I have a question regarding top operation. There is a lot of activity and action, but right as the top starts to lift at the front (after all the rear window and tonneau cover operation) it "snaps" up about a foot or so, then continues the cycle.

Does this happen with everyone else? Or does your top stow smoothly after it starts to lift? If mine is hanging up somewhere I'd like to have the dealer fix it before any damage is done.

Thanks!

John

 

I think we have the same issue. As the front of the top go vertical ( L-shape), it kind of "jerk" then continue.

My top has a small pin hole as discuss in another forum. I took to my dealer last Friday. Hopefully they will replace it and I will see that I will still have the same "jerk" or not.

 

got that same jerk motion. it kind of shakes the car. i wonder why they did it that way?

 

The jerking motion that you are describing is very normal. If you look at your top while you are sitting in the car, right about in the middle of your driver or passenger window, you will see a break in the main frame of your top. This part of the frame has to break open right there to allow your top to fold and fit in the back when it is closed. If you look at the area that breaks open, you will see a seal on each end of the frame. When you close your top, those two ends seal against each other very snugly to make them air tight.

So.............when you see them jerk while opening, it is because the seal that was created is now releasing. If it stops jerking, there is a problem. Don't worry, everything is normal, just enjoy the ride............

Doug

 

Mine does it to. It must be normal.

But I don't think it is the "seal breaking" though.

It is really when the front piece shifts from leaning forward to leaning back. The slack in the mechanism just goes from one side to the other.

 

They all do this. It is when the front and middle sections come apart. I "help" the parts to separate by pushing up while holding the latch handle at that point and then let go and let it finish by itself. I have had other convertibles that do just about the same thing.

 

My top was replaced a few weeks ago due to the pinhole issue and the initial "jerk" when putting the top down still occurs.

 

I looked at the piece that "pops" when the jerk occurs. It is a classic 3-bar design. If you look at the joint that suddenly moves when it pops you will see why it happens.

It is basically a little slack in the system. In this case the 3-bar design is sort of locking the joint.

I don't think it is abnormal in any way. But it is a little disconcerting at first. When it happened to me the first time I thought the top was about to fail. It does shake the car a little.