Hi all,
I am a new member seeking help for my daughter's '96 Chrysler Sebring JXI convertible. A year ago I purchased the car from its sole owner who seemed to keep it well maintained. Until recently, the convertible top had been lowering and raising without any issues. While my daughter was out of town, she said that the top began to "jerk" and make "creaking" sounds when she lowered and raised the top by pushing the button. Since then, we have left the top up. Do convertibles have parts that should be regularly lubricated? If so, how? What could be wrong with the convertible top? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

Might need to check the hydraulic system that powers the top. After 24 years it could have developed a small leak and be low on fluid. There are shops that specialize in convertible tops. You are much more likely to get a proper repair by taking it to a place that works on them all day every day than a dealer that probably has no one trained on how to fix a 24 year-old car and rarely works on convertibles at all.

If you get "stuck" with the top down and the system not working well, you can probably get the top up by having somebody hold the button while a second person carefully provides an assist by gently "helping" the top come up by hand.