Convertible top converted to manual but light won't go off
 

Hello all,

I have a 2001 986 that I converted the top to a manual operation. It works great and I can have it opened/closed faster than the auto operation. However, the top light is on and it won't go off. I tried holding the closed button for a few minutes but that didn't do anything. Any thoughts on how I can get the light to go off?

Thanks,
Bryan

The switch that activates the warning light is in the left side roof transmission. Just jump or short the wires in the connector. Brown-Black to Brown:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4407/...f3a65cf3_z.jpg
Here's my old post:
http://986forum.com/forums/550374-post2.html

Great! Thanks for the tip.

When you say the "switch is in the left side transmission", do you mean behind the transmission? I pulled the transmission off the drivers side but I do not see the switch anywhere around or behind it. I don't think it's actually inside the gearbox since there are only a few 22awg wires going to it. Where exactly is this switch located?

I got it. I didn't realize it was actually the 22awg wires going to the transmission that was in your photo. I jumped the brown and brown/black wires and the light went out. Thanks for your help!

The wires connect to a micro switch which is a top position sensor. In the movement position, it's open--so that the motor runs and the dash lite is lit. At either end of the tranmissions travel, it closes. You want to fool the system into thinking that the top is either open or closed all the way. So you jump the connector as shown below.

Hey guys,

I'm having any issue here and I'm a little confused. My top dash light won't go out when I put the top up and clamp down the shell but it turns off when the top is totally down. What is the issue? I can't find any transmission sensor and I'm a little confused by "jumping or shorting it". How do you do it? This light is driving me crazy. Any help would be appreciated!

Jumping the pins only applies to manual tops. Probably a bad idea if your top is still powered. You either have a bad transmission micro switch, or one of the top latch switches. ;)

There are microswitches in the latch. Seems like one of those switches is your problem, or a couple solder joints within that latch.

A forum member posted this great video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xntJKWZpFac

I wish I could remember his username. Someone please remind me so I can give him proper credit.

EDIT: The forum member who posted the video is TTGator.

Dj could also have a transmission starting to go out. Mine did that for a while before it finally failed. The left side where the switch is located could have a gear problem while the right has enough push to get the top to the point where you can close it. At least with mine it started working erratic jerking and such. It took mine about a year to finally go once the light quit working as it should

Hey Particle,

Checking things out. Went over the latch switch and it looks ok. I check for a B-pillar switch which my model (2002 Boxster S) doesn't have. Can anyone confirm this? From what I read, this switch sends a signal to the relay that the top is closed. I'm still not sure what the top transmission switch looks like. I did a search and haven't come up with a photo...

Hey Piper,

Thanks for the Vid! It's ironic, I discovered this guy this week. He has a lot of good stuff on his channel. I check the latch and there was a little corrosion but working. Funny, it only had one switch, the one that drops the windows. Again, mine is a 2002 Boxster S.

Hey Ben,

Interesting stuff. This sounds like my issue because it makes a different noise than what I'm used to on the side of the transmission. It's kind of stuttering slightly to close. Thanks! Is the transmission switch located on or close by?

I think that the change in the design was in the 2000 model and later.
The 2000 and later models have one switch in the latch, a different relay module, and the transmissions are different with the 'B-pillar' microswitch internally rather than on the B-pillar.

Here's a copy from an old post that shows the transmission and microswitch location.

Awesome..I'm going to look into this later. Thanks!

That second picture shows the internal switch. The white plastic gear is the one that fails. Mine was literally cracked in half it will still work because it’s packed in there so tight. On mine like I say it was a gradual failure. First the light would not go out. Then it started making noise and jerking a little. Eventually I quit using it for fear of the top getting stuck halfway when I was not home. I took it apart last winter and fixed it. It has worked better than ever since. The write up in the 101 project book has some good photos. I also found a video online. If do decide to take it apart be sure and mark everything with a felt pen so you can get it all back together the same way.

My car is a 2002 s

Well, I have all the symptoms of what you're stating. How did you manage to fix the cracked gear? I'm not sure if I would do a rebuild but I am curious to see the video if you don't mind posting it...I appreciate the help!

I bought 2 new gears on eBay and replaced both sides. They came in a set. I think you can buy metal gears but I figured Porsche made them plastic as sort of a weak link to start with the videos I found just by googling replacing boxster top transmission or something like that. It’s been a while and I turn 63 tomorrow so I don’t recall details like I once did :). It’s not that bad of a job. The 101 project book does a pretty good job of describing how to remove replace and time the transmissions. The video I found was about taking them apart and putting them back together.

