How to retract convertible top while moving 2002 T-Bird

VolleyballJIM

VolleyballJIM

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Thunderbird Year
2002
Don't judge me! LOL There are just times in traffic I need to keep moving but want to retract my top. In my Mustang, the bypass was pulling the handbrake and that would allow the convertible top to be retracted while moving. I tried everything today while in traffic, to no avail. Any tips?
 

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You would have to rewire all the circuits in the soft top up/down control because power to this circuit is only "hot" when the transmission is in either Park or Neutral.
Can not tell you why Ford designed it this way but that's the way it is.
 
Car has to be in park to raise or lower top. Was probably designed that way because somebody would have taken a brand new Tbird out and tried to raise the roof when going 70 on the interstate. Rip the top off then want Ford to cover it with warranty???
 
Agree with Elsie but actually the glass shatters first. Top got stuck and wouldn't latch all the way when I had the 2002 and that's what happened to me when I tried to drive it home. Don't even try it.
 
I understand the impulse, but easier and safer to just wait until you're stopped at a light. Seem to remember some newer convertibles that specifically touted the ability to lower the top up to a certain speed. 15mph? Make? Porsche Boxter maybe? Sorry I don't recall but Google might help. (My '04 is the first of 5 convertibles I've owned that has a power top, so I'm still tickled by that feature. Ha ha.)

Update: I did the Google thing, and found a comment from an Audi owner: "My Audi S5 will let me raise or lower the roof when the car is moving below 30 MPH. The same is true for the Audi A4 and the Audi TT. I know that you can also use the top while moving slowly in a Buick Cascada, VW Beetle, Chevy Camaro, Jaguar F-Type and all of the Mercedes Benz convertibles."

Still, with the age of our cars, I'm not going to put extra strain on any components that might have parts that have be searched for in order to repair them. But that's just me.
 
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I've figured I've only used the Mustang "putting top up, while moving" when I go from Santa Cruz to San Jose (where I go from 60mph to bumper to bumper (the sun is KILLING me in the bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city). It's slow enough that it doesn't have any drag (discernable) on the top, but you can't basically stop moving, wait the 8 seconds for the roof to engage while traffic behind waits for you....Anyway, it was VERY handy and never used for 12 years where it failed in that capacity. It's only use...
 
I was able to put the top up and down on my '01 Sebring while in drive and moving. It comes in handy sometimes. In my past lives I could do the same on my '85 Eldo, "80 Eldo, "71 Cutlass, '69 Cutlass, and '65 Convertible de'Ville. My T-bird is the first one that requires that the car be in park. In my opinion it is an unnecessary safety feature. However, I do understand why Ford would do it. (I'm just elated that they designed and offered the hard top!)
 
BluByeU said:
You would have to rewire all the circuits in the soft top up/down control because power to this circuit is only "hot" when the transmission is in either Park or Neutral.
Can not tell you why Ford designed it this way but that's the way it is.
Click to expand...
Find and swap the "sometimes" hot wire for an always hot wire?
 
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