[aaronturbo]

first thing on the manual release have you removed the cover that hides the roof lock motor in the front?

a simple thing to check seems as the alarm is sounding is has the battery got enough charge, is the alternator charging correct? try checking with a multi meter your looking for around 14.4 v engine running,

you said fuses look fine, when you unhook the rear of the roof as it raises there is a pressure switch on both sides, this can get bent and or broken, check these.

the roof on these old rag tops is fairly simple, however there is like 8 motors so diagnosis can be a bit of a pain, also check your handbrake switch is good as the roof will not operate if it thinks the handbrake is down.

Also could be the roof control module, you can get these fairly cheep on ebay, however some people say you need it reprogrammed, others have had no issues just swapping them over.

it would be best to get a proper code read using dice/vida to get the roof codes. because then at least you will know where to start.

if you struggle to get the front to release manually get some one to push down gently on the front of the roof as you try and unlock it, because with out being able to get it open at all will be a nuisance to even try and fix the issue.

hope some of this might be of some help to make a start. love getting the roof down on these sunny days we have been seeing.