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2012 911S Cab top failure, latch and engine cover stuck open.
Hello, I have a 2012 911S cab that I've owned since 2019. The car is my daily driver with 75k miles. I drive it to work, drop the kids to school, take my parents for a drive... all the good stuff. Has been trouble-free with regular maintenance from a great indy mechanic. I live in Northern California, so the weather is great for driving with the top down year round. I open the top as often as I can - which is very often The only issue I had noticed since I bought the car is that the convertible process always elicited a mid-volume squealing sound just as the process passed the mid-point of the folding. But no other issues in 3.5 years or so.
Yesterday, after returning from out of town after a week, I tried to open the top. The engine cover opened just fine, then the central latch hook separated as usual, then I heard two loud snapping sounds in quick succession, and the who operation froze. The top section had not yet moved or risen. I immediately got a "Top not in final position" error message. The top opening/closing buttons become inoperative and the engine cover is stuck open. Using the switch on the door sill to close the cover does not work. All three switches - top opening/closing and door sill switch - are "dead" and they cause no movement or sound or any response. When I restarted the car, I now also get a "Fault of the soft-top control system" error. The car is currently in my garage. Please see pictures below.
Any idea how this can be fixed? Or at least how I can close the engine cover and also ensure the central latch engages so I can safely drive the car to my indy mechanic? Is this something I can try fixing myself? I am an average technical person and would be fine with some basic work (I have previously fixed exhaust valve issues, taken apart the door panel, have all torqx bits, etc.), but I have no idea where to begin with this. Also, I only now learned of the importance of periodically checking the convertible oil reservoir - unfortunately, I have not checked the oil level before (but will do so in the next day or so). Could this be the issue? Also, does this appear to be a catastrophic issue requiring full replacement or similar?
Please let me know if I can provide any additional details. Any help is greatly appreciated!
01-09-2023, 03:44 AM
2012 911S Cab top failure, latch and engine cover stuck open.
The only issue I had noticed since I bought the car is that the convertible process always elicited a mid-volume squealing sound just as the process passed the mid-point of the folding. But no other issues in 3.5 years or so.
