Hey guys,

Had my S for almost a week now and loving it. When I picked it up the top looked perfect. But now that I've had some time with it I can see some thinning of the fabric of the soft top, right around where I think the hole usually appears. I can see a bit of a slit forming with material still holding it together. The previous owner told me that there was an update (he didn't say recall) for the S2000 tops and that I should bring it by a dealer and see if I could get it done. Anybody know anything about that? Or had any success as a second owner out of warranty?

Also, should I take it somewhere to get a patch job on it before it gets any worse?

Any help would be great. Thanks!

Jeff

 

Sounds to me like the previous owner was full of crap, unless by "update" he meant just buying a new top. Honda never fixed the problem with the soft top, so there is not "update". At this point, your top is six years old, so it's only going to get worse from here. Even if you have the spots patched, many more will pop up around it, and you will continue to have wear spots. Best solution is to just replace it.

 

Damn.... thanks for the info moogle. That's ok, the cars awesomeness makes up for it. Can you tell me, are the new tops any better? Or can I just expect to replace it every 6-7 years?

jeff

 

i put velcro patches on the inside of the top on wear points to keep the top from rubbing and holes forming

 

Those are some harsh words from and ill informed person. The "update" the seller told you about is a TSB. And if there is no hole yet id suggest and iron on patch or at least some thing to cover it on the inside.

 

The typical wear area that resulted in a TSB is due to a hinged bar that has a bit of an edge on it. It's not completely obvious looking at it when the top is in the up position, but it wears against the top in the down position.

The TSB calls for the edge to be ground down smooth (the way it SHOULD have been) and then repainted. I'm not sure if it calls for any sort of patch.

If you were to replace the softtop, I would ABSOLUTELY make sure this bar is repaired. However, unless this top is already pretty well worn, I'd just do some work to prolong its life for the time being.

 

Guys, thanks for the info. I'm feeling stupid, but what does TSB stand for? If I go to a Honda dealership can they perform the fix for me? And will they know what I'm talking about?

Hey Gigdy, how do you do an iron on patch on the inside? Can you really fit an iron up in there? Or do you have some technique for this? I'll do a search as well.

Thanks guys!

Jeff

 

TSB = Technical Service Bulletin

It doesn't mean that they will fix it. It means that enough people have called and complained and that they recognize the issue. I really doubt they would replace your 6 year old top as it's considered a wear & tear part at this point.

 

Thanks Mike21. I have no intention of trying to get a new top. I just want to have the fix done to the frame so when I do get a new top it won;t rip it again. It sounds like this is just an issue that has never been resolved with the car. What a shame. Now I am starting to understand why everyone wants a hardtop!

jeff

 

this is my 2nd hole
the first one the dealer replaced the entire top for me...now its out of warranty... same hole in same spot
im trying to find the most durable cloth material (twill canvas?) and probably sew that bitch on