Hi Klaus,
Thanks for getting back to my problem) I transferred this subject to a new thread " travel sensors".
The diagnose was exactly how I wrote before. Do you think it is a big problem and very expensive?
I would really appreciate your comments))
Thanks again,
Elza

 

We received your package on Friday afternoon, and should be ready to mail them back to you tomorrow (Monday). The original pin from one of the bow cylinders is an 8x35. Good news: I found a used one with the same shaft dimensions, but a somewhat smaller head. See attached pic. Should work just fine, and it will be included in the return shipment. If there should be any problem with the head being too small, then we can still machine an exact replacement for you.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

 

Just a quick note to advise that I have now received all the rebuilt cylinders from TopHydraulics and am preparing to perform the re-installations (gulp)

 

Good luck !
Awaiting results.

 

Went in reverse order to what I followed on removals. Bow cylinders first, then the two main cylinders, and last the two latch assemblies. I will post a few pictures and comments tomorrow or the next day. Priority now is the tonneau cylinder and pump re-installations. Weather permitting, I will finish tomorrow and we will see if it works!

Generally, there were no show stoppers or big surprises, but the main cylinder retaining pins and assembly took some patience (need to make darn sure everything is oriented correctly before taking steps). For the most part I just followed the service manual, assisting myself by reviewing my earlier pictures (taken during the removal process).

 

All went well (I thought) with the pump etc, but no joy on trying it out. The windows went down, but then there was hydraulic pump noise I associated with the bow latch operating and then no further progress was noted. If anything, I would say the latch was trying to close further rather than open, but it is not possible to observe the latch when it is operating. I re-verified that I had connected the hydraulic lines to the proper fittings on that latch and loosened and re-tightened its mounting and tried once more with the same result. I turned all off and manually operated the top, but I forgot to relieve the hydraulic pressure, and that is where I believe I snapped the cable which operates the left side small rotating wing on the tonneau cover.

I guess this may be one reason why it's smart to pay the high prices of dealer service. I am not happpy with myself at the moment. I will review all my work again tomorrow. I am a sad panda. I just don't feel up to posting pictures right now.

I could not find out anything in the service manual about the cable that I destroyed. It is not the top cover cable. Any hints would be appreciated as to where I could look.

EDIT 12 March: it turns out the damage to the cable was not so awful, thank goodness...

 

Just a quick note to add a link to my thread regarding replacing/repairing the damaged cable.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...lap-cable.html

 

Unhappily, the bad news more than offsets the good news.

The good news is that my latest fix for the Tonneau Side Flap Cable worked.

The bad news is I cannot determine what is causing the top hydraulic system not to function. I have checked my installation of the rebuilt pump and cylinders and all looks correct. Manual opening and closing of the top works normally, but when attempting to use the system, nothing happens after the automatic lowering of the windows except an intermittent flashing of the red LED in the top control toggle switch and a beeping. Also, the red LED stays on after the unsuccessful attempt. (I have since again unplugged the PTCM to get rid of the light). There is no evidence of leaking and no sounds that I would associate with latches opening or operation of the hydraulic pump.

I will make one more check of the wiring associated with the latches and will check fuses that protect the PTCM (after I figure out where it/they are).

Absent any other ideas, I think I will will have to approach a dealer with this. To diagnose the system would take a DRB III Scan Tool (prohibitively expensive and hard to find) configured to work on a Crossfire so as to read the DTC's associated with the PTCM. No doubt I will pay dearly for their analysis.

 

The bottom line: the top is working like new (probably better than new, given the quality of TopHydraulics products). I will post a more comprehensive after action report very soon, but just wanted to share the good news!

 

I will update the OP (original post) with my final report on this highly successful repair.

 

Gimme a 'T'
Gimme an 'O'
Gimme a 'P'

What does it spell ?
The friggin top's working !!!!!!!!

Congrats, I knew you'd figure it out.

 

g3air,

we are all happy for you, and grateful to you for documenting your adventure on this forum! As you shared with us earlier, you haven't really done much work on cars before, which should be very encouraging to folks who are afraid of doing the same job themselves.

Hopefully, there will be a detailed step-by-step DIY guide created soon, but even with all the detail given in this thread, almost anyone with a little determination can now replace all hydraulic cylinders and the pump once needed. This is a blessing for any Crossfire roadster owner with a slow moving top or a hydraulic leak in the top hydraulic system, and it will keep many roadsters from turning into coupes if folks couldn't afford the labor charges from a shop or dealer.

Thanks again, and congratulations!

