Convertible top occasionally refused to open/close
Thread Starter
Track Day
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Convertible top occasionally refused to open/close
My 1999 996 occasionally refused to either open or close the top. Instead, the little convertible warning light falshes a few times and I hear a couple of relay clicks from the back.
I've tried ensuring I'm in park and that the brake is pressed, etc. Since I expect there are a few switches to prevent you from erroroneously operating the top whiel moving, but this does not seem to help. Also stopping/starting the engine doesn't seem to help either. Only after driving around a little will the top operate again.
I'm suspecting there is some microswitch somewhere that is telling it that the top shouldn't operate, but apart from the brake/'in-park' switches I'm lost for where else to look.
Any ideas?
I've tried ensuring I'm in park and that the brake is pressed, etc. Since I expect there are a few switches to prevent you from erroroneously operating the top whiel moving, but this does not seem to help. Also stopping/starting the engine doesn't seem to help either. Only after driving around a little will the top operate again.
I'm suspecting there is some microswitch somewhere that is telling it that the top shouldn't operate, but apart from the brake/'in-park' switches I'm lost for where else to look.
Any ideas?
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 6
From: Washington, D.C. Metro Area
You engaged the parking brake but are you sure the parking brake light on the dashboard is lit? If the parking brake light does not come on then it is probably a bad parking brake microswitch.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 358
Likes: 0
From: Marietta, GA
Originally Posted by dammad
My 1999 996 occasionally refused to either open or close the top. Instead, the little convertible warning light falshes a few times and I hear a couple of relay clicks from the back.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 240
Likes: 8
From: SF Bay Area, California
If those recommendations don't work, it might be that the dash switch has failed. You can easily check by unplugging it and substituting one of the others. I had the exact same symptoms and that was my problem.
AutoX
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: N. GA
I had the same situation last fall. Intermittent problem, I took it to the dealer for a trackday inspection and he said everything is AOK ( I assumed he repaired it) then the problem crept up again. They finnaly replaced the motor for the top. It has not happened again
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 24
From: Indiana
For what it is worth...I had a 2000 Boxster that had a failure of the top relay that started as intermediate problems with the top opening and closing. It was fixed under warranty at the time. The dealership said it was a very common problem and that Porsche had come out with a new relay sometime in 2001. It would not surprise me if the relay for the 911 and the Boxster are the same.
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Race Car
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,861
Likes: 91
I'm having the same problem as well. I installed the SmartTop last year and since then I have had failures 3 times. After driving around (even just letting the car sit) the lid would work again. This last weekend it failed again> Iremoved the SmartTop module and it still won't work...not a fuse and it does not work with the key...so it's not the dash switch. Off to the dealer. These intermittent problems are the worst.
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