Scraggy33

So I had my car 3 days and the roof has failed. I had the previous iteration and know how to operate it ! The catch won’t close and now the boot release electrics have failed. As a result I can close the roof. It’s making a 4.0 GTS with a proper roof (and 90pc the car) look very tempting ! Grateful to know if I am unlucky or this is common. Thanks for your feedback.

Archimedes

Do you mean the latch up by the windshield won't close? Did you hold the roof forward against the edge of the windshield as you pressed the button to tighten that latch? That's what I always had to do to get it to stretch and close.

Jamie140

Weird. Try disconnecting the battery for a few and try again. It's always best to do the buttress snaps, then the electric header, then push down on the back in that order.

n4v4nod

Steps I did to close mine:
1. Open rear hatch
2. Pull roof over cabin
3. Close rear hatch but not all the way... it will visually look like you just hit the rear hatch release button.
4. Attach and click the left and right Buttresses
5. Engage the roof latch via console button
6. Then pushing the rear hatch to engage... so the hatch is fully closed

When I did the above steps, I never had to force/hold the roof Header while latching.

Westcoast

Your order of events makes sense, it will minimize the strain on the latch motor because the roof is not yet under tension...

Westcoast

Welcome and that is bad luck, sorry have to ask, did you check the fuse?

Where you at?

Scraggy33

Thanks for all the kind comments. I am not as dumb as I feared as Porsche Assistance came out and no luck, it’s gone back to the dealers. I note all the helpful info above and will follow now thanks so much.

CDACH

How does Step 3 help? Is there some physical connection between the hatch and roof? So if you are in the car and want to put up the roof you have to get out, get in, get out, and get in again to be done? Chinese fire drill.

Scraggy33

My dealer told me the same that closing boot all the way should be the last step to take strain off the motor !

Nacelle

Good information posted in this thread...

ryandarr1979

Try this, latch the buttresses and pull the roof up to close, then get in the car, manually/physically pull the front of the top toward the windshield frame while also pushing the close/latch button in the center console.

SpyderSwede

Give the roof a good soaking with water and leave to dry , obviously in the up position 😉 made my roof a little easier to close.
when opening the roof my windows drop around 1/3 and stay there , seems strange they don't go all the way down or return to closed position, is it the same for everyone?
Put a grub screw in the vacuum lines today, 10 minute job sounds much better, slight booming at very low revs but definitely an improvement, added bonus, you don't have to press the PSE button every time you get in the car....😎

Westcoast

Interesting, I have a SmartTop module from my GTS that I saved, thinking that I might use it on the Spyder, allows remote opening/closing of the windows from the key fob.

ISPYA718

I don’t understand why Porsche goes to the trouble of designing a mechanical roof (which I don’t mind in terms of keeping with the philosophy of the car), and then adding the electronic opening and closing at the end. Couldn’t one of their master engineers design a mechanical latch - I would actually prefer given what can go wrong with the electric portion and wear over time. I mean it’s probably a 45 second operation to open or close the roof on the Spyder anyway - what is a few more seconds added in terms of a mechanical clasp. I remember my first purchased from new sports car - over 31 year ago now - a Ford Mustang GT convertible and it having a good mechanical closer. It was great. Even the Mustang GT I rented a few years ago in Hawaii had a smart mechanical clasp. And I would have no doubt that Porsche could make a brilliant one. I wish they had gone one way or the other - all mechanical or all electric - not the hybrid system they went with.

Westcoast

My 986/7 Boxsters had the mechanical final latches, they worked fine, only a few seconds to operate.

Again, I am hoping the SmartTop module can at least unlatch the front catch so I can do that from outside of the Spyder.