who will install the pump? We live in California..The problem could be the main-lift cylinder. My main concern is finding a mechanic who can do the installation other than the costly Cadillac dealer...Thank you!
Thanks for asking. To answer your question, you do not normally have to take your car to the dealer. There are lots of good mechanics who can do the job. You may want to watch more videos in our XLR playlist ruclips.net/p/PLly4CMbpk7ow0ZvtJV9MjZbB4u5cPQ31I to familiarize yourself some more with the top system and what it takes to remove and replace the hydraulic components. In particular, please take a look at the video on troubleshooting the sensors and microswitches ruclips.net/p/PLly4CMbpk7ow0ZvtJV9MjZbB4u5cPQ31I.
If it is the pump, then any mechanic can replace it after watching our pump removal video ruclips.net/video/vySUjECUpSQ/видео.html, or you could even give it a go yourself.
Let's do some very simple diagnostics first:
1) Does the pump still open and close the trunk lid?
2) Have you checked the fluid level in the pump yet?
Hi, really great info for top opening and closing. Question my top does not open or close, u can hear the motor in operation but nothing moving when in open mode. Fluid level are good. What’s my next step? (HELP)
Thanks for asking. You are saying that the motor is running in open mode, the fluid level is good in the pump and nothing is moving. Did the trunk lid open?
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