Happy Birthday!:cheers:

Old thread...anyway same problem.
I have 1997 986 with manual operation top. When I bought the car light was OFF, but now it´s ON.
The light came on when I pressed the open button, for some reason, a stupid act. That light is annoying!

I have connected together the wires of the left b pillar switch, wont help. What next?
Can somebody help me with this issue?

Most likely the top doesn't open or close all the way, the left and right transmissions could be out of synch or maybe one of the nylon gears inside of them is broken and it doesn't pull the top down tight enough so the microswitch thinks top is not fully down.

I would open both top transmission and check the condition of the gears inside and then readjust/realight/synch the top so it opens closes the same on both sides.

Theres an article on pelican site explaining the process

OK, must open and check those transmissions. They seems to be sync.
Can I bypass the entire gearboxes microswitch by connecting the wires from the gearbox connectors? Or somewhere else? Gearboxes are completely useless when the top is manually operated.

Apologies, I didn't realize you went to manual operation. Old thread and just read the title properly and your post. So you're just trying to get rid of the pesky light on the dash.

I remember when my light was on, it was always when the top was down which was even more annoying because it thought the top was still operating and it wouldn't let me put the windows all the way up. With the top up the light would go off. I have the 2000 model which has the microswitch inside of one of the transmissions. In your case its on the driver side pillar so not sure exactly how it works.

If your top motor still works and spins the transmissions what I would do is: remove the V shape "boomerang" piece from the transmissions so when they spin they don't move those parts that connect to the top and clamshell (assuming you haven't removed them yet) and damage anything. Then just run the top all the way up to the closed position when the light should go off. If that happens, never touch the button again :)

But that depends on what your top can still do and I hope that microswitch functions the same on the earlier models, just in a different spot, but i dont know for certain. If it detects when transmissions are fully open or closed then this might work.

Remove the light bulb from the indicator on the dash;)

”Boomerang” and all bars are removed. Top works only manual. Windows does not go all the way up, that is also annoying, when drives the top down.

Only thing I can think if is you have to somehow get those transmissions to spin forward to fully closed position to get the light to go off and windows to go fully up. Maybe spinning them manually somehow if the motor doesn't work at all or isn't connected?

Motor works and i can use it on the buttons. I have already drive motor both direction and try stop all possible places, but light stay ON. Do you know what is the fully up position on the motor? Both transmissions have markings (small lines). One sign is in the rotating part and the other is on the outer ring, I have driven the marks in alignment, but still the light is on.
What really turns that light on? Some microswitch probably but what? And whether the microswitch should be pressed or open. I have already connected the wires of the B pillar microswitch.

On the 2000 and up models im pretty sure the microswitch in one of the transmissions keeps check if the top is up or down, and it checks transmissions position not motor. Im sure motor has nothing to do with it.. Try to do more research on the earlier models and see how your b pillar microswitch works, what exactly it checks.

But before that I'd try one more thing. Try to have the transmissions in full up position, if you say they have some markins and then try to remove the relay on the left side under the dash. Lookup "top relay" for our cars so you see where it is but its hard to miss as its a big bulky one. Try removing and putting it back with a ignition switch on and off, its part of the top mechanism and sometimes is even the issue for malfunctions. What I am hoping is maybe it will reset the light but its just a hope.

If the top light is on constantly just remove the bulb from the dash pod.
No more light.
Why worry about the microwitches and top transmission parts if yours is in manual mode?

Have you tried removing the top relay from the panel below the dashboard? Red arrow in this picture:
https://cdn4.pelicanparts.com/techar...small/Pic1.jpg


in a 1997 model the transmissions for the top will have no direct effect on that light. Removing the instrument panel and pulling out the bulb is a lot of work. I'd rather cut a small piece of black tape and place it over the light.

What is controlling your clamshell? Do you manually lift to raise or stow the top then close clamshell? I'm guessing you are not driving it with the motor. Two switches give feedback to the relay on where the top is. One switch controls the light on the dash, the lever switch on the drive motor located under the clamshell. When opening top you must hold the open button until the light goes out. The light goes out when the lever switch is fully depressed by the clamshell when closing. So after all that, Have someone depress the lever switch and see if the light goes out. If it does then tie wrap would be your friend.

If I remove that bulb, window does not goes all the way up when cruising top down.

This is what I have to try. I manually raise clamsell, all rods removed from the transmission.
As I wrote in the first post, when the car came to me, the light did not come ON even though I used the top several times to manually raise and lower. The windows also work normally. The problems started when I pressed the top down button with the top up, for some reason I wanted to try to see if even the motor was working, shouldn’t have.

:) Thanks a lot! I finally got rid of that light.
I manually lifted clamshell, and then I pushed the open button a while then friend press clamshell lever switch. Light is out!