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc
Rebuild/Upgrade Service for Chrysler Crossfire Roadster Hydraulic Cylinders - Top Hydraulics, Inc

 

Can anyone tell me how much hydraulic fluid to buy when I do the bleed and fill on the top hydraulic system?

 

DIY: replace/flush roof hydraulic fluid - Mercedes-Benz Forum

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...html?styleid=6

 

mike28117, one quart of FeBi 02615 or Mercedes 0009899103 should be enough.

About a quarter of the old hydraulic fluid remains in the hoses and cylinders if you empty only the reservoir. For a perfect flush (if you are not having us rebuild all the cylinders this time), you want to empty the reservoir, get the sludge off the bottom of the reservoir, and then cycle all top cylinders manually. Cycling the cylinders manually will push the old fluid into the reservoir. If the reservoir is empty or near empty, then the cylinders will be sucking in air, which is what you want for a perfect flush.

The hydraulic system is self bleeding. As long as the pump has enough fluid in it, it will produce pressure. It takes some five cycles to get all air out of the cylinders again. On the first couple of cycles, when there is still a good amount of air in the main lift cylinders, you will find the top "falling" towards the windshield. Slow that descent with your hand, or let go of the button as soon as the top picks up speed when coming down.

Thanks for the links. No need to refer to the SLK thread in the future, because the SLK pump fill procedure is quite different. It's actually easier on the Crossfire pump, because the Crossfire pump has a fill port directly on the reservoir.



Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

 

Hey folks – I just finished up the process of replacing all the top cylinders. I understand everyone’s reservation to do this but it really was very doable. You must have some patients – true. Follow the service manual along with the various posts and pictures on this forum. Forum member g3air has a very good picture guide. A few comments that may help you:

1 – Have someone available at your disposal to help hold the tonneau cover and top to place supports as needed and bring you beers when needed!! No, seriously – it really helps to have a helping hand at your disposal.

2 – g3air mentions a support arm in the way of getting the pin out of the upper main cylinder. My solution was to hold the tonneau cover up and then manually fold the top down some and it moves that support arm to clear the pin. Reach around from inside the car to get to the pin. Use your friend here to help hold things and call 911 when you pinch your fingers off when he lets go of the top!!!! Just kidding!! They are there so you don’t pinch your fingers off by trying to do this yourself.

3 – The pin on the lower main cylinder was a challenge because of the insulation; cut it away a little as g3air mentioned. I reinstalled my pins the other way – inboard to outboard. The only issue may be some chaffing on the hydraulic line bundle on the left main but this can be remedied by wrapping the bundle with that spiral anti chaffing stuff or some other method you see fit.

4 – The weather seal was the biggest challenge for me; I just was not sure how much force it would take to remove. After you drill that rivet out, the piece slides down a little and then you kind of peel away with some persuasion.

5 – TOPHYDRAULICS provides new o-rings for the lines; however, there were no O-rings provided for the latches. The service manual did not mention the O-rings but that meant nothing because there are other mistakes in the manual. Since TOPHYDRAULICS did not include the O-rings for the latches and they were not mentioned in the manual, I assumed the latch lines did not need the O-rings but I called TOPHYDRAULICS to confirm - - NO O-rings used on the latch cylinders.

I hope this helps encourage you to tackle this job.

 

Excellent writeup and illustrations. Great job by all, and thanks for posting.

 

The hydraulic system on my 2005 roadster failed. Chrysler wanted to replace one of the hydraulic cylinders (there are 7 and am not sure which one failed). They wanted $850 plus labor to replace that single cylinder. They also warned me that once the cylinder was replaced (maintaining hydraulic pressure) it is very likely that another failure in another cylinder would occur. So, after checking the forum I discovered Klaus Witte at Top Hydraulics (541-902-3214). He provided all 7 rebuilt hydraulic cylinders (using newer technology) for a total of $750 - less than the cost of one cylinder from Chrysler. He also directed me to a 'trusted' installer in Melbourne, Fl (only an hour away from my home). The installer is Justin Duthie and he can be reached at 321-432-2034. It took 4 days over the weekend to get the cylinders. Just then installed them in a day and charged me only $500 for the labor. I can't even imagine what the labor cost would have been at Chrysler. The top now operates like new and my total cost was $1250.

 

Joel, in response to your question "What would Chrysler Dealership have charged for the Hydraulic Overhaul", I can confirm it cost me $2700, as I could not be bothered chasing around for price savings, I just wanted the problem to be resolved.

 

That's an expensive attitude you have there Terry . . .