If anyone's interested, I've found a reasonably priced scanner that reads the retractable hard top. Foxwell nt680, mine is the pro version but I imagine other versions work. It wouldn't let me in as a jdm variant, but it worked as a European lexus. Read and clear codes, along with live data. My Toyota techstream didn't work for the roof (installed for jdm vehicles, with hindsight it may work if installed for Europe).
Thanks! We have a 2002 with 35,000 miles. My wife hit the trunk release while closing the top and the top was stuck half open. After reading the owners manual I was too intimidated to try to fix it and resigned to taking it into the dealer. However after watching your video, I was able to fix it myself. It did help to have a second person to help get the trunk lid up. Thanks again! I’m guessing the dealer would have charged me about $500! Who knows?
Thank you so much !!! my roof wouldnt open , after following your video and manually resetting roof , everything works perfectly , hopefully nothing else happens......Thanks again !!!
Excellent job!!!! You are the best!!! I thought it was the electronic motor that might have gone bad. I will try your method because the lift shocks won't even keep the Boot up. So, I will first replace both of my lift shocks first and then continue from there!!!! 😇
Excellent video, thanks for posting. I've got a 2004 and I'm always concerned about the top getting hung up either on opening or closing. While the owner's manual gives instructions on manually closing the top, there is nothing like a video to clarify things. Looks like I need to be sure I have a 5mm hex head and a couple of blocks to keep in the car. I don't know if I could do it by myself, but if the top is stuck down and it starts to rain I can give it a try. Thanks again.
You're very welcome, thanks for watching. Yes, the explanations i found, while good (typical Toyota), weren't everything I needed to know. So I thought I would share my findings.
Thanks for the video. I found a cable that releases the pins in the pivot point of the roof was out. I reinstalled it and that part works now but I have the same issue you did when you said the 1st time you tried to pull up the package tray (I think thats what its called) It was really hard. I feel like if I pulled any harder, I would break something. Any clue why this would be so hard and do I pull super hard and pray. The car roof hasnt worked in a long time. Thanks in advance.
If I remember correctly, there is something which can be disengaged at some point in the procedure. A white piece of plastic on a cable that spins. I think this has something to do with it. You may be able to turn it manually just to get over that initial 'sticktion'. I could be remembering it wrong though, it has been a while. It was extremely hard to lift the first time though, and I was convinced I would break it. Then it just went. Have some finesse though, it may be that I loosened it by working it rather than just brute force. Try putting the same force in different places, maybe give it a few whacks with the base of your fist to try and get things going. It could of course be actually jammed in your case so don't over-do it. I didn't take it apart but I got the impression that it was reverse driving a worm gear, hence why it is so hard to get started. Hope that helps.
I have a 2002 SC 430 that has a convertible roof that stopped working after a fender bender. The other day I attempted to manually open hoping that it would 'reset' and restore the automatic operation functionality. Using the provided hex, I manually unlatched the front lock and proceeded to manually push back the roof halfway up to enable me to manually (firmly but gently ) pull up the package tray to open up the pathway for the whole top to regress into the trunk compartment. I proceeded to close the trunk to complete the closing sequence. My attempts to push back the package tray have completely failed and is it now impeding the convertible top from being closed as long as it remains stuck in this upright position ! I have unsuccessfully tried starting the engine in an attempt to automatically close it by pressing on the switch, to no avail. The roof switch still blinks red on being pressed, with no action on the roof, or the package tray. I spent a good amount of time checking and double-checking for any obvious visible obstructions with no success. I have read all the threads in this forum and no one has so far posted anything remotely specific to how to the ABCs of lowering the package tray to enable a manual re-closing of the convertible top in an emergency. Yes, there is lots of chatter about trouble shooting or replacing the motor and/ or a mechanical demonstration of how the system works, but zip about how to manually lower the package tray. I would appreciate any specific, concise ways to close the top, before I even consider going to the "stealership". Thanks.
