Hello all - I’m a new member from California and the proud owner of a 92 XJS
V-12 Convertible (white w/ dark blue top and interior). My top developed a
rip and needs repair or replacement. My local Jaguar dealer said he would
be happy to sell me a new top for $6,500 (US) and that did not even include
the labor for installation - Ouch!
Do any of you Jag-Lovers out there have any great ideas on how I can solve
my problem?
Thanks,
C. Mahl
This is why owners HATE dealers. They are rip-off merchants.
Ray
“Cort B. Mahl” wrote:> Hello all - I’m a new member from California and the proud owner of a 92 XJS
V-12 Convertible (white w/ dark blue top and interior). My top developed a
rip and needs repair or replacement. My local Jaguar dealer said he would
be happy to sell me a new top for $6,500 (US) and that did not even include
the labor for installation - Ouch!Do any of you Jag-Lovers out there have any great ideas on how I can solve
my problem?Thanks,
C. Mahl
Hi,
Sorry, further to my earlier note, I forgot to mention that my
convertivble is a 1994.
Rif 13
Go to http://www.worlduph.com/ for info. They have a page on installation
locations, check for shops in your area and talk with the people who specialize
in convertible tops. The price should be around $1500 US from what I have seen
on the Jag-Lovers lists. $6500 is a good reason never to go back to that dealer.
Al Askevold
90 XJ-S CONV.
The Ozarks, USAFrom: “Cort B. Mahl”
Hello all - I’m a new member from California and the proud owner of a 92 XJS
V-12 Convertible (white w/ dark blue top and interior). My top developed a
rip and needs repair or replacement. My local Jaguar dealer said he would
be happy to sell me a new top for $6,500 (US) and that did not even include
the labor for installation - Ouch!Do any of you Jag-Lovers out there have any great ideas on how I can solve
my problem?
My convertible top won’t go up … it went down ok two days ago. I know
how to manually put it up but that won’t get the back windows up. Just
checked the archives and it suggests exchanging window switch for top
switch to see if that’s the problem. Any other suggestions?
Dave
'90 xjs conv
Virginia Beach, VA
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David Tsaloff wrote:
My convertible top won’t go up … it went down ok two days ago. I know
how to manually put it up but that won’t get the back windows up. Just
checked the archives and it suggests exchanging window switch for top
switch to see if that’s the problem. Any other suggestions?
Hello Dave,
I presume you already know that the handbrake has to be on, and the gear
selector in P or N. Even before switching the hood (convertible top) switch
with a window switch, check the 30 amp fuse in the control module co-located
with the pump/motor package in the stowage compartment on the right side
concealed by a quick release trim cover. There are also two circuit breakers
and six relays involved in the system hood control module, and I speculate
that either a circuit breaker or one of the relays could be the problem. I
had the same lash-up on a Jensen Interceptor Convertible . . . Brit
engineers appear to love relays.
By contrast, my Hess and Eisenhardt convertible has only two relays, Top
Up and Top Down.
Dave Osborne
88 H&E XJ-S (PURR)
Carson City, Nevada
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Thanks to all that responded … after exchanging window switch with top
switch hood now goes up.
Really appreciate your help!
Dave
'90 xjs conv
Virginia Beach, VA
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Now, you just have to open up the roof switch, and clean the contacts, and
you’ll be good to go. Or, you can purchase a new roof switch, part #
DAC-7529.
Gary
94 4.0L Convertible
San Jose, CA
www.jaguarplanet.com----- Original Message -----
Thanks to all that responded … after exchanging window switch with top
switch hood now goes up.Really appreciate your help!
Dave
'90 xjs conv
Virginia Beach, VA
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Ahh Spring at long last. Today I put the top down for the first
time this season. Problem …Top would not go back up… went down
with no problem… I pushed the button had a small lift of the top
about 6 inches then nothing. Checked the fuse… it was good but I
replaced it just in case… nothing… So I put the top up by hand.
