Kcreager1

Ok - first top problem for me - please help. I got in and started to lower the top. It started beck and I heard a popping noise followed by the motor running and the top not moving. I get out and inspect and see that the metal brackets by the drivers side seatbelt look like the forward bracket is bending the wrong way (forward) and getting caught on the wall of the carpeted shell that the armes fold into. I can see that this does not look right, compared to the other side.

So, now the top is part way up/down, motor seems like it is off track or not engaged, and the arm is bending forward at the joint instead of rocking back.

1. The arm - I can see the access hole for the nut that attaches the arm. Should I loosen this and push ir back into position then re-tighten? There is also the star shapped screw at the top of this piece, I could loosen both and get it back to the correct position (I think)

2. The motor makes sound but is not pushing/pulling. How do I get this back on track?

3. I am goin to go through the manual, but what are the procedures to move and connect the top (have motors latch) if I can't get the top working again?

Thank you for any help......

95FL993CAB

if you look on the passenger side, there is a manual way to lower the top ( you need the tool in the tool kit) Make sure that you are not bending anything further when doing it.
Then bring it to your favorite shop
Good luck
Ron

cabrio993

Just losen the 2 pivot bolts on each side and you can operate the top manually. Use the switch to lock the top down against the frame.

fbfisher

Go to www.p-car.com and go to the DIY section and then look for the item related to adjusting the cab top. THis will give you insight to the workings of the top. If the motors are running but the top is not moving, could be a cable? The same tool used to loosen your wheel lug nuts fits the large nut conecting the top frame to the top transmissions. Pull the black cap off of each side and loosen the nut, the top will fold in either direction. If your micro-switches are functioning properly, you can manually close the top - let it rest on the windshield frame, activate your top switch (to close the top) and the front latches should activate and secure your top.

Chuck W.

This is the exact thing that happened to me. I removed the two pivot bolts. By doing this I now operate the top manually.

Kcreager1

Ok, thanks for the input - I at least got the top loosened and can open and close. Nothing bent, but the front fork of the arm went forward instead of backwards. I had to loosen the big bolt (to allow manual operation) and still had to remove the star shapped screw between joints to get it back into the correct position - then reattach the joint.

The motor runs with no effect. I took out the carpet to see the motor (from the P-car DIY). After doing this, I am surprised to see that there is nothing much to see. I assume that my cables are off, one way or another, but don't have a clue how to fix them.

I can get it to latch by closing and hitting the swtich.

Is it worth me trying to fix the cables or should I just take it in?

Thanks - and thanks for the quick replies as well.

Chuck W.

Keep it manual. It will save you time, money and frustration.

richardew

I had a broken cable. Motor runs, nothing much happens. Operated it manually for a while. You have to get out and put the boot on/off anyway. Finally got it fixed by the Porsche stealer. What precipitated my problem was when one of the bolts lost its' nut, popped halfway out and jammed the mechanism while I was closing the top. It blew the fuse and I had to lock it manually also. I think that when it jammed it broke a cable.

Kendal

I had the same problem. I have left mine in the manual mode for now and seems to work just fine. I my get new cables in the future though. At least you know your not the only one.

Kcreager1

I took it to a a local shop and they say the cables have shortened. They recommend replacing both ($240 each) and labor of about $350. I have not given the green light yet and think I will operate manual for a while. The only complication is that I was about to replace the top (already ordered material). Will this being manual have any effect whatsoever on the fitting of the CAB top?

Also, any comment on the prices as quoted?

Thanks

cabrio993

Yes, you can buy the cables and DIY the replacement, but is messy and a bitch to align the top aftewards. I think @ $240 per side is a bit much, but the labor sounds about right.

I have mine on manual now for about a year and I'm leaving it manual. It's actually faster now to put the top up or down than with the switch. No issues whatsoever with the top fitting.

chet

Last summer I paid about $180 each for the new cables and did it myself. (I still can't believe how much they cost. Those drive cables are basically the same type of flexible cable as in a rotary tool flexible extension, which don't cost anywhere near $180.) If your cable isn't broken or unsprung (one of mine started to come unwound), you might try to cut off a little of the casing. The cables are run through a casing so that as the cable spins, it is isolated from outside contact. But the cable and the casing are two separate things, and when the cable shrinks and the casing doesn't, there is less cable sticking out the end of the casing to fit into the motor. I think both ends of the casing have a metal piece attached that serves to hold the cable in place at the motor and at the transmission. Rather than cutting off one end of the casing and trying to reattach that metal piece to the new end, you might want to try to cut out 1/2 an inch close to the end and tape the two sections back together, leaving both end pieces intact. Be sure to remove the drive cable from the casing before cutting the casing in two, or your cable really will be too short.

fbfisher

Find a competent person to sort out your top and you will enjoy years of uninterupted enjoyment of your top as it was designed.

Kcreager1

I am going to bight the bullet and pay to have it done. It is not that it is so much money, it is just you hate spending money on things that have been working fine...$$ to maintain status quo is not so sexy....

fetus

The key is to find someone that knows the intricacies of these tops. I would recommend soliciting input from people's experience with local shops. I wasted money once on a local shop and it was a flaky mess. There attitude was that its as good as it gets. I searched around and found another local shop that did a great job without charging me an arm and a leg. Its been working fine now for over a year.