'01 S Soft Top stopped working. Any stepxstep instructions for dia

[gowestwardho]

My soft top has suddenly stopped working. The dash light remains ON all the time. I can hear a motor running under the top and it sounds like it is cycling through its forward-and-back routine (I am led to believe it is a continuous loop or rather a single cable with reversing indicators on each end or something).

I have checked the usual - emergency brake completely set. Fuses OK, etc.

So what do I do next? How do I open the top when it doesn't cycle even halfway at all (i.e., I know how to open the engine compartment, et al, when the top is opened halfway. But in this case the metal body cover between the top itself and the trunk is in the locked and closed position).

What are the usual suspects to check for? BTW, I have 65,000 miles on it) Thank you

[Loren]

Exact model and year of your car please.

[gowestwardho]

2001 Boxster S

Update: When I once again tried after a few days, I was able to get the top to open but I had to help it along as it sounded weak or something. So I got it opened and looked everything over and can't visibly see any issues. So I then closed the top. AND>>>> Now it won't open again. The motor just makes a think sound. In other words everything seems to work fine electrically and the motor runs, etc. I read elsewhere that the round plate on both sides revolves to cycle the top open/closed, can come off its sprockets/gears and get itself into the "wrong" spot or point in the cycle routine. But how do I determine that and set it right if that's the problem?

[ferrytrip1]

2001 Boxster S

Update: When I once again tried after a few days, I was able to get the top to open but I had to help it along as it sounded weak or something. So I got it opened and looked everything over and can't visibly see any issues. So I then closed the top. AND>>>> Now it won't open again. The motor just makes a think sound. In other words everything seems to work fine electrically and the motor runs, etc. I read elsewhere that the round plate on both sides revolves to cycle the top open/closed, can come off its sprockets/gears and get itself into the "wrong" spot or point in the cycle routine. But how do I determine that and set it right if that's the problem?

I had something similar, inside each of the transmissions is a plastic cog that transfers the drive from the cable to the gears to rotate the "v" bars. The passenger side on mine had gone. To identify which side was bad I removed the cable from one side of the motor and operated the switch while helping the roof back. The side that was good worked fine, the bad side was jerky. When I took the xmsn apart the plastic cog was split. Needed to replace the xmsn - could not find a new cog.

There are guides out there to sync the xmsn - simply to attach a drill to the cable at the motor end and ensure bothe v bars are in the same position.

Hope this helps

Simon

Edited November 19, 2012 by ferrytrip1

[mikefocke]

Tops section of mikefocke's site. Google it.