As I commented in another post, I had my original convertible top replaced last year with a better quality one. And I love it, except I have a couple of issues (one that happened BEFORE the top was replaced, and the other that's new since then).

First? I started having an issue where when I put the top back up, the rear window flips down and back into place, but gets stuck at the stage where the metal latch is trying to go all the way down into the slot underneath the middle of the window. If I reach my hand back there and push down on it a bit to assist it in latching, then it clicks into place like normal and the top closes the rest of the way. At first, this only happened occasionally but it got to where it does it every single time.

I already tried lubricating the latch mechanism but that didn't help. Just recently, another Crossfire owner advised me she had the exact same problem and it turned out her hydraulic fluid was low. I had my car due to go into a German automotive shop anyway for an oil change and other misc work so I asked them to check that for me. They determined the reservoir was full and found no fluid leaks.

And second? Since getting the new top, it seems like I have a new issue where when top is almost all the way closed, the front portion with the handle you grab and turn to lock/unlock it often falls down flat on its own, instead of staying in that partially raised (at about a 45 degree angle?) position. If it falls down like that, the top immediately stops closing and it beeps at me, with a light flashing on the open/close button. I have to push it back up again and proceed to press the button to complete the process of closing the top the last bit of the way, so I can then pull that front part back down flat and latch it shut. Is there any easy way to adjust something to correct that, or is that just something I have to live with (keeping a hand on that part to ensure it doesn't fall down when it's not supposed to while closing the top)?

 

Really sounds like low fluid to me. But it also seems to me someone had a bad latch cylinder at one time, and this was the symptom. Not sure on this one.

This one is easy - unless you are on a hill "nose down" or are moving and hitting the brakes, this should NEVER happen. I do not know the answer here, in the service manual, there is no mention of setting tension anywhere when replacing the top - but it seems to me that either something is not tensioned right, or the springs in the frame are weak/missing.

 

Mine just started doing that 'flop down' thing too. I checked the tension cables and springs, they are OK, but there just doesn't seem to be the same amount of resistance on the 'flop over' part.
I think the springs are getting weak, but since you must drill out rivets etc to get to them, I think I'll just keep my hand on it so it doesn't flop.
Bottom line, she's getting old. ( aren't car years about the same as dog years ? )

 

Hmm... I think I, too, may just have to live with the front part of the top tending to "flop closed" and make sure I always keep my hand up there to prevent it. Not that big a deal as long as I know what it does and remember to prevent it. In my case, I could see it being the combination of the springs getting weaker over time AND the new top being made of heavier material.

As for the other problem ... a defective latch cylinder, eh? That's interesting. The shop I had my car at started talking about it probably being an issue with a micro-switch that failed, but I really didn't believe them on that. (Makes no sense, as I'm not aware of any switch that would have to activate right at that point that would stop the window glass from latching shut all the way.)

I just did some Googling and found this:

https://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/chr...-cylinder.html

Probably my best bet, if I can figure out how to take the original one out.

 

Hey George, car vs dog years rings true!

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Yep. Makes my roadster older than me