Yep, that's exactly the result from a broken flap gear. When it happend, if the flap does'nt fold at is normal position, (there are micro switchs on both sides of the linkage telling the ecm that the plipper is in position)...then, the top stop closing or opening and a "beep" occur, telling you there's a problem with the top operation.

So, replacing the failed gear will resolve the problem for sure!
if you want to purchase my gears(solid steel, all assemble and ready to install) , here's my email "guy.menard305@videotron.ca"
Important note: price has dropped since this quote was posted

 

Convertible issue. I just purchased me 2014 Q60 convertible. I noticed the trunk doesn't always stay open and when the convertible is being open and closed the trunk lid comes down with a loud "thunk" at the very end of closing (when the top is in the trunk) I am guessing I need two new pneumatic lifters. Also does the 2014 Q60 convertible suffer from the stripped gears as well? Thanks .

 

As for the trunk lid falling: You will for sure need new shocks (can get it on Amazon for relativly cheap). For the "thunk" when the trunk lid is closing, it's normal...They do all that! Flippers gears problem is very common and affect all years from 2009 to 2015...Even if they changed the gears design in 2012, it's a result of bad engineering... they are made from cheap plastic and, they all fail down after couple years.

Ihave a solution for that flipper problem : New replacement gears ,made from solid steel, design and engineered to exceed oem specs. If you're in need someday... you can contact me anytime at "guy.menard305@videotron.ca'.

 

Are the shocks the same for a konvertible as the coupe? I looked on the infiniti website and I didn't see any difference. How were the gears made? 3D or CNC? Thanks

 

Nope, vert are way longer... here's the Amazon link:
Gears are machined and made from solid steel. They are direct fit for all years!

 

Hi Guy,
I have a 2014 Q60 and I am relatively sure that I have fallen prey to the flapper gear problem. When I attempt to open the roof, It starts the process, then when the flappers move out, the passenger side one opens fine, but the driver side flapper opens about half way and stops. I then get the 'trunk open' message. Luckily, I am able to close it all back up again after restarting the engine.

I am interested in trying to fix this myself, but I'm wondering if anyone has the relevant pages from the service manual, or otherwise can share instructions on how to do it.
Secondly, how sure can I be that this is the same problem that has been discussed through this thread? Are the describes symptoms enough? There is no error code thrown by this.
Let me know if I can provide any additional info, and if it looks like this is the problem, I will go ahead and contact you about getting the gears. I already ordered new trunk supports, which I can definitely use - a hard rain is enough to make the lid close on my head, LOL!
Thanks!


Flapper opens halfway and stops.

LuckyJack

 

Hi folks,
Bought the lift supports Guy mentioned above. Easy to install. They work great! I could not believe that for years now I had just 'assumed' that the trunk on the vert was just heavy and hard to lift and I had to live with it. It didn't occur to me that the lifts were shot. I bought the car w only 10K miles on it and 2 yrs old (2014) and it's behaved that way since the start. Anyway, very happy about this.
Related note, I did obtain the flapper gears from Guy and have started the repair. Will post w questions as I go along.

 

My lifts were easy to install as well. YES, please take photos of the gears and I really want to hear about the installation process and any pointers.

Good luck

 

