Black top Dust
 

Gentlemen,

I've had this 2016 for a week and a half now. Its a dealership demonstrator with 12 000 km.

After cleaning and removing lint from the roof, I find that each time I stow the roof and then put it back up, there are 3 or 4 locations on each side that show dust/dirt marks from being stowed.

Does anyone else have this issue?

Should I leave the top partially open (with the front and back sections of the roof pointing at the sky, and inspect the inside of the roof stowage compartment for dirt/dust? Or is this just something you have to put up with?

Gene

Have owned my 14 for 6 weeks and I've not encountered this...

I have never seen this problem on mine. Where do these spots show up? Are they along the bow locations? If possible could you post a photo of the problem?

As far as leaving the top partially open, check out the warming below.

Dan

OldGuyFla,

Thanks for the heads up on partially opening and closing the top! To that I ask ... so how does one go about cleaning the top stowage area if you can't leave the top partially open?

The dust appears on both sides, on the curved areas on the bows and in between them in those same areas, at pressure points where the bows contact the top material underneath when open, and at some points where the bows pressure the top when folded.

Pictures are pointless as I'm certain I can't get pictures that properly would show what I'm concerned about. I can say that I ran around with the top up today, and the wind draft has diminished the dust appearance (if indeed it is dust) quite a bit.

I'll keep an eye on it but our convertible season is just about done here in Southern Ontario, Canada. I'll keep you posted.

Gene

Wow, this really sounds like a strange problem. I would think that having the top partially open for a short time wouldn't be a problem. I have done that a couple of times just so I could look down in the storage area & doesn't seem to have caused any problems.

Maybe trying to clean the storage area would be a good starting point.

Keep us updated with your progress. Good luck!
Dan

Gentlemen,

Having lived with this 2016 roadster for 9 months, and after much research, I've discovered that Nissan's Owner's Manual Caution for NOT stopping the top during its opening or closing routine is just that a caution.

Leaving the top in its partially folded configuration standing straight up, with the tonneau cover in the fully open position, for a great deal of time, would be foolhardy. It could be damaged by wind gusts if out in the open, passing morons, and slowly draining hydraulic fluid could seriously stress some of the 8 rams and linkages, causing all kinds of damage.

But that's if you leave it in this position for some time without support.

Today I opened my top part way to allow access to the folded top storage compartment. And then I found the source of the dirt/dust that was showing up on the fold lines and solidly backed frame sections of the cloth top.

That compartment is lined with a loosely fitted vinyl bag. In it were spots of dirt and dust, pretty much everywhere. As well, I found two or three small spots that were water marks left over from evaporation, from before I purchased the car. Since my ownership, the car has not been caught in the rain, or been washed (California Car Duster and Maguair's Detailing Spray).

After a vaccuuming and a clean down of the storage compartment, I think its fair to say that my top marks that I complained about in my first post of this thread, should be a thing of the past with occasional compartment cleanups. Thanks OldGuyFla!

Gene

Gene

This is a little off topic for this thread but I didn't want to PM you so other members could see this if they had the same question.
My roadster is just about 3 yrs. old now & I haven't done any preventive maint. on the top. (lubrication) I've looked in the owners manual & don't see anything. Thought maybe with all your experience with tops that there might be things that you would recommend.

Any thoughts ?

Dan

Dan,

I, too, have been giving some thought to exactly the same thing, lubricating all of the pivot points of the top mechanism.

Here's the cautions to doing that, that have me thinking that some research has to be done to ensure that the owner doesn't do more harm than good.

With the Stayfast Cloth/canvas tops we have on our 370z's, over lubrication, or using the wrong lubricant could stain the top material, and/or the inner headliner, or excessively wear some of the pivot points depending on the metals/plastics they're made of.

For sure, whatever is used, must be used sparingly, and some of the pivot points may prove almost impossible to get at due to the inner headliner. The headliner may have to be removed to do any lubrication.

Then again, maybe the time to do a job like this is when a new top material is installed. Or maybe Nissan doesn't suggest that anything ever needs to be done.

Lets see if anyone else has done something along this route and has some thoughts to share. Then again, maybe there's a member here who has a tech contact in Nissan of America or Nissan of Canada and can share their findings on the topic.

I'm going to see what I can dig in to in order to find an answer, but its going to take some time. I'll see what I can dig up by winter.

Gene

Gentlemen,

A half hour later than my post just above, I started searching on this convertible top lubrication topic, and came across a result that was very good.

There are several different car make forums that this same topic has been approached. Some require you to register to get to the responses, and one seemed to sum things up with a lot of specific procedures and lubricants that show some expertise was used as well as logic.

Here it is:

DIY: Quiet Down Your Convertible Top and Prevent Mechanism Wear

The goal is noise reduction, along with making the top work with as little effort on the mechanism as possible. As the tops get old - the pivot points, which were greased at the factory - start to dry up, and this makes it harder for the motors to open/close the top. Eventually - this causes wear and failure of the motors and drive units, which gets expensive.

A properly lubrciated convertible top should open/close in under 30 seconds - so you can do it at the average traffic light.

But we also want to get rid of the creaking noises from the top - and that requires some selective lubrication of the top seals and mating parts.

General rules:
If it's rubber to rubber and one side has a fuzzy finish on it (flock) - you want it CLEAN and no lubricant on it.
If it's rubber to rubber and both sides are smooth - it needs some lubrication.
If it's rubber to glass or plastic or metal - and the rubber has fuzz on it - it should be CLEAN and not lubed.
If it's rubber to glass or plastic or metal - and the rubber is smooth (more common on the E36) - it should be lubed.
If it's metal to metal and it moves - it should be lubed.

Lubes I use:
All rubber parts - silicone grease. Dow Corning makes these for lots of purposes - I've used Dow Corning Silicone High-Vacuum Grease - a bit thicker than normal silicone grease, but works fine for this purpose. Silicone grease is not a good metal to metal grease - it is a good rubber to anything else grease and it protects the rubber from oxidation (due to ozone in the air.)
All metal pivot points - either a good lithium based grease (good for any sliding contact), or a decent synthetic motor oil (doesn't matter what kind or viscosity.. I use what I have around..)

How to lube:
To get access to all the top pivot points and spots that need lubrication, you'll need to partly lower the top, and move it to different positions. On some cars this can be done on battery power alone, on others - I'd suggest starting the engine to do it - it draws a lot of current and doing it repeatedly will end up with a discharged battery.

Applying the lithium based grease - usually this grease comes in a spray can with the little red tube that disappears into the darkest corner of your garage. The trick in using it - don't over spray on something that isn't supposed to get grease on it (like the top - inside or out.) Use old towels BEHIND whatever you're spraying if there is ANY chance of over spray getting on something you don't want.

Applying the motor oil - small drips of oil on pivot points works well. I use a small screwdriver dipped in the oil to carry a few drops to the point to be lubed. I then touch the tip of the screwdriver to the pivot in question and the oil is sucked off (capillary action) into the joint. AGAIN - put old towels under the pivot points if there is any chance of oil dripping on some of the fabric of the top.

Silicone grease - a fingertip is good. I squirt a bit on a fingertip and use my finger to get it exactly where I want it to go.

Gene

Great information Gene, Thanks!

OldFlaGuy,

I'll continue digging into this when things slow down and see if there is more info specifically aimed at our 370z's.

The best thing would be then, to start a new thread with all of the info under a title that would easily found by those interested, as opposed to being buried in this present "black top dust" post that most people would most likely overlook..

Gene

Sounds like a good plan, Thanks.