MY00 with 23k miles. I believe the soft top is original but it is in excellent condition. Driving with the top up at high speed 60mph+, I have started to hear what sounds like a piercing air leak or noise in back of my left shoulder. My wife drove in the car yesterday and noticed it right away. The noise is not constant, it comes and goes as the car bounces up and down. It sounds like a gasket is leaking or there is some sort of gap in the top or door seal. Its not general wind noise, its brand new, it sounds like a high velocity air leak, maybe like a radio static sound.

I tried sticking my hand back there, pushed on the top, opened the door/window. I cant seem to locate or change it. FYI, the weather has gotten colder here, and it is the first time I have had the car in cold weather.

Any ideas?

 

S2000 tops have a tendency to develop splits in the corners where the top folds, over the shoulders of driver and passenger. Air penetration is one result... I first noticed mine on a sunny day where I could see a tiny bit of light showing through. Every S2000 top I know of that has had many cycles develop the split that can be easily repaired.

 

Maybe upgrade to hardtop strikers. Add some shin-Etsu to rubber along windows. If you find the hole add some black silicone. I used some from auto part store. It fixed it. Just try to make it as discreet as possible. Wait a day if you use it before lowering top again. They also sell patches online.

 

I looked at all the seams from the outside. I don't see any holes, tears or separation. What ever the noise is, it comes and goes as the car bounces. It is high velocity/pressure, like a seal opening and closing slightly. Its not a big open wind noise.

 

Would a new striker affect a noise coming from behind the seat? I know the wind noise from the roof, I do have some of that at 75+. This is different, like air shooting out of a compressor. Like a seal is leaking slightly. It comes and goes as the car bounces...

 

You have access to a smoke generator? Shut windows, roof up --- generate smoke inside and see if there is a leak in the ragtop. I found one of these at Amazon, for science projects.


http://www.amazon.com/American-Scien...moke+generator


Good luck!
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Or if no access to smoke machine, generate a car full of smoke using the Cheech and Chong method :-O

If it changes over bumps, I'm thinking its the rear window seal. The only thing that bounces on my (Robbins) top over bumps is the heavy rear glass window.

 

Hmm interesting.... There was a rubber foam seal that came out of the window a few months ago. But mine is a plastic window, and doesn't it zip in?

 

The zipper is just part of the window mount, it is also riveted. There are a number of seals on the top but none that I remember on the window... perhaps a previous attempt to stop a leak.

 

Mine has been doing it since I bought it, regardless if it's the softtop up or with the hardtop.

4 years later and I still can't be bothered to fix it.