Now what do I do with the windows how can I get them up… I fooled
around with the button, fuses, etc to no avail. I my fustration I
jiggled the pump and got the windows about 1/2 way up. I then shook
the pump and the windows went the rest of the way up. Any ideas
about whats going on… Thanks.–
Hal Blaisdell
Yardley, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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In reply to a message from hnblaisdell@rcn.com sent Tue 20 May 2003:
I have had problems with the symptom you describe and the
problem, as also reported by other owners, is in dirty
contacts in the switch. Being as it sits in the center of
the skislope, it is prone to getting grit and dirt in the
contacts. I think there is some special electrical contact
cleaner (other listers please jump in here…) that you can
spray to clean, but I’ve used holy water (er…WD40) with
good results, and a wipe down of the excess fluid. Also, as
silly as it sounds, just laying on the switch and wiggling
it with your finger may work out enough crud to get the top
up/down.
The rear windows will eventually ‘‘sync’’ with the top if you
just put the top up and down a bunch of times. There is no
discernable pattern to this except multiple retries.
Typically what has happened to most of us is one of the rear
windows does not come up. Not to worry, as enough of the
top up/top down actions repeated will eventually bring the
errant window into compliance (except if there is some other
mechanical failure.)
This is not a definitive answer but may get you going in the
right direction will some illumination.–
Wayne Estrada 1989 XJS Convertible/1989 Vanden Plas Sedan
San Francisco, California, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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In reply to a message from wayne@britishcarlover.com sent Tue 20 May 2003:
Just a guess, but when you jiggled the pump perhaps you were making
intermittent electrical contact at the bank of relays that control
the top and the windows. Might want to do some more poking around
there.–
John - '90 Majestic & '95 XJ-S 6.0 Conv.
Stamford, CT, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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In reply to a message from hnblaisdell@rcn.com sent Tue 20 May 2003:
What ‘‘PUMP’’ are you talking about???–
1992 XJS V-12
Lansdale, PA, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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In reply to a message from eeng417@aol.com sent Wed 21 May 2003:
The pump referred to is the pump that raises and lowers the top
hydraulically. It is driven by an intregal electric motor located
in the sidewall of the full width compartment behind the seats.
It is in passengerside sidewall under a romoveable cover. the
motor/pump assembly,relays for said assembly, and the fuse for the
assembly are located there. Jaugaur likes to
double/triple/quadruple…their systems so you will find fuses
everywhere in your machine. I occasionally have a problem like
this, and I know it is the switch on the ski-slope, if I can ever
remember when doing my maintenace I’ll clean it, someday.
Bill Teegarden
1989 XJ-S V12 Convertible
Navarre, FL–
The original message included these comments:
In reply to a message from hnblaisdell@rcn.com sent Tue 20 May 2003:
What ‘‘PUMP’’ are you talking about???
–
Driving a Dream
Navarre, FL, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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At 02:43 2003-05-20 +0200, hnblaisdell@rcn.com wrote:
Ahh Spring at long last. Today I put the top down for the first
time this season. Problem …Top would not go back up… went down
with no problem… I pushed the button had a small lift of the top
As already mentioned, check the switch (though, since the pump is operated
through relays, I’m not so sure that’ll make a big difference - it
shouldn’t arce, unlike the window switches - but I defer to the experience
of people who’ve dealt with the problem before).
If that doesn’t fix it for you, then read on:
A couple of years back, my wife came home after a day out on errands, and
had a big frown - her convertible top wouldn’t work. Of course, this was
now a priority to fix, because an unhappy wife is never a good thing. We
got the top back up manually (to secure the car), and I proceeded to check
the electrics, with the electrical guide in hand (I own complete factory
manuals for all of our cars, 'cept for a 1966 F250 pickup I recently
inherited) - electrics were good - throwing the switch was providing
voltage to the motor, but there was zero motor action.
