1999 Cab Top Not Working.

nickm · 09:26 AM

Hi Guys, I have a 1999 cab. I read through a very extensive cab. top thread on this site a few days ago... trying
to fix my tops issue. But I can't seem to find that thread, to ask my question. So figured I'd start a new thread.

Here's my tops issue. After reading all the info. in that article on this site, I checked the hydraulic fluid level for my
top & found it to be low. I added the correct fluid, put everything back together and now my top won't work at all.

Here were my symptoms, BEFORE I added the hydraulic fluid: My top would go up and down... sporadically. Finally,
the nail in the coffin was that it was stuck in the down position. The driver side flap would not fully close. You could
see that it was TRYING to close. But it just could not make it. Because of that, the top would not go up.

What did I do to try to fix it?: I removed the panel behind the rear seats to get access to the bleed valve, that would
allow me to manually grab the top & put it in the upright position (in order to get access to the hydraulic fluid filler). I
filled the almost empty tank with the correct Pentasin fluid. I then carefully lowered the top back to the fully open (down)
position, where it originally was to start with. I then took the 6mm wrench and tightened the bleed valve located between
the rear seats... so that was back to "normal" how it was before I started. I then started up the car and pushed my cab
top button, to close the top. NOTHING.

Where did I go wrong? What would be the first step to trouble-shoot this issue? I'm thinking it HAS to be something simple...
something that I'm just not thinking about that I did wrong, or out of order.
Please help guys. ;o)
Thanks much!!
Nick

cavski · 02-03-2017, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickm

Hi Guys, I have a 1999 cab. I read through a very extensive cab. top thread on this site a few days ago... trying
to fix my tops issue. But I can't seem to find that thread, to ask my question. So figured I'd start a new thread.

Here's my tops issue. After reading all the info. in that article on this site, I checked the hydraulic fluid level for my
top & found it to be low. I added the correct fluid, put everything back together and now my top won't work at all.

Here were my symptoms, BEFORE I added the hydraulic fluid: My top would go up and down... sporadically. Finally,
the nail in the coffin was that it was stuck in the down position. The driver side flap would not fully close. You could
see that it was TRYING to close. But it just could not make it. Because of that, the top would not go up.

What did I do to try to fix it?: I removed the panel behind the rear seats to get access to the bleed valve, that would
allow me to manually grab the top & put it in the upright position (in order to get access to the hydraulic fluid filler). I
filled the almost empty tank with the correct Pentasin fluid. I then carefully lowered the top back to the fully open (down)
position, where it originally was to start with. I then took the 6mm wrench and tightened the bleed valve located between
the rear seats... so that was back to "normal" how it was before I started. I then started up the car and pushed my cab
top button, to close the top. NOTHING.

Where did I go wrong? What would be the first step to trouble-shoot this issue? I'm thinking it HAS to be something simple...
something that I'm just not thinking about that I did wrong, or out of order.
Please help guys. ;o)
Thanks much!!
Nick

Hi Nick, if you needed to fill up the fluid reservoir then you have a leak, no doubt one or both of your rams (hydraulic pistons) that push the roof up and down. They operate via a small electric motor. To check the rams you need to take off the rear side panel which will expose the rams, they should be dry.
Is the motor working ? You should hear it when you press the roof button, if not I'd try there.

Hope this helps

Pete.

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nickm · 02-04-2017, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cavski

Hi Nick, if you needed to fill up the fluid reservoir then you have a leak, no doubt one or both of your rams (hydraulic pistons) that push the roof up and down. They operate via a small electric motor. To check the rams you need to take off the rear side panel which will expose the rams, they should be dry.
Is the motor working ? You should hear it when you press the roof button, if not I'd try there.

Hope this helps

Pete.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Pete, thanks for the info. Right now I don't see a leak. Maybe it's just been 18 years of a little bit of fluid gone, here & there. Right now the reservoir is full... so
the top should work. Over the next few days I'll look for any leaks.
One thing I just thought of is, I haven't re-instlled the rear clamshell (top) cover.
That may need to be installed, then in it's down position maybe it trips micro switch to tell the system that the clamshell is locked down. Then it can do the next step (top going up). Uggghhhh

cavski · 02-04-2017, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickm

Hi Pete, thanks for the info. Right now I don't see a leak. Maybe it's just been 18 years of a little bit of fluid gone, here & there. Right now the reservoir is full... so

the top should work. Over the next few days I'll look for any leaks.

One thing I just thought of is, I haven't re-instlled the rear clamshell (top) cover.

That may need to be installed, then in it's down position maybe it trips micro switch to tell the system that the clamshell is locked down. Then it can do the next step (top going up). Uggghhhh

No problem, when my roof stopped it was the rams, I first notice it going when the movement was jerky it sort of went then stopped then went again. Once the rams were changed it was very smooth. Also check the hydraulic lines they also go. I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it. Good luck.

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nickm · 02-04-2017, 09:09 AM

UPDATE: I installed the rear metal tonneau cover thinking that maybe my top was thinking that its closing process hadn't concluded. I figured if the tonneau cover closed tightly, that would trigger the tops brain to believe that it had finished its entire closing process. NOW it could start its opening process when I pushed the button to open. Push the button, and viola! NADA!

Anybody care to venture a guess what might be the fix/solution? The top worked before. All I did was fill up my hydraulic fluid.

cavski · 02-04-2017, 10:07 AM

Hi, have you had a look on this site http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/0896_catalog.htm
They are good at replying to questions and on the site they have how too info with step by step instructions.

Pete.

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FPB111 · 03:39 PM

Opening the top manually, either with the tool, or pulling it as you did, often causes the closing sequence to get out of sync.
If this the case the easiest way to get it back is dealer computer. If you had a Durametric you could check for error codes and maybe see where the problem is and address it.

Just a thought, you did have the parking brake on when you tried it, right?

nickm · 02-05-2017, 07:43 PM

Yup, parking brake was set.
Seemed like what I did, was pretty tame (just raising the top manually, filling with hydraulic fluid, then placing it back down manually). I read quite a few guys who were able to fix top issues without having to go to the dealer for a re-set. Of course... my car would need that. LOL. Something does seem to be out of sequence. But the cars brain really should not have "realized" that anything had happened to it. i didn't even have to manually move the flaps or the rear tonneau. They were already out of the way. If I had moved those flaps or tonneau, I could see that I'd have been asking for a issue with something being out of sync. Hmmm....
I really don't want to go to the dealer.