My MY00 S has 12K on it, but I already have wear spots on the top. Usually, I lower and raise the top 2 or 3 times a day. I don't believe this is excessive use of the convertible top. Would anyone agree?

To cut down on lowering and raising the top, I've considered keeping the top down when I'm at work or at home. I have a garage and parking at work is pretty secure, but I'm afraid if I keep the top lowered that may not be good for the top either.

I love driving with the top down, but I just don't want to put any more wear and tear on the top than necessary.

 

I put patches on my spots and i put up and down the top atleast 2 times a day when I drive. No more wear holes.

 

You're using you top way too much, even though you have the roof button and a soft top the car is just not made to be run around on sunny days with the top down.

Kidding, i hear about wear marks sometimes, where are they? what rubs on what to cause them?

 

can some please post a link to the patch process thread?

I've seen it before & tried a search - can't seem to finf it.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sounds like you might have problem with quality and not usage, however when you have the top down, it does not hurt to use the tunnel cover to help protect the top when it is closed. In addition, if the top is wet, you should not put it down until it has dried off to avoid those spots and wear/tear.

 

I'd like to think I'm pretty thorough about how well I take care of my top. I never lower the top when it's wet and I clean it and treat it regularly. The plastic rear window still looks outstanding. That's why it's frustrating that wear spots have developed.

 

I put my convertible top up and down about once per day (i.e. one complete up/down cycle each day).

My original top took about 20k miles to develop the lower wear holes (mine is a '02 and I never got the upper wear holes). They were a little over 1" long and the top was replaced under warranty.

My replacement top developed minor lower wear holes after about 12k miles or so. However, they stopped growing at about 1/8". I haven't seen them get any bigger with continued use.

IMO, the bad news is that this top has a tendency (much more so than the typical convertible) to develop wear holes. But the good news is that they do stop growing after a certain extent. At least the lower ones seem to.

 

That's been my fear. If a new top will develop wear holes after a certain amount of time then there are definite flaws in not only the material, but the frame as well.

I think I'll just have to patch it as Honda recommends and keep my fingers crossed.

 

How much is too much...hows this: if it ain't raining or snowing the top is down!!

 

Personally, I think the material itself is fine. IMO, it's the design of the frame - and variances in the frame from car to car - that is responsible for the wear holes. I have no experience with the upper wear holes but have examined the lower ones with the help of an upholstery shop...

Behind the lower wear holes, there is a small piece of flat metal that sticks up and lightly rubs the inside of the convertible top (along its seam) as it folds up and down. As the top is lowered and raised, the two pieces of it (i.e. the two sides that are joined by the seam) also get tugged in opposite directions.

We theorized that as the top gets pulled in opposite directions and is grazed by the metal piece, the wear holes slowly develop. But it's only a theory.

Personally, I'm not going to buy a new top because I believe the wear holes will return on cars affected by them (they did on mine but to a lesser extent). But I also think that some cars will never get these wear holes.

You guys with the upper wear holes have it worse, though, given the threat of water entering. With our lower wear holes, as long as they don't get too big, we can just leave them unpatched.