Help Fellow Gearheads!

[Profreedomokie]

I was crazy enough to offer to repair a broken convertible top on a '09 C6 Corvette for a lady I know. I got it apart and repaired the broken part number 14. It is part of the frame. GM will not sell parts to repair these tops but, they will sell you a complete top for $1300 labor not included. The top will go down fine but only goes up about halfway and stops. I think it is a timing issue that is controlled by a computer maybe. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Mr.Glock]

Did you put the top up and do a complete drain on the car? Leave the neg and pos off for a hour or so.

 

[FRISKY]

Lots of Corvette information here: www.corvetteforum.com

 

[Profreedomokie]

Did you put the top up and do a complete drain on the car? Leave the neg and pos off for a hour or so.

Did unhook the battery. Do you mean an electrical drain or hydrolic fluid?

 

[Profreedomokie]

Lots of Corvette information here: www.corvetteforum.com

Thanks, I had checked it out before. They had useful info on removing the top canvas.

 

[O4L]

Did unhook the battery. Do you mean an electrical drain or hydrolic fluid?

I believe he means electrical.

 

[Profreedomokie]

My mistake above, the battery wasn't unhooked because we started the car each time we tried the top.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I called around the country today to see if anyone could advise me on the top. To my amazement some shops that specialize in Corvettes only, told me that they don't work on them because they are too complicated. I also found out from the Chevy dealer that the pump, the lines, and the screws for the window seals aren't available from GM anymore. Also, the dealer didn't have the oil for the hydraulic pump. I did call a top shop in Tulsa and the guy there says he is factory trained on these tops. He walked me through some things to check, I ask him if the oil level in the pump is very critical because the level was on the minimum line. He said it was very critical. So, tomorrow I'll continue the search for the correct oil. It blows my mind that I can order any part for my '62 Jaguar and I'm having a time finding parts for a '09 Vette.

 

[dennishoddy]

I called around the country today to see if anyone could advise me on the top. To my amazement some shops that specialize in Corvettes only, told me that they don't work on them because they are too complicated. I also found out from the Chevy dealer that the pump, the lines, and the screws for the window seals aren't available from GM anymore. Also, the dealer didn't have the oil for the hydraulic pump. I did call a top shop in Tulsa and the guy there says he is factory trained on these tops. He walked me through some things to check, I ask him if the oil level in the pump is very critical because the level was on the minimum line. He said it was very critical. So, tomorrow I'll continue the search for the correct oil. It blows my mind that I can order any part for my '62 Jaguar and I'm having a time finding parts for a '09 Vette.

Vehicles are like everything else these days. All disposable. They make the parts and when the model is discontinued, they are sold until they run out.
Back in the day, the gubberment required car builders to maintain a minimum of 10 years of spare parts then they could obsolete them, but don't think that is followed now.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I thought I was finished with it yesterday. I ran the top up and down and it worked fine. I called the owner to come get it and when she got there the top wouldn't close. Also, the back window was being hit by the tonneau cover. I stretched the straps and repined them so the cover wouldn't hit the window. The tonneau cover wasn't closing completely also. I pulled the tonneau cover pull down motor today to check out the gear in it. The gears are known to strip and housings are known to break also because both are made of plastic. The gear was fine but, there are three cracks in the housing. Who knows how long it will last. The owner will have to make a call on that one. I ran the top full cycle after all this work, and it worked like it should. I think the damn car is possessed. I guess I'll try and return it again tomorrow. Anybody on here ever work on these Vette tops?