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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHFolks with 03/04 factory tops, do you notice this?... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Reported or suspected cause
chafing of the top
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
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Reported cause
Until someone demostrated that it was caused by chafing of the top on a metal tab I had assumed that it was just a function of aging fabric.
Folks with 03/04 factory tops, do you notice this?... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
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Leading evidence: 'chafing of the top' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'chafing of the top' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Adjust bar so' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I disconnected the arms so I can manually lower the top but the clamshell is still powered.
Folks with 03/04 factory tops, do you notice this?... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Use some black silicon seal
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I used some black silicon seal to cure the hole inside and out.
Folks with 03/04 factory tops, do you notice this?... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Adjust bar so
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
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Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion · Original poster
Is there a way to adjust the bar so that it doesn't touch the fabric you think?
Folks with 03/04 factory tops, do you notice this?... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Replace 01 at some point in the future
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I was going to look for an 03/04 top to replace my 01 at some point in the future.
Folks with 03/04 factory tops, do you notice this?... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
20 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
986Forum: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T205155Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I'm noticing that after you've had the top down for a while, and then you put the top back up, there's a raised bump in the fabric that eventually flattens, but is clearly a point where eventually I think it will wear through. Seems as if a metal bar is poking it out when the top is down or something. Anyone with an 03/04 top not have this come up? I'm wondering if there's an adjustment I can play with to prevent it. It happens on both sides.
YES! Thank you for posting this picture; I have an 03 base and now I know I'm not alone! Mine has it on both sides and has even gotten far enough to put a small 5-8mm hole in it. I first tried suturing it closed with nylons and that held for a year or two and now I just put some extra thick gorilla tape on the inside. I put the top up and down at least once a day if weather is good and always store the car top up in my garage. I have no clue what causes this though but at least there's someone who has the exact same thing.
Haha, at least we know it's a problem! Without digging into it yet, it looks like something from below the top is poking into it from the underside which makes the bump and also the dimple to the right of it in my picture.
Mine started out like that, then there top would shutter when closing. I ended up with a hole on each side. I checked the transmissions and motor and they are both fine it is something wrong with the frame not wanting to fold properly. I disconnected the arms so I can manually lower the top but the clamshell is still powered. When looking at the top from the inside I noticed a bar with a tab sticking up. That is what rubs on the spot.
Been there, done that. The passenger side got so bad it put a small hole in the roof. I removed both pieces shown in Fintro's bottom pic. I have no issues since taking the quite useless pieces out.
I used some black silicon seal to cure the hole inside and out. It works fine until I decide to replace the top.
Ok, so I wanted to be sure that those tabs were actually touching the fabric on the top, so I put some baby powder on the tab and put black duct tape on the fabric side to protect the fabric a bit. When I put the top down and then back up, I saw the baby powder right on the black tape, which proves the tab is what is pressing into the fabric. I left them there for now cause I'm sure there's a reason for them to be there (perhaps to stop one of the frame ribs from moving further back when the top is retracted)? Hoping the tape delays the top from ripping for now.
I was going to look for an 03/04 top to replace my 01 at some point in the future. Is that tab attached to the extra bow that Porsche added? This must be happening to some extent on all of these tops...might have to re-think my options unless you folks see a mod/repair that would be a fix, maybe the tape will do it.
Yeah, I think it's on the extra bow. I haven't had a problem with wear until now though, and you can remove the tab. I'm just keeping it there for now.
Another 03 owner with the top dimple. Mine is more pronounced on the driver's side. I just put two layers of black duct tape on the inside with the hopes that it won't get any worse.
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Thank you for posting this. I have a hole on the drivers side, which burns me up every time I get in the car as I see it every day. The passenger side is worn but does not have a hole. Yet.
Until someone demostrated that it was caused by chafing of the top on a metal tab I had assumed that it was just a function of aging fabric.
I have been considering a patch of some kind, maybe gorilla tape as was suggested earlier, but I'd love to hear other suggestions
2003 Boxster S
I took the tabs out a year ago. Leaving it in made it worse. Since removing them the top folds perfectly fine and the clamshell closes better. I cannot see a reason for them but once the small bulge starts the tab just hooks in there and things get progressively worse.
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