leak above driver's side window
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From: Silver Spring, MD
leak above driver's side window I'm sure all us rag top owners get roof or weatherstripping leaks from time to time, but this one has me puzzled, and I wonder what people have done to eliminate it. This leak appears to come from between the weather stripping and the roof, right where the weather stripping on the top fits into the weather stripping on the front window. When it leaks, it drips onto the seat. It doesn't happen all the time, and the weatherstripping looks tight. I've used Gummi Sledge (or whatever its called) to lubricate the rubber, and again, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
This is the original roof on a 1999 that's outside full time and is my DD. The roof is holding up, but it may be time to renew. What do you fellow ragtop owners suggest?
Thanks
This is the original roof on a 1999 that's outside full time and is my DD. The roof is holding up, but it may be time to renew. What do you fellow ragtop owners suggest?
Thanks
TECH Junkie
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From: Western North Carolina
Sounds like you have done the lubrication thing to keep the rubber 'supple'. That's about all you can do as the car ages. I use Armorall and Mother's protectant on mine and the rubber is as soft as new. BUT I get the occasional drip as well which is 'on and off' on the driver's seat. I swear the angle of the car has a lot to do with it and how the car sits. Just a slight degree difference can make it drip while sitting. Usually when driving I don't have any problems. I've owned many convertibles over the years and the T/A was the tightest of them all until I bought my GT. The manufacturers just keep improving the tops over the years. My '95 Porsche 911 leaked horrible and my 2002 BMW roadster wasn't much better, so it certainly isn't the money you pay for the cars. The T/A is much better than those two. Even replacing the rubber components and the top itself may not solve the occasional dripping. I know it can seem like 'Chinese torture' but that's the life of a convertible owner.
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I think you are absolutely right about the position of the car regarding whether it drips or not. Yesterday we got some monsoon like rain. When I got into the car early in the day, the driver's seat was soaked (going to the gym, so no big deal). After the gym, I just unbuckled the top, lifted it about 5", then closed it back up. This morning, after an evening of drenching rain, the seat was just about dry. So, not only didn't it leak any further under torrential rain, it actually dried up from earlier leaks.
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Jimmyblue,
That's one of the first things I checked. It looks like the drip is coming from between the two pieces of weatherstripping when the roof is closed. While I see no gap, when closed, the water seep seems to come from that area, or, on the inner roof side of the weather stripping.
Thanks for the reply
That's one of the first things I checked. It looks like the drip is coming from between the two pieces of weatherstripping when the roof is closed. While I see no gap, when closed, the water seep seems to come from that area, or, on the inner roof side of the weather stripping.
Thanks for the reply
Launching!
Joined: May 2002
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From: Orlando, FL
I had that issue when I first had the car and lived with it. Then I had the window regulator replaced under warranty by the dealer and they adjusted the window as part of the replacement. It's not leaked since. I'm sure there's post somewhere on here on how to adjust the window. It would be the same for coupe or vert. That's probably what is needed to fix it. Good luck!
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Had a massive burst of rain yesterday afternoon from a near miss tornado. Not a drop in the car! So, it just seems to be a matter of weatherstripping positioning, I guess.
