Roof won't go down - battery problem?
 

HI all

I have had a search but can't quite find an answer to my particular question.

I have a 2002 SC430, which until this winter was working flawlessly. I parked it this winter and started it every week or two but for some reason the battery went dead. I replaced the battery but now the roof won't open. The light on the button goes red, the rear windows go down, then the front windows and the roof slightly moves but then stops. No beeping, flashing or others issues, it just won't move.

Having read other posts I understand that there are a number of computers and motors involved in opening the roof. My question is, can the battery going dead have caused a problem with some of them talking to each other? Will the Techstream? software (If that is the name of it) help to identify the error and possibly correct it or will it need a dealer?

Many thanks for all you help.
Charlie

For information I live in Dundee Scotland.

Its possible. There's a lot of things possible here. First try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, restore it then start the car. Then try the top again. With the car running. If it still doesn't work, come back to us and we will do a deep dive in where you go from there.

Paul

Based on the sequence you stated, it sounds like your roof is not unlatching. The motor sounds stuck.

The correct solution is to get someone with techstream to scan the system as you lower the roof.

The incorrect solution is to go over a speed bump without slowing down. There is a chance the jarring of the motor will just nudge it enough to get it back to working. This might fix it once, twice, forever, or not at all.

Thanks for the advice, I will try both solutions and let you know what happens.

Many thanks
Charlie

When you push the OPEN button, the first thing occurs is the front windows must go down. If they don't, everything will stop.
Make sure your battery is good and motor running. Roll your windows up and down few times. Then push the button.
Good luck.

I managed to get a copy of the Techstream software and it came up with the code B2059. Tried it again a couple of times but it didn’t repeat it.

B2059 said it was a problem with the right motor.

I may not have made it clear before but everything is working normally until the roof won’t unlock I.e. the front and rear windows go down, the boot lifts and the roof moves a few millimetres then stops.

Any advice would be very much appreciated again.
Thanks
Charlue

Are you sure the code isn't B2509? I looked at all the trouble codes for the roof and all start with B25xx.

B2509 is a short to ground in the pulse width modulation circuit motor (RH). I took a look at my repair manual and they give a pretty complex set of instructions for the diagnosis. The step-by-step procedure would be checking for a short in the roof drive motor RH circuit, checking for a short in the luggage drive motor RH circuit, checking for a short in the luggage closer motor RH circuit, and checking the harness and connector (roof drive motor RH, luggage door drive motor RH, luggage closer motor RH and sliding roof connector control ECU assembly). If everything checked out okay, the last step is to replace the Sliding Roof Control ECU.

I am not an expert in the roof, but in just throwing out ideas: If I understand you correctly, the top worked fine before the car was stored and you started the car regularly to keep the battery charged. Nevertheless, the battery did discharge. Now you have an intermittent code, showing a short. Would a short cause the battery to discharge? Did any rodent damage occur during the storage (chewing on wires)? Did some of the wiring get pinched? Did the battery discharge cause a communication error with the ECU? I would bet every SC430 has had a dead battery at some point, but that usually doesn't cause a communication error. I think there are +10 ECUs within the vehicle. Any other problems with other systems?

I'm kind of like Raven01750, a lot of time disconnecting the battery can cause the system to "reset". DshngDaryl also has a good point, it does sound like a motor could be "stuck". I would also examine the wiring to see if you see any damage. Have you tried to manually open the roof? That might show if you have a mechanical problem.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Please let everyone know what you find.

I forgot to ask, did you find any blown fuses?

Here is a list of the roof trouble codes.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/att...uble-codes.pdf

If you were to take your car to lexus, chances are you could not find a tech that has worked on a roof, since it is an older limited production model with a one of a kind roof system. But their master techs could probably figure it out.

The standard lexus fix for this problem is to replace both hinges for about $3000.

You can buy used hinges on ebay for much less and change them yourself. It is relatively easy.

Just make sure both hinges are from the same car, because you want the motors on both sides to have the same wear.

I did it, but can't find the post with the instructions.

If I were to do it again, I would take the motors off my current hinges and have them rebuilt.

Each hinge has 2 motors (maybe 3, it has been a long time since I did it)

Worth a shot, unhook the battery for a minute and re-hook and try. Maybe luck will be on your side.