Hey guys,

ok heres hte deal....i am having a lot of trouble with my softtop. I dont know what to do as if yet but i was wondering if you guys could help me out.

1) THERE IS A LEAK IN THE TOP: Ive noticed that this has happened twice. Both times when im doign a car wash. First time i was handwashing the car at one of those place and when i hosed my passenger sider window towards the top water started hittig my friend who was on hte inside!!! then 2 days ago i take it to the touchless car wash at the Exxon on NOrth Tryon and then when they were rinsing the car, WATER STARTED LEAKING THROUGH BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVE...it wasnt a significant ammount, but it managed to get my left shoulder and my passengers right shoulder pretty wet. Prahbu, my best friend says its normal and has happened on his car as well....WELL IT SHOULDNT HAPPEN ON A 32K CAR!!!!!

2) THE TOP REFUSES TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN: I know that it some temperature it wont go down all the way and that u have to try again. However, not its warm and in the 60's and it still gives me a problem. It refuses to go that extra 1.5 inches down!!!. I sit there going top up, top down top up, top down...like so it gets warmed and what not. NOw i just lean over between the roll bars and push it down!

3) THE TOP NEEDS TO BE ALIGNED: This is not that serious and i beleive my dealer should be able to fix this fore me....thing is that i am not able to clamp my top down prooperly. Like i cant clamp down the driver side cuase its off. HEnce i have to first PULL hte passenger side down, so i can clamp that down first, and then the driver clamps wiht no problem...

HENCE U CAN SEE MY SOFTOP IS DRIVING ME INSANE...PLEAAAAAAASEE SAVE ME!!! Thanx a lot guys

-anu

 

For #1, the solution is pretty simple. The top is designed to keep relatively low pressure water out as it falls down onto the top. A hose squirting sideways or slightly up will cause water to hit the window and travel up along the window. This will go right around the weather seal at the top of the window. The trick is to angle your spray downward when washing the car. Also, don't use a nozzle that will result in a high pressure stream, and don't take it through an automatic carwash.

#2 has happened to me when it's cold out, but never when the top was warm.

#3 is a little more strange. Does one side meet the windshield and the other still have a gap, or is it a consistent gap all the way across? Are you using the grip in the center of the top to pull it into place before locking the clamps?

 

..ok, w/ regards to the leaking as a fellow carolina's member I am going to try my best to not flame ya too bad = READ YOUR MANUAL!!! ...It specificaly says no auto car washes. the high pressure water is terrible for the soft top, on both the seams and the seals. It is in you manual. Now, assuming you havent done any damage to those seals, when you bring the hand wash near them or the top, keep a good distance so you still spray it, but w/o all the high pressure.
===
===
sorry, ok got that out of me.
w/regards to the top not going down this time of year, I really dont know, except that it may go hand-in-hand w/the alignment problem you are having. That is what makes the most sense to me. if the top is mis-aligned check all of the cross members that come close to each other when the top folds up and see if there are any "rub marks" = that would answer the question.
==============
good luck w/ the latter half, and please show your car the TLC that we all know you have for her. no high pressure washes for the top.

LATER!!

 

im sorry for huting my car...yes i am an ass...lol...but yea i will definetly not do that nemore with the water. As for the alignment question, i actually pull down the passengerside down by pulling it down from the outside top through the passenger window...not using the middle grip thingy.

-anu

 

You always pull it down from outside, and not the handle? Or you are having to do that now that you are having problems? Again, i do believe its a good possiblity that your alignment problems are a direct coralation to it not dropping properly. As most of our parents have told us in the past, "stop making it worse and fix it". I would agree w/your initial statement and allow the honda peeps take a look and resolve it for you, before it gets any worse. Just my .02 let me know when they are done what the resolution was. Good LUck.

chris.

 

AcePrince,

Mine is a 2000 year model, but it turns out the top was not going down that last inch or two. (Khorrocks pointed it out to me during a meet one time). That was probably the reason the boot cover was such a pain to put on.

Anyway...I took it in to Hendrick Honda on South Blvd. (The BEST service dept. ever!) and the made some sort of adjustment (under warranty) that makes it go down flat now. Well worth the time to check it out. Can't say if it will apply to the '03's or not....give them a call, ask for Bill. (Service Mgr.) Good luck!

 

Sheila, are u telling me that if i need any attn to my baby, its worth the trip home to have them take care of it on South blvd?
-
cuz i know i hate taking it to Crown.....hate, hate hate!!!!
-
and i havnt heard any other glowing rpts of the dealerships around here either.

 

ive also heard Hendrick honda's service department is really great....however...LEPOINTE HONDA IS HORIBLE....i went there for htem to check my oil for me and they told me "just pour like a court in" im like WTF. So when i went home to NJ i got it cheked my princeotn honda and they even told me that those guy must have been smoking crack.....but thanx sheila..im definetly going to chek out hendrick honda and see if they can help me out

-ANU

 

Yeah...you could do a search and get specifics, but a lot of local Charlotte area folks have praised Hendrick Honda for service. Don't know about the 3-hour one-way drive though!

 

I have to do my driver side first, Sometimes. Nothing to worry about.