Background Car: 2004 Daihatsu Copen Issue: Roof not working (stuck closed) Symptoms: Previous owner stopped roof halfway, then manually closed it Red roof light on dash stays on (suggests car thinks roof isn’t fully open/closed) Open/close roof switch (centre console): slow flashing red light when used What I’ve Tried Fault Code Check (ECUT Method) Bridged 2 OBD pins, got fault code 24 (centre latch issue, boot) Disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled centre latch Cleared codes using method in documentation Now, rapid flashing with ECUT bridged (means no stored faults) But: Red roof light still on in normal mode Testing Roof Operation After Fix Windows and rear quarter windows roll down as expected when switch is pressed Roof does not move at all No more slow flashing red light (as before latch fix) Conclusion: No obvious fault shown, but roof still non-operational Hydraulic Motor Test Checked for voltage at hydraulic motor terminals when roof switch is pressed No voltage detected (motor itself has continuity) Suggests roof ECU is not sending power to the motor (possible block or sensor issue) Physical Checks Noticed panel gap between roof and body is larger than on other Copens Wonder if boot open/close sensors aren’t triggering because roof isn’t fully seated Boot Switch & Calibration Interior boot switch doesn’t open boot Wached video suggesting holding boot open switch for 10 seconds calibrates roof, but nothing happens Couldn’t find this calibration step in any official documentation Questions/Advice Needed Can the panel gap prevent boot/roof sensors from registering “closed” and stop roof ECU from operating? Is there any adjustment for the roof/boot bracketry to improve sensor engagement? Has anyone had success with the “10-second boot switch hold” for calibration, or is this a myth? Any other diagnostic steps or typical failure points for this issue? Summary Roof stuck closed, red roof light on, no stored faults, roof ECU not powering hydraulic motor. Main suspects: sensors not engaged, bracket misalignment, or something else blocking roof operation. Any advice, especially from those who’ve fixed similar Copen roof issues, would be appreciated. Cheers, Josh
I recently gained some experience troubleshooting what turned out to be a diseased roof ECU (that was however neatly throwing it’s error codes). You could - as I did - measure individual microswitch states on the pins of the roof ECU. Desired states are documented in the workshop manual you attached.
Hi Bollard42, I see you have pulled off the correct section 15/1 to 15/101, as some of the information can be quite confusing your best bet is to start with the car battery. These batteries in these cars are quite small and so it is important to keep it fully charged at all times because any of the ECUs in the car detect a voltage drop they will automatically switch off i.e. around 9 volts. As specified on page 15-47 and comes up with the fault code 44 which can be confused with others. I with our Copen always start the engine leave it running then open or close the roof, thus preserving the voltage in the system as it can take several operations of the roof for the hydraulic system to build up to full pressure. This is normal after being left for a period of time. I have looked at your photograph of the boot and yes you are correct. The shut line around the back window doesn’t look fully shut. It is possible the previous owner didn’t close it properly with the power turned off so I would suggest you go right though the reset procedure stated in the section as above. If not reset properly it will give you false readings. Happy hunting, hope you find it.
Hi again, just a footnote to your item 5. Boot Switch & Calibration, on the ‘wached video’ is not the complete story, ( should be 10 second boot switch hold followed by, hands off switch and press again for 2 seconds) 15-29. It is not a myth. Under heading ‘checking method of diagnosis’ it’s on pages 15-45 and 15-46 and also on 15-47 it refers to fault code 44 as being roof ECU supply voltage too low (less than 9 volts) On 15-29 information regarding how to initialise trunk lid open switch which has to be done when the active top system is given emergency maintenance referring to ‘the trunk lid will not open’. Yes it is complicated, brain scrambler, hope this helps.
Some progress! Apologies for the radio silence; I've just been very busy lately. However, ground has been made. I diagnosed the roof by following each step in the UNIT CHECK (11-11) section located in the I05–96 service manual. The issue turned out to be the side latch sensor LH (hall sensor) -- the roof ECU didn't think the latch had been locked and therefore blocked the movement. I can see that the hall sensor touches the magnet on the hinge mechanism, so I'm not sure why it's not activating (I used another magnet I had lying around, and the voltage changes correctly). As a test, I placed my magnet close to the hall sensor, which tricked the roof ECU into thinking that the latch had locked and activating the roof switch in the centre console made the roof open! The boot release button now also works! The Next Issue The roof will not close I know I can manually close, but obviously, a fully functioning roof is the goal. Just from observation, it looks like there is an issue with the left side latch unlocking. Pushing the roof open/close switch down, I can see that the centre latch and right side latch both unlock, but the left does not. Inspecting the latches while the boot is open, I can see that the left side latch isn't fully unlocked (the angle of the latch is locked forward -- see pics attached). I'm able to reset this by calibrating the latch system with the boot switch trick: 10 seconds press + 2nd press within 2 seconds (thanks @GuzziMan for the note, I missed that!). This resets the position so both latches are at equivalent positions. But anytime I shut the boot lid/try closing the roof and then reopen the boot -- the latch is back at its half unlocked position. The overall result is that the left side of the boot gets caught on the half open latch and the roof then fails to open. I'm not sure what's causing this -- any suggestions would be great Cheers, Josh Circle Magnet: Side Latch Left: hook is angled forward (should be pointing more down)
Hi Josh, magnetic switches are essentially a proximity switch which is not meant to touch but has a very finite gap so that the sensor reads the magnetic field. If they touch they can create a false reading to the control system therefore the setting of the rubber bump stops is critical to the operation of any given component. When setting these distances it is essential either plastic/nylon feeler gauges are used. We’ve had a close look at your pictures and noted a lack of white spray grease lubrication around all latches and moving parts which is essential for free movement. Have noticed some damage scuff marks to the left hand side latch casing which leads me to believe something at some time had been trapped in the mechanism of the boot. When everything is in the correct position there should be a little bit of free play on the cable joined to the blue tag so that the release is fully home.
