Cabrio Top Compartment Lid Hinge Replacement

[99911]

Cabrio Top Compartment Lid Hinge Replacement

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My Porsche is a 1999 996 C2 Cabriolet. The convertible top compartment lid (the “lid”) is attached to the body via two hinges which each have two arms. The front arm on the left hinge was broken, so I replaced the entire hinge, as replacement arms are not available. Here is the step by step process of how I did it :(I had a bunch of great photos with this article, but for some reason they did not copy and paste with the article) (I'm what you might call "format impaired".) : Tools needed:

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• Author
  99911
• Category
  Carrera (996) - Common Fixes and Repairs
• Submitted
  12/26/2009 08:56 PM

 

[sysmate]

This is the support topic for the DIY Tutorial Cabrio Top Compartment Lid Hinge Replacement. Please post here if you have any questions or feedback.

There is a problem with the clamshell that does not close properly: Everything else works just fine but clamshell stays open about 2 inches, this after emergency roof opening. What may be wrong and what can be done to fix this problem?

Edited June 27, 2010 by sysmate

[redcab]

Hi 99911,

My 2001 cab has exactly the same problem - broken left side hinge for the cab cover.

You mentioned that you had pictures of the fix procedure but were unable to post.

Could you send me those photos? I sent you a PM with my email address.

I've order the parts and while I'm not looking forward to a few hours of fixing it, I think that I may not even have attempted it had I not found your excellent write up.

Thanks,

Jerry

(redcab)

[frisbee91]

Hi!

I have the same problem - broken front arm on the left side of the clamshell hinge. I'm thinking of trying to repair the arm, rather than replace the entire assembly.

One problem: I can't figure out how to remove the upper pivot point on the broken arm. (see photo) The upper portion of the arm pivots around a large spool-shaped "pin" that engages the latch when the clamshell closes. I can't see how to remove the pin to free the arm. Any thoughts on how to do this?

[redcab]

Scott,

I'm pretty sure that when I did the repair I determined that you have to buy the entire assembly. Here's what I bought from Sunset 2 years ago... prices have probably changed.

Replacement Hinge Part #996-561-907-02 (Left side) $155.72

Replacement Seal Part#996-561-904-00 (“Cabrio Plate” in Porsche terminology) $26.93

I'd rate my DIY skills as better than average, but not expert, and my risk aversion (that panic you feel when you've put everything back and find one bolt left in the tray) as calmer than most and I found this repair to be achievable but at the edge of my capabilities. If you can visualize how the assembly moves when in action you'll be well prepared for getting it back right as the cabriolet mechanism has lots of moving parts that have a precise sequence. If I remember right, the initial position of the latch is important when you put everything back.

The most difficult part of the repair was fitting a square metal coupling on the assembly into a hard rubber fitting (side close to the driver's door). Because you don't have room to attach the assembly straight & directly into the other, you have to twist it significantly on both the removal and return. At the time, I had great concern that I was about to break something and make the problem much worse. You'll be working in close confines and there isn't a lot of "wiggle room" for reattaching parts that take a pretty good force to get into the right place. But the good news is that when all the holes line up you know you've done it right!

Overall, I'd say the repair took 2-3 hours, including mistakes that led to several iterations of disassembly / re-assembly. I bet the second time around I could do it in half the time.

Good luck!

Jerry

[frisbee91]

Just a follow up. I did end up buying the whole assembly Part# 996-561-907-02 for $169 from Sunset. However, to simplify installation, separated the assembly at the pivot points by removing the two hex bolts. I only installed the upper portion, leaving the lower bracket in place:

Other than that, I followed the DIY, which helped.

Here are a few pictures of the job. The hardest part for me was removing the plastic "wing" which was very tight and difficult to remove, but it eventually came off. See the pics below.

Removing carpet:

Broken hinge arm:

Upper hinge assembly removal:

Wing removal:

Completed job (I used a bit of loctite on the pivot hex bolts, just to be sure they don't rotate out)

After completing this, I found that the slider mechanism that moves the cabrio deck lid was also not functioning properly. I'm working on this one, and hope to post back if I have any luck with it. BTW, the deck lid is not driven by the hydraulic system. There is a separate motor and gear system which drive cables to move and lock deck lid via a pair of sliders.

Edited May 4, 2012 by frisbee91

[jayi836]

I'm at a loss here. I'm stuck in the open position.

I tried the emergency close mode listed in the owners manual,

Turned the crew at least 90+ times counter clockwise with no results. Did the cables snap? if they did I should be able to pull the clamshell open by hand.

There must me a latch that's stuck or broken in the close position.

while cranking the screw it seemed to lose tension after turn 10, now it seems to be just spinning.

Electric motor runs for a ±10 seconds then times out.

any tips would be great I haven't seen this problem posted.

Can you tell me where the (3) latches are located? How do you release the lid on these cars?

BTW:looking through the open flaps with a flashlight the rams seem dry, not indicating a leak.