Just got this roadster and I knew the top didn't work. Started digging into it and when I unlatch the front latch, parking brake on, neutral and foot on brake, the windows roll down and I hear electric motor noises (not grinding) , just a electric motor spinning when I press open or close , but nothing happens. The 5th bow I can pick up by hand and it never latched onto the boot lid. See movie of me picking up the fifth bow from the inside here. Is this a latch failure or a fifth bow failure ? https://imgur.com/a/43njaSX

 

Hey there fellow Raleigh ZR owner! Congrats on the new Z. Sorry to hear about the top issues. Unfortunately, diagnosing convertible top issues can be a can of worms. I've attached the FSM for the ZR here.

It sounds like once you start the opening sequence, the top does not start to retract at all, correct?

Once you start the opening sequence from being fully closed, the windows should roll down (check), and then the 5th bow latch should unlock causing the rear of the top (5th bow) to pop up. It looks like that is not happening in your case, so it very well could be the 5th bow motor. Or, since you can hear an electrical motor spinning sound, the motor could be fine and it is just not connected properly.

If you can get the tonneau/storage lid open, there is a black plastic cover that you can remove in order to check out the latch mechanism.

Also, check out this post to view Nissan TSB NTB03-122 on the 5th bow. It could be your problem or give you something to rule out.

Good luck!