'05 Convertible Top

[Steve-Oh]

This "gremlin" has plagued my sisters car for a little while now. The drivers side doesn't seem to keep up with the passenger side. At first I just said "oh it's probably the piston" ... I thought it was a no brainer as I can imagine the pistons wearing out over time. Fast forward to today I replace the piston and to my frustration it didn't change a thing. Do I now assume the motor is just shot and needs to be replaced? If you watch both pistons in action, the driver side piston doesn't move right away like the passenger side one does which is why I originally thought it was the piston (which we now know it's not). Back to it being the motor, could a valve have gone bad and not distributing the fluid evenly to both sides?

Thoughts....

A little history: This car was hit on the drivers side which makes me also think somethings not right with the whole top. I looked it over pretty good and nothing looks bent or out of alignment.



A video will be posted to show operation in a few minutes.

 

[Steve-Oh]

[video=youtube_share;jP-H5gvbeUo]http://youtu.be/jP-H5gvbeUo[/video]

 

[Dr Fildo]

I don't know much about these things, but it seems to me to be a pressure problem.

I'm guessing that since you changed the piston that you replaced the hydrolic fluid to the proper amount?

Did the problem start immediately following the drivers side collision, or some time after?

Did you fill it with fluid with the top up or down? Do you hear any air escaping as it goes up/down? Do you notice any fluid leakage?