got a hardtop from the dealer. installed it at a shop. when i washed the car, i noticed water leaking from the corner of the driver's side window, where the hardtop meets the "a" pillar.

i also noticed that there is a gap on the driver's side hardtop rear, where it meets the trunk area. i can slide half my finger under it whereas the passenger's side is snug.



i tried adjusting it myself. thought if i lowered the driver's side catcher it would rememdy the problem but noticed there is no play where the catcher is attached.

anybody else with this fitment issue? any solutions? if worse comes to worse, can i take it to the dealer under warranty even though they didn't do the install? thanks in advance.

 

First try to Silicone grease all the rubber seals to see if this fixes the leak. As for the gap, instead of trying to lower the catcher that's mounted on the car (it won't move), you need to raise the latch mechanism on the top. Get the installation instructions and see how the adjustments were supposed to have been done before the latches are solidly bolted down. The top needs to be positioned with the latches loose. Then when the top is more or less in the correct position, the latches are tightened BEFORE they are locked in place. It seems to me the installer did not follow this procedure.

 

And I thought I was the only one. I think the gap is normal. As for the leak. I have had my car in 3 times. The leak is smaller but still there. I will give them one more chance before I get ugly. First trip they put foam tape to fill the gap. Second trip they schnitzu greased the rubber. Big difference but not perfect. Third trip they added a shim and replaced the left side latch.

Trip # 4 is next week but I must tell you I am disappointed.

I expect near perfection from Honda and Honda accsessories.

Let's keep in touch.

 

Just noticed your gap is not uniform. That is definetely not correct.

 

If you can't find the installation instructions PM me your e-mail address. I have them in a PDF.

 

Mine doesn't have the gap, was installed by the dealer.

 

Dozen,

Use black foam rubber, outdoor strip insulation. Sold in rolls 3/8" X 1" wide, sticky on one side. About $5.00 at the hardware store.

Shine a light from inside the car with the top on, to highlight the gap, then, just trim the adhesive strip to fit. Easy to peel off without leaving a mess also.

Regards,
BD

 

The adjustment should not be done with the catcher, but with the rear bracket on the hardtop under the trim. The instructions explain this clearly, but the picture of how to measure this gap is very bad in the instructions. This picture is also in the repair manual if you can get a look at that. The pic there is easy to read.

 

I put an OEM hardtop on my 05 in March and it fits perfectly. I did a little fitment by adjusting the back catchers, although there was never any visible gap between the top and the car. The shin-it-su (or however you spell it) grease stopped the squeaking sound of the top against the car and I have never had any detectable air or water leaks. I hope you can get your adjusted properly, although it sounds as if your dealer may not be up to the task. The OEM hardtop is trouble-free when installed correctly. Good luck

 

thanks everybody. i'm gonna try to adjust the hardtop itself over the weekend. i'd really like it so that i don't have to add any tape or foam stuff because it shouldn't be necessary if it's built properly. i'll report back with what i find. thanks again.