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Ok, so I spring for an OEM top, right? Got it last month. I'm so happy. I put it on the car, kinda did a speedy job of it, but nothing seems to be too much the matter with it, so I leave it and it does great...until last weekend. I guess it managed to shake it's way loose a little. So it started to rattle. In an attempt to solve the problem, I went back in and re-adjusted things to make it fit more snug. Seemed to work great, until I was driving around for about an hour and a half or so, and then it went from snug to undrivable in about 30 mins. I don't understand...I was under the impression that these tops are made to be quiet.
How do I shut this thing up?
Check the striker plates on the windshield frame. Nearly everyone that has hard and soft top rattles overlooks this area and quite often these are visibly loose. To prevent the bolts from coming loose over and over again use threadlock on the bolts, also grease up all of the rubber weather stripping with Shin-etsu grease. You may still get occasional rattling from the folded soft top now and then but that is normal.
If it is installed correctly, it should very quiet and not rattle.
Originally Posted by S2000Patrick,Oct 27 2007, 10:43 PM
Check the striker plates on the windshield frame. Nearly everyone that has hard and soft top rattles overlooks this area and quite often these are visibly loose. To prevent the bolts from comming loose over and over again use threadlock on the bolts, also grease up all of the rubber weather stripping with Shin-etsu grease. You may still get occasional rattling from the folded soft top now and then but that is normal.
If it is installed correctly, it should very quiet and not rattle.
I had this problem too; fortunately, it is well documented here at S2KI.
As was mentioned, go to the dealer and buy some Shin Etsu silicone lube, then apply it to all the soft black rubber seals on the outside edges of the hard top/windshield where the HT mates to the windshield, body, and around the windows.
You also need to get some EPT Sealant (kind of like foam weather stripping) from the dealer (my dealer just cut off a piece from their roll), if they will not give you any, just PM me and I'll send you some... it doesn't take very much to perform the fix below:
I performed the fix, AND tied down the latch hooks on each side of the lowered soft top with plastic cable ties (rubber bands work too); now my hard top is very, very, quiet - even on the bumpiest roads.
No issues here. I purchased the shin etsu grease and grease it up every couple months or so, helped with the squeaking. But the top itself stays in place, no problems.
Hardtop Hassles
