Top Relay?

[danstub@jeffnet.org]

2000 Boxster and the top was suddenly dead. Followed the trouble shooting suggestions here and found the problem was with the relay. Took it our and banged it on the ground a couple of times and now the top is operating again.

Does this mean that the relay is likely failing? If so, I will buy a new one to have on hand for the next time.

Just to muddy the water a bit, the top stopped operating about 2 days after I had tried the AutoZone LF12 turn signal relay. The LF12 is advertised as 5X louder than the stock relay, but I couldn't tell the difference, so I took it out and put the stock relay back in. And when I next tried to operate the top 2 days later I had the problem with the top relay. BTW, the LF12 has only two pins versus the stock relay's 3 pins; however, the turn signals and emergency flashers worked OK with it.

[John from PA]

The MY 2000 Boxster did get an improved top relay, about mid to late spring of 2000. My original had failed, of all things in the Porsche dealer parking lot while attending a Porsche Club meeting. I remember being told that I was getting an improved relay and as I recall it had a blue dot on the top of the case. I'm sure if you ordered a relay today you would get the latest version.