It's been a while since i did this so I could be getting mixed up but I believe the two manual releases that I briefly mention in the video could be related to that. 8:20 in the video, 2 cable releases. It should really be plugged into some diagnostics though, there might be a switch not operating due to something being bent or whatever
@@CammieGee almost any lexus beats almost any other car in reliability, other than some Hondas. The z32 isn't a reliable car really. It can be alright if it gets very well looked after but it's more like supercar reliability than lexus reliability. I forgive it though because when it's good it's great.
Maybe you can help me my top will go down but the trunk will not close nor will the windows come up in the back when I go to close it back up I had stopped doing the procedure in the middle of it and that’s when the problem occurred
@@jdmjesus6103 Thanks for getting back to me. My problem is when trying to open the roof, the boot opens fine and the roof releases from above the windscreen, but then everything stops.
@@MrBarrynicholas OK, well this procedure is really just to manually operate the roof in emergencies or if it gets out of sequence somehow. If yours is stopping at the same point each time then it could be either a jam or more likely a limit/ position switch is not working correctly. Best bet is to get it on a decent scan tool and check the live data. IIRC the switches are all in pairs (L+R) so it should be easy to see which, if any are at fault. This car actually had a faulty one, but all it was was a loose screw. Hopefully yours is as simple!
That's not a problem I've had to fix on this car but I have on many others. First thing to check is the drain channels and holes in the rubber seals, clean it all and make sure there's no dirt behind them too. After that look for any damage to the seals and repair or replace as needed. Finally check the alignment of the windows and the roof. It's usually just dirt in the seals though.
That's probably happening because the top isn't fully down (as far as the car knows). Chances are there's something caught in one of the switches, or one has come loose and needs tightening back up. Of course one could be damaged or broken and needing replacement but check them first. Most likely the switches for the tonneau cover or the roof itself underneath that (it'll be one of the last ones in the sequence since it's letting you put it down fully). Chances are there's something stuck in there. If you stop the roof halfway through its operation you'll be able to see, just don't put your fingers in the mechanism as it could move on its own. Hope that helps
A few weeks, until just after the new owner picked it up 🙄 I got it back in and found the underlying cause, a screw had worked loose in one of the switches. I was able to find which switch with the diagnostic tool I mentioned in another comment. As far as I know its still good now. The video is still a valid description of how to operate the roof manually, even if it wasn't a permanent fix. And the fault I mentioned that I thought it was (it still may have been) is a real thing, so I left the video as is.
nononononononono ! there's people who can and there's people who can't - it's just the way of things . I know if I tried this I would be found one week later suffocated between the folding-arm mechanism with my eyes bulging out of my head ! and no amount of gentle persuasion will convince me otherwise . .... Remember Frank Spencer ? I make him look like a consummate professional . But thank you for trying .
If anyone's interested, I've found a reasonably priced scanner that reads the retractable hard top. Foxwell nt680, mine is the pro version but I imagine other versions work. It wouldn't let me in as a jdm variant, but it worked as a European lexus. Read and clear codes, along with live data. My Toyota techstream didn't work for the roof (installed for jdm vehicles, with hindsight it may work if installed for Europe).
Thanks! We have a 2002 with 35,000 miles. My wife hit the trunk release while closing the top and the top was stuck half open. After reading the owners manual I was too intimidated to try to fix it and resigned to taking it into the dealer. However after watching your video, I was able to fix it myself. It did help to have a second person to help get the trunk lid up. Thanks again! I’m guessing the dealer would have charged me about $500! Who knows?
Amazing! Really glad I could help!
Thank you so much !!! my roof wouldnt open , after following your video and manually resetting roof , everything works perfectly , hopefully nothing else happens......Thanks again !!!
Really glad I could help!
Excellent job!!!! You are the best!!! I thought it was the electronic motor that might have gone bad. I will try your method because the lift shocks won't even keep the Boot up. So, I will first replace both of my lift shocks first and then continue from there!!!! 😇
Thanks, gave me tips on my issue and now realize what the issue is..., many thanks... Cheers Colin
Ah that's great, thanks for letting me know!
Excellent video, thanks for posting. I've got a 2004 and I'm always concerned about the top getting hung up either on opening or closing. While the owner's manual gives instructions on manually closing the top, there is nothing like a video to clarify things. Looks like I need to be sure I have a 5mm hex head and a couple of blocks to keep in the car. I don't know if I could do it by myself, but if the top is stuck down and it starts to rain I can give it a try. Thanks again.
