why does my convertible top circuit breaker keep tripping
beaumontguru said
Mar 4, 2012
I've got my power top all put back together. but the 40 amp breaker on the firewall keeps tripping, about 10 times in one top cycle. takes about 2 full minutes to reset, they up another 1/8 , then wait 2 mis, then another 1/8. Takes forever to get it up and down
Top switch is good, factory correct and rated at about 50 amps
Lines are new, fluid is almost all blead out, but hard to do, since the top does not cycle without blowing breaker every 5 seconds.
all wiring is good, new, etc.
I have had the car running and not running, no difference.
Is it the seals in the pump? or a weak motor? or a weak breaker? Motor does get warm for sure.
What have you convertible guys found.
Hinges are also greased and the top does go all the way up and down, its just the breaker.
Captain Beaumont said
Mar 4, 2012
i would try a new breaker, if no change then test the motor for amp draw
4SPEED427 said
Mar 4, 2012
Agreed, it could be as simple as an old weak breaker but I'm betting in the top motor needing some attention.
You would always eliminate the top switch and wiring in the equation. You could take a breaker to the back by the motor and wire the motor direct from a battery using a different breaker. That would narrow it down at least.
rabbit64cs said
Mar 4, 2012
what fluid is in the top pump ?
beaumontguru said
Mar 4, 2012
I just tried another breaker, an original 1963 40 amp from an impala.
Marginally better, took about 5 tries up and 5 tries down with the car NOT running. Still not good enough tho. I will buy a new breaker on monday.
I just installed new hoses, and they recomend swapping the original brake fluid for ATF, so it has brand new ATF in it. Drawing from a jug that is set lower than the pump, plus i primed the pump, There is still a bit of air in the lines, but when the motor works, it moves the top good., its just the breaker keeps blowing.
I see they sell seal kits for the motors for about 20 dollars, but could it be the motor itself? rather than the pump.
beaumontguru said
Mar 4, 2012
One other note:
when the motor starts to push the top up from the down position, the breaker trips often,
The same is true when the top is almost all the way up, and gravity is doing most of the work.
So what i am saying is that it trips the breaker under heavy loads and light loads. This may say somthing about the motor being in decent conditon?
rabbit64cs said
Mar 4, 2012
Is it easy to do to unhook your rams from the irons? this would allow you to prime and bleed the system . Help isolate the problem?
beaumontguru said
Mar 4, 2012
Hm, i had not thought of that, but i think the air in the system may only be a about 5% at this point, fluid is flowing fairly clean now.
rabbit64cs said
Mar 4, 2012
it would be an easy way to isolate the 2 systems
- the irons ( mechanical )
- the pump ( hydraulic )
beaumontguru said
Mar 4, 2012
Oh, about a month ago i removed my old lines and drained the cylinders.
I could easily move the top up and down by hand, no siezed parts, the whole sisor mech and cyls work smoothly.
That would eliminate that i think????
Lefty said
Mar 4, 2012
i have a set of instructions on how to repair the pump etc if you want them send me an email .
Dan_Boyd@shaw.ca
-- Edited by Lefty on Sunday 4th of March 2012 10:04:03 AM
rabbit64cs said
Mar 4, 2012
one can assume the mechanical is free...
just a thought about isolating the systems
beaumontguru said
Mar 4, 2012
That would be great, message sent
JC2+2 said
Mar 5, 2012
I also had a similar problem after a new top installed. But instead of tripping the breaker on the firewall, it was tripping in the motor itself. I didn't have the money for a new pump/motor at the time so I took it apart and bypassed the internal breaker. Not really sure why it's there - must protect the motor from over heating? Anyhow that was going on 17yrs now and it still works fine. Also I installed a relay to take the current away from the switch.
norontcan said
Mar 5, 2012
Just wondering. You say the top went up and down fine manually before attaching the hydraulics. As you sumise this should eliminate mechanical binding. Since it trips out when the hydraulics try to work, might 1 side be working and the other not causing it to bind? Might 1 cylinder be defective? Might 1 line be pinched? Is there a check valve in the system thats defective? Have you tried removing the pivot pin and activating the pump and thus the cylinders without them being attached? Just wondering.
65 SD L79 said
Mar 5, 2012
bad ground?
koolconvertible said
Apr 17, 2016
old thread I know but am curious as to what you found to fix this?
