Top Stopped Working

[FrayAdjacent]

Key:

A key (blade) costs about $30, and the head with the remote is somewhere around $70, IIRC. A dealer should charge about 1hr labor to program the key.

The top - Is your parking brake idiot light coming on under your instrument cluster? THE most common problem with the top not operating at all is the parking brake switch failing. The top will not operate if the parking brake is not set, and if the switch fails, the controller doesn't know the brake is set.

[mookarma]

Thanks guys, that helps to solve both problems! I checked the dummy light, and when you actually start the motor the light is out- before I had just been doing it with the key in the on position and the light stayed on- is there someplace I could look to find out how to replace the switch?
Thanks again!

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by FrayAdjacent

A key (blade) costs about $30, and the head with the remote is somewhere around $70, IIRC. A dealer should charge about 1hr labor to program the key.

A new, unprogrammed two-button remote head is about $135 from Sunset in Oregon. Blades can be purchased from them for under $20.

Do not buy a remote key head off eBay if it does not have the barcoded hang tag on it and you can read the part number and your dealer tells you that's the right one for your model year.

The Bentley Repair Manual for our cars shows how to change the top switch. Not a bad thing to ask Santa for this year if you own a boxster you plan to work on yourself.

[racer_d]

I had the same top problem. Able to "fool" the switch by putting the top down before actually starting the car, to ensure the brake warning light was on.

Get a new top switch. They are a cheap part. Buy 2 Spend some time removing the center console to unplug bad switch that is under the parking brake lever and install a new one.