My Cheap Lamborghini's Stupid Top Is STILL BROKEN (And I Can't Figure Out Why!!!)

Sounds like the latch that you are having to manually pull with the string is not activating. If it holds it down it will fault. Try to have someone hold your string to activate while you press the button on the dash

It wouldn’t be a budget Lambo if you didn’t have AT LEAST one unsolvable problem 😂 the car is beautiful and and you’re gonna look like a baller driving it anywhere (as long as they don’t see you manually put your top down)😂😂

Disassemble the rear latch, service it, use new bolts and torque it down to the right spec and keep it straight and centred to the bonnet.
Because you adjusted the metal bar under the bonnet, for clearance, the tolerances are off. So adjust the bonnet to its correct height.
Pulling the wire, like you show us, transfers more force, so it unlatched, the motors sense greater resistance, so it won’t.
Do the reset via the Laris system when it’s back together. I hope it helps. If not, I’m out of ideas.
I hope it works and love to see this puppy on the streets! Keep it up! Love the channel!

If cylinder was hot enough magnets might go bad. Usually magnets can handle up to 170-200F. Then they go demagnetized. I'm assuming you are sure there are megnets inside.

I seen this problem before with that relay. Your missing something so easy it's not your fault tho most people miss it you have contacting wires in the harness. Yes you said you replaced them but you didn't replace the entire run. The way we resolved the one we ran into was time consuming to say the least. Remove the harness completely!! Make sure to take good notes on how it came out so you get it right going in. What's more you will need to get the wiring instructions on that ECU to make sure you don't cross a line and blow a relay like the old unit. What's more your release latch not letting go thru a faulty relay is also not helping you make sure that your position switches are all properly installed and set to the right depts if they aren't you will throw fault signals putting the system into protect and keeping it from operating. Good luck.

This is the only build I’ve followed since the beginning you should definitely do the Bentley next 😁😁😁💯

The fire probably demagnetized the magnets the sensors look for (heat does demagnetize).
i think you just have to spend those 2K on that new actuator

Hello from a very cold london, i had a hard top convertible bmw and had exactly the same issue, roof goes down half way then stopped. Just like yours. What my issue was somthing called a HALL SENSOR. Basically these sensors tells the ECU Where everything is and what stage the top is in throughout the entire process. They are several of these hall sensors and there’re needed so the ecu activates the “next stage” of the process one after the other, seems like when the ears go up, that particular hall sensor is not communicating to tell the ecu to “start the next process” or that “that process has completed”
So check your hall sensors and wires. If the ecu is bad it will deffo give a fault code.

If it has magnets in it they were probably demagnetized by the heat from the fire.

I would love to see a collab between Tavarish and Edd China... Just sayin'

Great Job Tavarish, looking forward to the next project.

Congrats on the completion of this project, on to the next one, and keep up the great work!

heat demagnetizes things... verify the hall effect sensors work

Leave the ears up and be like batman

Found an old link that said "holding both buttons down for 10-15 seconds puts the top into service mode and it should operate" There was another note that said there is a couple of special tools for locking the back parts down when the hydraulics fail. Also that the top will only work when the engine is running or the battery is at 14 Volts.

Dude, quality video! I can imagine how frustrating it must be trying to figure out that top. I really enjoyed this video because you taught by explaining the steps you tried. I'm sure you think the video would be better by showing it working at the end, but this is great too! Usually videos by other channels are "ta da it works!" I feel like you actually taught something here even though it doesn't quite work yet. Wish I was more knowledgeable to be able give ideas, but I'm learning more from you! Good luck!

Taverish you were apart of my adulthood. I was 18 now I'm 15 thanks

Your Lambo has been upgraded so that it can now deploy Batman Ears! It's a feature not a bug.

It's amazing the amount of work and passion you show for this lambo. Well done mate, well done!

Your best video in ages. I suspect most of your subscribers love the problem solving (or attempted!) videos. You're a clever guy and it's great to see you having a go.

Tavarish you were part of my childhood thanks I was 15 when you started now I'm 18

Love the videos you produce. I think it would be funny to take the lambo to the dealership and see what they say about the soft top.

Late joiner several months back. Wow...love your inquisitiveness and ability to bring it home! The lambo looks amazing. Congrats!

