[cheahk]

It's finally here! Been waiting for warmer weather, ordered it, and the box is sitting right infront of me now.

Does anyone have any helpful tips and tricks, things I should watch out for while I do this install? I have looked through the docs, and if anyone else wants to add their two cents here before I begin, let me know.

If anyone wants help with their install in the SF Bay area later, let me know. I think it should be pretty straight-forward.

-K

 

[JonB]

The only thing I can suggest from when I did mine is holding the carpets back as they fight you. I used a couple of blocks of wood to prop the carpet back out of the way. Just mind you dont poke one through the speakers in the door. The other thing was to put the seat back as far as you can. Did you buy the fuse tap thingy That saves tapping into wires

 

[jbanks15]

the diy covers it all

 

[cobra8272]

The most helpful tip and trick i can give is to pack it back in its box....

and send it to me

 

[Stinger]

Kelvin, when I received my Smart Top etyu was generous enough to offer his help. Even though he lives in Orange County, he was in Sacto. visiting his daughter who attends UC Davis Medical School. So I took a lovely drive to Sacramento one morning and Eddy installed it for me. With my back the way it is (had back surgery) there is no way I could have gotten in that foot well for that long to do the install. So my tip would be to ask etyu if he has any trips planned to visit his daughter

 

[etyu]

Kelvin, when I received my Smart Top etyu was generous enough to offer his help. Even though he lives in Orange County, he was in Sacto. visiting his daughter who attends UC Davis Medical School. So I took a lovely drive to Sacramento one morning and Eddy installed it for me. With my back the way it is (had back surgery) there is no way I could have gotten in that foot well for that long to do the install. So my tip would be to ask etyu if he has any trips planned to visit his daughter

Daughter is currently in Cleveland, Ohio doing her first year residency. She will return to UC Davis in July. I do not have trips planned currently for NorCal but may do so after she returns to Sacramento area.

I think the DIY covers most of everything and this forum is always available for assistance :tu:

 

[cheahk]

Pretty cool. Thanks for the tips, Jon.

This install will probably need to wait for 2 weeks as I am going to be out of town soon and I don't want to leave the install part done if I don't get it right the first time round.

Then again, I am tempted to do this tonight. Lol.

-K

 

[JonB]

If you didnt get one. The fuse carrier is well worth the few pennies it costs

 

[cheahk]

I have the add-a-circuit too. Funny thing is that it was the first thing to arrive when they shipped the smarttop separately. My first thought was, "wow, the box is light", then it's "WTH, $300 for a fuse?".

Anyway, I might just wait until I get back to do the install, but I am really itching to do it.

How long did it take you to do your smarttop?

-K

 

[Stinger]

Daughter is currently in Cleveland, Ohio doing her first year residency. She will return to UC Davis in July. I do not have trips planned currently for NorCal but may do so after she returns to Sacramento area.

I think the DIY covers most of everything and this forum is always available for assistance :tu:

I was really just kidding, didn't mean to sound like I was volunteering your services, meant it more as the level of gratitude that still exists for helping me out as you did. But now that I read it back, it sort of sounded like I was taking advantage of your generosity. Sorry if it came off that way

But if and when you return over the summer it would be a great excuse to get together! Maybe we could get a few people together and take a road trip to Tahoe since it's only and hour and a half from Sacramento.

Good to hear that your daughter is in her first year of residency!

 

[cheahk]

So close, but no cigar. In my rush to get it installed, I totally skipped the connector between the smarttop and the fuse. I had to put everything back together again, without having the smarttop in.

I had assumed... big assumption, that when I got the add-a-fuse, the connector from the add-a-fuse would plug straight into the smarttop red wire. That isn't the case. LOL. I could have stripped both ends, soldered the ends together and insulated them, but for some reason, I could not find my insulating tape!

Anyway, I'll try again tomorrow. At least now I know how to take everything apart. That plastic box under the carpet is a real pain to take apart. I could only find 3 latches, and not 4 as described by the documents.

-K

 

[JonB]

I use shrink tube and a little heat gun to cover solder joints Much better than tape

 

[Bagthar]

I have the add-a-circuit too. Funny thing is that it was the first thing to arrive when they shipped the smarttop separately. My first thought was, "wow, the box is light", then it's "WTH, $300 for a fuse?".

-K

I just ordered my SmartTop and fuse...exact same thing happened to me. I opened the box and thought "Crud! They forgot to box the module!"

Also ordered Green air filters from SLKStore...only one has arrived. Crossing fingers it'll be the same story.

 

[cheahk]

DONE!!!! Just under 30mins to put it all in!

I'll post the part numbers for the connectors I got from Radio Shack later.

-K

 

[jbanks15]

almost the record! don't forget to program your max speed

 

[cheahk]

Yes! I configured the module before I installed it. It works like a charm. Tested it stationary and driving, putting the top up and down. So cool. For those who are on the fence about it, don't wait, just do it!

For the add-a-fuse to the smarttop red-wire, I used a crimp connector from RadioShack. Part number 6403131 (10 pack for $2.49). I just used one female connector, cut off the connector from the add-a-fuse, stripped to expose some wire, and crimped it down tight. I kept the male connector on the smarttop red wire and simply connected the wires together.

For the ground wire, I cut off the end of the brown wire from the smarttop module, added a spade to it. I bought one connector from 64-3044 (10 pack flanged spades, $2.49). Stripped and crimped the wire too.

One note about the add-a-fuse. I used fuse position #42, the bottom-right position, and I had to have 2 fuses on the add-a-fuse adapter for it to work (yes, it makes sense when I think about it now). It didn't work when it only had 1 fuse on it.

Let me know if you need help if you're in the SF Bay Area.

-K

 

[mb911]

I know this has been discussed at great length, however, on our cars no one ever follows the printed directions now? It's not at all recommended to do the t-tapp instead of add a fuse? I had some reservations on scratching up my fuse door (I know, paranoid).

Also, for those crazy worried, can the smart top work like OE in can you have it make you hold the button down to open/close, with the only added benefit being RF instead of IR?

 

[Woolly]

Also, for those crazy worried, can the smart top work like OE in can you have it make you hold the button down to open/close, with the only added benefit being RF instead of IR?

All of the previous functions of the roof operation work as normal, including the (pathetic) Infra Red operation using the key & detector in the door handle.

 

[cheahk]

I know this has been discussed at great length, however, on our cars no one ever follows the printed directions now? It's not at all recommended to do the t-tapp instead of add a fuse? I had some reservations on scratching up my fuse door (I know, paranoid).

You can use the t-tapp instead of the add-a-fuse. I didn't want to deal with opening the tightly and neatly bunched wires to find both the red and brown (live and ground) wires. There are several, and I wasn't sure which wires to use, and run into the cardinal mistake of cutting into the wrong one. Also, the add-a-fuse provides a fuse for the smarttop module. If it goes bad, it's going to be isolated quickly.

-K

 

[tiledhouse]

Is the 'fuse tap thingy' primarily to provide a feed & separate isolation to the module ?
From memory is the feed for UK right hand drive cars taken from the right hand side of the dash?
Where the side trim cover can be removed.