It appears the first beam (the one that runs overhead of the driver’s seat) in my 2000 Saab convertible has become slightly inwardly sloped, just barely. When I try to put the top down, it goes to its highest point and then gives me a “Soft top failure” message on the SDI screen.
My questions are:
1) Is it possible to fix (tap out?) this bent metal rod or replace it alone?
2) If I can’t fix the rod, is it difficult to self-install a new roof, which would save me at least $1,000 on the dealer’s estimate ($1,000 parts, $500 labor).
Yes, I learned the hard way not to put a high pressure hose on the roof. I feel like a doggone moron.
No, none of the other beams were affected (I was washing out some bird splatter).
Thanks to all for your help!
If the bend is all that is wrong, what have you got to lose by doing a little “precision forming” which is in effect bending it back? If you fail the beam is going to be replaced anyway.
Can you see the bend? Is it noticably different now from before? There should be a way to secure the bottom of a jack of some sort without damage to the seats or interior and then apply some upward pressure to the beam and bend it back into original shape. Crude but if it works saves you some money. If it fails you are not worse off than before.
Before the rebend, lubricate the joints of the top mechanism. Over time they may be stiff and some lube may make take some stress off the top raising and lowering mechanism. My T’bird was jerky as the top went down and some lube made a big improvement. The bend may not be the problem, so try some lube first and see if it helps.