hondasol93

So its been really cold lately so i havent been able to take the top out of my sol for about two months. and like thursday was the warmest day we've had in weeks, so i decided to take the top out of my sol and let the sun shine in all day. but when it came to putting it back in place, the latches acted as though they didnt want to clip in place correctly. the latch on the drivers side works pretty good. but the latch on the passenger side is locked in place but it is extremly hard to put it there, and now the handle is getting a little loose, which leads me to believe that it may be about to break off or something. but long story short, i just need to know if its something wrong with the top or if something is wrong elsewhere. also the light stays on in my dash saying that the top is off of the vehicle, when it is clearely on.

any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

trustdestruction

if the light in the cluster is on and both handles are turned to lock position, the problem probably lies in the roof beams and not the targa. sounds like one of the things the roof locking rods go into is broken.

to make sure it's not the targa, take the roof off and set it on something, and turn the handles to lock position. a rod should be sticking out of the roof on each corner. If all 4 of the rods work properly, your targa is fine.

shak3yb0n3z

make sure when you put your top back on your car that you are on level ground. this can make it difficult to secure the top in place if you aren't level. also try taking about the targa top and lubing the mechanical parts. this would also be a good time to get some washers/spacers. this will give the top a more snug fit and keep the chassis from flexing too

Jedi_Sol

trustdestruction

and for lubing, use Honda Shin-Etsu grease

hondasol93

thanks for all the info on the top, now i know its not my targa, so that only leaves like the guide holes, i guess would be the name. but as long as the targa isnt on the car all of the rods on it extend out fine, so i will check on the other parts then.

and also, does anyone know where i could find some whetherstrip to go around top, cause we just had a lot of rain and my top was leaking everywhere!!!

trustdestruction

the leaking weatherstrip is going to be the seals on each side of the targa.

Parts 14 and 16 on this diagram. Replace them and your leaking should stop.
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...ry5=ROOF+PANEL


Also, buy some Honda Shin-Etsu grease from h-and-a accessories and grease up all the seals. I grease mine around once a month. After the first time you grease them, the rest of the times will take less time and less grease. You want to rub the grease into the seal to where you can't see the grease and the seals are moist feeling.

hondasol93

sweet, so is the shin-etsu grease something that i will need to buy manufaturor direct or does some other store sell it?

trustdestruction

you can buy it here
(scroll down)

http://www.handa-accessories.com/civic98.html

P.S. A little goes a LONG way.

hondasol93

well I brilliantly decided to get out there and play around with my top yesterday, and I ended up breaking the driverside handle on my targa so now I need the d!@m handle, so yea that kinda sucks, so does anyone have one???

trustdestruction

new handles are cheap (relatively) from honda

when i bought my del sol, both were missing

hondasol93

I know I just dont feel like waiting for honda to order them, so im just going to wait around for a while. but its not really that deep though. I ended up putting some grease around the holes and everything and now they slide a lot easier. so its all good(for now)
so yea, so if anyone knows of any handles let me know

trustdestruction

I don't understand your point... it's going to take less time for Honda to order them than it is for you to find someone selling some. In all my time on the forums (including 2 del Sol forums) I have never seen anyone selling these handles.

Also, they get brittle over time as do many interior plastics. It'd be better to buy brand new ones.

hondasol93

i guess, im just so pissed off at the honda dealership out here and i really dont want to order **** from them cause they are all d-bags, cause to them if you arent letting them install something then they dont want you to order anything. cause that guy was like "well we intall those for like $50 bucks" and I was all no im putting it on myself. Im not trying to play the "BLACK CARD" or anything but I dont go where im not welcome. so screw them.

trustdestruction

so order them from majestic honda and have them shipped to your door.

you need part 37, and i'd recommend a new screw for the handle (part 41) if your screw's head is stripped at all, and if you're missing any screw caps on the handles they are part 27.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...ROOF+SIDE+LOCK

hondasol93

the funny thing about it is that they want more for their handle than honda does. i think ill just wait until next payday, cause the weather seems to have taken a turn in the other direction "COLD".