Top Won't Close ! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

osuidoc · 06-25-2004, 10:32 AM

Hey Guys,

Already have my first problem today.
The top won't close on the car.
I put the car in neutral, parking brake on, car running, clutch depressed, foot on brakes, and hit the button to close and nothing.
The light on the dash does show the convertible picture.

Does anyone know what I am doing wrong or is this a sign of something that may need looked at by the porsche dealership???

Thanks in advance

Tool Pants · 06-25-2004, 11:01 AM

What year? If the car is running and you pull up on the hand brake does the light come on.

osuidoc · 06-25-2004, 11:38 AM

Its a 2000 S and if I pull the handbrake the handbrake light comes on, and if I release, it turns off. But the other red light for the convertible top is always on.

osuidoc · 06-25-2004, 12:21 PM

Also checked to see that the trunk was closed properly

Alienz · 06-25-2004, 03:06 PM

This happened to me before, luckily the top was up. All I had to do was disconnect the transmission cables and reconnect them. In your situation, I suggest disconnecting the v-levers with a screw driver. Sometimes on the down cycle, the motor goes too far down which causes the transmissions to get stuck. It happened 2 times before. It hasn't happened since I don't know why.

osuidoc · 06-25-2004, 06:13 PM

Do you think this is the case ?

I wonder because, first, I don't hear the motor trying to lift the top, its completely silent, and second, the indicator light is on constantly.

Did yours have the same symptoms of light on and no sound??

I ask because disconnecting the v-levers is not exactly easy.

Thanks

Tool Pants · 06-25-2004, 07:29 PM

Remove the top relay/control unit and see if there is a black dot on the base. There was a bad batch of 2000 relays but I would have thought they would have all failed long ago. Give it a tap and put it back in. Then find another 2000/4 Boxster and swap relays to rule out the relay. The relay from a 1997-1999 is different.

Jeffrey776 · 06-26-2004, 10:27 AM

It sounds like like a relay problem. First see if you have voltage DC before the relay. Then try jumping power across the relay. If the motor works you have a bad relay if the motor doesn't you may have a bad motor. Also if you do not have voltage DC before the relay with the switch in the on position you may have a bad connection in a harness or a bad wire. the wire can be checked with a continuity test with your meter in ohms. Also the harness can have the same test across the harness pins.
If you do not feel comfortable performing these test yourself anyone familiar with electricity / electronics should be able to help you. I believe you can fix this problem on your own at a minimal cost, however through Porsche could cost you a small fortune.
Hope this helps.

Jeffrey

Alienz · 06-26-2004, 05:22 PM

I also remeber pulling up the top compartment few inches several times loosen it up then the top started working.

sTTevo · 06-26-2004, 07:52 PM

Yeah this had happened to mine as well. It wouldn't go up, so I had to drive home with the roof off. Once I got home it still didn't work. I tried it again about an hour later and it worked fine :|

osuidoc · 06-27-2004, 02:15 PM

where is the relay for the top guys?

osuidoc · 06-27-2004, 02:22 PM

Never mind ---- found it

It seemed super loose and so I pulled it out , checked the pin orientation and shoved it in real hard and what do you know.. IT WORKS AGAIN.

Must be my damn big foot or something that might have touched it loose I guess.

Thanks for all the insight.

What do you guys think of the hack you can do to the relay to allow closing and opening the top without being at a standstill?

I guess you just break pin #18 is all.