Tweet
Fixing Smart Roadster Leaks
Instructions:
Smartmaniacs suggests that if your car is in warantee then you take it to a main dealer and get these leaks fixed for free. However if your car is out of warantee or you want to try a DIY approach (at your own risk) then here's what you need to know!
Below are Colsmarts hints and tips to cure your leaky roadster blues....
Thet are pratical solutions to convertable leaks (Colsmarts has owned many makes of convertables and solved their 'wet problems' in the past).
Front Bulkhead
Some early roadster have had leaks in from the front bulkhead, giving you a wet carpet if your lucky or as in my previous roadster, an electrical short.
This has now been solved on later roadsters, like my latest one.
Too check this, take out the front plastic boot well (4 quick release screws) and check all the joins round the metal tridon in the front boot and bulkhead have been taped over.
DIY solutions if your outside warrenty or want to solve it yourself, is to add waterproof Silicon sealant (stuff you buy for kitchen worktops and showers) Put this on the bulkhead/metal tridon in suspect areas within the front boot.
The Seals
Seems there's now three versions, looks the same, but different type/feel of rubber.
Leakage from these are mainly seepage between glass and seal or body and seal.
the 05 seals are SMOOTH but are made of softer material.
the 04 seals are rough to the touch, and harder,
the original 03 seals were hard and smooth.
The answer to this is get silicon grease (not vasaline/petroleum products, as it rots rubber) and give the seal a fine smear/coat. It makes the surface of the seals impermiable to water, so seepage does not occur.
Another product worth using to protect the seals from ageing, is Halfords brand of 'nylon/rubber lubricant' in the yellow spray can.
Mirror Wind Noise
Seems wind noise is as big a problem in the latest version to solve water leaks. Suspect area.. sounds like there is too much of a gap in the hole for the mirrors control handle. A solution would be to insert some foam sponge material on the cabin side, behind the triangular cover.
Mirror Water Leaks
Again get behind the triangular cover and apply thick axle grease round the gap in the hole for the mirrors control handle.
Speaker Leaks (water music)...
Get behind the speaker, either by taking door card off or taking spreaker cover off and then the speaker itself. Now put a supermarket polybag above and behind the speaker area and stick to existing covering with duct tape, thus chanelling water away from speaker and out the drain hole in the door base.
Finally a front windscreen leak...
Buy 'liquid seal' in the squeezy bottle, pour onto suspect area on windscreen and the stuff penetrates the leak and hardens to a transparent finish.
Smartmaniacs suggests that if your car is in warantee then you take it to a main dealer and get these leaks fixed for free. However if your car is out of warantee or you want to try a DIY approach (at your own risk) then here's what you need to know!
Below are Colsmarts hints and tips to cure your leaky roadster blues....
Thet are pratical solutions to convertable leaks (Colsmarts has owned many makes of convertables and solved their 'wet problems' in the past).
Front Bulkhead
Some early roadster have had leaks in from the front bulkhead, giving you a wet carpet if your lucky or as in my previous roadster, an electrical short.
This has now been solved on later roadsters, like my latest one.
Too check this, take out the front plastic boot well (4 quick release screws) and check all the joins round the metal tridon in the front boot and bulkhead have been taped over.
DIY solutions if your outside warrenty or want to solve it yourself, is to add waterproof Silicon sealant (stuff you buy for kitchen worktops and showers) Put this on the bulkhead/metal tridon in suspect areas within the front boot.
The Seals
Seems there's now three versions, looks the same, but different type/feel of rubber.
Leakage from these are mainly seepage between glass and seal or body and seal.
the 05 seals are SMOOTH but are made of softer material.
the 04 seals are rough to the touch, and harder,
the original 03 seals were hard and smooth.
The answer to this is get silicon grease (not vasaline/petroleum products, as it rots rubber) and give the seal a fine smear/coat. It makes the surface of the seals impermiable to water, so seepage does not occur.
Another product worth using to protect the seals from ageing, is Halfords brand of 'nylon/rubber lubricant' in the yellow spray can.
Mirror Wind Noise
Seems wind noise is as big a problem in the latest version to solve water leaks. Suspect area.. sounds like there is too much of a gap in the hole for the mirrors control handle. A solution would be to insert some foam sponge material on the cabin side, behind the triangular cover.
Mirror Water Leaks
Again get behind the triangular cover and apply thick axle grease round the gap in the hole for the mirrors control handle.
Speaker Leaks (water music)...
Get behind the speaker, either by taking door card off or taking spreaker cover off and then the speaker itself. Now put a supermarket polybag above and behind the speaker area and stick to existing covering with duct tape, thus chanelling water away from speaker and out the drain hole in the door base.
Finally a front windscreen leak...
Buy 'liquid seal' in the squeezy bottle, pour onto suspect area on windscreen and the stuff penetrates the leak and hardens to a transparent finish.