Cab top goes down, but struggles to go up

[Gonzo911]

MY03 Carrera Cab (50,500 miles). The Cab top goes down ok, but struggles to go up. The dealer says I need a new hydraulic pump ($1200), but, this situation has been slowly getting worse which makes me think it could simply be that I need to add hydraulic fluid. The dealer disagrees and says they checked it. I read the DIY and it looks fairly easy to get to the pump, but how will I know if it is low on fluid or not? Does the reservoir need to be 100% full? Thanks in advance.

[Loren]

Pretty inexpensive to try and top up the fluid first.

If it were my car that is what I would do.

[Gonzo911]

Loren...thank you as usual!

[dammad]

Gonzo,

When you get the carpet out around where the top sits when open look at the translucent white plastic part at the bottom on the pump. On mine, it was translucent white completely and I couldn't see any level. If yours looks like this you need to fill it up. With hydraulic fluid inside it will be dark rather than translucent white.

I'm pretty useless at DIY and even I managed it, so I say go for it.

[E Kap]

I can definitely see the fluid level in the plastic container. When I fill it to the top, the fluid level is about 1/4 inch from the top of the container. Like everyone says, this is a very easy procedure. Took me about 45 min the first time and now about 10 min start to finish.

[Down South]

Mine was doing the exact same thing. The hyadraulic pump resevoir was 3/4 empty. Filled it up and now it works perfectly.

There is an excellent DIY posted on this site.

[SteveMeckman]

Refilling the hydraulic system is not going to fix the problem all the way. It'll make it work again for a week or two. The fluid level is low because you have a leak somewhere, which will continue leaking under pressure. Most likely a seal in the cylinder is worn; this is a common problem amongst our cars after they reach a certain age.

I got my car a little over a year ago, and almost immediately I had the same problem. Same scenario, the reservoir was almost empty and the roof was having a hard time moving despite the sounds of motors whirring. I found a guy local to my area (Sarasota, FL) who rebuilds cylinders, and was able to get my car fixed very inexpensively. I use my roof extensively and these things have held up really well so far; there have been no leaks and no change in performance. Removing and reinstalling the cylinders is not a difficult DIY project, and you should be able to send him your old ones to get rebuilt. PM me for more info.

[Down South]

Refilling the hydraulic system is not going to fix the problem all the way. It'll make it work again for a week or two. The fluid level is low because you have a leak somewhere, which will continue leaking under pressure. Most likely a seal in the cylinder is worn; this is a common problem amongst our cars after they reach a certain age.

I got my car a little over a year ago, and almost immediately I had the same problem. Same scenario, the reservoir was almost empty and the roof was having a hard time moving despite the sounds of motors whirring. I found a guy local to my area (Sarasota, FL) who rebuilds cylinders, and was able to get my car fixed very inexpensively. I use my roof extensively and these things have held up really well so far; there have been no leaks and no change in performance. Removing and reinstalling the cylinders is not a difficult DIY project, and you should be able to send him your old ones to get rebuilt. PM me for more info.

I wondered the same thing, but I had absoutely no fluid leaks anywhere. It's been about a month and it still (knock on wood) working perfectly.

[t1x]

Does anyone have the link for the procedure.

Mine is slowing up as well.

Thanks

[Loren]

Does anyone have the link for the procedure.

Mine is slowing up as well.

Thanks

In the DIY Tutorials sections...

[t1x]

Thanks Loren

[nbeihl]

Mine did the same thing when I bought it. I filled her up a year ago and I have not had any issues, and I run the top every day except for the winter.

[Gonzo911]

Just got my car back from the shop. Topped off the hydraulic fluid and all works great. And to think the dealer wanted $1200 for a new pump!

[RFM]

It is still possible that the pump is leaking a bit, if the hydraulic fluid level drops after a while, then are you sure. The fluid does not disappear without a reason.

[Gonzo911]

True. I will keep my eye on it. Thanks.