Trouble in Paradise - New ride - Top won't go up??? Help!!

Booney1golf · 05-08-2008, 05:51 PM

Good evening. After going for a nice ride the Power Convertible Top won't go up. The passenger side tries to go up but the drivers side acts like either the motor is not working or if there is no motor then the hinge must be binding.

I took off the covers, on both sides in the back seats to see what I could see. On the passenger side there were some wires and limit switches and a round black hinge type thing.. On the Drivers side the same round black hinge thing but I could not see wires of limit switches. It is dark but there may be a wire going it to it.

Any suggestions about what might be the problem, how I can get the top up and what would be the worst case scenario and what it might cost to fix.

I live in the Houston area if anyone knows someone familiar with Convertibles.

Thanks for your time, help or advice.

Best regards,
Booney1golf

87 Porsche 911 Covertible (Broken) Turbo Look
85 Porsche 911 Targa (Thank God the Top is manual)

john walker's workshop · 05-08-2008, 06:33 PM

you can break the main bow, so forget the electric part for now. one of your side gearboxes is out of time most likely. try to find a shop manual for it. to make it manual, remove the round plastic plugs on each side panel, loosen the bolt on the gearbox arm a turn or so, and raise it by hand. the windshield header motors should still latch and unlatch when the micro-switches on the header are activated.

Booney1golf · 05-08-2008, 06:57 PM

Thanks Mr. Walker. I am honored for you to have answered me. I have read many of your posts and also have heard about your knowledge from others.

With that being said I am thrilled that there may be a way to manually use the top. I just bought the car and really don't have the extra money right now to spend alot more on extensive repairs.

The part you are talking about loosening. Is that part of the big black Hinge looking thing on both sides. I am sorry about my vague description but even in my Bentley manual I don't see anything about the convertible top.

Any further description or a picture would be great. I know thats asking alot. Anyway just the hope that I can use my car without giving my other arm and leg made my night. The other arm and leg went to the previous Owner.

Thanks and best regards,
Booney1golf

87 Porsche 911 Covertible (Broken) Turbo Look
85 Porsche 911 Targa (Thank God the Top is manual)

MPegler · 05-08-2008, 07:36 PM

This has happened 2x to me. Both times, I tried to put the top up on an uneven surface (car was not level). This helped immensely: http://p-car.com/diy/cabtop/

Pretty easy once you understand how the thing works. Good luck!

Booney1golf · 05-08-2008, 08:23 PM

Well I loosened the two big bolts under the rear speaker covers to try and raise the top manually but it still would not budge. It acted as if something still kept both sides bound or in place.

Not that it matters but one was 19mm and the other was 16mm.

When I still could not raise the top manually I tried the power top with the bolts loose not all the way off. And believe it or not the top came up. So I tightened up the bolts and went down and back up again using the Power top button.

Well the last time I put the top up it started making loud grinding type noises and I had to assist the top up. The automatic latches worked normally.

Sorry for all of the questions however at least my top is up and none of the support bars are broken.

Somewhere I think I have some gears stripped out. Do any of you have any suggestions on what I might need to replace now.

Thanks for your time, help or advice.

Best regards,
Booney1golf

87 Porsche 911 Convertible (Broken) Turbo Look
85 Porsche 911 Targa (Thank God the Top is manual)

Booney1golf · 05-09-2008, 07:10 AM

bump

Booney1golf · 05-09-2008, 08:34 AM

Recap and additional info / questions regarding the problems with my Power top.

87 911 Turbo look Cabriolet

I purchased my car about 10 days and have used the Power top numerous times without issue until last night. I was on level ground and I tried to get the top to go up. The passenger side started up normally but the drivers side appeared to bind. I stopped it (probably not soon enough)and went down with the top several times to try and start over to get it to work properly. No luck.

Finally when I got home I read on some of the forums if you loosen the two big bolts on the transmission (big black hinge looking thing) on both sides you could use the top manually. I loosened both of these and it still felt as if something was binding or preventing me to pull the top up. For kicks I tried the power top with the bolts loose and it came up. I tightened the two big bolts up and tried going up and down a few more times to see if all was well now that it was not bound up. It appeared to make more noise then I remember before (semi-grinding) but worked. However on the last time, along with the extra noise it kind of slowed down while closing so I manually assisted it for a second and it closed and that is where it is now.

The top is fully closed but it appears to have a slight wrinkle in the back plastic glass that I don't remember before however the top is fully closed and the power latches worked properly.

First of all any ideas on what I could try to fix the top myself (I am not the best mechanic) and rough cost for same and lastly as an option in case the above fix is too complicated that I can't do myself or to expensive how can I make the raising and lowering the top manual. The two latch motors appear to be working but even when I loosen the two big bolts the top appears to still be bound.

I am desperate for help and/or advise for this problem. I have been reading some of the horror stories about power tops and the great expense involved when things go wrong and it scared me.

I did not sleep very good last night.

Thanks for your time, help or advice.

Best regards,
Booney1golf

87 Porsche 911 Convertible (Broken) Turbo Look
85 Porsche 911 Targa (Thank God the Top is manual)
Yesterday, 08:23 PM