electric roof

:? can someone please help me?i have a 1990 cab and was told the electric roof should open with the engine running(to do with not flattening the battery),mine doesnt, is this right ?and also the position of the switch its currently housed in the centre consol, is that right ? .The motor for the roof all looks factory fit,and not just lashed in at the wim of some weekend spanner junkie  

The top should operate without the engine running, in fact the original owners handbook says don't turn the ignition on, just have the key in! I guess that means turn the hey to accessory position?

Mines been rewired by someone at the fusebox so I'm not exactly sure how it should work.

Try tracing the wires from the switch back to the fusebox and see where they end up. I think you'll probably find three wires going to the fusebox from the switch something like this:

Grey/Blue - Illumination for the switches
Brown/Red - Power to the switch
Brown - Ground for the illumination

The switch should be in the centre consol like yours is. I think all UK models came with an electric hood around 1990.

Cheers,

Ross

thanks ross, that makes me feel a load better,thinkin i had a nightmare of problems to contend with.p.s you wouldnt have a or know where i could get a second hand roof boot for driving with the roof down,and dont say e bay pls as am either there or on this forum. 8)

Scouse might have one… http://www.1golfahead.co.uk/

Failing that, maybe crazyquiff?

As you say ebay is normally the place but they do go for stupid money. I have seen one in my local paper in the past!

There is a difference in the boots off a car with a manual hood and a powered one. The one off a powered hood car has extra tabs on the sides that popper on to the plastic just inside the rear side windows. There is actually a wire inside the boot connecting the poppers on either side. It makes an electrical circuit so the hood cant be raised when the boot is on.

cheers ross,you are a super star, 8O i cant look at the wiring untill friday so will let you kown what i find.i got my instruction manual out too and guess what ,it doesnt even mention electric roof.Does that mean i have a pre registered car or just the wrong manual for the car?

Who knows! When was the handbook printed? It'll say on the back I think.
Looking at Etka it looks like the powered hood was produced from August 89.
If you still have stickers in your boot you may have the inspection sticker that has the date the car was inspected before leaving the Osnabruck factory. Maybe it missed out on getting an updated handbook :dontknow:

Handbooks should still available from VW for under ?3 if you want a later one.

Cheers,

Ross

hi ross and thanks …  yes we have got some in stock

is the said sticker the one with the paint code etc etc on it,i have stickers in  the boot without info on them, well apart from paint code  etc etc. 8O

i took the link you  gave, went to send an E mail and was told that i couldnt,wrong address,so if you see this sourse have you got a roof boot and a later instruction manual for me pls???????

Thats the sticker I mean. Mine's next to the main sticker with chassis no. etc.