Can't latch top.

Frank: Go to Miata fourm and do a search on your problem. I'm sure you'll
find an answer.

Good luck

--
Jim Becker
Virginia Beach Backyard Weather
http://members.cox.net/jbecker31
"Frank Berger" > wrote in message
m...
> John McGaw wrote:
>> Frank Berger wrote:
>>> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's
>>> top. I couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't
>>> extend far enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting
>>> nut to extend the latches as far as possible, but that didn't work. It
>>> was as though something were preventing the top from going up all
>>> the way. Any ideas?
>>
>> Every time I experienced that with my NA it was because the top had
>> been down for a long time and had taken a set in the folded shape.
>> This left the fabric too short to easily stretch far enough to allow
>> the latches to catch. This was even worse if the temperature was low
>> which made the fabric stiffer. I always managed to stretch it far
>> enough to get the latch "dimples" matched up and get a purchase but
>> it was enough to work up a real sweat sometimes. Thankfully the NC
>> seems to have no such problem whether because of newness or improved
>> design.
>
> Thanks for the replies. At least I'm not the only one to have had the
> problem.
>

OzOne wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:15:53 -0500, "Frank Berger"
> > wrote:
>
>> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's
>> top. I couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't
>> extend far enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting
>> nut to extend the latches as far as possible, but that didn't work.
>> It was as though something were preventing the top from going up all
>> the way. Any ideas?
>>
>
> Wind the windows down or open the doors first
>

Whoa. Another interesting suggestion, but the windows were open.

On 2008-10-13, Frank Berger > wrote:
> OzOne wrote:
>> On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:15:53 -0500, "Frank Berger"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's
>>> top. I couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't
>>> extend far enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting
>>> nut to extend the latches as far as possible, but that didn't work.
>>> It was as though something were preventing the top from going up all
>>> the way. Any ideas?
>>>
>>
>> Wind the windows down or open the doors first
>
> Whoa. Another interesting suggestion, but the windows were open.

That one does actually make a difference. If the windows are
down or the doors are open, then you don't aren't compressing
the rubber roof/window seals as you latch the top.

I'm still waiting for the explanation as to why the trunk being
open/closed would make a difference.

[Somebody please remind me to plug in the read-window defogger
adapter cable _before_ I install the hard top this year...]

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I wonder if I ought
at to tell them about my
visi.com PREVIOUS LIFE as a COMPLETE
STRANGER?

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:14:23 -0500, "Frank Berger"
> wrote:

>OzOne wrote:
>> On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:15:53 -0500, "Frank Berger"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's
>>> top. I couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't
>>> extend far enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting
>>> nut to extend the latches as far as possible, but that didn't work.
>>> It was as though something were preventing the top from going up all
>>> the way. Any ideas?
>>>
>>
>> Wind the windows down or open the doors first
>>
>
>Whoa. Another interesting suggestion, but the windows were open.
>
Ah OK, the top on my NC won't come close to latching if I don't first
lower the windows.




OzOne of the three twins

I welcome you to Crackerbox Palace.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...ighlight=trunk

--
Jim Becker
Virginia Beach Backyard Weather
http://members.cox.net/jbecker31
"Grant Edwards" > wrote in message
. ..
> On 2008-10-13, Frank Berger > wrote:
>> OzOne wrote:
>>> On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:15:53 -0500, "Frank Berger"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's
>>>> top. I couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't
>>>> extend far enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting
>>>> nut to extend the latches as far as possible, but that didn't work.
>>>> It was as though something were preventing the top from going up all
>>>> the way. Any ideas?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Wind the windows down or open the doors first
>>
>> Whoa. Another interesting suggestion, but the windows were open.
>
> That one does actually make a difference. If the windows are
> down or the doors are open, then you don't aren't compressing
> the rubber roof/window seals as you latch the top.
>
> I'm still waiting for the explanation as to why the trunk being
> open/closed would make a difference.
>
> [Somebody please remind me to plug in the read-window defogger
> adapter cable _before_ I install the hard top this year...]
>
> --
> Grant Edwards grante Yow! I wonder if I
> ought
> at to tell them about my
> visi.com PREVIOUS LIFE as a
> COMPLETE
> STRANGER?

On 2008-10-13, Jim Becker > wrote:

> http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...ighlight=trunk

That thread is about an NC power-hard-top that won't retract.

It's not relevent to the problem of a convertible top that
appears to have "shrunk" or "set" so that it's difficult to
latch after it's put up.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! Is it NOUVELLE
at CUISINE when 3 olives are
visi.com struggling with a scallop
in a plate of SAUCE MORNAY?

Frank Berger > wrote:

> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's top. I
> couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't extend far
> enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting nut to extend the
> latches as far as possible, but that didn't work. It was as though
> something were preventing the top from going up all the way. Any ideas?

If it's a vinyl top, then it will 'shrink' if left down for any length
of time (weeks, not hours). When a new top is fitted, it can take two
people to pull it (hard) into the position where the clamps can be
closed for the first time.

In the UK roof fitters recommend keeping a new vinyl top up for at least
a week once fitted to allow it to stretch. Keeeping a roof down for
weeks (or months) on end is not normally a viable option over here :-)

I'd guess that yours has 'reverted' to a just fitted state and needs a
good stretch.

Brute force is the way to do it - it'll help if it's a warm day.



--
Rob - Shropshire
So many cats,
So few recipes...

I see that...but the original post didn't say cloth or hardtop. I guess i
was trying to hard to help someone out.

I'm gone

--
Jim Becker
Virginia Beach Backyard Weather
http://members.cox.net/jbecker31
"Grant Edwards" > wrote in message
. ..
> On 2008-10-13, Jim Becker > wrote:
>
>> http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...ighlight=trunk
>
> That thread is about an NC power-hard-top that won't retract.
>
> It's not relevent to the problem of a convertible top that
> appears to have "shrunk" or "set" so that it's difficult to
> latch after it's put up.
>
> --
> Grant Edwards grante Yow! Is it NOUVELLE
> at CUISINE when 3 olives
> are
> visi.com struggling with a
> scallop
> in a plate of SAUCE
> MORNAY?

On 2008-10-13, Jim Becker > wrote:

> I see that...but the original post didn't say cloth or
> hardtop. I guess i was trying to hard to help someone out.
>
> I'm gone

I don't doubt your motives or veracity, I was just very
confused by your comment about the trunk lid. So I asked for
an explanation.

To be honest, it never even occurred to me that the OP was
talking about a retractable hard-top -- thus my bafflement over
the connection with the trunk lid.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I brought my BOWLING
at BALL -- and some DRUGS!!
visi.com

Rob wrote:
> Frank Berger > wrote:
>
>> Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to put up the Miata's
>> top. I couldn't get the latches to latch. It was as if they didn't
>> extend far enough. I tried adjusting them (turning the adjusting
>> nut to extend the latches as far as possible, but that didn't work.
>> It was as though something were preventing the top from going up all
>> the way. Any ideas?
>
> If it's a vinyl top, then it will 'shrink' if left down for any length
> of time (weeks, not hours). When a new top is fitted, it can take two
> people to pull it (hard) into the position where the clamps can be
> closed for the first time.
>
> In the UK roof fitters recommend keeping a new vinyl top up for at
> least a week once fitted to allow it to stretch. Keeeping a roof down
> for weeks (or months) on end is not normally a viable option over
> here :-)
>
> I'd guess that yours has 'reverted' to a just fitted state and needs a
> good stretch.
>
> Brute force is the way to do it - it'll help if it's a warm day.

Brute force worked. Top is up. Thanks for all the advice.