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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHConvertible top problem - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Reported or suspected cause
clamshell bending
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
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Reported cause
The big issue with this problem is the clamshell bending.
Convertible top problem - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
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Leading evidence: 'clamshell bending' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'clamshell bending' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Repair experience' (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.
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Convertible top problem - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Replace cables the new ones are redesigned and tend not
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Unsuccessful attempts
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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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Suggestion
Good news is that if you replace the cables the new ones are redesigned and tend not to fail.
Convertible top problem - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
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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.
5 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
986Forum: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261026T105141Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
My power top stopped working properly. The passenger side stopped engaging. I was able to put the top up some how... but it's not up properly. I don't have the specs, but are there two separate motors to control the top? Because I would best describe this as the passenger side motor is not working. Is this an easy fix? How much damage am I looking at if I take this to the dealer? Thanks.
The way you describe the problem I'm going to guess you have a 986. (Always include your year) It sounds as if you have snapped a roof transmission cable(s). This is pretty common on older Boxsters. If you have not bent the clamshell too bad a dealership will nick you for about $1500.00 to fix this. It is not for the everyday DIY. If the clamshell is severely bent there could be a bodyshop involved. It happened to me on my '97, "ouch". That's where the estimate came from! Good Luck!!
It's hard to diagnose this without a look see. Most of the conv. top issues on 986's are cable related. Design flaw. If you heard roof motor sounds the drive system was working. The big issue with this problem is the clamshell bending. That's where the REAL money comes from. Not that the cable replcement is cheap! Good news is that if you replace the cables the new ones are redesigned and tend not to fail. Been there...Done that! Best of luck on your repair experience!
There is a single motor driving a pair of transmission cables. These have been known to be problematic.
They either break, or the cable sleeve shrinks as it ages and disengages the cable end from the transmission.
This is different from the tension cables with the ball-end sockets mounted on the sides.
You need to put the top into the Service position to find out which - the motor is centered. Replacement is fairly straightforward, but requires synchronizing with it's opposite to have both sides operate in unison. This is done with an electric or cordless drill turning the replacement cable (PN# 986.561.727.02) until eveythings equal.
It could also be that the plastic gears in the transmission (one on each side driven by the transmission cables already mentioned) have stripped. The R&R for this also requires that the cables be sync'd as above. I hope it's just the cable because the transmission is much more spendy.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
