Convertible top molding falls off

[lzaffuto]

I have this crunching/clicking sound on mine when I put the top down too, last few inches of it going down. It only happens the first time I put the top down and only when the top is cool from sitting in my garage. When the car sits in the sun it never happens, and it also never happens a second time on the same day. I can immediately put it back up and back down again (anywhere from just a few inches up to all the way up and sealed) and I can't duplicate it. I can never actually see what it is that is causing it because it happens when the top is almost completely down and there isn't much room to view the "guts" of the framework. From what I can see, I don't see anything out of sorts. Even my headliner looks pristine instead of being frayed like in the picture. The nature of how and when it happens would make it very difficult for the dealership to reproduce and fix it, so I've resigned myself to letting it happen and waiting until something breaks to bring it in.

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[Redraven571]

I have this crunching/clicking sound on mine when I put the top down too, last few inches of it going down. It only happens the first time I put the top down and only when the top is cool from sitting in my garage. When the car sits in the sun it never happens, and it also never happens a second time on the same day. I can immediately put it back up and back down again (anywhere from just a few inches up to all the way up and sealed) and I can't duplicate it. I can never actually see what it is that is causing it because it happens when the top is almost completely down and there isn't much room to view the "guts" of the framework. From what I can see, I don't see anything out of sorts. Even my headliner looks pristine instead of being frayed like in the picture. The nature of how and when it happens would make it very difficult for the dealership to reproduce and fix it, so I've resigned myself to letting it happen and waiting until something breaks to bring it in.

Sounds exactly like what happens with mine.

Was over the dealer yesterday, speaking with the service manager, he thinks fraying is unrelated to that noise; apparently, there are some sharp edges on the frame and he thinks that those are causing fraying.

While at dealer yesterday, the service manager heard the noise while putting top down. Taking car in on Thursday and they are going to see if they can figure out.

At first, it only did it the one time (first time I put the top down at dealer, which was the first time for the day, pretty much like you describe in your post).

Here's where I made an interesting observation, might be complete coincidence: I shut the engine off and went into the dealership, when I started the car to go home I dropped the top and it made the noise. When I got home, in my driveway, I put top up, secured latch, shut off engine, waited a second or two, restarted, dropped the top and it made the noise. I repeated 2 more times and it made the noise each time. I have absolutely no idea how cycling the engine would affect the process but it seems to make the noise consistently reproducible.

I'll post here with any info after Thursday.

 

[lzaffuto]

That is a very interesting observation... I kind of doubt this applies to me, because like I said if the car sits in the sun and the top is warm it never does it even if it is the first time I've put it down for the entire day. But I will try turning the car off and putting it back down again in my garage immediately after it happens the first time and see if that causes it to happen again. My main fear is that because mine seems temperature related, when the weather gets cool again for fall (prime convertible season, I'll use it almost every day then) the problem will be much worse or even really break something rather than just making a noise.

 

[Redraven571]

Yup, if your noise is the same as mine, it HAS to be something that will eventually break. I don't want it to happen once I'm out of warranty and have a multi-thousand dollar repair.

I'll post here after Thursday, maybe I'll have a direction you can suggest to your dealer.

 

[lzaffuto]

I'm almost out of the standard BTB warranty. I have an additional year and 12k miles on the Ford certified warranty, and I have the premium care 7 year 100k warranty after that, but I don't know if that covers convertible stuff, have to look it up.

 

[Redraven571]

You sound like you're in the same boat as me. Bought this car Ford certified, have about 8k left on btb warranty, then the additional 12 months/12,000 additional. I'm af aid the 7 year 100k warranty is drive train only.

 

[lzaffuto]

I bought the premium warranty that covers all the electronics and accessories and such as well as the powertrain, but the convertible top is probably considered a "body panel" and not covered.

 

[Redraven571]

I bought the premium warranty that covers all the electronics and accessories and such as well as the powertrain, but the convertible top is probably considered a "body panel" and not covered.

Well, let's see if we can both get squared away before the btb expires.... :cheers:

 

[Redraven571]

[MENTION=23054]lzaffuto[/MENTION] Just got the call from the dealership that car is ready.

As I mentioned, I had my headliner replaced under warranty; according to Service Manager, the replacement headliner has longer plastic pieces on the sides in back, near the rear windows, than the original. Somehow, they were catching in the mechanism when the top went down; apparently, the sound I was hearing was the plastic pieces popping when they caught in the mechanism. Resolution was to trim down the plastic pieces so they no longer catch in mechanism. Their upholstery guy repaired the wear marks on the headliner edges.

So, end result, I'll see what happens over the next couple weeks.

Don't know if any of this will be helpful to you; hope so. I also hope it works for me as well....

 

[lzaffuto]

Interesting. I don't know if my headliner has been replaced by the previous owner or not. Is the piece they trimmed the same one circled in yellow in the pic you posted, and if so, can you see where they filed it down at?

 

[Redraven571]

Interesting. I don't know if my headliner has been replaced by the previous owner or not. Is the piece they trimmed the same one circled in yellow in the pic you posted, and if so, can you see where they filed it down at?

From the description provided over the phone, I don't think it is the trim piece that was falling off (which, remarkably hasn't lately). From what the SM said, I think it is part of the headliner itself, rather than a trim piece. Maybe, when I go pick it up, he can show me.

 

[FordService]

I have this crunching/clicking sound on mine when I put the top down too, last few inches of it going down. It only happens the first time I put the top down and only when the top is cool from sitting in my garage. When the car sits in the sun it never happens, and it also never happens a second time on the same day. I can immediately put it back up and back down again (anywhere from just a few inches up to all the way up and sealed) and I can't duplicate it. I can never actually see what it is that is causing it because it happens when the top is almost completely down and there isn't much room to view the "guts" of the framework. From what I can see, I don't see anything out of sorts. Even my headliner looks pristine instead of being frayed like in the picture. The nature of how and when it happens would make it very difficult for the dealership to reproduce and fix it, so I've resigned myself to letting it happen and waiting until something breaks to bring it in.

I'm almost out of the standard BTB warranty. I have an additional year and 12k miles on the Ford certified warranty, and I have the premium care 7 year 100k warranty after that, but I don't know if that covers convertible stuff, have to look it up.

Definitely bring it in and get it looked at, lzaffuto. Also, once you make your appointment, PM me with your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and best daytime number. I’ll loop in the customer service manager for your area if needed.

Deysha

 

[Redraven571]

[MENTION=23054]lzaffuto[/MENTION] Did you ever get your problem worked out? Bending the tabs that the trim piece fits into took care of the problem with the moulding dropping off. About 9 months for me since the repair, and things seem to be working as designed.

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