Hey guys and gals. I have been reading through a ton of posts on here about these hydraulic cylinders leaking. My Left Main Cylinder is leaking at the bottom port where the hydraulic line attaches. I had expected it to be at the end of the cylinder, but it is just the hose port that is leaking.

Could this be a DIY repair or do I need to send it in to Top Hydraulics? Perhaps this connection just needs to be cleaned and re-seated??

 

I don't know the answer to your question but KIaus at Top Hydraulics would certainly be happy to let you know . . . klaus@tophydraulicsinc.com

 

It could be the o-ring on the line. But top hydraulics will tell you for sure....

 

Well I've learned a bit about this in the last couple of days . . . I re-installed all of the hydraulic cylinders that I had rebuilt by Top Hydraulics, Inc. There ARE very small o-rings on the hydraulic line connectors that attach to the hydraulic cylinders. A broken / damaged o-ring is most certainly the cause of your leak . . . Klaus can send you some of those o-rings . . .

Please come back here to post on how you resolved your problem . . .

 

 

Well, I think I wasted $150 because I sent the whole hydraulic in for a rebuild. I bet you are all right and that I could have just replaced the o-ring for this. :/

Now I just have to figure out what the process is for re-installing it. I think I read somewhere that you just install it and then cycle the top about 5 times to get the air out of the line and top off the fluid if needed.

 

I am still unable to get the top to work since putting in the rebuilt cylinder from Top Hydraulics. The top is currently down and I have tried to put it up by using the button about 20 times. I hear the motor running but the rear tonneau cover never unlocks or tries to put the top up. Everything worked fine before taking the cylinder out for repair. I just had a leak that I wanted fixed. Oh, and the trunk is locked and I can't get into it now.

Top Hydraulics said that I should be able to just cycle the motor 5 or 6 times to clear the air out of the line and then it should start working.

Is there more to it than that? Any advice would be helpful. Thx

 

Now I am in a tough spot where my top is mostly up with the back window half latched in place and I cannot get the trunk open to latch it fully and I cannot get the back window to release so that I can go the other way. I'm at a stalemate it would seem. 🙁

BTW : I found that if I put the top up manually and then try to put it down with the button I do get movement but the back window did not unlock and lift before the tonneau cover tried to go up and it crushed into the back window. 😩

 

You can open the deck lid with a screwdriver (in the right place). An endoscope will allow you to look around inside the latch area when you poke it through the right license plate light mounting hole and find the latch release tab.
I'm uncertain about how to proceed here: I can give you some coaching after you have the endoscope, though.
A word of advice regarding endoscopes: You can buy a couple of them that don't work from Asian suppliers and then buy the Autel MV105 (it's a plug & play item) through Amazon; that's what I did. I hope you decide to take the shortcut.

 

Thanks for the response ambidextrous. I was able to jack with the button back and forth until I got it to unlock. Then I was able to get into the trunk and realize that I was low on fluid after bleeding the air out.

The top still did not operate correctly so for giggles I reversed the sensors on the left rear hydraulic cylinder that I had repaired and Bingo! I now have a convertible again. 😁
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That's a happy ending!
For others reading this thread, I bought my 2005 roadster & the first time I tried to open the deck lid I found it was stuck - and it stayed that way for 5 months until I got it open. In those 5 months, I tried scores of methods that didn't work, and finally, one that did! Anyone interested can PM me for details.

 

 

I believe it's possible to access the trunk latch release from either the LH or the RH license light hole because they are equally distant from it - but I specified the RH hole because that's what worked for me.

 

You are probably correct on the roadster, I cannot be sure just by looking at my pics of the roadster latch.
The coupe is accessible from the left hand light hole.CLICK

 

Thanks for the picture - I remember seeing it when I was trying to get my deck lid open.

I believe I can get to the latch release via either the left or the right license light hole; after all, ain't I ambidextrous? (joke)

 

I bought my o rings at Harbor Freight, assortment for $4.99. I took one so I was sure of the correct size and thickness.