Wow! I'll give it to ya, your level of patience and determination is both impressive and inspiring! Hope you get that top figured out! 👍👍

You know it will never be 'done'

You'll get it bro, we have faith

1. Check your hydraulic pump voltage, and pressure. If it is not in specs with manufacturer it will stop it's task. So replace it.
2. No leaks can happen for your hydraulics to work.
3 if none of those work. The schematics you got probably are worth another look. You need to find if there is any switches you haven't seen yet. I'm electronics technician and am welcome to help.

The manner in which you communicate your diagnosis thoughts and processes in a logical progression is truly impressive and a joy to watch. I have the electrical knowledge of a caterpillar so cannot contribute any useful i formation but damn this is great to watch. Seriously looking forward to progress updates on this. All power to you. Best wishes

You probably tried this already, but, Search for the wiring harness inside your top. Where the roof bends the cables sometimes break over time. It's a common problem in a lot of convertibles and can be a nightmare to find.

Are the sensors in the hydraulic pump working (I mean did you actually test it or just replaced them)? Because while sensors may be fine, magnet(s) inside the pump could have heat damage (magnets are weaker) and not may not trigger the hall sensors.
What I mean by this - do the readings from hall sensors change when you open/close the hood?

It has truly been inspiring watching you build this car over time. I'm an artist my self and over the past few years started working on my own sports cars. Watching you transform the car with gold, white intakes, style, beautiful colours, and every mechanical modification has made me conclude that you are a mechanical artist.... I can't really help with the roof, maybe just change the leaks because it could send a signal to stop if it's leaking maybe 😊 but I'll watch all your next builds 😊

I am amazed that you managed finding out the reasons for all the problems on your car. So many details. Congrats!

Been here since day one. So happy for you on this beauty. Glad to see you fix that clutch all the way to the twin turbo redesign. #tavarishforpresident

That would drive anyone crazy. Happy my R8 is not a convertible!

Do both ecu's have the same chatter issue ?, how hot did that strut get ? the magnet for the hall effect could of lost some of its magnetization and/or melted the seals, does the lambo software not give you the sensor information ? Do the rear rams move if there unbolted from the car ? - no doubt this will not get read

Within the hydraulic cylinder there are miniature values. Heat probably destroyed those. Also magnets can be affected by heat. Is there a way for you to check the spec on those components? Those internal problems could be causing the relay to not know if it's open or closed.
Good luck, still want to see it around at a local car meet.
Edit; Was just reminded that Festival of Speed is this Sunday at the Ritz Carleton. I will not be able to attend. But you should go.

Damn. I see you hard at work on IG making your own diagrams for the wiring in this car. If tavarish can't figure it out, it's a manufacturer mess up!

Since you checked all the electronics, the first thing I thought was the pump is bad and isn’t producing the needed pressure to move the hydraulic rams when under load. I dont remember if you replaced that or not?

You mentioned once that it may have to do with the position of the adjustable spoiler.maybe there is a position voltage value that feeds into the ecu and the abscence there o could be stopping it from working.maybe check the sensor you had...or look into the values of the wires that feeds into a spyder that works

last ideas.
Does the ECU checks for a specific hydraulic system pressure before allowing operation or not? If yes, the smallest pressure difference could prevent the whole system to operate properly.
And does your small leak create an imbalance in the entire hydraulic system.
example: 1 liter of oil for 3 lines >>> 0,8 liter of oil equals not enough pressure in one or more lines of said system.
finally, the problem "B is for built" had bleeding the brakes of the BMW system (multi valve) that required a specific bleeding procedure.... Does your lambo hydraulic system have the same issue???

Man, have you tried to action it with the weight of the cover removed (but leaving the hydraulics, hinges and attachment points/frame in place)?

Tavarish - can you manually bridge the contacts that the relay is supposed to be completing?

Finally found the fix for me rooftop and iT could be the same for yours. There are wires connected to the micrswithes. Since Those wires also move along with the top they can break at the points where they are bending at the hinges. This break Will stop the microswitch from being activated during the rooftop operation and it will not move further.
What you can do is go trough all the wires and see if they are snapped.
Or
Check with a multi meter the micro switch wired from the switch to the ecu at the moment the rooftop stops to determine which is broken. Hope this helps you !

