Why won't my Conv Top not go back up

[stephendoherty62]

Gentleman, in the continuing fight to get my 01 Boxster S back on the road, I have run into another problem. I replaced my top (Frame et al) and it worked until this morning, I put the top down and it will not go back up. There is no noise coming from the motor, any ideas?

Cheers
Steve

[clickman]

Yet another problem for the convertible top wunderkind Maurice. We need to clone that guy.

[jakell2010]

Mine was the micro switch in the a pillar ,,,,,,set your brake push the switch and push the switch in and out and see if it clicks or moves if so then there's your issue,,,,$75.00 fix at Pelican

[stephendoherty62]

I tried it this morning again and it started to work , who knows, it has a mind of its own.

[dbazos]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but the top only works if the hand brake is on.

[Mark_T]

And the park brake light on the dash must be lit. There's a switch in the console that controls this and failure of this switch seems to be one of the most common reasons for tops not working.

I have to pull out my oddments tray and jiggle the switch to get it to work occasionally. I have a new switch, just haven't gotten around to installing it yet.

[YvesM]

I just have this problem.

The top convertible doesn't want to close.

My light brake turn on, and nothing happening when i press the switch, no noise nothing.

I check the fuse everything fine.

Any clues ?

Yves

[CVstarBoxster]

any clues on this issue? i'm having a similar issue. My top won't close

[schoir]

Originally Posted by CVstarBoxster

any clues on this issue? i'm having a similar issue. My top won't close

We need more information to diagnose this properly.

Have you set the emergency brake AND has the idiot light on the dashboard lit up, showing that the emergency brake is on?

If you have answered yes to the two above questions, then the problem lies in one of two fuses, a dead spot on the armature of the electric motor, a bad convertible top double relay or corrosion on the spades of the relay.

Can you supply some more details. Year of your Boxster, is this first time that this has happened...do you hear any noises or see the lights dim when you press the button?...

Regards, Maurice.

[CVstarBoxster]

Originally Posted by schoir

We need more information to diagnose this properly.

Have you set the emergency brake AND has the idiot light on the dashboard lit up, showing that the emergency brake is on?

If you have answered yes to the two above questions, then the problem lies in one of two fuses, a dead spot on the armature of the electric motor, a bad convertible top double relay or corrosion on the spades of the relay.

Can you supply some more details. Year of your Boxster, is this first time that this has happened...do you hear any noises or see the lights dim when you press the button?...

Regards, Maurice.

Thanks for the suggestions. Mine is 2003 s. It's not the first time it has happened. It happened again in a similar fashion about a month ago. I drove topdown to work and when I arrived, top refused to go up. It finally worked after several trials. But this time it refuses to work. Btw, I have the one touch top thingy which allows the top to work while driving at slow speed. Also, I'm ashamed to say I don't know how to check I my fuses are good or bad. And the break light does light up on the dash.

[schoir]

Here is how to check the fuses, which, in this case are B6 (which allows power to go to the convertible top double relay) and D3 (which allows power to go to the electric motor):

Remove your fuse panel cover, which is the one located to the left of your left ankle as you sit in the driver's seat. Locate fuse B6, which is the sixth fuse from the left in the second row down from the top row of the fuse panel. Do the same for fuse D3 (fourth row from the top, third fuse from the left). If you look very closely at the fuse panel, you will see that the rows are numbered as well. Pull out one fuse and examine it to see if, across the top of it, the wire conductor is not broken (i.e., it is one intact piece of wire that bridges across from the left terminal to the right terminal). It's as simple as that.

Here is a photo showing the fuse panel and its location. For reference, you can see the "dead pedal" at the right of the photo. (BTW, you can use that little yellow tool that you can see in the bottom right hand corner of the fuse panel to pull out the fuses).



This second photo shows the location of the relay tray. The double relay in this photo can be seen in the top right corner. For reference, you can also see the top of the fuse panel at the bottom left of the photo.




Also, by pulling the fuse out and reinstalling it, that sometimes cleans off a little bit of the surface corrosion that can build up on the spades and that will sometimes make the connection.

Applying that same principle, locate the convertible top double relay (your "SmartTop" relay in this case). That one is located in the relay tray which is above that same fuse panel. It's the only double relay in the tray, so you can't miss it. Then pull the relay off and push it back on a few times (to clean some of the surface corrosion). If that doesn't work, pull the double relay off and give it a couple of whacks against a hard surface (similar to what people used to do with cigarette packs, but instead of smacking it against your hand, do it on a hard surface). That will sometimes revive a relay that has some very mild corrosion inside that is preventing contacts from opening or closing.

If neither one of the above work, if you have your old original relay, try inserting that one in the place of the SmartTop relay and see if you get any results.

If all of the above yield no results, apply 12 volts directly to the convertible top electric motor (located just forward of the the third brake light, in the convertible top well) to test whether there is indeed a dead spot on the motor. You can also sometimes revive an electric motor by smacking it sharply with a very small hammer. That used to work really well on MG Midgets fuel pumps .

