Starting a new thread cause I got back to the original and I am not seeing any more replies. I'll start over here -
After a nice drive Sunday with the top dropped (it hit 80 here in Pittsburgh, today there is frost...) the top struggled to come up out of the boot, just kinda hung about halfway to the straight up position where the tonneau cover closes. I actually gave it a little help by hand to get it closed while holding the switch. It then finished and closed properly. Fluid was good at both positions, and the only thing I've got to do so far is check for any obvious hydraulic leaks - none found. I had cycled the top before taking the ride and stopped mid-cycle to kinda look things over and wipe down the frame and inside of the tonneau etc then it cycled fine And on an early top opperation a week or so earlier theire were no issue but the drive was much shorter. So a bit concerned and not sure what to look for the next time I drop it...
The Next time was yesterday, since I thought it might have something to do with the luggage separator. I checked it with the top half lowered, and it was in position correctly from what I could tell anyway. It then finished lowering without issue. But after a short trip for lunch, when I raised the top before pulling into my garage, it again just seemed to struggle coming up out of the boot storage area. It raised about a foot or so and just hung there, maybe barely moving. I gave it a fairly gentle boost with one hand through the next foot or so, to get it on up, (while holding the button, thank goodness I have long arms) then it finished closing normally without any more help. The cycling routine seems normal, with none of the strangeness I've read searching the threads. -I did not see any similar issues to mine (?). Any help would be appreciated! Could it be just tired hydraulics, or is there something else I should be looking for first? FYI, a new battery and did the above with the engine running anyway.

 

I'd say, do a few manual resets, both directions. Charge your battery anyway, WITH a charger and not a maintainer and with the battery cables removed (which would also perform a Hard Reset). They you would reset the front window travel and try the roof again.

 

Long time getting around to this but finally got the time and had good enough weather over the weekend. I was intending to do the resets, but had left the car in the garage top down a few days, when I raised the top it came right up, no hesitation or issues. (I did learn the top will clear my low garage so that's good to know.) I drove the car, dropped the top, drove some more, putting the top up again - no problem. Then the same again today. Seems fine and takes no more that ~20 seconds up or down.
The only difference I can think of is the other times it had trouble coming up to close, the car was parked on an uphill incline, maybe about 10 degrees. I have not tried it again in that same spot, but could that have made enough of a difference? I thought of that after parking it today.
Anyway at least I've gotten to drive now with the top down,a big reason for my wanting the car... but we might see snow again yet tomorrow.

I want to go throught the reset/manual top raise once anyway so I don't get stuck needing to do it and not ever done it.

 

Incline may be the straw that broke the camel's back.
wj

 

Always put the top up when you're parked in your garage. Otherwise, you will create permanent creases and wear marks in the canvas.

Stuart

 

I can attest to this. My 3y old top has slight creases. (I bought it in August). I'd guess prev owner kept the top down in the garage. Or it just wasn't given enough time up to stretch out.

 

You did not say whether the engine was running when raising the top. If not, it seems likely that the battery was not supplying the necessary power.

 

The engine was running and it was a fresh new battery as well. I have always operated convertible tops with the engine running. Actually tho I saw in one thread here it may not be a good idea to do so... too much pressure (?) tho I've seen no confirmation fo that and it seems counterintuitive to me if nothing more than for the battery's sake.

 

I've thought about it some more and thinking maybe the top, packed into its little compartment, could shift rearward, and that may have created the hang-up? i can't see the angle making the top that much more difficult to raise. I did take a rough measure of the angle tho, I just became curious actually and it is a bit closer to 15 degrees.