Top won't open after service appointment
 

Took my car (2005 987) in to get an exterior detailing and an oil change a week ago. Today, I tried to open the top for the first time since that appointment and while the deck (bow?) opens and closes, the top doesn't move. My guess is the cable snapped but I'm taking it in tomorrow to get looked at. My question is, could this have been the result of the detailing?

When the deck began to open it sounded like it was "stuck" and then it sort of popped like something gave way. I'm wondering if the deck could have essentially been "waxed shut" and the extra tension caused the cord to snap.

I spoke to the service department at the dealer and they essentially said it wasn't their fault since they never opened the top (the detailing was exterior only and the only other thing they did was an oil change). I understand their point and perhaps it was just coincidence, but, smells a little fishy to me.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Jason

PS - a year or two ago I had taken my car in for service (I think for an oil change) and when I pulled away I noticed that the deck was rattling. I took it back and they told me that the cable tension needed to be adjusted and fixed it for free. However, they made sure to point out that it wasn't a result of anything they did. Again, seemed like an odd coincidence. Now this makes two.

Hard to imagine how a detailing could cause the top to not work.

That would be some wax to cause the clamshell to stick to the point the top opening/closing hardware snapped.

While the top may not have been fully opened at the dealer generally for servicing even oil/filter servicing the service department puts the top into the 'service' position to gain access to the engine compartment to inspect fluid levels other than the oil level which can be done at the dash.

Putting the top into the service position does not result in the top opening fully so had the top been on its last legs this may not have found this.

And more than a few owners have reported the top mechaism failing, so the failure is not unknown.

While I agree it does sound 'suspicious' sometimes a coincidence is just that. And either you believe the dealer or you do not. If you do not believe the dealer, not sure what you can do about it.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Thanks for the reply. Just got back from the appointment. The dealer said that there are two plastic ball sockets, one on each side, and that they both broke ($350 repair - fair?). The service manager also said that they do not put the top into service position during an oil change. So, I guess it was just a coincidence. I guess.

Jason

Is $350 for the ball socket repair fair? Sorry, but fair has nothing to do with it. You're entitled to get a quote/estimate for the job and decide before hand whether the price is acceptable to you.

The price does sound reasonable, plausible, if that's any comfort.

Around where I am the Porsche dealers charge $150/hour labor (so do some non-Porsche dealers) and then there is the cost of the parts, incidentals and sales tax.

The top may not be put into the service position during an oil/filter service. The dealer says it wasn't. I would tend to believe the dealer.

Besides, whether or not the top was put into the service position while in for service I can't see how this matters (though I would not like it if the dealer were lying about this).

When I open the top to put it into its service position there's nothing short of grabbing the top as it raises and pulls away from the windshield frame and restraining the top possibly overloading those ball sockets to the point of failure that I can think of that would cause what happened to happen.

Sincerely,

Macster.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I was essentially asking if it was reasonable. If it's a cheap part that I can easily replace myself, then, I'd opt to do that. Otherwise, I'd just have them do it.

Regarding the top, it was probably just time.

Jason

I was putting my top down today (05 Boxster) and I heard a loud snap. The top won't go up on it's own. I can lift the top up with no issues. On both side there are two with plastic pieces that are broken.

Do you have the part numbers from your fix? it sounds like i have the same issues.

I am getting the repair done on Monday. I'll post the part numbers then.

Boxster Oil change w/o top in service position?
 

Is it possible to do an oil/filter change on a 987 Boxster without gaining access to the top of the engine? No doubt you can drain the oil and add oil but how about the filter?

Hg

The filter and drain plug are accessible from the bottom of the engine and the oil filler tube is in the rear luggage compartment. A simple oil & filter change does not require access to the top of the engine, so I'm a bit confused as to how this service could have damaged the ball joints in the top unless the tech doing the work had no clue what he was doing and forced it somehow. It could simply be a coincidence that the joints failed now, but it is kind of suspicious to me.

I forgot my invoice at the dealer, but, from what I read before I left it looks like these are the parts (left + right): #987-561-279-00/01

I also found a DIY write-up for this:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...Top_Repair.htm

Jason

Is this what broke on yours?

I read "push rod" on the invoice before I walked off without my invoice but from what the service manager told me it sounds like that's the part (he told me that there was a "plastic ball on the end" which broke on both sides).

However, if you look at the parts on pelican you'll see that there are different part #s for the 986 and 987 convertible top transmission push rods. The one pictured there looks like a 986 push rod based on the schematics on pelican. The 987 part looks different in the schematic - so I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps someone else could clarify.

986 Part: http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...61-279-02-M737

987 Part: http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...6U7%2031340%29

I wish I remembered to grab my copy of the invoice which had the part number on it. Sorry.

Jason

You are a huge help, seeing the pelican parts site lead me in the right direction. Thanks so much. :cheers:

My wife didn't pull the top release latch fully open and when she went to put the top down she heard a pop. I found one of the two white "ball joints" shown in the above picture had broken. I ordered a new pair on ebay (I think it was from a fellow in Norway) got them in a week with only $4 for shipping and the part screwed right on the rod and was fairly easy to snap back in place. I measured carefully to insure the rod was the same length as before when I screwed on the new part. It was black rather than white but seems to be made of a tougher material. We will be making sure the top release latch is pulled fully open before lowering it in the future.

Ken, do you know if that seller has any more of these?