DIY: Open roof while driving

sounds scary!

 

That's very interesting. It would be useful as I'm driving up my street only doing normally 5-10 mph I could close the roof and save a few seconds on the drive. Or stopped at lights driving through town could open it without stopping. Hmm, I think with the luck I've had with this car it might not be a good idea.
Trustafox - you're a fly by the seat of your pants type. Give it a go and post one of your excellent videos so we can all see it work.

 

I don't drive in pants!

That red extension wire looks only just long enough to reach the earthing bolt!

 

If you do test this could you push the envelope and get your car up to motorway speeds before closing the roof? That way we will know that anything less is safe.

 

Roof

Sounds cool, but messing with the wiring could be tricky. Maybe you could start a business up and do it for us copen owners!
How much would you charge?

 

Thanks MrCopen for the information. Your Korean looks perfect to me!

One can do the same also directly inside the Control Unit Box for the roof, which is located in the boot at the right side under the carpet.

Just for illustration purposes:



It's the idea of "Henning", member over at forum.micro-roadster.de.
You can find the complete description (in german) in the Knowledge Base in this entry (click me) based on information from this thread.

You have to be registered and logged in to be able downlowad/view the PDF.
In the other PDF it is described how you can do it directly "outside" the Control Unit Box for the roof.

Andreas

 

DaG, on two separate runs going in opposite directions I attained an average of 77 mph while lowering and raising the roof. So its absolutely and perfectly safe now for you to be able to do that at 70 mph

But just be aware, if the wife is in the boot at the time it may blow her hair out of place. And thats the worst case scenario. If you are lucky it might blow her out the boot and you can honestly say you lost her!

May you have many seconds of pleasurable driving

PS if you do try this and have a catastrophic accident where 400 people lose their lives on a motorway, I've never even heard of you.

 

Everyone here is so optimistic about cutting wires in their Copen.
The very first method was found to be problematic in Japan about 6-7years ago.
ECU will save all the error messages received from the brake lever and as a result, many Copen owners had to reset their EUCs, in worst whole ECUs had to be replaced. As we all know, the space to save error messages in ECU is limited. I can't remember the link but it was a hot issue in Minkara site in Japan.
Since then Copen owners in Japan stopped doing this but buying a roof open kit from some of the well known manufacturers such as Kumoi Motors, etc.
I agreed it is handy especially to close the roof whilst driving. However, the cost of doing so may be too much.
I wouldn't risk my Copen just because we don't even have a dealer in the UK anymore to support.

 

You can still have your car serviced at any ex-Daihatsu Dealer.
Also spare parts can also still be ordered.

http://daihatsu.co.uk/

 

I was all set to start cutting wires and head for the motorway then I read Jaspark's post. Those 400 people can now sleep peacefully tonight, with no worry of a loon in a convertible.

 

Hi Scooty, the link doesn't seem to work anymore. Do you still have the PDF to share? Thanks!

 

Hi joeleow,

thanks for the hint, I just corrected the links in my intial post.

If you need some translation help, please let me know (although my "electronics" vocabulary is quite limited).

Andreas

 

Thanks for the update scooty. Yes I do need some help with the translation, especially on the last connection.

I am not a techie so I am gonna get as much info as I can and pass it to my workshop to figure it out for me.

Any help would be most grateful.

Thanks!

 

Hi jeoleow,

I assume you refer to that section?

Code:

1. Durchtrennen des Leiters für das Speedsignal (Kontakt 19, die Zahlen stehen 
kleingedruckt auf der Platine) 
2. Durchtrennen des Leiters für das Handbremssignal (Kontakt 22). Diesen Kontakt noch auf der Platinenseite mit einem dünnen Draht mit Kontakt 47 (Masse) verbinden. 

Let's try:
1. Cut wire for speed signal (contact numbered 19, numbers are printed on the circuit board)
2. Cut wire for handbrake signal (Contact numbered 22). Connect this contact from the circuit board end with a small wire to contact numbered 47 (ground)

Hope this translation makes sense?

Andreas

 

Thanks for the translation Andreas! Sounds simple enough for a qualified technician. Have you managed to successfully mod this and allow roof to be operated while driving?

 

the issue of opening the roof when driving makes me wonder.
some cars allow it at up the 30mph, others in the 50s and then some like the copen, you need to be stopped.
is there some kind of scientific testing done during development or do some companies just err on the side of caution?
i'd like to have a passenger open the roof for me while I concentrate on driving but... might there be a good reason for having to be still?

 

When you open/close the roof the rear- and brake-lights are not visible or partly covered by the boot lid.
Maybe that is the main reason that you are only allowed to operate the roof while standing still?

Andreas

 

Nope, I did not mod this on my Copens, I do not like to tinker with electrical let alone electronic stuff.


But I have seen several Copens with this mod at our meets and it really works.

Andreas

 

Nope, I am tempted as it is easily to revert, but I did not mod this on my Copens.
Somehow I do not like to tinker with electrical let alone electronic stuff.


But I have seen several Copens with this mod at our meets and it really works.

Andreas