top Issues

[Hottrod]

Hello can someone inform me what to do as my 1998 986 top will not operate after the car get wet!

Edited April 5, 2011 by Hottrod

[kbrandsma]

Hello can someone inform me what to do as my 1998 986 top will not operate after the car get wet!

Try the basics first. Emergency brake handle on? Key in the ignition and turn on. Release the top by pushing the button in, then pulling the lever back. Operate the top button on dash.

[Hottrod]

all of the basic things work the top stop working when the car get washed or it get wet from the rain any idea whats going on whth that because i'm lost

[1schoir]

all of the basic things work the top stop working when the car get washed or it get wet from the rain any idea whats going on whth that because i'm lost

Hotrod:

Check for moisture/water in the foam lining of the carpet under and behind the driver's seat. Your drains (either front or rear) are either clogged and not draining the rain water or the car wash water out and the water is finding its way to the immobilizer under the driver's seat, or there is a rip/tear in one or both of your drain trays in the convertible top well. The immobilizer has some control over the windows, so, if your windows are no longer dropping the 4 inches when you pull the latch, it may be affecting the operation of the top.

If your immobilizer is wet, you MAY be able to take it out, take it apart and dry it with isopropyl alcohol before it does permanent damage, but you have to get it pronto.

You did not say whether your emergency brake idiot light goes on when you pull up the emergency brake, and that it a pre-requisite for power to the top.

We need more details and a history of how this problem developed.

Regards, Maurice.

[Hottrod]

The break light come on and the windows drop the 4 inches when you pull the lever but after that nothing happen if I push the button for the top to go down nothing no noise at all. the top was working fine until I washed the car then it stoped this has happened before when the rain caught me outside but the top started to function correctly after that and I had no problems until now. :unsure:

Edited April 6, 2011 by Hottrod

[1schoir]

The break light come on and the windows drop the 4 inches when you pull the lever but after that nothing happen if I push the button for the top to go down nothing no noise at all. the top was working fine until I washed the car then it stoped this has happened before when the rain caught me outside but the top started to function correctly after that and I had no problems until now. :unsure:

Do you have water/moisture in the foam carpet pad under and behind the driver's seat?

Also, check fuses B6 (supplies power to the relay) and D3 (supplies power to the electric motor.

If those two are okay, take out the double relay and give it a couple of sharp raps on the ground. That will sometimes "wake up" the relay.

Regards, Maurice.

[Hottrod]

their is a little moisture under the driver seat but the black box under the seat is dry the fuse look good and I gave the relay a good thump on the ground but nothing happened :huh:

[Hottrod]

Checked for moisture/water in the foam lining of the carpet under and behind the driver's seat they had very little. The drains are working/not clogged, but there is a rip/tear in the convertible top. I also rechecked the fuse, relay and latch everything seem normal. I'm lost!!! :unsure:

[1schoir]

their is a little moisture under the driver seat but the black box under the seat is dry the fuse look good and I gave the relay a good thump on the ground but nothing happened :huh:

You are not lost yet...

Now that you have eliminated those possible causes (although the double relay is not completely eliminated), disconnect the connector to the electric motor and apply 12V to it directly. Sometimes a dead spot develops and you will get no reaction at all when you press the button.

If the motor is good, you have to check one of the two microswitches inside the latch assembly. There is a plunger-type microswitch in there, and another one on the right side of the assembly, and that is the one that activates the convertible top double relay.

If the latter switch is faulty the double relay will not get power, even though it may appear to be intact when you visually inspect it, and sometimes even when you test it with a multimeter. Specifically, take a close look at the solder joints where the leads attach to the plug. This can be hard to detect, so check it with a magnifying glass for hairline cracks in the solder joint and for corrosion. If necessary, heat up the connections with a soldering iron and flow a tiny bit of solder onto the suspect joint(s).

Believe it or not, the temperature (sun light, A/C blowing on it, etc...) can affect it to the point where the connection is broken and then re-established.

To gain access to the microswitch you have to remove the latch plate at the center of the windshield frame. Pop out the two little black plastic "eyes" by carefully prying them off with a very small flat blade screwdriver or borrow one of those "orange sticks" that women use on their fingernails to pry them out. Remove the small torx bolt that you will find under each one of the two eyes. Remove them and then pull down the latch plate carefully until you can see and access the wires for the switch and for the light. Unplug the wires and the latch plate will come off. You will find two fragile retaining clips that attach the switch to the underside of the latch plate. These are easy to break, so use a pair of small needle nose pliers to pull them off, very gently. You can reuse these if you are careful by squeezing the cross sections that are located at the center of the clips until they are flattened.

Let me know if that doesn't work and I will look for an electrical troubleshooting guide that will help you pinpoint the problem. You will need a multimeter and some probes.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited April 6, 2011 by 1schoir