gripshifter

Get the Targa, don't look back! Love this car!

rhZhao

I bought a pre-owned 2017 Targa 4S with CPO warranty, only 8000 miles, the PCM shows "TARGA ROOF CONTROL FAULT" within one month of the ownership, then I gave it a nice car wash then everything is good as new. Weird.

Frykman_991.1

I have a 991.1 Targa which I bought 3 months ago (15K miles). The Targa top is a symphony of German engineering.

Any insights on maintenance tips for the mechanism (Targa or cabriolet)? Are there points to be lubricated, etc.? I lower the top regularly and am looking for preventative maintenance advice. Thanks.

wes66vette

@911ist I have had 2 failures with my top (headliner) in 6 years of ownership (24K miles). I will say that it is the first heard of on the forum, and same for the dealership, to the extent that they did a bulletin on it and are sending the failed headliners back to Porsche for evaluation. I have a 991.2 GTS...My thread is below...one thing I can say...even after the trouble I had with headliners, I would still buy a Targa, period.

My thread on Targa headliner failure - https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1198...r-failure.html

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991Targa4S

I put some 303 rubber seal protectant on the rubber outer seals of the retractable hard top-mech.
I first open the roof halfway with the hard top roof panels sitting straight up with its weight on itself vertically. (Now I know that if I let the hard top mechanism stay partially opened & unfinished for a few minutes I will get a time out error on the pump so I do a couple quick shoe polish swipes on the mechanism rubber seal’s and I quickly finish opening the roof. After the roof is cycled open I apply on the rubber seals on the headliner and targa roll hoop. That allows it to dry on the seals before closing the roof.

I apply it every couple months and it stops the rubber creaking on driveway ramp transitions.
People even use this stuff on plastics I think, but its great conditioner for the rubber.

Watson

2016 Targa 991.1 GTS, no issues to report on the roof. The Targa roof mechanism had been lubricated at the previous service.

Surfer10

thank you for sharing as i have the exact same issue (one side more noticeable than the other after putting top back up).... did the dealership cover repair? (i'm still under CPO warranty and believe it should be covered given not normal wear and tear). agree though, absolutely love the Targa

Icebreaker

First winter after delivery... I decided to take control and learn how Porsche engineered the roof. Once I got in there, I learnt how simple it was. The flappy-paddle lines orchestrating the Targa bar by-pass operation is weird; but logical. I highly recommend taking a look and then you won't be so scared. I did pinch a hydraulic line putting it back, however the reward of doing this far outweighed the risk of living in fear. Those worried about the Targa operation... my advice is don't panic. Just enjoy the car and know that it is built extremely well. Just use it and forget about it. Nothing about the operation is very complex.

I do wish that they offered a lexan super light rear glass to help reduce the weight. It is heavy. Don't ask how I know! The functionality of rear loading for kids in seat belts, golf clubs, bags of concrete... is phenomenal. Lightness might be something they might bring to the table in a future edition. Enjoy your Targa. It is bulletproof or at worse, easy to access and fix. It isn't a death sentence if it stumbles. For what it is worth, it has been 6 years now since I did this and the top has never faltered, even in the extreme cold. Yes, I still load her up at Home Depot in the freezing cold. No squeaks or rattles either. I use 3M pure silicone spray to lubricate the rubber seals. (Test your silicone spray on a styrofoam cup first. It the styrofoam melts; it isn't good silicone spray)

Hope this helps.

rwbern

Eighteen months down the road in a 991.1 Targa 4S. Not a single fault. The car is rarely driven with the top up, so three to four days it week, it is cycled at least twice. It does want to stick a little right after a rain or wash, but a gentle nudge releases the top. Thanks for the tip on the rubber lubricants.

wes66vette

I was under original warranty, so they covered, YMMV.

DaveGee

Learned something new here. I didn’t realize the motors powering the targa top were hydraulic - I thought they were electric motors. Who knew? Thanks for the info and the pic.

DaveGee

Albechow

I just had my 2022 Targa 4GTS for a year or so, but my exterior cloth roof already has wear and tear from the edge of the windows scraping it every time I open the doors.
is that normal, or do we think we can claim that under warranty?
thank you so much

wes66vette

Pretty sure the window shouldn't be rubbing against the top, mine drops down a bit when I go to open the door, I would definitely have them check that out. IF there was a malfunction in the window system that was causing the wear, you MIGHT have a chance at some warranty work.

rwbern

Almost 10 years old and not a problem with the roof in any way. Sounds like the windows are not sliding down on the roof cycle. I would think that is a warranty issue, but if not diagnosed before roof damage, I would be surprised if the roof was covered.
Let us know ho this turns out. Good luck.

Albechow

Here’s a picture of the wear and tear, which in my opinion shouldn’t have happened at all