Have any cab owners had to go via the 'emergency opening/closing procedure' of their soft top? Mine when I was closing the top to leave the car didn't get to the final stage of putting up the windows therefore not completing the cycle. Now when I try to open it again, the top doesn't move and the first procedure of that action being to lower the windows, does not take place. I have read the 996 Essential companion book plus the owners manual and both say, "after an emergency procedure has taken place, the toggle switch or the key in the door way of activating the top should not be used. I did not go via the emergency route (as yet). I did however go the other method of opening and closing the hook part and still I get a red light flashing and I hear two soft clicks coming from the drivers side to the rear of the car. If any of you have gone through the emergency route, what was the procedure afterwards. Did you have to take your car to have the top open/close procedure calibrated in some way via a Porsche garage or indy? Not that it should make any difference, I have the 99 model. My hand brake is fully on as require and the engine lid is closed and indicates they are both engaged from the red dash lights. Any help would be well appreciated. The front hook is fully intct with the plastic part in place. I would like to get the top in the 'service' position without going through the emergency procedure part. i am stumped. Thanks.

 

Wish I could help. The emergency op I remember doing was on the other end, getting it to go down into the clamshell. That was 10 years ago, but I'll look for any info. I used & see if it rings a bell.

 

Hmmm... After emergency procedure you are supposed to do re-calibrations with PSWIS or PST. Not sure if that does anything as it did not seem to fix or break anything when I was screwing around m top for the last 2 months.

Check that lid compartment is closed, try sticking a screwdriver in the latch by the centere of the windshield. maybe its not sticking. try to close the top see if the windows go up and the top light goes out?

What do you mean you did not do emergency procudre but did the other one? There is only one, Get the behind the seat cover off, and use the provided screwdriver to open the top. This will work provider all the other parts work, could be lots of things gone bad, like drive links, hooks stucks, mechanisms stuck etc...

 

Hurdi...if you have not done the emergency procedure but are getting a red light and you can hear "clicks", it could be a bad emergency brake sensor.

 

In answer to wucash and Gonzo. The 'other one' I refer to is removing the two plastic clips on the front latch cover to reveal and cog that can be moved to open or close the front 'hook'. Mine had closed but still the windows did not come up to finish the cycle. I unhooked it that way and tried again via both the toggle on the dash and the key in the door but it never budged. The hand break light goes on and off as I apply and release the handbrake so I think that part if fine. I still get a red light flash as I try to open or close the front hook via the toggle or the key in the door. If the hand break had been switch had been bad, it wouldn't have got as far as it did in the cycle in the first place from the top down to the top ALMOST closed. Or at least to the point when the windows should have come back up again.

Phil996.. thats the same direction which I want to use. Lifting the clamshell and putting the roof down or at least as far back into the 'service position' so i can go in to inspect the hinges etc of the roof to see has anything fallen off.

 

Put a screwdriver in there and hold it till windows close.

 

+1 on the screwdriver... the small switch inside the main catch on my cab sometimes doesn't register the catch latch... so I just poke it and hold, and all goes well. I hope it is that easy... Good luck!

 

Hurdi, I did (10 yrs. ago) the emergency open process as described in owners manual pg. 100-1 with the allen key, drive axle, flaps, etc.

The good news - that drive axle moved the top down just fine, and you can definitely see what's going on thru those side flaps.

The bad news - Although I got it all the way down nicely, it never "locked" down, so the task was never fully completed. What happened after that I can't tell you, as the mechanic who then locked it down couldn't be bothered to describe to me what he did.

 

I have already done the screw driver part in the center latching part of the window frame. Still no go. I can however take ALL windows up and down via their switches on the center console. There must be a micro switch in the frame or in the plastic locking compartment of the roof which is held on by 4 small torx screws. The torx screws are marked with white dabs of paint on the head and the plastic compartment. Has anyone had to change that micro switch out (where ever it is) ? All fuses are good.
Rag tops are a Royal PITA at times. If I (with you guys help) haven't solved it by Monday then I will book it into Porsche in Lancaster. That's a pain as it will cost an arm and a leg I feel.

 

I'm not sure which micro switch you are referring to Hurdi. Is this the microswitch in the "hook" assembly? I feel for you on the Top. I swear the Cab top has a MTBF of 30 seconds.

 

Just some lateral thinking here . . . I wonder if disconnecting the battery would help or hurt. The idea being make it relearn where it is.

 

If you have access to PST2 you could check the position of the latch. Whether the computer is registering latch hooked position. Even if we solve the window closing how do we solve opening... I don't see how the latch would have anything to do with that. If the computer thiks the latch is closed "pressed in" it should close the windows as the last step. if it thinks its open all the time it should let the top open

I meant to do a write up aka wiki on top operation. What happens at each step...

ie step 1,
brake = pulled
dash lights = parking on, top on
hydraluic motor = lovers flaps
electric motor = unhooks shell (3 hooks on each side and centere)
windows =lowering
little flaps= waiting for clam to open
hydraluic top lifts = waiting for clam to open
clam = waiting for hooks
etc etc... so many things happening at the same time.
step 2.
clam =opening
electric motor = chillin
hydraluc motor = pullim clam
..... its a few hours project. observing it step and writing down. and keeping track of all microswitches etc.

 

Sig1138 I don't know which micro switch I am referring too myself . There are so many in the cycle I lost track hehe. Actually I think there are 3 in the hook assembly, one of which registers that the top is latched or battened down but not sure. The dash red light which indicates that the top is fully latched , is showing that it's not, even though I have closed it as far as I can to a full stop on the cog wheel inside the hook assembly. Strange though that I can still move the rear windows up and down via the window switches on the center console and if the top was open, I don't think I should be able too. Hey but who knows? BTW Wucash I don't have access to a PST2 and if I did, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with it. I am not electrically gifted as far as autos are concerned but inside a house I am a wizard as my first job was an apprentice electrician back in the UK. Thanks so far guys. Any further ideas I wait to read with baited breath lol.

PHIL I already disconnected the battery on a 'just in case' scenario. Charged it overnight and nothing changed.

 

can you operate the back windows with the window switches. with unhooked latch the back windows won't work. the latch must be pressed to operate those windows.


this is actually a way to see if the computer is getting the proper signal about latching position wihout PST2.

do you have smart top or other top installed?

 

Did you check that the engine lid is latched ?If I remember correctly there is an interlock switch there as well