Hey Tavarish! The one thing you haven't mentioned doing is isolating the hydraulic pump. In general, a hydraulic pump is a motor with an impeller in a block with those two hoses you replaced. I would unhook that and using jumpers, see if you can jump the motor into pressurizing the cylinders, and depressurizing (shaft goes in). This is a 100% mechanical process besides the motor operating. There's either 3 pins, one ground with 2 hots to spin the motor one way or the other, or there's a relay to have the motor switch directions. Double check pump voltage, it should have a sticker. Its probably 12-14v. Also, I'm sure you know, you have to prime the system before anything will work, otherwise the pump pumps air, which is bad. Good luck.

Yes now I love watching your channel

I think you did an amazing job with the car regardless of the top lol. With that being said, I'm sure there's been so much more work that went into the Lambo than what meets the eye, so great job!

Days just don't get any better when there a Tavarish video to watch. You need to make these longer...just can't wait for more content!!

So awesome to see this one done, it looks amazing! Tho, low key, I'm super excited to hopefully see the SL55 again soon!! XD

I am not sure if you are aware of this or not. But if a magnet is heated to a high temperature it will loose it's magnetism. Perhaps the fire changed the properties a sensor without any visible damage. Just a hypothesis.
Good Luck Sir.

Damn another video? I MUST WATCH.

Hey, Jonathan here. Tarv. You do know that when you heat a magnet up they lose their magnetism.... the problem might be that in the hydrolic cylinder the magnets might no longer be strong enough to be seen by the hall sensor...
Just a thought...
Your chattering relay most likely needs to have a "latch on" from the unit be plugged into the car, dose not get the feed back latch so it switches off and tries again... thus making it chatter
love watching your project

you are doing great job ,pretty sure you will get it done quickly ! good luck sir

hall affect sensors read magnetic fields. Is it possible there is a magnet inside the hydraulic cylinder? The fire may have demagnetized it? Therefore the sensor will not pick up the positioning. Just a thought.

Its okay in the bright side you finished the lambo so thats amazing😘😘😘

Awesome job, glad you're getting to enjoy it!

One thing I'd like to see is another KRplusr that does electronics and microcontrollers make this work. From my understanding, the top ECU takes a canbus signal, uses relays to actuate the pump and sonenoid valves for the top, and receives input signals for position switches. If you have a logic analyzer or osciliscope you could see what the module is doing. I bed with an Arduino type micro controller, you could emulate the convertible top functionality and output the correct signal back to the car ECU.

One day, you'll get this running perfectly

I wonder if that hydraulic leak is playing with you, when the system starts activating you may be getting just enough pressure drop to throw the system off, or the leaking fluid could be playing with those magnetic sensors.

Hi Tavarish. That relay clicking rapidly is a big clue! Every relay has 2 powers and a ground. Check those first. DO NOT check them with a multimeter. Use a simple incandescent test light. Not an LED one. Find the relay connections on the board or at the connector (or sometimes you can remove the top of the relay) and put one end of test light to a good ground and check that 2 of the relay connections light the light, proving good power. Then one end of test lead to battery positive and check if one of the pins lights the light (proving good ground). One of these 3 will be a problem. Oh, by the way, don't operate the relay with the scanner while doing these tests. Can you report back?
Or, even use an oscilloscope the same way.
Good luck.
Andy.

you said something about magnets for sensors in the deck lid lifting ram over by the fire side. If you heat up a magnet to some temperature value, it gradually looses its magnetism value. Heat a magnet hot enough, its no longer a magnet.

Love from South African, you will get it done

You may be past this at this point....I'm not an top expert either but have worked on a few after crashes or damage(other types of cars). A couple of things that come to mind...one little tiny tweak in a bracket will stop it from going to it's next step.. Since it's going part way then stopping? I'd try to locate what stops that step and what it's looking for in the next step(opening clam shell?) ..I see some comments mentioned the fire damage to magnets...take a couple of magnets and play around, see if you can trip the next step. Again, the biggest problem that i've run into is something so minor that you would over look it...Tweaked frame,rod, sensor adjustments etc.... Very minor bends will "jam" things up and make it confused or not allow it to proceed... I didn't read all of the comments and this may not help, just first things I thought about when watching.

