Top maintenance
 

Are there any mechanical parts that need maintenance for the 986/987 top? On one of my other vehicles the top has a hydraulic reservoir that needs to be checked to make sure it's toped off, as well as some micro switches/etc. that should be regularly cleaned/etc.

Thanks.

Not really any parts that require routine maintenance. The Boxster top isn't hydraulic, it's electric. You can check the ball joints that are at the end of the push rods. If the ends are red, they are almost certainly the originals and they have a tendency to get brittle over time and break. Once one breaks it puts twice the force on the other one and it will soon break as well. If they are any color other than red, (white are from Porsche, I have also seen black aftermarket ones), then they have been replaced.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1397933859.jpg

Thanks for the fast response -- is there a particular model year that the ball joints got replaced in?

No, all of the originals from 97-04 are suspect (perhaps even newer, but I'm not sure). If they've been replaced, it would be by a previous owner. Pretty easy job to do yourself. If you open the top about 12 inches (a.k.a. service position), you should be able to see the color of the plastic.

05 with the white plastic cap that broke last year if im not mistaken. Sure wasn't red though. While there check your drain holes ofcourse.

They may have been replaced before. Mine were red and noted on the PPI that they were the "old style red" and should be replaced with the "newer style white". I ended up going with these:

Porsche Boxster 1997 2012 Convertible Top Pushrod Repair Ball Joint Pair New | eBay

Mine weren't broken, but I didn't want to get caught out somewhere with a broken top that was half open. I still have the red ones as backup.