You're very welcome, thanks for watching. Yes, the explanations i found, while good (typical Toyota), weren't everything I needed to know. So I thought I would share my findings.
Thanks for sharing!!! Just got an '02 and it needs the same exercise to work again.
Glad it helped, thanks for watching
Thanks for the video. I found a cable that releases the pins in the pivot point of the roof was out. I reinstalled it and that part works now but I have the same issue you did when you said the 1st time you tried to pull up the package tray (I think thats what its called) It was really hard. I feel like if I pulled any harder, I would break something. Any clue why this would be so hard and do I pull super hard and pray. The car roof hasnt worked in a long time. Thanks in advance.
If I remember correctly, there is something which can be disengaged at some point in the procedure. A white piece of plastic on a cable that spins. I think this has something to do with it. You may be able to turn it manually just to get over that initial 'sticktion'. I could be remembering it wrong though, it has been a while. It was extremely hard to lift the first time though, and I was convinced I would break it. Then it just went.
Have some finesse though, it may be that I loosened it by working it rather than just brute force. Try putting the same force in different places, maybe give it a few whacks with the base of your fist to try and get things going. It could of course be actually jammed in your case so don't over-do it.
I didn't take it apart but I got the impression that it was reverse driving a worm gear, hence why it is so hard to get started. Hope that helps.
I have a 2002 SC 430 that has a convertible roof that stopped working after a fender bender.
The other day I attempted to manually open hoping that it would 'reset' and restore the automatic operation functionality.
Using the provided hex, I manually unlatched the front lock and proceeded to manually push back the roof halfway up to enable me to manually (firmly but gently ) pull up the package tray to open up the pathway for the whole top to regress into the trunk compartment. I proceeded to close the trunk to complete the closing sequence. My attempts to push back the package tray have completely failed and is it now impeding the convertible top from being closed as long as it remains stuck in this upright position !
I have unsuccessfully tried starting the engine in an attempt to automatically close it by pressing on the switch, to no avail. The roof switch still blinks red on being pressed, with no action on the roof, or the package tray.
I spent a good amount of time checking and double-checking for any obvious visible obstructions with no success.
I have read all the threads in this forum and no one has so far posted anything remotely specific to how to the ABCs of lowering the package tray to enable a manual re-closing of the convertible top in an emergency. Yes, there is lots of chatter about trouble shooting or replacing the motor and/ or a mechanical demonstration of how the system works, but zip about how to manually lower the package tray.
I would appreciate any specific, concise ways to close the top, before I even consider going to the "stealership".
Thanks.
It's been a while since i did this so I could be getting mixed up but I believe the two manual releases that I briefly mention in the video could be related to that. 8:20 in the video, 2 cable releases.
It should really be plugged into some diagnostics though, there might be a switch not operating due to something being bent or whatever
@@jdmjesus6103unplug it and put power to it .power to the neg and ground to the power to put it back down
My trunk/boot is a little crooked, you think I could correct it by doing just the 1st part?
@@FOHfive unlikely, try adjusting the stops or maybe the hinges, but start small with them. Obviously check for any obstructions first
Helpful video and it also has two of my favourite classic cars, the featured SC430 and a Z32 Fairlady in the background
Thank you, the z32 is my money pit. I do love it though!
@@jdmjesus6103 regarding reliability which is better in your experience SC430 or Z32?
@@CammieGee almost any lexus beats almost any other car in reliability, other than some Hondas. The z32 isn't a reliable car really. It can be alright if it gets very well looked after but it's more like supercar reliability than lexus reliability. I forgive it though because when it's good it's great.
@@jdmjesus6103 thanks much for that, cheers
Maybe you can help me my top will go down but the trunk will not close nor will the windows come up in the back when I go to close it back up I had stopped doing the procedure in the middle of it and that’s when the problem occurred
Hi, I have a 2011 is 250C and can’t get the roof to go up. Do I do the same thing for my car that you demonstrated in this video? Thanks in advance!
Sorry, I've never worked on one of those so couldn't say. Check the manual, it may be described in there.
