RedBarediver Posted May 10 Report Share Posted May 10 Hi all, On the off chance someone has one lying around in the shed...I am looking for a roof relay for an early 986 (mine's a 1997). The part number is 986.618.111.02 I got a relay from Douglas Valley Breakers but it is for the later cars so is a 986.618.199.00. It fits and I can see it works because it turns off the roof warning light on the dash that has been on since my roof issues began but that's all it does. The roof does not operate with it - at all. Alternatively if you know of a workaround I'm happy to give that a go too. I have an iCarsoft for Porsche if I need to clear codes or something. Failing that I guess I'll have to fork over another £200 for a new relay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 10 Author Report Share Posted May 10 24 minutes ago, RedBarediver said: Hi all, On the off chance someone has one lying around in the shed...I am looking for a roof relay for an early 986 (mine's a 1997). The part number is 986.618.111.02 I got a relay from Douglas Valley Breakers but it is for the later cars so is a 986.618.199.00. It fits and I can see it works because it turns off the roof warning light on the dash that has been on since my roof issues began but that's all it does. The roof does not operate with it - at all. Alternatively if you know of a workaround I'm happy to give that a go too. I have an iCarsoft for Porsche if I need to clear codes or something. Failing that I guess I'll have to fork over another £200 for a new relay... Screw it. I went ahead and ordered a replacement from my local OPC. They were the cheapest at £188 excl VAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted May 10 Report Share Posted May 10 Have you asked Douglas Valley if they have one from an early car or did you just select from what they had listed on eBay? I assume you'll send the wrong one back tot hem for refund as you are permitted to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 10 Author Report Share Posted May 10 5 hours ago, ½cwt said: Have you asked Douglas Valley if they have one from an early car or did you just select from what they had listed on eBay? I assume you'll send the wrong one back tot hem for refund as you are permitted to do. I have asked but they don't have any advertised so I doubt they have one. And yes, I plan to send the other one back for a refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phazed Posted May 11 Report Share Posted May 11 Are you sure it’s the relay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 12 Author Report Share Posted May 12 (edited) 9 hours ago, phazed said: Are you sure it’s the relay? A couple of reasons I think it's the relay; 1) With the original relay installed the roof motor doesn't stop running and just continues until the rams go into free play, 2) there is corrosion on the relay from where it must have gotten in some water. Even if it's not the relay I would want to change the relay in any case as I am sure it won't last much longer. Once they have corrosion started then it's pretty much game over. If not immediately, then imminently. Most tellingly, the relay I received from Steve Strange turns off the warning light on the dashboard. Unfortunately, it doesn't do anything else. Won't run the motor. Then, when I plug in the old relay, it operates the roof but the dash warning light won't turn off. It could be that one of the microswitches are messing around (if any then I bet it's the one behind the B-pillar) but I won't know until I get the new relay installed. In fact, thinking about it I doubt the new relay would have turned off the warning light if one of the microswitches were bad. Just a hunch. Edited May 12 by RedBarediver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 12 Author Report Share Posted May 12 (edited) I took the car out with the roof down just now and about five minutes into the drive I noticed the roof warning light on the dashboard had turned off. I stop, put the roof back up, dash light remains on but maybe I didn't move it far enough. I go get milk and get back in the car. Put the roof down and once the roof stops moving the dashboard warning light turns off by itself. Happy days. I drive back home wondering if the warning light will turn off when I put the roof back up. Alas, no. One of two things could be wrong now as far as I can see - 1) either the relay is fine (it's not) or 2) there is a bum microswitch. There is also a third option - namely that I just need to adjust the roof travel a bit more, but I doubt that's the case. If all it needed was to be adjusted a bit more so that the microswitch closes then the warning light would turn off when I latch the roof, and it doesn't. I'm still going to replace the relay and I guess then we'll see. Exciting times. Edited May 12 by RedBarediver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxob Posted May 12 Report Share Posted May 12 On 5/10/2024 at 2:46 PM, RedBarediver said: Screw it. I went ahead and ordered a replacement from my local OPC. They were the cheapest at £188 excl VAT. https://www.9apart.co.uk/product-page/porsche-boxster-986-97-99-hood-roof-control-relay £184 inc VAT delivered. I was quoted £225 by OPC but when I told them I could get it new from 9Apart for much less they dropped their price to £182! Would be worth challenging them if not too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 12 Author Report Share Posted May 12 42 minutes ago, Boxob said: https://www.9apart.co.uk/product-page/porsche-boxster-986-97-99-hood-roof-control-relay £184 inc VAT delivered. I was quoted £225 by OPC but when I told them I could get it new from 9Apart for much less they dropped their price to £182! Would be worth challenging them if not too late. Too late unfortunately as the money is already in their account. No matter though. It is what it is. As long as the blasted roof operates properly. For what it's worth if anyone is looking for one Steve Strange came back to me and he dos have a second hand one. Unfortunately I can't return the one I ordered from Porsche or I would have grabbed his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRC Posted May 13 Report Share Posted May 13 Have you checked the operation of the B pillar microswitch? It's pretty easy to get to and, from memory, just requires a small 8 mm spanner to undo one awkward nut, then the cover pulls off. The B pillar micro switch switches the control voltage from the double relay unit "to earth" (NPN system in the control world), so it's pretty easy to test. The earth point is under the passenger's seat. You're at the same point as I was .... I wasn't TOTALLY sure that it was the double relay module that was at fault, a second hand one would be at least 20 years old, so prone to the the same issues, and I wasn't prepared to shell out over £200 to find that there was nothing wrong with the module and that it was something else that I hadn't investigated enough. In the end, I chickened out and kept it all in "Fail safe" (aka manual) mode. Looking at the wiring diagream, I would have thought the the "clamshell switch" on the back shelf might have come into the roof wiring, but it doesn't seem to. I hope the new double relay solves your problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 13 Author Report Share Posted May 13 2 hours ago, CRC said: Have you checked the operation of the B pillar microswitch? It's pretty easy to get to and, from memory, just requires a small 8 mm spanner to undo one awkward nut, then the cover pulls off. The B pillar micro switch switches the control voltage from the double relay unit "to earth" (NPN system in the control world), so it's pretty easy to test. The earth point is under the passenger's seat. I had that whole thing off last week when I did the interior colour change and it all looked fine (the roof was messing me around already before I did the colour change so it's not something I did then). 2 hours ago, CRC said: I hope the new double relay solves your problem. So do I... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 14 Author Report Share Posted May 14 Just got a call from my local Porsche dealer. The relay for my wayward roof has arrived. So, after work this afternoon I shall start fixing it again. Hopefully this time for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedBarediver Posted May 14 Author Report Share Posted May 14 (edited) The relay is in. I had to manually open the clamshell from inside the car again, and get the gears on the transmission again. Once that was done I replaced the relay and sort of lined up the arms so they look more or less the same. I was expecting to spend hours getting it all lined up and closing flush etc. In the end it took a total of about 25 minutes from start to finish, including opening the clamshell and everything. Ran the roof a few times and to my delight it's all fine. The clamshell closes properly and doesn't sit high on one side or anything. All warning lights turn off and electrical motor stops as it should. Very happy indeed. That relay seems to have been money well spent Edited May 14 by RedBarediver 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRC Posted May 15 Report Share Posted May 15 Good stuff. Well done. I know well that feeling of apprehension when you press the switch for the first time on what you know was a quite expensive gamble ..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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