NaplesTopLess

Boxster99t Don't worry it will work great! Mods4Cars has been making these units for years for a lot of other cars. I had one in a Jag F-Type for two years and it always worked great. When I returned the car to get the C7, I sold it in ten minutes for $250 to another F-Type owner though a forum like this one.

I believe none of the car makers make it easy to raise and lower the tops for legal protection. Since we MUST hold a button down for the whole time the roof opens or closes, the driver is responsible for anything that might happen while they hold the button, getting the car markers off the hook. It is crazy but how the world is today

SASprof

Mine arrived today. I installed it myself in a leisurely 2 hours.

One hour printing out and reading the instructions, watching the YouTube video, downloading the device drivers, running the software, and programming the device. (I went with maximum functionality: 1-4-4.)

The other hour removing the waterfall (a bitch pulling those plastic retainers out without breaking them) connecting the device (easy) and testing it (fun).

Everything works except the windows did not fully lower when opening the top. I'll test more with the motor running. Didn't want to drain the battery with repeated operation.

Overall, I am extremely pleased. Clever device. Excellent instructions.

Foosh

Why did you have to remove the waterfall? I assumed you'd be able to get it in by starting the top retraction process until the waterfall was at it's highest point.

Hmm . . .

cvwb

Cool and congrats! The plastic retainers are easier to remove if you pop the center out with a flat bladed screwdriver or trim removal tool, but maybe you did that.

SASprof

The waterfall is the fixed body panel between and behind the seats.
The factory top control module is behind the waterfall.

SASprof

Thanks. I didn't know that trick. I pried at the centers a bit, as I wondered whether they popped out, but I wasn't sure, so I gave up on that approach and brute-forced it. I mangled the clips a little, but didn't break em. Snapping them back in was also a bitch. They're not critical cuz the top screws hold the waterfall pretty securely. The clips can also be replaced with new down the road.

Foosh

Duh, sorry temporary brain malfunction . . .

SASprof

Senior moment!

cvwb

If you find this situation continues, be sure and contact the Mods4Cars website and open a support ticket. They're really good about resolving issues. I've never experienced this in my testing/usage.

SASprof

I went for a drive and cycled the top a few times from the car's dashboard. Everything worked perfectly. Windows went all the way up and all the way down. A single tap on the button is all it takes. Much safer than holding your finger on the damn button for 30 seconds while trying to drive the car.

I parked the car, got out, and pressed the lock button on the fob for 5 seconds. The top went up, but the windows didn't. I pressed and held for 5 seconds again, and the Windows went up, but they should have gone up the first time. I lowered the top. All worked perfectly, including the Windows. I raised it again. This time the Windows went up as they should.

Conclusion: A few cycles may be needed to sync up. Wonderful product!

05XLRtoC7_San Diego

Got mine today!!
Can't wait to install it

herzotom

I got my module today. I just installed it. Everything works perfectly

boxster99t

I'm not even talking about the remote button part, but let's start there. One can lower the top and windows with the remote button from the factory--and how is lowering the top any less litigation prone than raising it? Think about it-it is the same operation and same pinch point, just in reverse order. And by the way, I'm a lawyer and I do understand quite well product liability/personal injury concerns. If liability were the concern there would be no remote functionality of the top at all.

I think it has as much to do with the fact that car manufacturers don't spend enough time thinking about how people use their cars, like for example, a company like Apple does where user interface is a core competency. Or it cost something more to make the system work both ways, and they'd prefer to release a car the way it is and make a buck or two more.

Another example: the C7 has the touch interface (in my 2015) that's has a very long latency rate at times, particularly when using the Nav system. That makes it more dangerous to use, while driving because the operator presses on the screen and nothing happens or has to glance at the screen to see that it does. Even with the audio beep on button presses, which I hear, there are a lot of times when it doesn't register. Or the every so lovely Nav system that let's you voice program an address but you have to press the Go button on the screen to start navigating. Such a poor user interface issue.

But back to the top and my pet peeve with the windows. So I put the top up and then have to raise the windows. The windows are one touch up. So it's infinitely safer to make that a two button operation rather than pressing and holding the top button which makes the top go up and then the windows? If that was designed that way for "liability" concerns perhaps Tadge or whoever is in charge of user interface functionality played lawyer on that one. Entirely possible, and just speaks to how far car manufacturers have to go. Cannot wait to see self driving cars in mass. (I wouldn't want one).

So I would submit to you that it speaks more to the relative value GM or any other manufacturer does or does not place on human interface issues.

Want another example: how about an interior rear view mirror that isn't wide enough to pick up the entire rear of width of the car? Only convertible I've ever had (and that includes a 67 Corvette with a much smaller interior rear view mirror) where that's the case, due to the width of the rear track of the C7--needs its own mirror and not a parts bin shared mirror from some other mass produced GM vehicle. I keep looking for an aftermarket solution to that one too. One can only hope.

3.0CS

Got mine today - IN GERMANY!!! Incredibly fast!
Settings are programmed, will install tomorrow:
One short question: how did you guys remove the waterfall clips? Read about it, seems to be a PIA....did you use a screwdriver or just plain brute force?
Thx!!!

cvwb

Use a flat bladed screwdriver or trim removal tool to pop up the center of the clips. That frees the clip jaws behind the panel and allows them to come out without bending/breaking. The first time I removed mine, they were snug even with the center removed, but they didn't break. Have to be patient, though.

If you look at the installation manual picture on their website in step 3, you'll see how the clips look with the center popped up. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Foosh

It's not just GM. I just sold an F-Type convertible which operated the same way OEM, and the SmarTop was also a very popular mod. SmarTop is also available for many other convertibles, and you have to hold the button down on every convertible I've ever seen.

I think the point you missed is that manufacturers don't want to be liable for those features being available when you're either not in sight of your car and/or inadvertently hit a button . It's perfectly OK w/ them for you to do an after-market mod, and it removes their liability.

That's why they also make you hold the button down, to ensure you that you really meant to put the top down, as opposed to accidentally tapping the wrong button on the fob or in the car.

I won't argue the relatively low risk, but the decision not to build it in is a consensus recommendation by people who share your profession and work for car companies. All it takes is one kid getting seriously injured to get tagged with a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

Do you seriously think car companies are not aware that the SmarTop is out there and has been for years? The answer is no. That alone calls your "inept ergonomics" theory into question in the auto top and windows cases. However, I won't argue about other examples of bad "human factors design" choices out there.

cvwb

There's already a firmware update for the C7 SmartTop module available on the Mods4Cars website. There was an issue where the 2nd key fob was not always able to activate the SmartTop module. The update fixes this. I'm told that the new firmware version is 1.03 while the currently shipping modules come with 1.02. Time to update!

Foosh

Do you have to remove the waterfall every time you perform an update?

cvwb

Not if you've left a USB cable connected to the unit and draped out to the side of the waterfall so it can be plugged into a laptop. You should leave a cable connected all the time as shown in their installation manual.

If you haven't left one connected, yeah, you'll have to open her up to get to the module.

eboggs_jkvl

Does a cable come with the unit?

If not, does it take a mini or micro USB connection?


Elmer