So, I removed the motor and had a look inside - it was obvious what the
problem was - one of the brushes had worn to a small nib (actually wore
through the point where the wire was tacked to the brush, so there was a
piece of wire just dangling there and a minute chunk of brush). I called
around and found that Ford didn’t provide rebuild parts - they wanted
US$500+ for a replacement motor. The pump manufacturer wasn’t much more
helpful - they produced the motors under contract with Ford, and were
contractually prohibited from providing repair parts (no surprise, with
Ford charging US$500+ for a pump that can’t cost US$50-80 wholesale). I
believe it was the manufacturer who provided me with the number for a chap
who does custom convertible conversions, and he was more than happy to send
me the innards from a dead motor he had on hand. However, while waiting
for that to arrive (remember, I’m the guy with the wife who doesn’t have a
working convertible top!), I travelled to the shady part of Oakland, which
was the closest place I could find with an alternator/starter repair
shop. They had some brushes which were a near fit (a bit oversize, which
is preferrable to undersize), and I simply set them down on a piece of
wet-dry sandpaper and sanded them down slightly to the necessary
dimensions. Installed the new brushes, reassembled the pump (the only
tricky part - and it should apply here too, is getting the brushes around
the commutator while reassembling everything - you’ve got to have
dexterity, ingenuity, or a pair of extra hands), topped up the hydraulic
fluid, and the wife was a happy camper.
Actual repair time for this is nominal - perhaps 30 minutes between removal
and reinstalled - the sinkhole of time is in locating and acquiring the
appropriate brushes.
If you use your convertible top often, you can expect you’ll need to
replace the brushes at some point during your ownership.
The RTC9900CA catalogue shows the hood lift mechanism (pump) on p 30-04,
but unfortunatley doesn’t list rebuild parts, so if after checking that the
switch isn’t the cuprit, if you end up having to replace the brushes,
you’ll need to measure the nibs you’ve got left and get a good guestimate
as to the original service length of them. If you do this, please post a
followup here with the dimensions, as well as the manufacturer and part
number of whatever set of brushes you find for it which are suitable.
If you don’t have an appropriate place to purchase brush parts, I can
provide you with the number of the place in Oakland which I purchased the
brushes I used for my wife’s car (and I picked up a spare set to have on
hand the next time I have to deal with it). I dunno if they ship parts at
all, but it’s worth a call if you don’t have something local. Be sure to
have the necessary dimensions on hand when you call (whomever), so as to
not waste their time trying to find something vaguely similar - chances
are, a rebuild shop isn’t going to know anything about the specific
hydraulic pump you have in hand - it’s the dimensions that count.
BTW - if you have to open up the pump, you should take the opportunity to
blow it out with compressed air to clear out metallic dust from the wear of
the brush and commutator.
— http://jaguar.professional.org/
Sean Straw '88 Jaguar XJ-SC 5.3L V12 (LHD) ‘Black Cat’ 65K
Marin County, California '85 Jaguar XJ-S 5.3L V12 (LHD) ‘Bad Kitty’ 210K
'69 Buick GranSport 455 V8 324K
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In reply to a message from @hnblaisdell sent Tue 20 May 2003:
Problem Solved… Fluid looked a little low so off I went to the
dealer for the proper hydralic fluid… ouch $42.50 per lt. Topped
off motor, bleed air from the system… Presto the top worked… for
a little bit (3 times) then hung up again. OK … cleaned the
contacts on the switch, checked for loose/bare/shorted wires and
every fuse I could find. One wire looked a little worn…
electrical taped it. Top now works … I stopped at 10 ups and down
tests…Thanks to all. Hopefully the top gremlin is gone.
Hal–
Hal Blaisdell
Yardley, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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I need to replace the convertible top on my 1993 XJS this winter and need some guidance !
It appears that there are three options available to me.
Purchase the top and install it myself. Not a good idea as my friends generally refer to me as mechanically challenged.
Purchase a top from a known supplier and have it installed by a local upholstery shop.
Have a local shop make and install the top.
I feel that number 2 is the best option and perhaps list members will confirm this for me. I am a bit concerned about finding a reputable supplier as I had a very bad experience with a national upholstery firm that made a top for my Sunbeam Tiger. I would like to avoid a similar experience again.
