350z top won’t move

[playero_loko]

So I just purchased a 350z roadster and the doesn’t move. The passenger seat moves forward, windows go down and then the back of the top half way release and a clicking nose is heard

Can that just be the 5th bow motor or is there something else I can check?

[VStar650CL]

If the 5th-Bow latch releases and then it quits with the front half of the roof still horizontal, the likely culprit is one of the detector switches in the storage lid or a broken wire in the storage lid umbilical bundle. There's a step-by-step chart on pages 19~23 here that will show you what each motor and sensor should be doing at each point in the operation:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 9%2FRF.pdf

I don't think there are any meaningful differences between the roof systems from '04 to '09. The majority of the ones I've repaired over the years have had busted wires in the umbilical. I always extend the wires to make a loop at the base of storage lid similar to a door umbilical, instead of a direct bend. That spreads the flex across a much longer wire length and greatly reduces the fatigue so it's less likely to happen again. The other problem I see frequently in 350's is weak bungee ribbons between the center bows causing the front of the roof to lift incorrectly at steps 8 or 9. That probably isn't the issue on your roof, but it can be fixed by making a 1~2" S-bend in the ribbon to increase tension and "stitching" it in place with 4 or 5 small zip ties through the material.

[2003PATHFINDER2022]

I've only had two convertibles in my life a, a little 1972 Fiat 850 Spider and a 1968 Corvett. Both had manual operated tops, no problems ever with either one. For some reason their are 3 times the number of 350z Roadsters for sale than hard tops. Some of the later year convertibles I have seen with the super complex engineering that went in to all the highly complex movement of top and opening/closing of the trunk make me shudder when I think of the thousands of problems that are sure to happen much sooner than later. To me the 'Rags' are nothing but a money pit on wheels, the top, the leakage, the rust, the carpet and seats deteriorating too soon, and ZERO roll over protection! Just endless trouble. I guess I must be a hard top kind of guy, Had a friend in the 80's, had a pretty Red old Carman Ghia, he wore the old sporty cap on his head and we would see him driving in the rain, he'd come into the bar and grin and say "A true sport NEVER puts his top up"...priceless!

[VStar650CL]

I've only had two convertibles in my life a, a little 1972 Fiat 850 Spider and a 1968 Corvett. Both had manual operated tops, no problems ever with either one. For some reason their are 3 times the number of 350z Roadsters for sale than hard tops. Some of the later year convertibles I have seen with the super complex engineering that went in to all the highly complex movement of top and opening/closing of the trunk make me shudder when I think of the thousands of problems that are sure to happen much sooner than later. To me the 'Rags' are nothing but a money pit on wheels, the top, the leakage, the rust, the carpet and seats deteriorating too soon, and ZERO roll over protection! Just endless trouble. I guess I must be a hard top kind of guy, Had a friend in the 80's, had a pretty Red old Carman Ghia, he wore the old sporty cap on his head and we would see him driving in the rain, he'd come into the bar and grin and say "A true sport NEVER puts his top up"...priceless!

If you think the Z's are bad, don't even think about a Murano Cabriolet. Just as complicated, but the third-fourth bow cylinders are the highest point in the system and even a little bit of air heads straight to the tippy-top and stops the roof in its tracks half-folded. No bleed fittings anyplace, the system is sealed, so we end up installing screen-door springs to assist the weakened cylinders and get them working again (yah, you heard that right, screen door springs).

[2003PATHFINDER2022]

I can dig it! Made me remember the day I used a leg of the wife's panty hose as a fan belt to get the Vett home.