427carl said
Apr 17, 2016
it was the switch or the breaker or the motor
beaumontguru said
Apr 17, 2016
Ya that was awhile ago, i hardly remember. It was the pupm motor, had a terrible draw on it and was straining too hard, ended up replacing the pump/motor assembly and all was good.
koolconvertible said
Apr 17, 2016
Well done remembering! Good to see craft disease has not taken over!
1966SD said
May 11, 2016
I had the same issue with my circuit breaker tripping every couple seconds. I wired in an amp
Gauge where the circuit breaker would be and watched it when I pushed the top switch. The
Gauge didn't go over 28 amps so replaced the breaker and all is good.
I've got my power top all put back together. but the 40 amp breaker on the firewall keeps tripping, about 10 times in one top cycle. takes about 2 full minutes to reset, they up another 1/8 , then wait 2 mis, then another 1/8. Takes forever to get it up and down
Top switch is good, factory correct and rated at about 50 amps
Lines are new, fluid is almost all blead out, but hard to do, since the top does not cycle without blowing breaker every 5 seconds.
all wiring is good, new, etc.
I have had the car running and not running, no difference.
Is it the seals in the pump? or a weak motor? or a weak breaker? Motor does get warm for sure.
What have you convertible guys found.
Hinges are also greased and the top does go all the way up and down, its just the breaker.
i would try a new breaker, if no change then test the motor for amp draw
You would always eliminate the top switch and wiring in the equation. You could take a breaker to the back by the motor and wire the motor direct from a battery using a different breaker. That would narrow it down at least.
what fluid is in the top pump ?
I just tried another breaker, an original 1963 40 amp from an impala.
Marginally better, took about 5 tries up and 5 tries down with the car NOT running. Still not good enough tho. I will buy a new breaker on monday.
I just installed new hoses, and they recomend swapping the original brake fluid for ATF, so it has brand new ATF in it. Drawing from a jug that is set lower than the pump, plus i primed the pump, There is still a bit of air in the lines, but when the motor works, it moves the top good., its just the breaker keeps blowing.
I see they sell seal kits for the motors for about 20 dollars, but could it be the motor itself? rather than the pump.
One other note:
when the motor starts to push the top up from the down position, the breaker trips often,
The same is true when the top is almost all the way up, and gravity is doing most of the work.
So what i am saying is that it trips the breaker under heavy loads and light loads. This may say somthing about the motor being in decent conditon?
Is it easy to do to unhook your rams from the irons? this would allow you to prime and bleed the system . Help isolate the problem?
Hm, i had not thought of that, but i think the air in the system may only be a about 5% at this point, fluid is flowing fairly clean now.
it would be an easy way to isolate the 2 systems
- the irons ( mechanical )
- the pump ( hydraulic )
Oh, about a month ago i removed my old lines and drained the cylinders.
I could easily move the top up and down by hand, no siezed parts, the whole sisor mech and cyls work smoothly.
That would eliminate that i think????
i have a set of instructions on how to repair the pump etc if you want them send me an email .
Dan_Boyd@shaw.ca
-- Edited by Lefty on Sunday 4th of March 2012 10:04:03 AM
one can assume the mechanical is free...
just a thought about isolating the systems
That would be great, message sent
I also had a similar problem after a new top installed. But instead of tripping the breaker on the firewall, it was tripping in the motor itself. I didn't have the money for a new pump/motor at the time so I took it apart and bypassed the internal breaker. Not really sure why it's there - must protect the motor from over heating? Anyhow that was going on 17yrs now and it still works fine. Also I installed a relay to take the current away from the switch.
You say the top went up and down fine manually before attaching the hydraulics. As you sumise this should eliminate mechanical binding.
Since it trips out when the hydraulics try to work, might 1 side be working and the other not causing it to bind? Might 1 cylinder be defective? Might 1 line be pinched? Is there a check valve in the system thats defective?
Have you tried removing the pivot pin and activating the pump and thus the cylinders without them being attached?
Just wondering.
bad ground?
old thread I know but am curious as to what you found to fix this?
it was the switch or the breaker or the motor
Ya that was awhile ago, i hardly remember. It was the pupm motor, had a terrible draw on it and was straining too hard, ended up replacing the pump/motor assembly and all was good.
Well done remembering! Good to see craft disease has not taken over!
Gauge where the circuit breaker would be and watched it when I pushed the top switch. The
Gauge didn't go over 28 amps so replaced the breaker and all is good.