'03 Targa Roof Issues

Right side of my roof won't close properly. When it get's to the final seating position that side doesn't push up. Just trying to get a sense of what to expect at the dealer. I doubt this is a common occurrence and don't want to be paying for a mechanic "learning" to fix it. There is an odd mechanical sound that suggests something has broken. It's been greased, so simply "sticking" seems out of the question. Anyone had any experience like this? Any suggestions for directing the dealership so they get to solutions faster?

Good luck. I'll be curious to see what the issue is. Please report what they tell you.

My 03 targa roof squeeks as it completes the "closing" cycling. Curious what the issue is, good luck with it! LB

Squeaking , you need to lube the tracks a lot more not just the bites up front

I had this issue with my targa last year. When it opening or shutting, a mechanical clunk would sound when the roof slides down/up and eventually the roof would not go all the way up (i.e., to the seal) on the one side. Unfortunately the fix was a new roof frame (expensive!). Fortunately my extended warranty covered it. Good luck with sorting it out!

Quotes source post: 7685616

Where does one lube? I have the squeaking also. I tried lubing the tracks that are visible with the roof open but it didn't help. Do you have a diagram or something? thanks

Quotes source post: 7668590

I have heard about the roof problems on our Targas and always afraid on mine as my mechanic told me some seem to leak. What is the mileage on yours? My Targa is almost 70K miles.

My 2002 model year Targa has been with me for about two years now, when I first drove it on a back road the roof drove me nuts, I soon found out that all I had to do was place a small stick on Velcro patch in each corner of the roof frame so that when the Targa roof was closed and forced up inside its frame it could not rattle around. The grease the dealer put in there to try and stop the raffle was useless. As to the constant thumping in the back because the panel that holds the electric lock (that pulls the rear window down) is not solid enough (it bangs around as it bounces up and down when you go over bumps), I pulled the cover panel off (the same one you pull out to get to the two hexagonal drive handles that you use to close the Targa top when the electric motor fails), and I put 1 inch long pieces of 1 inch radiator (heater) hose under each end of that electric pulldown motor frame and then another piece of the same rubber underneath the sound deadening to give its some "under support", and then I placed a long strip of foam black foam rubber between the top of that panel and the long edge that the window closes to (full width across the rear of the vehicle) and now my Targa is as quiet as a coupe and has been that way for the last year or so.

Hi Michael - could you please upload a couple photos of the velcro patches at the front of the roof frame and the "treatment" in the back? I have the same issue (despite a brand new frame) and I don't want to mess something up. Thanks a lot!

ok -- but will take a day or two -- bad weather here at the moment

I use a grease gun with a straw attached, you need to lube the tracks all the way as far to the rear of the car as you can, the part thats visible is only half the track. When it rains it seems to over time wash the grease out of the track and she starts to squeek again, I grease it probably every 6 months, as when it rains here in Houston, it POURS. As for the leaky ones, make sure you have the full length tube attached to the drainage valve which forces the water into the tracks. I pulled the covers on mine when one of my kids complained about getting wet, to find that there was a tube about 1/2 an inch attached, it should be a 4-6 inch tube, no need to go buy the porsche one, just go to lowes and get some pipe they use for the water fountains, 50c

I forgot to say, when you grease it , open and close it a couple of times, then repeat the greasing a couple of times and then after the squeak is gone, apply one more time.

Quotes source post: 7693489

Is there a specific grease to use?

I've been using garage door grease.

photo attached -- of the stick-on velcro patch -- place one in each corner -- I have perhaps used too big a patch -- because if you look carefully you will see a very small shiney patch or part where the paint on the frame is worn through a little -- that is the contact point -- that is the only part that needs the velcro patch cover. Will post pictures of the rear fix when I can get time to pull the back panel out and photo' I know its a 2 min job but has to be in the daytime and that's hard to find just now because at this time of the year I'm at work from dawn to dusk.

Thanks a bunch Michael!! A couple pics for the rear would be greatly appreciated too!!

For those looking for pictures, I posted some of a Targa roof in another thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...l#post13161883 I also have the shiny spot where the roof rubs - as I think can be seen in one of the photos. I haven't put Velcro in the corners yet, though I think I'll give it a try. Or I might start with some black duct tape first. (I posted these pictures in a 997 thread. When I was shopping for Targas, whether 996 or 997, that thread and some other 997 threads caught my attention, so I subscribed, and forgot/didn't know there were good 996 Targa roof threads. And then right after posting the pictures, a link to Michael Gibney's other Targa roof thread appeared and I followed it here.)