I finished the repair on the driver's side and it worked great and so far the roof works perfectly. Opened/closed it about 5-6 times so far w/ no issues. I only took a few photos, but I do intend to retroactively fix the passenger side and when I do that I will take more photos as I go along.
A few pointers though:
1. Removal of trunk liner: the flaps have to be at least partially open to get the liner off - I had no issues removing it in the half-open position. After removal, I put the trunk release and bumpers back on temporarily so I could more easily use the car if necessary. In fact, the liner is still off so I can fix the other side (eventually).
2. I performed the work in the roof up position, and I found it very easy to perform the fix in that position.
3. Definitely put a tarp or sheet over the trunk area to catch all the metal filings from drilling out the rivets. I did not, and it was a pain vacuuming all that up. The sharp filings stick in the carpet.
4. Rivet drilling: this was definitely the hardest part - but mostly because I was not using an appropriate drill bit. For the first two, the bit I used was too dull, and too narrow. I used I think 5/32, which is a bit narrower than the opening. When I finally got through using this dull bit, the rivet didn't even come out and I could not get it out until I finally switched to a proper bit - a nice new, sharp, bit that was BIGGER than the opening - It was 1/4 inch. Once I switched to that, all the rivets came out perfectly and easily. You just have to go carefully as you don't want to damage the hole. I had no issues with that.
5. Removing the motor was pretty easy, as long as you have a right-angle tool (see pic).
6. For removal of the gear unit, at first I left all the electrical in place, and that was fine, except that when it comes to reinstallation of the gear to the roof, it's much easier if the electrical connector is unhooked, so I would recommend that.
7. Here's a big one: be very careful not to drop any of the tiny plastic pieces that hold the gear together! I dropped one, and it took me about 40 very frustrating minutes to find it. I stupidly left my tool bag, rubbish barrel and 2 planters right below my work area, any of which it could have dropped into. So I wound up crawling around on the ground, emptying out my tool bag and the rubbish and finally found it hiding in a far corner.
8. The felt covering on the flexible drive cable had come unraveled at the gear end. It's actually just triple felt-covered wires wrapped around the cable. I wasn't sure the best way to handle that, but wound up using a flexible gorilla glue and re-winding it. I hope it holds up over time. See picture.
9. Reassembly. After re-riveting the unit back in place, I found that using my fingers to get the flapper all the way against the roof was very difficult. The passenger side was in there pretty hard and I knew I needed to match its position as closely as possible, but I could not twist the cable hard enough to get it solidly against the stop. So what I did was connect the cable to my drill - not tightening it too much - and set the drill clutch very high so I wouldn't accidently over twist it. That worked perfectly.
Good luck to anyone facing doing this repair! I may post these notes to the other thread so it will be in both places.

The drill bit I used (1/4"), and the tools used to remove the motor.

The gear unit all cleaned out, and the old busted plastic gear alongside the new one.

My attempt to repair the felt covering on the drive cable using flexible gorilla glue. You can see how the covering is just strands wound around it.

 

Thank you for the photos and the tips. I will make sure to have a clean area in case anything falls to the ground. I have done the hide and seek with parts many times before. Once a tiny part hid from me for about a year before I found it. How is the gear manufactured? Is it 3D printed? Just wondering about durability.

Thanks

 

I can't pretend doing the appreciation for LuckyJack but...my gears are solid steel, engineered and machined to overwrite oem specs and will last the entire remaining life of the car!!!

 

Yes, I confirm I did obtain the gears from Guy, and they are of excellent quality. Here's a pic I took of them.

 

Hey guys,

looking at buying a 2011 G37S convertible, its in great shape but the roof wont work. I’m told it needs a hydrolic pump. I’m fine to pay for the fix, as long as it in fact fixes it (I’m seeing that recurrent issues are a common thing with this car).

my question is for those that installed a new hydrolic pump, did that fix your issue, or did other issues keep coming up?

is there anything I should have looked at before buying, given this issue?

thanks!

 

Hydraulic. Not "hydrolic."

Is this a private sale or through a dealer of some sort? In other words, who told you that it needs a hydraulic pump? I have not heard of any failure in the hydraulics of this roof mechanism. Flapper gears, yes, hydraulic-related failures, none. Not to say it can't happen, however.

Will you be having a independent, pre-purchase inspection performed? I would STRONGLY suggest you take the car to a dealership and have them run a diagnostic on the roof. This roof mechanism is very complex and costly to repair. The hydraulic system alone- IF that is the issue- is ON SALE at $6,972.91!Normal retail is around $14,500.



In other words, even if the deal is "great, " if you are not careful you will be paying more to fix the roof than the whole car is worth. Not to mention the other potential issues these 'Verts have- mainly the flaps.

Do not get me wrong. These are fun and reliable cars for the most part. However, the retractable hardtop is not the easiest to diagnose and repair for the average owner.

Get a second opinion on how deep the pit is before you jump in. Just my 10¢.

 

Thanks for your reply. I will have a pre-inspection done.

With that said, for those with experience with this car / this forum - once the car has an issue with the top and you have it properly diagnosed and fixed, do issues tend to keep popping up or does it "stay fixed"?