Loud clang and now the top won't go up/down?

[lurky]

Hello,

I have 2007 Boxster and I live in the North East.
I put the top down at a stop light and when it was almost all the way down I heard a loud clang, kind of behind me and on the passenger side.
Later, I pressed the switch to put the top back up, and the rag top only moved a few inches then stopped. The metal cover piece that lifts up and down seems to be moving fine, but I had to grab the ragtop and pull it back in place by hand.
So if I were to guess, I'd guess that the loud clang was a cable or belt snapping, and with that belt broken the top won't move.
Does someone here know about the mechanism that operates the top, and does my guess sound correct? IF so, is this something I can fix myself?

Thanks!

[husker boxster]

A 987 top has 2 arms (1 on ea side) that support the top and control the up / down movement. The metal sound you heard was probably the arm on the right breaking and flinging itself loose. There's a plastic cap on the end of the arm that's designed as the weak pt and is supposed to break when something gets out of line. However, the next weak link is the arm of the turnbuckle and it can bend if the end cap doesn't break. These arms are attached to the metal arches of the clamshell and the inner body of the car.

DON'T run the motor to open or close the top if an arm has broken. The top won't want to move but the transmission running the top will still try. It's made up of plastic gears that will grind to smitherines if the top isn't moving but the trans is. Raise & lower the top by hand until you get the arm situation figured out. When opening by hand, be careful and watch the clamshell to be sure it's not bending into a pretzel.

The good news is you can buy the end caps if they're broken or an entire arm. If the right arm has broken and needs replacing, be sure to check the left arm for straightness. The left can bend because it's trying to do all the work of both arms when the right one broke.

The right arm had broken on an 09 Box S I had as a Wheeler Dealer car. I fixed the right arm but the clamshell wasn't closing / fitting properly. That's when I checked the left arm, which was found to be bent. Here are some pics of the arms - 1 good, 1 bad. The pic is of the bent left arm I'd removed.

[barkinfool]

Only other comment is to examine the foam trays under the arms for rips if the arms in fact have broken. The foam is crucial to directing water from rainfall, etc.... so it drains and stays outside the interior of the car. If they are ripped, water flows into the main cabin and will deposit below the seats into the carpet area. On the drivers side, it actually can ruin the ECU, but it isn't pleasant really on either side. Hope this helps.

BTW, my comment is for sure relevant for the 986, not 100% sure about 987.