Top acting funny, what to check?

[FrayAdjacent]

Here's what happened:

Today when leaving a parts store, I decided to drop the top, since it was shaping up to be an OK day. I lowered the top about 1/3 of the way, and did the chop...

and then...

... the top wouldn't move. I made sure the parking brake was set, and the idiot light was ON. Check. Try the top switch both ways... no movement, no noises!

I shut off the engine, removed the key, then started up again, and the top went down.

Drove over to my parent's house, since I needed to borrow the garage for something. Went to put the top up, and it would not respond to the switch! Checked the parking brake was set, and the light was on. Shut off the engine, removed the key, then tried again, and nothing.

I checked the fuse panel, and the fuse for the top control was fine. Reseated it. Then I decided to try resetting it by disconnecting the battery.

After I reconnected the battery, the top came up just like it should!

I then did my things that I needed to do in the garage, and got ready to leave, so I started the engine, and lowered the top. It worked normally. Then I put it up, again normal behavior. Latched it shut, then I opened it, pausing for the 'chop', and it went down normally.

When I got home, it closed about halfway and stopped. Then stuttered a bit when I released the switch and tried it again. I tried putting it down, and it did go all the way back down. Then tried raising it, and it came all the way up like normal.

There were no weird sounds, or pops or anything breaking. It's just acting wierd. Every time, the parking brake was SET, and the light was ON.

(Related, maybe: A few weeks ago, I pulled into a parking lot to drop the top, stopped, lifted the parking brake... but no light! I set and released the brake a few times, and it finally started working, and then the top would respond)

Any suggestions on what I should check? Think it might be an intermittant p-brake switch?

[RandallNeighbour]

Just a shot in the dark, but I think the dash switch may be going out. Pry off the panel with your handy dandy butter knife or paint scraper and pop the switch out of the panel.

Mine worked when I grasped both sides (front and back) and mashed it really tightly. It didn't work though when I just pressed it. $19 later, I was good to go with a new one, and it took all of five minutes to install.

This issue could also be a failing sensor in your handbrake or at the base of the center latch.

[FrayAdjacent]

Randall,

The switch makes sense. I could pull it out and test it with a multimeter. I could also bypass it by shorting the wires with jumpers...

The problem definitely seems to be something electrical... something not making good contact.

I'd lean more toward the top switch than the parking brake switch, since the brake dash light has been coming on, and was on solidly when the operation of the top was failing. And the center latch switch seems to be working... if I trip it with my finger, the door windows start raising. Come to think of it, I threw on my Red Clip when I stopped with the top down, and the windows raised then, too.

I'll take any more ideas and try to test what I can during the week. Thx!

[djomlas]

how about switching the buttons with the locking button and see if it works

[FrayAdjacent]

Originally Posted by djomlas

how about switching the buttons with the locking button and see if it works

Could definitely try that.

It's a bugger since the switch is intermittant. If I swap with the lock button and it seems to work, I'll probably just order a switch. Can't hurt anything!

[dougster01]

If it is not the top switch.... and you are having some other random strange electrical stuff going on, such as windows not going up completely at times, etc... then consider taking a look at the ignition switch....

Doug S.
01 Boxster
(Guards Red - of course)