Mazda Talk Forums

The hatch will open on my Miata MX 5, but the top will not retract. It chatters and will not progress to the next step. The small drive gear on the motor that powers the hatch open and close, has worn the end teeth off it's matching driven gear. Does it make sense that this is the problem and are the parts individually replaceable or do I have to replace the whole mechanism?
Mole

You might want to make sure that the screw that holds one of the gears against the other is tight. might be the reason why it is skipping. The screw is there to uncouple the 2 gears when you need to operate the top manually in case of the PRHT mechanism fails.

Thanks and you are right. That was the original problem. I tightened it and the top retracted for several months, but now even with the screw on both sides tight and the hatch fully open, the top will not open. What is the trigger that lets the second step (top opens), begin? Whatever that trigger is, is not happening.

lubricate all the moving
parts. fixed mine