Keep us posted.

Regards, Maurice.

[CVstarBoxster]

Thanks Maurice, I will keep you posted!

[CVstarBoxster]

Maurice, I removed the two fuses and put them back. They were both fine. And suddenly the top works fine now. I think it might be the actual button we press to operate the top that is not working properly. It's a little "fidjidy". Thanks for your inputs once again. I will have the buttons looked at.

[schoir]

Originally Posted by CVstarBoxster

Maurice, I removed the two fuses and put them back. They were both fine. And suddenly the top works fine now. I think it might be the actual button we press to operate the top that is not working properly. It's a little "fidjidy". Thanks for your inputs once again. I will have the buttons looked at.

Removing and reinserting the fuses sometimes results in re-establishing a connection between the two spades of each fuse and the female receptacles in the fuse tray. That is because of the surface corrosion that I mentioned before. It can build up gradually until there is no more good electrical contact and pulling and pushing a fuse back in can fix it. You can also get some fine emery cloth and clean the spades and insert the emery cloth into the female receptacles of the fuse panel by folding the emery cloth over a flat blade screwdriver and rubbing back and forth a couple of times.

If it's the switch, replacing it is fairly straightforward.

It would be good to pinpoint the cause so that you can have more confidence that the top will work every time.

Regards, Maurice.

[CVstarBoxster]

Originally Posted by schoir

Removing and reinserting the fuses sometimes results in re-establishing a connection between the two spades of each fuse and the female receptacles in the fuse tray. That is because of the surface corrosion that I mentioned before. It can build up gradually until there is no more good electrical contact and pulling and pushing a fuse back in can fix it. You can also get some fine emery cloth and clean the spades and insert the emery cloth into the female receptacles of the fuse panel by folding the emery cloth over a flat blade screwdriver and rubbing back and forth a couple of times.

If it's the switch, replacing it is fairly straightforward.

It would be good to pinpoint the cause so that you can have more confidence that the top will work every time.

Regards, Maurice.

I guess after not finding the route of the problem for so long, I'm finally doomed. My top has continued to have issues - it would work sometimes, and not work other times. I kind of just got used to it. But now, the "convertible top" light is flashing on the dashboard. It goes away sometimes, but it comes back. I guess I might have to take the car to the dealer. My indy guy couldn't find the problem.

[schoir]

Originally Posted by CVstarBoxster

I guess after not finding the route of the problem for so long, I'm finally doomed. My top has continued to have issues - it would work sometimes, and not work other times. I kind of just got used to it. But now, the "convertible top" light is flashing on the dashboard. It goes away sometimes, but it comes back. I guess I might have to take the car to the dealer. My indy guy couldn't find the problem.

Did your Indie troubleshoot the switch itself?

I have never heard of the "convertible top open" light flashing on the dashboard. More often the light does not go off at the end of each cycle, but that is usually an issue that develops on the "A Version" setups (1997 to 1999).

Taking the car to the dealer to diagnose and repair a convertible top problem is usually a VERY expensive proposition.

If you want to eliminate a couple of potential trouble spots first, you could try replacing a couple of the parts which are relatively inexpensive: the switch, the convertible top double relay (or re-install the original relay in place of the SmartTop).

Regards, Maurice.

[Topless]

Over 7 years this has happened to me twice. Thanks to reading an old post by Maurice I verified the E brake and light were on, pulled both fuses... no go. Pulled and whacked the relay and when I reinserted the relay I heard a click (contacts closed). I tried the switch again and all is well. The process of elimination works. Thanks Maurice!

[schoir]

Regards, Maurice

[huskeydad]

All the information helps but my idiot light for the hand break does not light on the dash when it is engaged. As soon as the vehicle is started it goes out without the parking break released. Already checked the fuses and they are OK. In all the posts I did not see if the light does not work, what does it mean. The convertible relay or the lock sensor switch? Failed the first time ever a few days ago.

[schoir]

Originally Posted by huskeydad

All the information helps but my idiot light for the hand break does not light on the dash when it is engaged. As soon as the vehicle is started it goes out without the parking break released. Already checked the fuses and they are OK. In all the posts I did not see if the light does not work, what does it mean. The convertible relay or the lock sensor switch? Failed the first time ever a few days ago.

Since the idiot light is on and then goes out when you start the car, even with the parking brake on, then the culprit is the microswitch at the base of the hand brake.

Sometimes you can get the microswitch to come back to life by vigorously pulling up on the handbrake, then releasing it suddenly, etc... for a few cycles. You might also get away with shooting some heavy duty compressed air at the microswitch, otherwise you will have to replace it.

Your convertible top will not operate without that idiot light going on, unless you get a SmartTop double relay or do the hack that allows you to bypass having to have the parking brake engaged.

Regards, Maurice.