scottishpaul,
Provided the Nissan dealer's diagnosis is correct, half of your battle is already over from what I can see. The 5th bow is the rear most one below the rear windshield, and they're saying that where that 5th bow hinges and swings up to allow the top storage lid to open, there most likely is a break in the wiring harness.
It is a common fault in ALL convertibles from ALL manufacturers that are opened by hydraulics or electric motors. The wiring at the bow hinge points gets flexed and bent every time the top goes up or down. Eventually the flexed wires will break, and the top stops working.
OldGuyFla gave you a link to the factory service manual section for the Z, download it, read it, study it, and you'll get an understanding of the system ... and know where to look for the wire breaks. It should be a very simple repair once you've located it. Use the same type and size of muti-strand wire and lengthen the broken section a bit, and you most likely have a fix.
And if you're not a DIYer, you live in California convertble country and there will be a 1000 specialist shops that can trace down and fix your issue, particularly if you arm them with a copy of the FSM section (factory service manual) OldGuyFla gave you a link to. Just check around and find a good one that has worked on Z's before.
And should your issue be hydraulic, Top Hydraulics in Oregon can remanufacture your failed rams, lines, or hydraulic pump for a lot less than Nissan wants.
There are lots of threads in this forum on just this top issue. Do some homework, educate yourself, and you'll be armed towards getting your top fixed for a lot less than Nissan has quoted. Good Luck!
Gene
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