That cord has to get hooked into the top switch some how. That sound you hear is an actuator (I’m guessing) that pulls it to open the hood ( trunk) to lift it up to drop the top👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

The first thing that comes to mind are the hydraulic lift cylinders that lift the engine cover. As you said one had fire damage to the hydraulic line and hall sensors so it strikes me that if the cylinders got hot in the fire that could have destroyed the seals in them, so the top isn't working because instead of pushing the engine cover up to allow the top to lower into its compartment, when the fluid is pumped into the cylinders it is just going straight past the seals and filling the part of the cylinder that would fill as the engine cover is lowering itself back into the normal driving position. You might also still have an issue with the engine cover latch releasing, maybe more tinkering is required there to get it releasing more smoothly, but I think it is most likely to be the hydraulic cylinders...

Isn't chattering in a relay due to voltage drop? So it might not be getting the correct voltage

its a short between the no terminal and a signal line or the common terminal

Just went through a similar situation albeit far less complicated and with a driveway gate ram which used limit switches.
It too overheated and no matter how many new limit switches I used, it seemed to have lost it magnetic properties internally.
I too used a multimeter which showed it opening and closing but it wasn’t enough under load. In the end, I had to replace the ram.

Nice work Tavarish, been great watching you work through the issues. Just a thought, have you tried running the top with the bonnet/clamshell removed? Leave all the rams, sensors and switches in place but remove the “load” and see if you can get them to actuate? The fact that it starts moving and then stops, suggests there a link in the chain that’s broken and if you knew which was supposed to activate next you may be able to narrow down where to look? All the best,

Maybe the rod in hydraulic cylinder lost its magnetic properties and the hall sensors can't read it correctly

You really are your own warranty

Tavarish...keep up the good work. Would it be possible just to disconnect that relay and resolder a new one??

I have seen this behavior of a relay in a BMW when no load was attached to the switched side of the relay. The the current flow was monitored by the ECU and when no current was flowing the software was programmed to try turning it off and on again. :)

I had a similar problem (clicking relay) on an Audi A4 on the hazard lights they would blink like crazy, the cheap solution (instead of buying a complete blinker module) was just buy a off the shelf relay (it costed a few cents) and replace/resolder. The problem was that the relay had the contacts that switch burned up, these contactas have a special metal to handle the heat that is caused while switching (they even spark), if this metal fails and only whats left is copper, then the copper will work for a while until it completely disappears ! (example video: krplus.net/bidio/o96alZd1YoqWZ3Y)

Time to set it on fire and collect the insurance mon.... oh that's what the last guy did nevermind.

“The game which stopped me from lighting my Lamborghini on fire again”
LOL I CAN’T

Is your outside temperature in your gauge cluster reading accurately? While troubleshooting one of my bmw convertibles, that outside temperature sensor was a common failure that hindered top operations. 🤷🏽‍♂️ Also maybe the module would have to be reset after a previous error came up... Awesome job Man. I've been following this build from the start.

i think you will figure it out soon continue my boy😉

Have you checked the pump to make sure it is within spec? Perhaps the pump is not working properly and not pumping enough pressure.

Still a great looking car. I must applaud you for taking as much time as you have to work on it. Definitely no rushed job at all.

Try using a strong external magnet to produce a movement and signal from the hall effect magnetic switches to verify they will produce a signal to the ECU. Also carefully check the positioning of each microswitch to ensure it is being turned on or off properly during the operation of the hood. Their position being off by a few mm, or just the striker/strip that operates them needing adjustment, can prevent them from providing the correct signal. I had a problem like this on my CLK. Keep at it. You'll find the problem.

Take it to South Main auto, or invite him there, that guy could probably find you the problem.

