You don't need the "tool" if you have the top partially down. The "tool" is only used for opening the tonneau cover. The manual also says you can do it by yourself but that two persons will make it easier. Two person can lower the top evenly and not cockeyed. What you need to do is complete the cycle by lowering the top "manually" which means pushing it down into the trunk and closing the tonneau cover. This will reset all the safety switches back to normal and should make the top cycle normally. Besides you don't want to take it to the dealer with the top partially down as the wind resistance will do havoc to the linkages and mechanism not to mention the fabric itself.