Can you show us how to manually put it back up?
@@DickNut just play the video backwards.
Sorry couldn't resist, I don't have the car here anymore so not possible im afraid.
@@jdmjesus6103 😂
does this fix the top problem completely? because my problem is the package tray open lift when opening/closing it electronically
with the hex key are you turning to the left or right? and this will release the hinge
Anticlockwise to release, clockwise to lock. Don't force it but it does require a moderate amount of force
Great video and thanks for sharing JDM.
Thank You, I don’t have this issue but now I know what to do if I ever do.
Thanks for watching, I couldn't find much info about it and had to figure it out for myself, so I thought I'd try and save someone else the bother
Where r u located
What do those green cables do?
@@MrBarrynicholas you pull them to release the hinges so you can raise the lid. I probably could have explained that a bit better
@@jdmjesus6103 Thanks for getting back to me. My problem is when trying to open the roof, the boot opens fine and the roof releases from above the windscreen, but then everything stops.
@@MrBarrynicholas OK, well this procedure is really just to manually operate the roof in emergencies or if it gets out of sequence somehow. If yours is stopping at the same point each time then it could be either a jam or more likely a limit/ position switch is not working correctly. Best bet is to get it on a decent scan tool and check the live data. IIRC the switches are all in pairs (L+R) so it should be easy to see which, if any are at fault. This car actually had a faulty one, but all it was was a loose screw. Hopefully yours is as simple!
@@jdmjesus6103 Thanks for you help.
Is this also works for the is 250 please
I'm not sure, you could try it. This was for a Lexus service bulletin for 2002 models.
@@jdmjesus6103
Hello brother, I recently bought one. The problem is that rain water is leaking from the sides at the corners. Is there a solution to this problem?
That's not a problem I've had to fix on this car but I have on many others. First thing to check is the drain channels and holes in the rubber seals, clean it all and make sure there's no dirt behind them too. After that look for any damage to the seals and repair or replace as needed. Finally check the alignment of the windows and the roof.
It's usually just dirt in the seals though.
is there a solution to the beeping sound ? my car always starts beeping when i have the top down
That's probably happening because the top isn't fully down (as far as the car knows).
Chances are there's something caught in one of the switches, or one has come loose and needs tightening back up. Of course one could be damaged or broken and needing replacement but check them first.
Most likely the switches for the tonneau cover or the roof itself underneath that (it'll be one of the last ones in the sequence since it's letting you put it down fully). Chances are there's something stuck in there.
If you stop the roof halfway through its operation you'll be able to see, just don't put your fingers in the mechanism as it could move on its own.
Hope that helps
08 400 fixing to be riding with my top down again!!!! Let’s go!!
how long did it fix the problem for?
A few weeks, until just after the new owner picked it up 🙄
I got it back in and found the underlying cause, a screw had worked loose in one of the switches. I was able to find which switch with the diagnostic tool I mentioned in another comment.
As far as I know its still good now.
The video is still a valid description of how to operate the roof manually, even if it wasn't a permanent fix. And the fault I mentioned that I thought it was (it still may have been) is a real thing, so I left the video as is.
Thank u brother..u r a iTunes hero..
Thanks, I hope this fixes my non-working top!
disconnected one side of the battery and reconnected, worked again
@@djmidas nice. I wish they were all that simple!
Thank you, appreciate this a lot!
You're very welcome!
I followed these steps, and my 2002 sc430 roof still can't open
You'll have to get it on a diagnostic machine then, something capable of viewing live data ideally
Thanks
Looking at one that has a malfunctioning top. Looks like it's just staying up hahaha.
nononononononono !
there's people who can
and there's people who can't - it's just the way of things .
I know if I tried this
I would be found one week later suffocated between the folding-arm mechanism
with my eyes bulging out of my head !
and no amount of gentle persuasion will convince me otherwise . ....
Remember Frank Spencer ?
I make him look like a consummate professional .
But thank you for trying .
Honestly, it's not that hard. It's easier if you have a friend to help though, or call the fire brigade if needs be 😅
what a pain in the butt. Not for me
You know this is just for emergencies and you don't have to do it every time, right? They're electric.