Power Top Lockout defeat?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,901
Likes: 361
From: TX
Power Top Lockout defeat?
Just curious, has anyone ever looked into defeating the lockout mechanism for the power top on the convertible that forces you to put the car in park to raise and lower the top?
I don't have the service manual or else I will check out the wiring diagram myself, but I suspect it is doable. I hate to reinvent the wheel though if someone has already gone down this road.
I don't have the service manual or else I will check out the wiring diagram myself, but I suspect it is doable. I hate to reinvent the wheel though if someone has already gone down this road.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,901
Likes: 361
From: TX
My previous car had no lockout on the power top and it could be raised and lowered at any time. Obviously this requires you have a brain and don't try to put the top up or down at 70mph. When it helps is when you are at a stop light and only halfway through the cycle before the light turns green. With the lockout, you have to sit there and can't even put the car in gear till it is done. Without it, you could slowly motor through the intersection while letting the cycle finish to completion.
I'm thinking that there is probably an easy way to modify the wiring so that the system is fooled into thinking the car is in park, similar to the GPS fix.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,286
Likes: 4
Interesting, I'll have to check that out, thanks.
My previous car had no lockout on the power top and it could be raised and lowered at any time. Obviously this requires you have a brain and don't try to put the top up or down at 70mph. When it helps is when you are at a stop light and only halfway through the cycle before the light turns green. With the lockout, you have to sit there and can't even put the car in gear till it is done. Without it, you could slowly motor through the intersection while letting the cycle finish to completion.
I'm thinking that there is probably an easy way to modify the wiring so that the system is fooled into thinking the car is in park, similar to the GPS fix.
My previous car had no lockout on the power top and it could be raised and lowered at any time. Obviously this requires you have a brain and don't try to put the top up or down at 70mph. When it helps is when you are at a stop light and only halfway through the cycle before the light turns green. With the lockout, you have to sit there and can't even put the car in gear till it is done. Without it, you could slowly motor through the intersection while letting the cycle finish to completion.
I'm thinking that there is probably an easy way to modify the wiring so that the system is fooled into thinking the car is in park, similar to the GPS fix.
Are you kidding me?
Jeff
Racer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 286
Likes: 1
From: Midland Texas
What the heck are you talking about? Some people don't need the government to protect them from themselves. So yes if you have a brain you don't need some of these ridiculous safety features some cars have.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,286
Likes: 4
Okay, you convinced me, well maybe not. Something that prevents you from doing something stupid (in my opinion) is nonsense (in your opinion). I hope your right and I'm wrong and no one ever gets hurt doing this.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,901
Likes: 361
From: TX
I just sold a 2002 WS6 Trans Am that had no lockout features on the convertible top, and it could be raised and lowered anytime while moving. I put mine up and down all the time at speeds under 10mph. It was actually nice to be able to jump in the car and pull out of the parking lot while lowering the top at the same time. It also was nice not to have to worry about putting the car in park at a stop light to lower or raise the top and if the light turned green I could still go, but I just had to go slowly until it was completed. The only real danger is getting too much wind in the top and having it turn into a sail when it is halfway through the process. As long as you use some common sense, it isn't a big deal.
From what others are saying, it sounds like all that may be needed is to tap into the emergency brake switch circuit and put a bypass switch on it that you can turn on and off.
From what others are saying, it sounds like all that may be needed is to tap into the emergency brake switch circuit and put a bypass switch on it that you can turn on and off.
