First, let me admit up front that I may have a problem. It seems overly obsessive, to drive to the post office 5 miles away in 20F temperature --- with the top down. I need help!

My car is only five days young now, but I did notice that with the weather colder than normal, the top sometimes seems to go down 95% of the way but not completely. This only has happened once or twice, and each time if I raise it, then lower it again, it will go down all the way. Is this normal?

Are there any recommendations re: when not to drop the top? Obviously, when the top covered with ice, that would be a bad idea! But, is it okay to drop the top with any moisture on its surface?

 

Be careful, Honda recommends not lowering the top in freezing weather. Check out the manual. It's vinyl and vinyl gets stiff in the cold. That's probably why your top isn't folding completely down. Just from years of manually working a Jeep soft top I know there is a world of difference in flexibility between a warm top and a cold one. If you've gotta lower it, sit there for a bit with the heater on full blast and warm it up a bit.

Other's will have a different opinion I'm sure but that's the way I'm going to approach it.

 

Wow...I honestly dont know what to tell you. I havent had to experience weather below 50*.......OK, 35*

 

I always take the top down regardless of the temperature. Last winter I had it down in 18*F weather. I have a MY02 with a glass rear window. If I had an MY01 or earlier I would be concerned about the rear window cracking in the cold.

Once in a while, in the very cold, the top does not go all of the way down. When this happens I raise it and lower it again. This has always solved the problem.

Today it is 28*F and clear. It is a perfect top down day.

 

Damn Ralper...that's warm

OK, I successfully suceeded in making my name the last for every post on the top half of S2000Talk

Yeah yeah...I'm a post whore

 

From having past convertables, manuals have stated not to put the top down below 50 degrees. You could cause the top to crack when you put it back up. When the material contracts in the cold, stretching it could cause problems.

 

I've noticed this on '02's and probably '03's in the cold they don't go all the way and you have to go up and down again. MY01 doesn't have this problem.

This was in about 5C temps.

 

I have this problem too , but not even at 20 degrees. Apparently it's common, and apparently there's a solution:
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=156247

 

wow ralper u are die hard conv. guy
I can't handle the cold wind hitting me.

 

I've lowered my 4 month old top in around freezing temps too and it didn't go all the way down either. I got out and just pressed it down the rest of the way. Since it worked fine in warmer temps, I'm quite sure, with a newer top, the only difference is how flexible the material is at different temps.

In the cold, the vinyl top will contract also. As I said earlier, trying to manually put a Jeep top up in cold weather, the difference in size and flexibility of the top is pronounced. Brand new, you can't even get one of those tops on at anything much below 70 degrees. Same thing applies lowering and raising our S top in colder weather except you've got motors doing the work and don't notice it.

I'm not trying to tell you not to lower your top in cold weather, just trying to answer the question about why it won't go down all the way. I'd just get out and push it down the rest of the way if it bothers you rather than raising and lowering it again in colder temps.