Vantage roadster Stop to Open Roof issue

[cradock]

Hello,

I’m new to AM ownership having just bought a lovely ‘08 Vantage roadster. So far it’s been great, but this morning I tried to get the roof down after taking out of garage and got “Stop to Open Roof”… Thing is, I was stationary with handbrake on. I tried turning car off, locking and unlocking and still it came up with the same message. So, despite the sun it went back in the garage and I took my focus instead, and here I am!

I trawled this forum and found some comments about roof modules but none of the issues associated with that (instrument board problems) were apparent. Very simply I had reversed car, dropped windows, then tried to operate roof and it flat out refused!

Would appreciate any advice from other users on how to reset this or convince my stationary car that it is in fact stationary! I note some comments about resetting window or roof mechanism by holding buttons for 5 seconds or so… is this a standard fix to electrical gremlins? FWIW, car always on trickle charge so think battery not an issue here.

Thanks in advance!

[geresey]

I had a few funnies with my roof. These cars do suffer some weird electrical issues if the battery isn t tip top. I got mine checked and indeed it was on the way out so replaced it, and no issues since. Comments on the forum indicate an expected life of 6-7 years from memory.

It may not be that, but worth a try. Also get a trickle charger if you haven’t already. E.g CTEK (see other threads on these)

Edited by geresey on Thursday 3rd July 08:29

[cradock]

Hi - thanks for this - as it happens battery was checked about 3 weeks back and is relatively new and in perfect health. I’m assuming that the car somehow hadn’t registered that it was stationary after moving it out of garage… not sure if this is a “thing” but would be great to hear if others had similar issues. ChatGPT reckoned leave it for a bit turned off then try again… tone of comments in this forum suggests that might be best way!

[Greathey]

That happened to me once when I intentionally left the roof hlafway open. I tried moving the roof at both ends a little manually restart the engine and it resumed the operation. It could also be your door module fuse if the windows don't drop when opening the doors just replace the fuse at the foot well area

[Greathey]

[w824gb3]

An odd message for sure. I have an 08 roadster and the roof works up to 30mph.

[JA.Aston]

What is your outside temperature sensor displaying? If it’s not correct or is blank then change the sensor

[Emily's dad]

By coincidence your issue was mentioned in a Bamford Rose video that I happened to be watching yesterday.

The video is about unexplained electrical gremlins that plague our cars and bemoaning the basic level of info available when cars are plugged into OBD readers.

19 minutes in addresses your problem, no fault codes were logged and it turned out to be water ingress into the passenger door which had damaged a completely unrelated circuit board, essentially confusing the car.

Better explained in the video than I’ve done justice here
https://youtu.be/LwZkPZ3GLp8?si=dGVPF4DkhHzD5SsL

[cradock]

Thanks for the replies and ideas. I’m the end it turns out it was the outside temperature sensor/ circuit… quite how that made it think it was hurtling along at top speed I couldn’t say - but in case anyone else gets a “stop to open roof” error on a vantage 4.3 2008 roadster… it’s a £20 part and it’s the outside temperature sensor.

(Hopefully the keywords in the text here will save someone time with Google in the future!)