87 911 Mysteries

[fiskarflugen]

I recently purchased an 87 911 cabriolet. I looked at other posts and could not find help on the following. 1) the passenger-side motor is raising and lowering the top but the drivers-side motor is doing nothing. Is this a cause for concern??? 2) the drivers-side window switch suddenly does not raise or lower the window. What happened??? THanks

[Dantilla]

Window switches are notorious for going intermittant. It either needs a good cleaning, or a replacement. Easy job.

Can't help you with the top.

[RoninLB]

so you checked that the inoperative top motor still functions if you jump it ?
I don't know much about cabs except that bad motors happen.

[fiskarflugen]

thanks a bunch guys

[curiousone940]

The convertible top mechanism is a fairly complicated piece of machinery, but your particular problem MIGHT be related to the cable which connects each of the two electric motors to their respective gear box. Over a long period of time, the cable housing will shrink in length, thereby pulling the inside cable away from its normal connection point at the motor end. For whatever reason, don't attempt to extensively attempt to open/close the top under these conditions...something will ultimately break and the underlying braces/supports, etc. are "mucho expensive".

[fiskarflugen]

thanks again. Is there a diagram or repair photo of this in existence?? I loosened the bolt holding the arm on the dead motor so it freely rotates, but imagine this will simply eventually make the working motor fail. This feels like a job for the convertible top expert.

[curiousone940]

I'm not familiar with Bentley work manuals....if you want really good information and you have access to a Porsche factory manual, this would be the way to go. If you're just operating on one motor, there is no way the top can open/close correctly. Have you checked the suspect motor....is it in fact dead ("hot wire" it directly to a good 12 v power source)?? If youi have an OK motor, then check the cable to that motor to insure the cable housing has not stretched to the point wherein the cable itself has become disengaged from the motor (i.e. has the appearance of being too short). Either way, it's not really a big project to replace the motor and or the cable... when you have the motor and/or cable replaced, just make sure the top is properly adjusted from left to right before hooking up the electrical connections (i.e. the top needs to meet the windshield at the same time on both the left and right sides). I've used an electric drill on the end of the "repaired cable" to make sure the lift mechanism on the "dead side" is properly adjusted to the same point as the "good side" before making the final connection to the lift motor. It's some trial and error...just make sure you don't force the top up or down..if everything is properly adjusted, there shouldn't be any need to force anything to the point of breaking.

[jtratza]

Gotta love Targas. No mechanical problem lifting the top off. Only needs a little bit of muscle.

[fiskarflugen]

thanks curiousone, very informative.