can't get top in service position

[frogster]

i just had a look at a friend's 2002 S who's top won't go down. only one side of the clam shell moves. so after lot's of diligent research right here, i found the two most common problems (broken ball joint and flexible drive cable failure). i could reach down the side of the soft top and feel that the ball joint was fine but getting to the cable by the motor was difficult.

i'm wondering, how do you disconnect the clam shell so you can swivel it open? i looked at the "Conv top R&R" thread which says to put the top in the service position. but that's the problem, the clam shell doesn't move at all on the passenger side.

i managed to slide my hands under the clam shell (carefully) and disconnect the cable all by feel. i found that the square drive part had been shorn off of the cable.

but now it would be good to be able to open the clam shell so we can replace the cable. any help would be very much appreciated. thanks in advance.

[ar38070]

Well if you were able to disconnect the cable then you should be able to trim off an inch of the plastic sleeve to expose the drive cable. Once you have done that you can use an electric drill to spin the cable and open that half of the clam shell.

[mark in sunnyvale]

The manual list the proceedure. You use the metal rod used with the red tip, if you remove the tip it exposes a flat end. It takes quite a bit of force to seprate the ball joint.

[frogster]

Well if you were able to disconnect the cable then you should be able to trim off an inch of the plastic sleeve to expose the drive cable.  Once you have done that you can use an electric drill to spin the cable and open that half of the clam shell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i was thinking that but it's very difficult to trim the housing off of that cable since it seems to be metal reinforced. i tried with a utility knife but couldn't get through it.

[ar38070]

Since you are going to have to replace the cable it does not matter how you hack off the sleeve. Try large wire cutters or a hack saw blade.

[Tool Pants]

There is no fix for a broken drive cable. It needs to be replaced.

This is not my picture but I saw a car (it was a 2002) just like this 2 weeks ago being worked on by Van. The twisting of the cable as the top goes up and down causes it to fail.

Never seen this happen on a 1997-2000 with the original style cables that were sided. On 1997-2000 there was a left and a right cable. On the newer cars there are still 2 cables, but they are identical as there is no left and right .

The old style sided cables had all the little wires running in one direction for the left side and in the other direction for the right side. I will have to look at the one cable fits both sides and see if this feature was eliminated and that is why they fail.

[motor]

Hi

I have a very similar prolem, but my owner's manual only describes how to put the top in service mode (manual operation) when it is down.

Mine is up and 1 side of clamshell does not go up.

I would like to know what to do, without causing (further) damage to the roof parts. Here is a more complete story:

While I was closing my roof (at the very end of the closing cycle) I heard some noise – resembling quiet grinding.

The roof closed properly.

As I carefully tired to open it again, I saw that the passenger side of the clamshell did not go up.

I stopped the operation and closed the roof.

I was told it is quite likely the roof motor on one side that is damaged, but before I order the part(s), I would like to manually lower the roof and identify what parts I need exactly.

Would you be able to describe how to do it (or scan the relevant pages)?

Do you know how I can identify what exactly went wrong?

Many thanks for your help

There is no fix for a broken drive cable.  It needs to be replaced.

This is not my picture but I saw a car (it was a 2002) just like this 2 weeks ago being worked on by Van.  The twisting of the cable as the top goes up and down causes it to fail.

Never seen this happen on a 1997-2000 with the original style cables that were sided.  On 1997-2000 there was a left and a right cable.  On the newer cars there are still 2 cables, but they are identical as there is no left and right .

The old style sided cables had all the little wires running in one direction for the left side and in the other direction for the right side.  I will have to look at the one cable fits both sides and see if this feature was eliminated and that is why they fail.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Tool Pants]

Hope you have a long skinny arm and can work by feel. Mark did it on this car ownerd by Gary.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...2750entry2750