clamshell locked, cannot unlock

2001 carrera 4 cabriolet. Just got it a month ago, my first porsche. the convertible top hydraulics was almost dry, so filled with the magic hydraulic fluid. The top worked normally for a few days, then after putting the top down It will not go back up. I push the switch for the top and i hear a click under the clamshell, then nothing. If i put the key in the driver's door and turn to close and hold, I hear the clamshell motors turning, but nothing moves. I tried the manual override allen wrench. I turned anti-clockwise until it stopped. then turned clockwise about 20 times and it felt like it was getting loose, but the top did not move. the clamshell feels locked down. I can't see much because its closed. Is there something locking the clamshell? where is it and can i override whatever is there? thanks

The clamshell is driven by a cable system. I believe there are 3 hooks locking the clamshell down, one on each side, and one in the back. The Allen bolt is threaded into a square drive shaft, which will peg into the gear for the cables. I�d try to push on the Allen bolt and make sure the drive shaft is pushed into the gear that will drive the cables. I guess the cables can theoretically snap, but there�s one for each side. It�d be odd for both cables to snap at the same time. The clamshell drive motor/cable transmission is an odd design for sure. Can be finicky to work with.

tiny circlip missing from the passenger side push rod that actuates the lock. with the side wings manually opened I could grab the rod and guide it back onto it's pin. that was enough to get the cover unlocked. the black plastic bushing with some serrations that mesh with the gear that causes the rod to move didn't look great. It sounds like the motor will spin, but for whatever reason, it doesn't transfer to movement. anyway, it's unlocked, circlip applied. Now, is there an alternative to having the dealer calibrate the top? Anyone using a smarttop module? I had one on my miata RF and it was worth every penny to me. thanks

Quotes source post: 20526183

You can use generic clips for those rods. I believe 4mm or something. I just bought a generic kit off of Amazon and they work just fine. I�m sure you can find the part number on here if you want Porsche clips. That black gear is at the end of the shaft is what transmits signal to the potentiometer on the drive motor. It sets the limits for the motor so the system doesn�t reach beyond fully open/closed position. You�ll have to calibrate that now the shaft has been disconnected from the cable drives. There�s a YouTube video about it. The Allen bolt is reverse threaded. As you turn it CCW, it pulls the shaft in closer to disengage it from the drive motor. You�ll have to loosen the bolt (turn clockwise) a good bit for the drive motor to re-engage the shaft. As far as recalibration goes, I think durametric may be able to do it. I built a PIWIS3 clone, and was able to calibrate it on that.

By the way, now that you have "messed" with that bolt, you must buy a repair kit and properly reattach the new bolt to the gear. There is a torque value involved, as well as a resistance value to be set. Finally, I can confirm that the Durametric can run a calibration. Also a Launch X431 Pros Mini.

Quotes source post: 20527933

You don�t need a whole new repair kit to put everything back together. All the hardware can be safely reused. The Allen bolt just needs to be loosened for the drive shaft to properly engage the gear.