hey guys, ive been having some trouble putting the top up in my '99 cobra. I press the button and i hear the motor or pump (dont know what it is) struggling, i have to go in the rear seat, push the button with my feet and lift up the top manually.

I went to the ford dealership and they told me it was $150 to diagnose it only, and that the problem would likely exceed $1000. they didnt specify what why.

Im wondering if anyone knows why this is happening? do i need to change the fluids? if so, how do i do it?

Also, does anyone know a place that could take a look at it in the Portland, OR area?

thanks.

 

I'm not an expert on convertibles but the advice I can give you is DONT GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, they will definitely rip you off man. Most mechanics or autobody places will at least diagnose it for free, it could be just a small problem or something.

 

follow the lines and make sure you dont have any lines leaking. get a can of white lithium grease and hit all the hing parts on your top that you can get to to lube up hte hinges a little. Right before I change the top on my stang I had a isue where the top would struggle to go up and found that I had to replace the cylinders on both sides cause the seals were leaking and spurting out fiuld.