My 'vert care and service guide is at home, but their are two hydralic ram cylinders. I believe that there's one on each side of the rear seat attached to the top frame work. The electric pump motor and pump/resivoir are behind the rear seat.
The trouble I have - When I hold down the button for the top to come up, it strains, your hear it trying to go up and it goes up a few inches and hangs, without any support by pulling it up slightly it wont go up...
Have you taken your rear seat out before? You can just pop off the lower cushion (by pushing towards the rear of the car). Then there are 3 screws to remove each trim panel on the sides of the seats... In there, you will find your cylinders.
Yeah, the motor pushes the fluid through the lines and into the cylinders. I think you can fill it on the Drivers side if I remember. It's been about 5 months since I was in there doing the same thing.
The reservoir's plug is on the passenger side of the motor, even though it sits in the middle of the car. On a level surface, remove the filler plug. This is deeply in the motor and you will likely need needle nose pliers to get it out. Careful not to rip it.
You fill it like a rear end - to the bottom of the threads - with ATF. You then replace the stopper (not all of the way) and run the top up and down 6 times to bleed the system. You then recheck the fluid and repeat as many times as necessary.
To get to the cylinders, you must take out the rear panels.
Mine was like that when I got it. I managed to talk the guy down a couple hundred bucks when I bought the car cause I was cryin about the top not working right. But then I took it home and filled up the pump and like new again...Ah, yes...I am evil! woohaahaahaa!
that sure is one annoying task, that stupid thing is in the worst spot, i got to it over the rear seat cause i couldnt figure out how to take out the entire rear back part...
Finally fully did this task, and sure enough, the top is going up and down at full speed now. just popped the plug, filled the fluid and did it a few times up and down, then popped it back off again and refilled, thanks guys