Just when I had everything working...

I just got everything working on the car and I put the top down to go to work today and hear a crack.. I was hoping it was just because I hadn't put it down in a while...

Get to work and the one side of the top won't go up without help. I assume it's the motor on that side.

Once Just once I want every thing on the car working perfectly for a month. I was soo close too.

/rant

Are you sure you didn't snap or bend one of the links? Another common problem is when the motor pins snap.

i Haven't been back out to the parking garage to check it out yet more then I saw this morning.

All I know is the lower bow that curves around the back window was trying to lift (I assume because of the other side's motor going) The top part of the stack wasn't moving. Which are like the last 2 side rails... I guided it while I ran the motor for the other side and it was all good and went up. No damage to the top when inspected from outside...

I checked the guide wire for the fixed front bow (ebay elastic guide fix kit) and that looked okay on that side. I didn't check any of the other linkages or anything. It was a hrm I have to get this up quick so I can get to work.

I plan to pull it into the garage to look tonight. Weather got crappy here again (it was 60 this morning convertible top weather and now it's suppose to snow :/) I read on tuners that the pins snap as you said and it's a relatively easy fix... So I'm hoping thats all it is...

Previously the front bow had been completely free floating when I bought the car last year... I got the fix kit from ebay and that solved all my problems till now. If it's anything major I'll probably finish up painting and change the top out while I'm at it. If it's just the motor pin I have new black back seat side panels that need to go in anyway so I can change those out then.

When I heard the snap I was telling myself it it was just because it hadn't been down in about a week and something got stiff... When it didn't go up reality set in :/

I'm glad I have the Rav4 to drive around at least should i need to do major work on the roof.. yay toyota!

I bet its one of the linkages. The exact same thing happened to my spyder about 3 years ago. Cost about $350 to fix from a local upholstery and tops guy.

That stinks. I hope it's not that...

See I have a brand new top in box sitting in my basement that was suppose to go on this coming summer. But if I have to do that I'll see if I can do it all myself at the same time.

What exactly am I looking for if it's a linkage? (pardon my ignorance)

You would have probably noticed if one of the arms snapped. Sounds like one of the pins broke inside the motor. It's a cheap fix, well.....probably free, but just time consuming. All you need is a nice sturdy metal coat hanger. :)

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236047

I went to the garage and tried to lower the top and look for anything wrong. I put it up and looked at all the metal brackets but I don't see anything that is snapped at all unless it's way down in the back...

It's just like there is no tension on the passenger side of the top. So I'm thinking hoping it's a pin. I should disassemble it tomorrow on my day off I guess..

Let us know how you make out.

that's all it was in my bmw... I have a clothtop(a double sunroof, and not a convertible). A little pin outside of the motor, but in a bracket that transfers the force of the motor to the movement of the top, had snapped. I just put something in there and it held it. No problems...

So I finally got around to fixing this or trying to. A metal bar that when the top is up fits into the curved part of the track is no longer connected to anything at the bottom. This looks like it is what pulls the top back..

Is this the super expensive part people were talking about? God I hope not.

I'm not really sure what part you are talking about.

Does it look like the metal brace in figure 6? The one that the guy is drilling into?

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197570

no I already bought the ebay kit to perform that fix.

the part I'm talking about is actually what pulls the curved part of the back window down. It's a silver metal bar that doesn't run across the roof but it looks like it goes down the side of the car. I plan to take picture tonight. I contacted hansterbishi on here to see if he had the part.

It's connected still into the black part that forms the curve of the window but it just dangles there like it snapped off at the other end and isn't connected to anything.

Marking on side says RHF-43X0-3030 K xxx
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if there is no grinding on the top and you can toss it back and forth easy i would just leave it. both my motors broke and i started tossing it back by hand and lifting it back by hand. i got broken into and they replaced the WHOLE top, motors and all. manual took about 2 seconds to put down and about 5 seconds to pull it back up. the botton takes 10 times that long it seems. i was bummed that i couldn't leave it with the crap broke!

there isn't griding but I have a new top in my basement thats going on this summer so I want to get it fixed before then. It's actually hard to put back manual. This stiffens that side and with it broke it goes down unevenly (one side is limp!) so it takes like 2 people to guide it down.

I'd try check a junkyard for that part, or you can look on www.car-part.com. That'd probably be cheaper than buying it new.

not sure if we broke the same thing or not, i never looked that close. mine broke pretty much at the same time, i was putting the top up and one side broke, then the other broke trying to push the load. then it was free like a bird, i could pop the locks and push it back [more like toss it back!] from the driver's seat barely moving. putting it up i would put my foot on the mid of the reart seat and pull it up real quick. i got so used to doing it fast that when i got it fixed i was very very shocked to see how long it took for the brand new motors to get the fucking thing up!

boo this blows. I went to the dealer and it's 337 dollars for that piece. I'm going to find a junkyard or if anyone has a spyder around I'd be willing to pay up to 200. That was the limit I set on my frustration by this piece.

Still don't know why the hell it broke. GARRRRR

I have never heard of anyone breaking that part, so I really can't help you. Hopefully you can find one at a junkyard because $337 is outrageous.