GreyStang

Fair enough

To be honest with you, when I first got this vert I was really pi$$ed off about having to yank the parking brake lever every time I wanted to raise or lower the top,, and I too was looking at ways to bypass the safety switch. But I'll tell you what... in no time at all it becomes a non-issue. After just a couple weeks it becomes a natural no-brainer to yank the lever as your hand heads toward the top button. By this time I don't think I could raise/lower the top any faster if I DID disablethe switch.

Michael Hogue

Just got done installing an Emergency Brake Switch / Roof Raising/Lowering Safety Switch By-pass on my 2000 Mustang Convertible. Being an old mechanic with numerous certifications (ASME, whatnot - ex-military, & a mechanical engineer, - AND a tech manual writer, just to name a few of my specialties) - so here is how I did the job - AND YOU STILL CANNOT open the roof unless you're stopped, or entirely reckless and like driving with no hands.

Parts:
A push button momentary switch (N.O., or "Normally Off") style - which means it only closes (completes) the circuit when held IN. (You do NOT want a switch that "stays on" for safety reasons and to prevent accidentally burning up the roof's motors - it still will require 2 hands to to engage - you'll see.)

Momentary Switch, N.O. (Normally Open - no flow)
You will want at LEAST 2 Automotive electrical "Quick Splice" (usually found in blue) connectors. (I say at least 2 because you might drop one in a hole down there in the console.)

Quick Splice Connector for connecting a 3 wire to an existing circuit wire.


NO CONSOLE REMOVAL REQUIRED.
1. Open the center console "armrest" / hatch cover for the bin in the middle console.
2. Using a thin screwdriver or fingernail, lift off the two front rectangular rubber bumpers's lips and gently pry them off.
3. There will be 2 phillips head screws (usually gold) staring back at you in the rubber bumpers' recesses.
4. Remove the screws.
5. GENTLY press the box insert's side in a bit and using a flat bladed tool, pry GENTLY around the console storage box between the plastic and the vinyl rim of the console. BE AWARE THE CONSOLE 'DOOR LOCK' STAYS IN PLACE - DO NOT PRY ON IT!
6 When you get the console storage box out of the way, look inside. To the right of the parking brake lever you'll see the switch (very hard to get out from here) and 2 wires. One wire is black. That is the ground. The other is black with a white stripe. That is power and it is energized whenever the key is in the ignition in the "Run" position. LEAVE THE KEY OFF - better yet, take it out. (Safety first!)
7. Now taking the console box to your shop or home office, drill a hole in the flat part that FITS THE SWITCH'S threads, about 1 inch down, on the left front side of the console storage box. THIS IS THE SWITCH MOUNTING HOLE and I put it there because there's the least amount of crap on that side on the inside of the console.
8. Give yourself about a foot each length of wire to splice the switch in. It does not have to be thick - about 14-16 Ga. will do. You want enough wire so that you can pull the console box out with the switch on it - or at least I did. It makes switch installations easier.
9. Wire up the switch (attach the pigtails you made).
10. Mount said mess to the console storage box.
11. Now - the tricky part. You want to use those 3-way splice connectors to attach 1 each pigtail wire to A) The black wire from the emergency parking brake switch, and B) to the black and white stripped wire from the parking brake switch.
12. Now is time to test - with the console box OUT of it's proper place - by letting the handbrake down (be sure to put the car in gear if it's not an automatic! Safety, guys & guyettes!), then inserting the key in the car's ignition and turning it to "run" (dash lights displayed).
13. The critical step: Press the switch. Your handbrake light on the dash *should* come on. If it does not then chances are your splice did not "bite" into the metal core of the parking brake switch's wire.
14. A QUICK TEST is to have the key in, ignition set to "run" (dash lights on), and see if you are getting current to your new momentary switch. If not - you may have a problem further down the line. Since the switch is by-passed your new switch should be able to kick the "Brake/Parking" light back on whenever you press it.
15. When all is well: Parking Brake light comes on when you press your new in-the-console-box switch. Now you can get rolling.
16. Put the box back in and put it all together. Remember you'll have to squeeze in lightly the sides of the console storage box to get it's sides to drop in flush with the vinyl.

NOW - if all went well AND FORD'S parking brake switch is misbehaving (I had the same intermittent problem) - all you have to do if it is giving you problems is Stop, Open the Console, Unlatch the Roof, then by pressing BOTH the new momentary switch you installed inside of the console storage box AND the normal "Raise/Lower" Convertible roof button at the same time. It's not something you're gonna do rolling, at least not any any speed, since you probably will have to twist slightly in your seat to do the job.

But it works, I know it does . . .
Cuz' mine did. :-D