Problem with my 2011 Convertible Top

MikeyR · 08-17-2021, 12:22 PM

Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster here.

I have a 2011 convertible 370z. Never had a problem with the convertible top until about a week ago. I was driving along with the top down and it began to rain. I quickly pulled over, hit the top up/down button and started to raise the top. The back lid flipped up, top came out, back lid fully shut itself. However, the actual top stopped and froze at about 3/4's of the way up. Needless to say, I panicked and started googling on how to manually close the top. Came across the video from Klaus from Top Hydraulics that showed me how to do just that and was able to use a 5mm allen wrench to lock the top down and make my way home.

The annoying buzzer that tells you the top is not fully up was constantly ringing, so I pulled the fuse for that so I didn't go crazy.

Right now, with the fuse installed, the top up/down button does absolutely nothing. The windows don't go down, the hydraulic motors don't activate, nothing. I felt behind the driver's seat for hydraulic oil, but it's totally clean.

I checked all the other fuses, both inside and outside the car, and all of them seemed totally fine. I even ordered and installed a new top up/down button, thinking it was that button that failed, but no luck there either. So I guess I'm stuck right now.

I've done a ton of research online and think it could be one of the following items:

1. The wiring harness could have failed? I'm not exactly sure where that wiring harness is, but it seems to be a common problem.
2. One of the hydraulic motors to do the final top closure failed?
3. One of the many sensors for the top could have failed, causing the top to be non-functional?

Any ideas? I've googled the heck out of this problem, but no one seems to have this exact problem of the top just doing nothing when I hit the top up/down button.

The car's top is about 8 years old, I had it replace under warranty due to the rubbing of the top on the window problem. Of course the new top is doing the same thing, but that's just the way it's designed I guess.

Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated!!

MikeyR · 08-17-2021, 12:28 PM

Oh I forgot to mention that I took it into a local car place who hooked up some sort of computer to the dashboard. He is normally able to control individual parts on the top like lowering the windows, unlatching certain latches on the top, etc. Nothing worked at all. He is thinking the top module controller got wet during the rain and failed. Thoughts? There were 2 sensor faults, but he was able to clear one of them. Would a single sensor fault cause the entire system to literally shut down?

08-17-2021, 12:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
MikeyR Base Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Charlotte NC Posts: 3 Drives: 370Z Convertible Rep Power: 12	Problem with my 2011 Convertible Top Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster here. I have a 2011 convertible 370z. Never had a problem with the convertible top until about a week ago. I was driving along with the top down and it began to rain. I quickly pulled over, hit the top up/down button and started to raise the top. The back lid flipped up, top came out, back lid fully shut itself. However, the actual top stopped and froze at about 3/4's of the way up. Needless to say, I panicked and started googling on how to manually close the top. Came across the video from Klaus from Top Hydraulics that showed me how to do just that and was able to use a 5mm allen wrench to lock the top down and make my way home. The annoying buzzer that tells you the top is not fully up was constantly ringing, so I pulled the fuse for that so I didn't go crazy. Right now, with the fuse installed, the top up/down button does absolutely nothing. The windows don't go down, the hydraulic motors don't activate, nothing. I felt behind the driver's seat for hydraulic oil, but it's totally clean. I checked all the other fuses, both inside and outside the car, and all of them seemed totally fine. I even ordered and installed a new top up/down button, thinking it was that button that failed, but no luck there either. So I guess I'm stuck right now. I've done a ton of research online and think it could be one of the following items: 1. The wiring harness could have failed? I'm not exactly sure where that wiring harness is, but it seems to be a common problem. 2. One of the hydraulic motors to do the final top closure failed? 3. One of the many sensors for the top could have failed, causing the top to be non-functional? Any ideas? I've googled the heck out of this problem, but no one seems to have this exact problem of the top just doing nothing when I hit the top up/down button. The car's top is about 8 years old, I had it replace under warranty due to the rubbing of the top on the window problem. Of course the new top is doing the same thing, but that's just the way it's designed I guess. Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated!!

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08-17-2021, 12:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
MikeyR Base Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Charlotte NC Posts: 3 Drives: 370Z Convertible Rep Power: 12	Oh I forgot to mention that I took it into a local car place who hooked up some sort of computer to the dashboard. He is normally able to control individual parts on the top like lowering the windows, unlatching certain latches on the top, etc. Nothing worked at all. He is thinking the top module controller got wet during the rain and failed. Thoughts? There were 2 sensor faults, but he was able to clear one of them. Would a single sensor fault cause the entire system to literally shut down?