A dead battery story

[007Cruiser]

Bottom line... a dead battery will not trap you in your car. It takes more effort to open the door but you can do it without breaking the glass. The car was designed to take this into account. Unlatching the soft top will make it easier but isn't required. The first time this happens is a little unnerving.

[5bird7]

Dot,
I think I read it right. You say the doors did not unlock because of a dead battery? You were trapped in a hot car.
Bad design, relying on battery power to escape. Even worse if this happened in Houston recently. There needs to be a mechanical way to unlock the drivers door from the inside.
HKS

Doors were easy to unlock with the handle but like others said above, the window drop didn't work because of the dead battery.

I've had an issue with the window drop dropping enough ever since we took the hard top off a couple of years ago (hardtop had been on for 3 years straight). Without the drop working at all, the window stayed inside it's channel. I also think the soft top is sitting slightly lower than it should, not sure why. Sometimes I can reposition the soft top by taking it down then later putting it back up, but then the window drop only works correctly for about a week. Not sure what is causing the soft top to settle down lower. The effect though with a dead battery is that it becomes difficult to open the door. Took about 6 or 7 hard pushes to finally get the window to pop out of the channel so I could open the door to get out.

[5bird7]

Bottom line... a dead battery will not trap you in your car. It takes more effort to open the door but you can do it without breaking the glass. The car was designed to take this into account. Unlatching the soft top will make it easier but isn't required. The first time this happens is a little unnerving.

Unlatching the soft top made no difference. I could not budge the soft top even a mm. Would have been a relief if it had moved even a cm.

[007Cruiser]

Sounds like you have a soft top problem.

[HKS]

Sounds like you have a soft top problem.

And that would explain why the window short drop is no longer correct, if the soft top settles.

In the case where calibration was done before it settled.

HKS

P.S. Sounds like the soft top mechanism's hydraulic cylinder, that is supposed to maintain pressure, has a leaky seal.
I have a motorized bed for Kay (I am her caregiver) and it also has an electric motor/pump actuating a hydraulic piston to raise the head of the bed. Over time, the bed drifts lower due to seals not being the best.
I believe motorized beds, automobile soft tops and electric power steering vehicles, all use the same principle.

[2bad4u]

As opposed to a dead battery, I noticed the following to latch your soft top easily. Just drop off a bit your windows before latching your soft top. It will be easier to latch the soft top without making more pressure on yours J-Hooks. Once your soft top is latched, have your windows to be closed properly.

[2bad4u]

Unlatching the soft top made no difference. I could not budge the soft top even a mm. Would have been a relief if it had moved even a cm.

I am quite a bit surprised about that after unlatching the soft top made no difference. So, what is the need of the J-hooks if the soft top could not move any mm? As I can see,
the J-Hooks make more pressure to close the soft top after latching for more milimeters. I do not understand this one. Just explain to me what was happening with you.

[2bad4u]

I am quite a bit surprised about that after unlatching the soft top made no difference. So, what is the need of the J-hooks if the soft top could not move any mm? As I can see,
the J-Hooks make more pressure to close the soft top after latching for more milimeters. I do not understand this one. Just explain to me what was happening with you.

Tell us the true story. I checked mine and when I unlatched my soft top and I am gaining at least one cm to release the windows.

[2bad4u]

Dot,
I think I read it right. You say the doors did not unlock because of a dead battery? You were trapped in a hot car.
Bad design, relying on battery power to escape. Even worse if this happened in Houston recently. There needs to be a mechanical way to unlock the drivers door from the inside.
HKS

This problem is called: Code 18. It means: 18 inches from the steering wheel...

[2bad4u]

Sounds like you have a soft top problem.

It is not a soft top problem. It is a problem called: Code 18.

[steelblue5505]

How can the soft top settle or sag? When it comes down on to the windshield header that's as far down as it should can go. If the top's segmented pieces along & above the window unfold to their position they are straight and when the top is raised these piece fold back onto themselves. Just can't see how the soft top can sag.

Also can not imagine the window channel can prevent the glass from popping out of the channel if enough force is applied.