Completely insane thought... you said that those little switches on the hydraulics are magnetic? If they are, is it possible that during the fire the steel ended up getting demagnetized? I highly doubt that the fire ended up getting that hot 1390°F seeing as there appears to be minimal damage to the system... but... I dunno... it's an idea. If the metal was demagnetized, the sensors couldn't detect when the cylinder was at the end of its stroke and would cause the computer to freak out as it wouldn't know what position the cylinder was in. Again, I doubt this would be it as your damage was minimal, but.... I guess its worth a check.
Second thing... this sounds kinda crazy... and like a lot of work... but can you trick it in ANY way.
One thing I like to do when diagnosing problems like this is disassemble the system (so that the computer doesn't actually have any ability to push on anything) and me and a couple friends stand around and manually trigger the switches while the system is running. This sounds dumb but sometimes it lets you see where it is failing. Once you have that you can attempt to track down your issue much easier (obvious statement is obvious)
Proposal: Remove the rear cover (hood?) and remove all the switches and wiring from it. Get a bunch of knowledgeable friends and have them man each switch and try and activate them in the proper order. If you get the order correct, theoretically (even if one of the hydraulics is failing) it should allow everything that is functioning to work correctly and complete the cycle. IF IT DOES NOT even with you guys activating the switches at the correct time, the last switch should be your culprit.
This is kinda hacky way to work on electronics, but when you have run out of ideas and have nothing to work with... this is what I turn too as a last resort.

Finished car looks awesome. Good video. Luckily you've got some really clever people following this build. I'm sure they'll help get you over the line.

Great job! I think painting the brake calipers gold or a shiny yellow would make the whole thing come together even more and it would match with the gold foil and also with the lambo logo...

Well there's the problem. Your Flux capacitor isn't modulating the doo hicky properly

Hi im so happy you finished 😆😆😆😆😆😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

On my delorean my flux capacitor was interfering with my soft top relay. Once i hit 88 miles per hour my soft top would come down which made it very awkward in the Victorian era.

You have a bunch of great projects! I’m not a mechanic but are mechanically inclined. Your Bentley is more my speed. I’m the average guy that likes and want a super car. Great job Sir!

Just one question... May it not be an ecu problem... Doesn't the car prevent opening the roof to a certain speed... What if your ecu doesn't know if your driving or not?... Yeah give me the hate... Because I have no clue about Lambos

@tavarish what you need is an Italian electrical engineer.

When our Audi had a roof issue, Audi spent a lot of my money replacing parts until they realised the hydraulic pump was failing.

Klaus from Top Hydraulics is awesome!! I ordered a hydraulic ram for our Ferrari 360 Spider! Top Hydraulics is a great place having in your back pocket when only one of these cars!!

oh. still not done. DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

Take it to the Lamborghini dealership to get inspected for the roof and when u know what’s the problem fix it

When the ears go up there has to be a microswitch or hall effect sensor that acknowledges the ears are up. The sequence of events has to happen in order.. Basically if the ears are up, unlatch the hood. If hood is unlatched, raise the hood. If hood is raised, unlock the front top latches. If the latches are open, drop ears. If ears are dropped, retract top. If top is retracted, lower hood. If hood is lowered, latch hood.
That's a crazy sequence but it it's really not too complicated for a program. It faults right after the ears are open so I would start right there. There has to be a sensor that tells the computer that the ears are up.

Hi @tavarish have you tried measuring the relay by itself you can by applying voltage to the coils. It should activate and deactivate everytime you apply voltage. This is a way to know if its a faulty relay. Also you could try measuring the tinny capacitor with your ohm meter, they tend to lose its capacitance over time.

Watch it just be a fuse 🤣

I wouldn’t worry to much about it mate, you have rebuilt this entire car. You will get it working eventually.

I concur with a fire's heat that demagnetized the magnets inside the hydraulic ram. Try a temporary crossover splice into the passenger side hydraulic sensors (may have not gotten damaged), which may fool the ECU to thinking it's getting both sides.

a few thoughts from a retired EE who’s worked with servos.
if it’s all hydraulic, that means the electrical interface is simple: relays and switches. since you’ve cut apart the harness, you have access to every wire. find the ones which switch solenoid valves to cylinders: do they work? if you disconnect cylinders from the mechanisms you should be able to see them move by jumpering power/ground to solenoid. verify this is so. then test functionality of limit switches: voltage seen, not resistance. when you finish you will have verified nearly all of inputs/outputs. is there a hydraulic pressure switch? I’d suspect there is. does it work? remove it and cobble together a test rig, or simply replace it. is there a current shunt? (measures overcurrent conditions) have you reached out to Avant Garde Exotics? they seem pretty resourceful, at least in the vids I’ve seen. you’ll find it but may take time. good luck.