Hi,

I drive a 2005 crossfire roadster...as my daily driver...and my wife drives it on week-ends. She loves the crossfire too, but has one major complaint...besides the cupholder.

She has a very hard time opening and especially closing the top by herself. I have not driven another roadster to compare...but the tension in the top is very taught...and very hard to leverage. I have mastered closing it with one hand...but I am built pretty solid.

Do others have this same problem? My wife is only 5'3'' and very petite. I tried lubrication to the top hinges...but that did not help.

My wife feels that the Crossfire Roadster was not made or intended fr women to drive...but I strongly dis-agree with that.

I am therefore soliciting comments...especially other female Crossfire Roadster owners.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Also, the dealer says there is not any adjustment for the top to make it easier to open and close...but as we all know on this forum...dealers do not know about our cars!

 

I am a 40 yr old woman and also 5'3". I have had no problem with working anything on the Crossfire.

But then I also am a DJ/KJ and lift heavy equipment and speakers regularly....

 

My 18 yo daughter who has had her SRT roadster since she was 16 is 5'6" 115 lbs and has no problem opening and closing the top. May she just need to practice a bit because she thinks she is going to break it.

 

My wife doesn't drive my XF, but can say it's very easy to operate.

 

Suggust she uses both hands right pulling down strong enough to overcome the initial enertia and the left pushing up somewhat less to keep it from slaming nice, smooth, quite closure

 

My wife is petite too but has never complained about the top. I guess she knows that if she does complain I won't let her drive it again.

 

I'm 50, 5'2" & worked out my own system of closing the top. Push in the button and twist the handle with your right hand while bracing the top with your left hand. Pull down gradually, you may have to tug a little for the last little bit of it, then when you no longer see light thru the crack, turn the handle to the lock position. Don't slam it. It's noisy and doesn't work. Use finesse.

 

I think it is just the tecnique. I had a hard time thi first few times after I bought it but it is a snap once you get used to it. You just grab the handle, turn it like you do to unlock it and pull down and back a bit. It is tight though which is part of what makes it a quality automobilt. The top is not cheap cloth and it doesn't buffit up and down at 60+ with the top up like the cheap ones (Z) do.

 

mickey5469 has it exactly right for putting the top up. I don't understand why she has a hard time putting the top down. Twist the handle and the top pops up and the windows automatically go down. See if maybe she is twisting the handle without the key being on. I made that mistake when I first bought the Crossfire. When you do that, the windows don't lower first and you can damage them.

Personally I wish the Crossfire had a simple to operate top like the Miata. You can raise and lower the top one handed manually from the drivers seat in seconds. No motors, electrical latches, or micro switches to go bad. Buy her a Miata and you'll have the Crossfire to yourself, sounds like a good plan to me.

Let us know what worked for her. Share the knowledge.

 

Thanks everyone for your comments so far. You are right that the Technique with 2 hands, one pulling down and the other pushing up works pretty good for her now.

But, it is still hard to overcome the hinge spring action force to close it. There has got to be some sort of adjustment for it. I do not have a service manual for the roadster...only the 2004 coupe manual that was posted on this website.

If someone has a 2005 Roadster manual...could you look this up and see if there is any adjustment that can be done?

Thanks

Ben

 

Tell your wife to leave her top up.

 

My wife is 5' 2", small and has no problems at all.

 

Top works like and has the exact same tension that my 97 Audi Cabriolet had. My wife (size 4) could do it she just thought it was harder than it should be for $40000 plus cars. But my wonderfull wife of 30+ years has yet to like 1 single car I have owned from my 74 Alfa spider; MB 280SL; Cad Sevile; Audi Cab; Jag - doesn't matter she doesn't like them - As I I type this - I bet that if I got a Audi A6 wagon just like her's - she wouldn't like that either - BUT THAT's OK - she never drives them; never have to adjust the seat and she has let me buy what I want for 30 years.

 

I can't figure out if your bragging or venting. You just described married life perfectly. LOL

 

Yeah, I hate that. My super model wife hates all my toys from my Lear jet, to by 100 ft yacht. I can't figure her out.......

 

I don't think my wife even knows how to operate it. It is always down unless it is parked somewhere strange over night.

 

This might help as the 2006 SRT6 Manual covers the tops.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ad.php?t=13875

And this TBS you might want to look into: TBS: 13-Dec-05 - 23-019-05A - Body - Convertible Top is Hard to Close https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...&highlight=TBS

From what I've seen in the manual it seems to be right on about mechanical end of it, but as far as the diag's on the electrical end I don't know.

 

Cntbill,

Thanks....this is great info...just what I was looking for.

I looked at all the TSB PDF's that I downloaded from people that have posted them...zip files and all others...but I am missing that number 23-019-05A...Where can I find that PDF? Any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks again,

Ben

 

Yesterday I must have spent 2 hrs. trying to find info on another related TBS that wasn't in the zip file. Doing a Google search, etc... I could find references to them but no information on what was in the TSB, except one site that wanted like $30. to view... figured I could just drive down to the dealer and ask them for that price.

 

Hello,

Here is some experience I encountered a couple of months ago.
I had to replace my winshield because of a huge crack. The guy really made a bad job and I had to bring my car back because it was almost impossible to lock or unlock the top !!! I told me that everything was fine !!
I like perfect things and decided to remove the parts all around the windsreen, just to find the issue. After having removed the Grey part at the top of the sreen, I discovered that the gasket (black and large) was not in place, not deep enough. I removed it and replaced it correctly with a large screwdriver and a lot of silicon (easier to put rubber in metal), reinstalled evrything. It was a success !! Locking and unlocking that soft roof was really easier.
Then, Maybe you should have a look at that !!

Cheers