Top is stuck in the middle position

LHMBP

I opened my top and stopped it to see where a patch of cloth that fell out in my lap might go. Now it won't go up or down. Does anyone know how to restart the top?

LHMBP

I left the car off for about 10 or 15 minutes. I then started it with the doors closed, pressed the button to open and it re-engaged and opened. I was then able to close it. BIG SIGH!

bunk

That happened to me when I partially opened the top to clean the rear windshield. It wouldn't move up or down. I ended up holding the close button while pulling the front of the top down, it reengaged.

__________________
-Drop in K&N Filter -Invidia Gemini CBE -Z1 Oil Cooler -Swift Springs - EcuTek -Forgestar F14 -SPL Camber Links -Akebono BBK Upgrade -Z1 Premium SS Lines -SPL Diff Bushings -SPL FUCAs - BellRaceworks Diff Brace

10MPlayer

I've had it happen a couple of times which is why I'm here looking for answers. I let my top down half way because there has been an annoying squeak coming from the top storage compartment. Then it wouldn't go up or down. I physically forced it back into the compartment, waited a while. Then I made sure both windows were all the way up. Lately the top won't go up or down unless I start the process with the windows up. Once I let it rest for a few minutes it did go back up and close. This has happened a couple of times. The last time I was just trying to put the top down to enjoy the first warm sunny day of the year and it got stuck halfway. I ended up doing as described above and it finally worked after about 10 minutes of fooling around. Is there any good repair shop in Northern California that can deal with this?

__________________
About my name: I occasionally play a Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone - so 10MPlayer

bunk

If you have to let the windows up before the top starts working, do a window reset.

__________________
-Drop in K&N Filter -Invidia Gemini CBE -Z1 Oil Cooler -Swift Springs - EcuTek -Forgestar F14 -SPL Camber Links -Akebono BBK Upgrade -Z1 Premium SS Lines -SPL Diff Bushings -SPL FUCAs - BellRaceworks Diff Brace

fiat218

48,000 dollar auto and this is a great shame

10MPlayer

I think I did that. I pushed the window down buttons down one at a time and held them for about 5 secs until I heard a click. The problem is still there though. If the windows are down the top won't do anything. I have to put both of them up before it will go up or down. Did I forget something?

__________________
About my name: I occasionally play a Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone - so 10MPlayer

bunk

Yeah, try to reset the windows again... What I found when I was having this problem, was that I didnt need both windows closed to activate the top. Just having one window even partially up was enough to get the top going. I assume the problem is a sensor not knowing what position the windows are at (not calibrated with the windows)...

1. Shut the car door.

2. Raise the window to the fully closed position.

3. Press the button to open the window completely and keep the button pressed down for a further 15 seconds.

4. Raise the window to the fully closed position and keep the button pulled up for a further 15 seconds.

__________________
-Drop in K&N Filter -Invidia Gemini CBE -Z1 Oil Cooler -Swift Springs - EcuTek -Forgestar F14 -SPL Camber Links -Akebono BBK Upgrade -Z1 Premium SS Lines -SPL Diff Bushings -SPL FUCAs - BellRaceworks Diff Brace

10MPlayer

Thanks, I finally found a procedure elsewhere on this site and did it. It was as you say. It didn't help my top problem. It's going down okay but when I want to close it it stops once the tonneau cover opens. I managed to force it back closed and let it sit for a minute or two to reset. Then it closed.

Someone posted some links to an outfit that makes replacement parts for the hydraulic system and the sensors. They also make troubleshooting videos and how-to's. Anybody have a link? I thought I had bookmarked it but now I can't find it.

__________________
About my name: I occasionally play a Conn 10M Tenor Saxophone - so 10MPlayer

bunk

Here you go!

https://www.tophydraulics.com/71-nissan

__________________
-Drop in K&N Filter -Invidia Gemini CBE -Z1 Oil Cooler -Swift Springs - EcuTek -Forgestar F14 -SPL Camber Links -Akebono BBK Upgrade -Z1 Premium SS Lines -SPL Diff Bushings -SPL FUCAs - BellRaceworks Diff Brace

Baronsmokes

I have also had same issue.If you stop it can be hard to re-engage.I only do this at home in the garage when working on car.
Same steps to get top up and then down.

When out in public I never take my finger off button until it is up or down.

I would like to the names of engineers who designed the top.

All convertbles have top issues but a lot of Z tops have problems a lot sooner.

Omb

Before you do anything crazy, check your wires. The ones all wrapped up on the drivers side. Mine were broken right where they came out of that plastic guide. Several others have had the same issue. If you getting most of the way either open or closed, I’m betting one or more of those wires have broken.

“It wants to stop once the tonneau cover opens” is another way of saying “it stops when the tonneau cover moves and causes the frayed wires to screw things up”. Truely...those wires are designed to fail.

gbhrps

Gentlemen,

Just a heads up for those who find frayed or broken wires and attempt to fix them themselves.

Many of the electrical circuits that are run by onboard computers are very fussy about the resistance of the circuit, meaning that when replacing or splicing a wire section into an existing break, be sure to use wire of the same gauge (size).

Omb

Yeah..I thought about that. I used a slightly larger gauge. My thought was that anything spliced increased the resistance. The splices have resistance and the extra length has resistance. the best thing we could splice in would be a super conductor since that extra length would not change anything. I’m fresh out of super conductor though .

So this is my thought. The best way to ensure a similar resistance from one point to another while adding length through a splice would be to use a slightly larger splice wire and cut a little of the original wire.

SUPER SIMPLIFIED MATH

X = original resistance of the wire

X + Y = resistance of splice + original

If our goal is zero change and Y always imparts change into the system, then a strategy could be to reduce the resistance of X. Easiest way to do that is make it shorter.

FWIW...I just spliced in about 3 inches of slightly larger gauge wire, and trimmed off about about 1/2-3/4 inch of mangled stuff and it works great.

gbhrps

Omb,

Concerning the wiring in our top harnesses, excessively long or short sections of wire spliced into the harness for repairs to broken or frayed wires, can create their own issues.

Solder joints that are too thick or long may not flex at all, or create too much resistance in the line, giving false readings to the top computer (of this I'm not certain, but I think that caution would be the best approach).

Then again, repair lines that are too long may get pinched, or those too short may simply break repeatedly and you're back to square one. So I would suggest, any line repairs be not much longer than the original, certainly not any shorter, and done as neatly as possible with the same wire gauge, in order to keep the circuit board/computer gods happy.

Shrink tubing should be used and top cycling through open and close tested to ensure that the wiring is protected from moving parts. None of this is rocket science, but rather lessons that I've learned from over 50 years of working on cars and motor cycles. (Yeah ... jut hit my 70th birthday last week. Damn, I feel old suddenly!!)

Gene