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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHConvertible top stopped working - but I fixed it!
Leading reported evidence
Check google
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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Suggestion
Check Google for "rebuilt hydraulic cylinders for Porsche 996".
Leading evidence: 'Check google' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check google' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Check near the rearward part of the rear wheel wells
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
Check near the rearward part of the rear wheel wells.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I order the fluid, greased the clamshell latch, check the rams (no leaking) and hopefully that fixes it.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Looking through the service records the latch and microswitch was replaced on the clamshell but I don't see any grease on the latch so it just might be getting stuck.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Looking through the service records the latch and microswitch was replaced on the clamshell but I don't see any grease on the latch so it just might be getting stuck.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
12 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
2 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
You essentially put a bandaid on the problem, you did not fix it.
Just wanted to let any new owners out there know in case your top stops working it could be a simple fix.
I went to put mine down one day and it was stopping and starting the whole way down. I had to help it back up and started researching potential fixes.
Found that if the pump is low on hydraulic fluid it will stop working. Had to remove the back cover and it's a pain to get to the filler but I was able to do it and now all is well again.
Not bad considering I haven't done this in the 7+ years I've owned the car.
I actually used the how-to guide on Pelican. Found it right here and it includes hi-res photos:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Mechanism.htm
I couldn't get a syringe or pump to fit in the space so I filled up the fluid in a long piece of vinyl tubing and blew into it with my mouth. Worked like a charm!
You might want to think about WHY the fluid is low?
You essentially put a bandaid on the problem, you did not fix it. My guess is that one or both hydraulic rams are leaking. That's pretty common on your car.
Not sure but I figured on a car that's 14 years old it would be reasonable to assume some fluid loss as a result of evaporation and the seals not being absolutely perfect. I didn't see any fluid anywhere around the hydraulic components but I'll keep an eye on it going forward.
Open the top to service position. Then feel the bright silver part of the rams down towards the front of the car. They will have some fluid on them if they are leaking. Check both sides.
I had the low reservoir issue too, but topping it up only solved the issue for about 6 months, then same issue. Check near the rearward part of the rear wheel wells. I found wet spots on the driveway there, and traced the leak to the rams. You can get rebuilt rams for about half the first of new ones.
Check Google for "rebuilt hydraulic cylinders for Porsche 996". The companies selling them have pretty good instructions on how to remove and swap. It's tedious, but not overly difficult, if I can do it.
Thanks I'll look into it. Honestly I really don't put the top up or down anymore. It goes up in the summer and then down in the winter when I put the hardtop on. I think I used it once this past year. So doesn't bother me that much but I want to make sure it works when I do want to use it!
My top is having issues. When parked in the sun and the car surface was hot, opening the top, the clamshell wouldn't open but the top would start to retract and obviously get stuck with the clamshell still shut. I have to run the top open and close a few times and clamshell seems to get unstuck by itself. I opened everything up and noticed a few things. Looking through the service records the latch and microswitch was replaced on the clamshell but I don't see any grease on the latch so it just might be getting stuck. I also noticed my hydraulic fluid was really low but the top was working fine. I order the fluid, greased the clamshell latch, check the rams (no leaking) and hopefully that fixes it.
Will report back next week when I get the fluid and drive it around.
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