As previously stated in an older post, I WAS a certified Crossfire tech in 2004. Left Chrysler in 2005. Only thing I did back then was basic maintenance because vehicle was so new and the dealership I worked at was small and only sold a handful.
Now to get to my point, my wife's 2005 convertible top is acting up. We had taken the car to go out for supper. She put the top down and we left. Got to the restaurant and closed the top. Left the restaurant and it opened properly. Got home and it got stuck half way.
The top retracts like it should. It's putting the top back up is where the issue is. The top will come all the way up, but at the point where the glass raises to let the hatch sit back down, it stops. Glass doesn't move high enough, so I have to manually close. Not sure what it could be because everything seems to be working properly to open the top. The glass raises to let the hatch out but not back in. Tried "resetting" several times and it does nothing. Works everytime opening, but gets stuck half way when closing. I have searched the forum and have found nothing on this. Most issues are with it opening, not closing.


Any and all help would be appreciated!
Thanks

 

Have you checked the fluid level? It takes a lot more pressure to raise than it does to lower.

 

I would not say low pressure, I'd say low volume. Think of what is happening, the large cylinder is extended (full of fluid) at that point, now you must extend the bow cylinder as well as the lid cylinder.

The tank will be at it's lowest level as this process proceeds, if the fluid is low you are only going so far and you run out of fluid volume.

 

Shrewd deduction, and you are probably correct.

 

To reach a low level there has to be a fluid loss and the loss should be obvious. It worked once that night but a short time later it did not ......

 

Exactly. That fluid does not evaporate, I've had three roadsters and NEVER ONCE added fluid to any of their top systems. If the fluid is low, you will find some fluid tracks somewhere in the car, and they will lead to a pool of fluid in a low spot SOMEWHERE.

 

I have checked the fluid and it's dead center between max. and min. I have found no leaks or seepage. Top always stops at the same point. If I open partially, then close, it's fine.

Upon more inspection, ( it was dark when looking last night ), the glass is opening enough. It's the targa that just stops closing.

 

The manual says :



then :




Its says nothing about the bow only traveling half way, I'm thinking it's a problem with the proportioning valve in the pump assembly, or the rear bow travel sensor

 

Can the sensor be jumped for test purposes? If so, is it a direct jump or does it need to see a certain amount of resistance? On my truck the remote start stopped working because the hood latch sensor failed. Can't just jump it. Had to put in a 1000 ohm-1/4 watt resistor to trick computer...

 

I'm pretty sure they are Hall-effect sensors, not sure you can jump them :

 

So either it's a pump rebuild or a sensor. Reading through all the info here, it has been said that those hardle ever fail.

 

This is where it is stopping. Its the cycle where the cover needs to go down so the top can go over it.

 

The photo helps, a video of how it acts would help, I think.

The way I understand it, the failure occurs as you are putting the top up and from what I see, the rear bow does not go all teh way up so the lid can dome down. Do I have that right?

 

Correct. It is only when I am putting the top up. If i stop it before this point, I can put the top back down correctly. At this point in the picture, I have to release the hydraulic pressure, lift the window higher by hand, let the top go down, let the window go down and get in vehicle and use the button to finish the cycle. Again, only when trying to put top up. Putting top down there is no issue. Its like the targa portion is "hitting the brakes". I looked around to see if there was something stuck in there, that's how abrupt it is. Maybe on day this weekend, I can get a video of it.

 

Include SOUND in the video.

 

I took a video with decent sound. Looks like top falling back down before hatch can close. Just trying to figure out how to get video on here.

 

I'd upload to YouTube adn then link to it here!

 

Yeah been trying. Error code 400 keeps popping up. Will get video up asap.

 

Here is the video link: You can see the top wanting to fall back down. When lowering the top, it stays up properly. I tried holding top up while the wife cycled it again. It let the top close, but wouldn't complete its cycle.

 

1) Did you REALLY put the top down and up without starting the car? You are living VERY dangerously. (And no, I don't give a DAMN what the manual says. I fried an airbag module by moving the top without the engine running using four year old battery. Do yourself a favor, start the car anytime you move the top.)

2) At 36 seconds, I noticed that the cycle did not finish - the lid did not lock in place and the flaps show it. Was this intentional - did you let go of the button before the end-of-cycle beep? Or does it often not complete?

3) This looks like something I don't think I've ever seen before - a sequence issue. This is NOT:

• Low Fluid
• A weak pump
• A bad cylinder (well, maybe...)
• ALSO: I am hearing something I don't like, as the bow ends it's movement, I hear a noise that is not common. I think I want to hear from Saul of TopHydralics, and I just sent him a message to see if he will comment.

My theories:

Answer question 2) above and I can maybe form some ideas.