Thanks in advance for any guidance !!
Hal Jean
Wenonah, NJ
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In reply to a message from Hal436@aol.com sent Sun 18 Jan 2004:
I just replaced my top on my 89. I had a local company do the
installation. I had an out of state company make the top for me. I
could not be more pleased. I went with A.A. Best. Others on the
list have been just as satisfied, so I figured I was in good hands.
A. A. Best has the original German Hapiche fabric used by Jaguar.
You need to request it. There is an American made item that is just
as good and slightly cheaper. Nothing wrong with it. I opted for
the original Hapiche Company fabric. I paid $319 for the top and
$119 for a new headliner. Depending on the color, you might pay
less. My local trim shop wanted $760 for the top and $240 for the
headliner. Thus, I think A.A. Best was a bargain, especially, as
they made me a perfect top out of the original material. The parts
are the most inexpensive part of the top replacement. Labor is all
over the map rate wise. I was charged $918 for labor. That did
include a repair to the pad. I might have paid too mutch in this
area. However, I am pleased with the install. I live in the Detroit
area. I know this shop does custum show car work for the big three.
So, I trust I got good quality high rate labor. Prior to this
installation, I replaced all the rubber seals to the top and had a
jag shop do the various adjustments. That was very worthwhile. The
car is finally water tight. I have no affiliation with A.A. Best.
However, I can recommend that you contact them for a quote at (570)
286-8696. Hope this helps. Bye the way, the hardest part was
ordering the correct headliner. First, you cannot get the Jaguar
original anymore. A. A. Best can have samples mailed to you. They
deal with another compamy for the headliner. For my 89 convertible
there were two order numbers for the correct color headliner. 2093
is a very light tan. It matched my fadded orignal. 2005 is the
sample they sent that is (I am told) the correct color for those
who need a gray headliner.–
The original message included these comments:
I need to replace the convertible top on my 1993 XJS this winter and need some guidance !
It appears that there are three options available to me.
- Purchase the top and install it myself. Not a good idea as my friends generally refer to me as mechanically challenged.
- Purchase a top from a known supplier and have it installed by a local upholstery shop.
- Have a local shop make and install the top.
–
Jaugar-Lover-89, 1989 XJ-S Convertible, BeCool Rad/SPAL Fans
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
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I might need to replace my top in the next two years. So, if you could post
or send me off list the information on how to contact AA Best I will store
it for later use.
Ned Wesley
95 4.0 XJ-S conv----- Original Message -----
From: “Jaguar-Lover-89” gary_gemmell@hotmail.com
…
Subject: Re: [xj-s] Convertible Top
…
I just replaced my top on my 89. I had a local company do the
installation. I had an out of state company make the top for me. I
could not be more pleased. I went with A.A. Best. Others on the
list have been just as satisfied…
A. A. Best has the original German Hapiche fabric used by Jaguar.
You need to request it. … I opted for
the original Hapiche Company fabric. I paid $319 for the top and
$119 for a new headliner. Depending on the color, you might pay
less. …
Best was a bargain, especially, as
they made me a perfect top out of the original material. …I was charged
$918 for labor.
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I can get a top from AA Best for a 1988 H&E convertible. They can give German
cloth but tell me that the original was in Stayfast fabric. Is it better to
return to the original Stayfast for originality reasons or is the German
cloth much better?
Afton.
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Well, considering the original lasted apparently lasted 16 years, I’m not convinced the alternative is necessarily better.
Let me know how it works out. I’ll probably have to replace my '88 H&E top in the not too distant future, it’s the original as well.
Mike----- Original Message -----
From: “Afton H Cayford” afton.h.cayford@ubc.ca
Subject: [xj-s] Convertible Top
I can get a top from AA Best for a 1988 H&E convertible. They can give German
cloth but tell me that the original was in Stayfast fabric. Is it better to
return to the original Stayfast for originality reasons or is the German
cloth much better?
Afton.
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