'04 AP2 - I know there is about a zillion other threads about the infamous tear on the top. I trust your guy's answers more than any of theirs. How much is it going to be? Can I do it myself, If I can, how much, estimate? Does Honda still have its goodwill policy? Any help from you guys would be great! btw.. I had a great time at the Grand Prix this weekend! Thanks to everyone!

 

the grand prix was nice and sorry i cant help with the top im in the same boat

 

Got mine done at Honda for around $1200.
I HAD a good contact, but that was Central FL and he's not there anymore.

I'm VERY careful about putting my top down now.

 

I have found a way to do it yourself.
vinyl patch
Goop Glue
3M double sided emblem tape

From inside, Tape over the tear. Apply goop glue around outside of rectangle vinyl patch on the vinyl side. Glue patch over taped hole leaving the non vinyl side out. Let cure for a day or so. Not sure how long it will last but it works for now.

Sorry if any of that doesn't make sense. It's a lot to type so I tried to keep it simple.

 

I sewed some black canvas fabric inside and out with plastic material in between temporarily, but it looked like a cartoon patch once it started to fade and frey, but it kept the water out 'til I could figure out what to do (a couple months). Daily driver, so I had to do something.

 

The Honda regional rep will have to see the top , he will very likely not do a replacement even if the ar is stil under warranty . He claims the top is a wear tear item . I had my brothers 14 month old 2006 at the dealership 13 monthsago with not a tear issue but a cut caused by the frame and the rep , Donald , claimed this was not a wide spread issue and that it was wear and tear . Needless to say after 2 days of buting heads he did have the top replaced and now 13 months later the same thing has happened again . Best ting I can suggest is what I have seen some people do . Get some denom patches that are Iron on and place those on the INSIDE of the roof . If you put the roof 1/10th of the way down it will relieve the pressure from the top . Just dont put the iron on the outside do it from the inside . FYI my brother is having to deal with this issue right now and again the top on his 2006 was already replaced under warranty one time .

 

Thank you guys for the timely response. I appreciate all the great suggestions, just letting you all know, I do have a carmax warranty and they don't fix this because its considered a cosmetic issue. I recieved a qoute from Classic Auto Interiors @ $1,195. I guess I will be patching from the inside as others have suggested. This sucks, it could be always be worse. It is the original top with 62,000 miles on it and being 5 years old. I just don't want my top looking like Ron's... .. I love your car Ron, just not the top!

 

Does anyone know what bar actually causes the wear? I have some thin teflon stock that I would like to attach to the bar that rubs. gluing teflon is not easy but I wuld like to try.

 

I don't thinka anyone has mentioned this yet, but those black elastic bands are the culprit in my opinion. They wear out and don't pull the top back hard enough, and it doesn't take long for them to wear out.

Solution (for MY top, anyway): as the top is going back, at about 50% push the middle bar down until the top reaches 75% down, and let the top go the rest of the way down.

Seems to work for me and I've seen/ heard others do the same.

I did get the replacement bands from Modifry, but they wear out as well.

Everytime I put the top down with my girlfriend in the car, I tell here "you have to do this EVERY time you put the top down". After about the 20th time of telling her, it has kind of become a joke. Let's just hope she remembers to do it each time

Good luck with the top.

 

Those bands are not the cause , it is the frame being mis-aliged from the factory. Autoway seems to be the dealer that has a mechanic that knows this and can align it properly