Convertible Top not shutting.

987.2 went for a nice spicy drive, and as I was pulling into the garage and closing the top, it stalled in this position. i tried opening and closing 3 times but same result. Clearly stuck on driver’s side. something I can diagnose/fix or needs a shop?

The clamshell looks “ racked” uneven. There are cables with ends that can break, two drive motors to check and then the sequencing of the timing. Could be one or more of those items.

More likely one of the ball-joint sockets on the pivot mechanism has broken. Your owners manual has directions on how to disconnect both sides and then you can manually close the top. These fail with some regularity, especially as things get older, and aren't lubricated (there are LOTS of pivot points in the top mechanism.. all deserve some attention annually.. Where to find replacements for the pivots - Amazon , where else? Amazon.com For some reason, no "Share" icon is showing up for this. You can search Amazon with "boxster top sockets," and it should pop up if the link above doesn't work. There are write-ups here on replacing these, and several YouTube videos on how to do the job. As far as mechanical skill - these require about a level of 4 out of 10. On a PITA scale - due to the location - they deserve a level of about 8 out of 10. They're a PITA to replace, but the average owner can probably do the job. Order 4 when you order them - I keep spares in the trunk, just in case I'm on a trip and need to replace one. Do NOT GET THE METAL ONES - these are sort of like a "fuse" - the weakest point that breaks and is fairly easily replaceable, protecting much more expensive and PITA parts from damage. Good luck.

Thanks Don! Already watched a couple vids on replacing them.

Check out this thread: https://www.planet-9.com/threads/2010-boxster-2-9l-how-bad-did-i-mess-up-my-convertible-top.256433/ It's rambling, as many of mine tend to be.. but some useful info there.. that might not be in the videos. Funny thing - Wednesday I had to work on my top mechanism. The top wasn't going fully up, it stopped about 2-3" short of reaching the header above the windshield. When working correctly it should JUST stop when the two sockets (in the header) and lumps (in the leading edge of the top) are fully engaged.. mine wasn't. Initially - I rather stupidly attributed it to lack of use. The car had been left in the garage for about 6 weeks this winter when we had a bunch of ugly weather and a lot of salt on the roads. The top was down.. I thought maybe the top had shrunk somehow, and needed stretching out to work correctly. Finally it dawned on me that was a stupid thought with a 17 year old top, any shrinkage happened a long long time ago.. so I put it up and stopped it about 5" short of the header. I grabbed it and realized I could move it forward/backward about 4-5". WOOO! What's up with that? My immediate thought was one of the ball-sockets had broken, but a quick look determined that wasn't the case. What happened was the screw holding the two halves of the link had loosened up - both sides.. So I set about correcting that, and VOILA! Top works as expected. I went back in there yesterday morning with some blue loctite, loosened each screw enough to dribble some loctite onto the threads, and then retightened. A mechanic friend pointed out that those are 1 time screws according to Porsche - they come with Loctite on them from the factory.

Thanks Don. The screws holding two halves of which link?

This is the way. Glad you used the blue Loctite , Don. I was getting a bit worried. Yup, I keep spares in my car during my insanely long journeys. Don't leave home without them; I think my spares are white and yes -- they definitely act as a fuse for the entire mechanism. Dollars to donuts this is the issue, and I doubt you'll have to mess with the cable -- but that too is fixable if necessary. Let us know how you get on with the repairs.

The one with the ball-socket on the end. The broken ball-socket.

Thanks all. New ball joint sockets ordered from Amazon . Could a Porsche repair really only cost me $10.65?! We’ll see when I open the roof in service mode and hopefully replace the broken part next week when I’m back in the garage. Appreciate the guidance!

Can anyone point me to resources that explain what/how to lubricate the roof mechanism? I'm happy to add it to my list of annual maintenance items if I knew what to do. Thanks!

Thanks Don. I'm going to try to see if I can get a hold of a factory service manual to see if they have more specific guidance on how to lubricate the soft top. Watching some videos on YouTube last night, I came across one that explains how to do it on 997 cabriolet - the factory manual recommends lithium grease for some areas, and oil for others. I'll share what I find as well.

Pic Ken: I edited the photo for you.. removing extraneous parts that added nothing useful and resizing it for web use - so you don't have to use is as an attachment, it can be embedded right into the post. Please review https://www.planet-9.com/threads/posting-photos-in-posts-to-planet-9.253974/ - that explains how to DIY on photos for Planet-9. Thanks! Don

Correction: those black ball sockets are at the rear of the roof. The white OEM sockets are towards the front, much harder to access… and the drivers side appears to be broken. The passenger side is fine. YouTube teacher commencing now.

Broken white ball socket pushed backwards so I can remove the base and install the new one.

I hope you put tape on the shaft before unscrewing it - so you can put the new one on at the same depth.