S2000 roof leak

[welsh_gaz]

I have an 02 S2000 which is in very good nick. Its only very recently started showing signs of leaking. Basically there is a joint on the roof, the rubber peels apart half way along the top of the side windows. When you get into the car after a heavy night of rain its completely dry. However when you accelerate away water seems to drip down from this joint. Any ideas?

Cheers,

[Qube]

Had this myself on my recent 04' S2000. The water would drip down on your right leg while driving. For some reason the rubber filled with water.. I tried Fabsil on the roof but had no luck.. I've bought 303 protectant for the 'Z',It makes the water bead far better and gives the roof a nice shine..

[havoc]

Qube's is from the top-front corner of the side glass, where a rounded bit of glass meets the rubber and doesn't always seal 100%.

Gaz's sounds a little different...almost as if it's accumulating inside the rubber strip then is disturbed by driving (I'd probably be disturbed by Gaz' driving, but that's a different issue... ).


First suggestion - try Shin-Etzu grease on all the rubber seals - should be done at least annually anyway.
- Use SPARINGLY, rub-in gently with a cloth or thick kitchen tissue. Your local Honda dealer MAY know what it is...Dave @ Brayley Honda certainly will, and could probably post it to you for the petrol cost of going to your local dealer (who'd have to order it in). Or google it and see if anyone on the web has some...

[welsh_gaz]

Cheers for the advice guys. It sounds like havoc has the idea. I already use the 303 protectant on the roof which is ace - thanks Qube. It looks like its leaking on the rubber joint half way along the top of the window where the roof folds. The rubber does look a bit dry and its only just started doing it so I'll give the grease a go. Do you have any contact details for "dave" who can supply this?

Cheers,

[joesnow]

I am having exactly the same on my car, a 2003. I have some tea towels in the car that I pop over my shoulder just in case each morning, but longer term plan to build up the joint with innertube repair patches to create a better joint and eliminate the gap. Other than this, I may buy some new rubbers, especially if I haven't fixed it by autumn.

[havoc]

welsh_gaz said:

Cheers for the advice guys. It sounds like havoc has the idea. I already use the 303 protectant on the roof which is ace - thanks Qube. It looks like its leaking on the rubber joint half way along the top of the window where the roof folds. The rubber does look a bit dry and its only just started doing it so I'll give the grease a go. Do you have any contact details for "dave" who can supply this?

Cheers,

Sorry - Brayley Honda in Hemel Hempstead. David Stroud runs the service desk there, lovely chap.

[joesnow]

In addition, I am thinking of fitting some new striker plates - the locators for the top's catches, as the catches have started to rattle. There's some play in there somewhere which may be adding to the leak.

[havoc]

Joe - striker-plates are the right fix, particularly if it's the soft-top catches rattling...my hard-top ones did but that's not unusual and the forum-recommended 'fix' is to fit rubber 'sleeves' over the shaft of each catch, to increase the 'diameter' where it buts-up against the striker-plate.

[welsh_gaz]

Yea, I've read lots of fixes for the catches using tubing from "Fish tanks". Apparently the pipes that you get for air pumps in fish shops are perfect? about 50p a meter? even though you only really need about 5cm of it.

[aabbaa1980]

i get water coming in when the car is jet washed! i just put it down to being a honda.

its only a few drops... still annoying!

[mikey k]

BTW any none additive Silicon grease is OK for the rubber seals

[kirsty-s2k]

Mine leaks in the same way - first time I move it after it's sat in heavy rain I get a dump of cold water onto my leg! Will attack it at some stage - used to a mk1 mr2 Tbar, so hasn't bothered me too much

[welsh_gaz]

Went to Halfords on the weekend. What a bunch of muppets. Had no idea what i was talking about when i mentioned silicon grease or dielectric grease. Anyway came away with some silicon rubber spray. will give that a go and let you know if it works.

[Qube]

havoc said:

Qube's is from the top-front corner of the side glass, where a rounded bit of glass meets the rubber and doesn't always seal 100%.

Um.. No... my leak wasn't from the top front corner on the side glass (I agree 100% which was apparent when washing car with hose pipe, a few drips would come inside the car), but through the roof or hinge rubber as described earlier.. The water would sit underneath the rubber on the aluminium track and on acceleration or turning right would dispense itself all over your right leg.. If it had been raining the night before I used to take a towel and gently run my finger between the alu track and rubber to disperse the water or even more stupid (but it worked) was to put the top down before you drove the car rain or shine.. ok slight or misty rain before commuting.... you could see the water run through the hinged joint.

[welsh_gaz]

Ok, This is getting seriously annoying now. I've literally pulled the whole front section of weather stripping apart and put together again. I've used the shin etsu grease to lube the rubbers and it seemed to work only for a couple of days. From what i can gather I agree with Qube in that the water is coming inside the car from the front corner where the weather strip meets the window in heavy rain and it finds its way in above where the weather strip is meeting the roof (i.e. the weather strip meets the window on one side and joined to the roof on the other side - its getting in on the side it meets the nylon roof) it then sits in the alu frame channel until you accelerate away and moves back along the channel falling onto your shoulder out of the joint. I've taken a look at the Honda manual and it mentions something about adhesive tape at this joint ( I couldn't see any on my roof ) and I'm wondering if this is the problem??

Any more thoughts would be much appreciated....