The dreaded "top flap won't open"

[ptooner]

It always seems to happen just before a show.  I was staging (wiping down) in a covered area just before driving onto the concours field Friday when I pulled the handle.  The top released and the passenger's side released but the driver's side didn't and the handle went all the way around.  I decided to leave the top up rather than trying to jimmy it and not be able to get it back up in case it rained.  (it did)  Saturday morning I tackled the problem.  I could release the top using a large pair of channel lock pliers with just the fixed jaw reaching through from the trunk at the center access hole.  Then I tried every method I found on the forum and tech manual.  What finally worked was a slight variation on the special tool shown on a German website.  I am attaching a photo of the copy I made FYI.  The length of the short piece is critical.  If it's too long you can't get it in position and if it's too short the release slips off of it.  I plan to add some grooves to the bottom of mine before I store it in my trunk took kit.  It's 5mm aluminum bar stock bTW.  With the flap finally open I discovered that my problem was the lever that the control handle shaft goes through.  The hole has two flat sides to mate up with the flats on the control shaft and mine had rounded out.  I called the local dealer Saturday afternoon and he said the part would have to come from Germany but I received it this morning for $14.50.  Yes the decimal is in the right place.  It did require some time with a dremel tool because none of the holes were quite large enough but all is back assembled now.  Someone who knows how should organize all the info on this subject in one place since apparently it's a common problem. 

[mdsalemi]

When this happened to me last year, the "special tool" used by the shop was a piece of old brake line bent into a j-hook, and pushed through the hinge hole in the trunk.  Luckily mine had not rounded off like yours, but the nut on the end had just come off, with the plate.  All in all I got out of it for about $100 I think...whew...

[Tal]

this is much easier:
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=18137.0