pizzaguy,

thank you, that's a really good tutorial!

You made a remark (with an implied question in it) about the rear bow latch when you were locking it, and I would like to respond. When you locked the rear bow latch with the 6-mm Allen wrench, you humbly said that you were not sure whether the hydraulics lock the rear bow any tighter than the Allen wrench does after you hear the "click". The answer is, the hydraulics might pull down the rear bow a tiny bit farther during the locking process (depending on how much force you used manually), but the end result is the same: once the lock clicks, that is its final latched position. Thank you for bringing it up in the video, and thank you for your attitude that makes people avoid panicking.

One more (lengthy) comment: it appears that Crossfire owners have more than their fair share of tops needing to be moved manually. Most of the posts on this forum show electrical causes for the top not moving via the hydraulic system any more. Over the years, the main cause for the system not working will be shifting to hydraulic leaks. At Top Hydraulics, we are now rebuilding and upgrading Crossfire top hydraulic cylinders on a daily basis, and so far the cylinders mostly come from fairly warm climates. The reason is, the seals in ALL Crossfire cylinders are decaying with time, and that decay is a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction is accelerated by heat and by contamination in the hydraulic fluid. The design criteria for the cylinder seals were for a service life of ten years in relatively warm climates. It is a shame that the OEM manufacturer didn't spend a little more money on putting better seals into the cylinders. There is no DIY fix for all Crossfire cylinders - leave it to the pros, and we can do an excellent job for a relatively low price after you take the cylinders out of your car in DIY and send them to us. I hope that some awesome forum member will be willing to make a DIY on how to remove the cylinders - I don't own a Crossfire and don't have access to one. In a few years, there will be many posts on this forum about folks dealing with leaks in their hydraulic system. Pizzaguy, it is awesome that you made this video, because it is going to be very helpful for folks with hydraulic leaks once they become commonplace.

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc

relevant part numbers for hydraulic cylinders:
Rear bow latch 05142957AA aka A 193 750 0184
Tonneau cover latch 05166559AA aka A 193 750 0183
Folding top rear bow hydraulic cylinder 05142640AA (left side)
Folding top rear bow hydraulic cylinder 05170014AA (right side)
Main drive cylinder 05142639AA (left side)
Main drive cylinder 05170015AA (right side)
Tonneau cover lift cylinder 05142641AA