Power Soft Top is Hard to Put Down Manually

03M54B30 · Post by **03M54B30** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:11 pm

My e85s soft top motor has been broken for around a year now so, I've been putting the roof down manually. After cleaning my roof last Wednesday, the roof has been noticeably harder to put down. What might be the reason this is happening?

enuff_zed · Post by **enuff_zed** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:28 pm

Welcome to the forum.
Has the red ring in the boot been knocked back in so it's not holding the bypass valve open anymore?
Don't force it or you could burst a hydraulic line.

Did you know there are a few of us dotted around the UK who could resurrect your roof motor in a couple of hours?
Either fitting new parts supplied by you, secondhand parts we've accumulated, or hopefully even getting your old motor to spring back into life.

We also relocate the motor in the boot so it never gets soaked and fails again.

03M54B30 · Post by **03M54B30** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:42 pm

The ring is pulled but the roof has always been difficult to put down. It had gotten easier over the past year but after cleaning the roof, it seems to be back to how it was a year ago.

enuff_zed · Post by **enuff_zed** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:20 pm

03M54B30 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:42 pm The ring is pulled but the roof has always been difficult to put down. It had gotten easier over the past year but after cleaning the roof, it seems to be back to how it was a year ago.

That's odd. Unless the bypass wasn't fully in and has now slipped back a bit? Or maybe warmer weather expanding stuff a bit??
Best option really is to get it relocated and fixed. Whereabouts are you?
No doubt garages have quoted you some ridiculous figures?

03M54B30 · Post by **03M54B30** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:25 pm

I'm in the U.S., I plan on fixing it myself but I haven't found the time yet.

enuff_zed · Post by **enuff_zed** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:31 pm

03M54B30 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:25 pm I'm in the U.S., I plan on fixing it myself but I haven't found the time yet.

Ah yes. Bit far from us, sorry.
Always happy to pitch in with support if we can be of any assistance though.

03M54B30 · Post by **03M54B30** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 5:37 pm

Thank you!

Jas- USA · Post by **Jas- USA** » Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:28 am

Your problem with the top becoming more stiffer to move manually after cleaning the roof could have been caused by water, if you used it in the cleaning process. In that, the actual bypass is a part of the pump. This bypass can get gummed up with crude and get jammed open, closed or somewhere in the middle. In guessing the bypass on your car is somewhere in the middle. If you used water during your roof cleaning, the water will travel down and seep into roof motor/pump. This water may have softened the crude partially jamming your bypass and allow the bypass to close even more increasing the hydraulic pressure.

If you did not use water to clean the roof, then I'm at a loss for your problem.

However, regardless, you should ASAP pull your motor into your trunk/boot. Since your top motor is shot and your bypass is partially jammed and if the bypass totally closes with the top down, you're going to be in a world of hurt. The only way to get the top up is by lifting it back up (defeating the hydraulic PSI) or cutting a hydraulic line.

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