I asked this question the other day. People are getting there new car paint jobs messed up because convertible top mechanism goes out of adjustment. Is there something we can do to avoid this ugly problem ahead of time. Should we re- torque mechanism? Any super knowledgeable people know anything about this? I am sure the dealer is not going to do anything preventative about this. Do you really want your car to be re sprayed and be documented on car fax?

 

Having monitored both this forum and another since intro of the HTC in 2020, this is not a common problem, although there have been a handful of reports. Our HTC shows no signs of a problem and our top is up and down sometimes a half dozen times on every clear day trip.

It likely is just a simple adjustment, and dealer should arrange to repair your paint damage under warranty.

 

I have not had this problem - I think the top may need to be periodically tightened up perhaps? Engineer/ mechanical types please comment - it is just so ugly if it happens…

 

Zero problems with my 22 HTC delivered Dec 2021 and driven 3k miles. Top down nearly every outing.

I think this is an outlier to say the least and less worrisome than the tranny issues.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. It is very uncommon. If hinges are properly torqued and aligned at the factory, it shouldn't happen for the lifetime of the vehicle.

 

I would caution any preventative (at home) maintenance on the roof/tonneau assy while still under warranty. Re-torquing bolts that have thread locking compound could damage the bond and actually make it more susceptible to shifting/alignment issue. Additionally, in the event that you do experience a problem any indication of previous unauthorized work could possibly lead to a denial of warranty claim.

Just my two cents…

 

QFT agreed.

 

You guys are probably correct. My other corvettes have been do it yourself antiques and not used to dealer warranty issues. Modern service advisors and technicians instead of greasy mechanics is something new for me. still remember problems in late 70’s with Chevy pickups and fighting with dealers. I am sure it is much better now that we have techs and computer cars…

 

I looked at mine very closely no issues.

 

21 HTC here. No issues except the top often doesn't latch when closing it in "cold" temps. The user's manual states this, so it's not a big deal (I just reach up and pull it shut).

No other issues related to the HTC so far. (1700 miles)

 

I will check the fasteners to be safe, but mine is 13 months old, has 8500 miles, and the top goes up and down as often as possible. No issues here.

 

I commented on your post in another thread, and now I'm confused...you "have not had this problem"? Why are you asking then? Enough people have anxiety about getting these cars because of something they read on the "internet" or "Facebook", these kind of posts only perpetuate a false narrative that they are rampant with problems. My experience has been quite the opposite.

Other than what SinCity is dealing with as discussed in another thread (and his situation may be a result of damage by the tech, not the HTC operation).

I have not heard of this HTC issue happening at all or certainly not with any regularity, and given that you are not experiencing this issue (and I'm not even sure you currently own a C8), I have to ask what is the point of the Chicken Little, "the sky is falling" post? I put my top up and down daily to and from work and it operates flawlessly. Love it.

 

it is pretty common mechanical sense that if something gets loose on the top mechanism or hinges get loose the panels are going to grind together and damage the factory paint job.. I was simply trying to find out if anyone has examined the mechanism as a preventive measure before it does happen. It is a fairly complex piece of machinery. An analogy would be on aircraft you annually check the retractable landing gear - you put the aircraft on stands and observe the landing gear swinging and tighten and adjust and as necessary.

 

I guess guys like to worry about things they have no issues with. It makes me wonder what they do when they actually have issues? It's no wonder most of our population is on some type of medication. I wonder if they worry about their meds knowing they are all made in China.

 

I posted this the other day…..actually I don’t think the mechanism is that difficult or complicated.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...se-states.html


BUT what I learned is to carefully move the top and watch for problems. you can stop it at any time, goose it into place, that sort of thing.

I’m not saying to do this each and every time but occasionally slowly operate it and observing alignment, fit and how it opens and closes.

 

Greg, you say to slowly operate it with frequent stops along the way but you don't say how to do this?

 

I agree. Some don't seem to be happy unless they have a problem and are constantly looking if they don't have one.

 

I'm sorry, but without some actual data to support this it's not common sense, it's speculation. There are literally hundreds of thousands of hard top convertibles on the road from dozens of manufacturers. If this were a common issue I think we'd hear a lot more about it. There are literally many hundreds of fasteners on a modern car, which is a very complex piece of machinery. Do people have frequent problems with fasteners coming loose? Do you annually put your car on a lift and go over all the nuts and bolts to make sure they're tight? Properly torqued fasteners don't routinely loosen, except maybe in high vibration environments.

 

The top only moves while you're holding (pushing or pulling) the button. If you let go of the button, the top stops.

 

Correct..... and I'll add before the top hits the windshield stop it, make sure its reasonably level and then let it into place......and stop before it engages the latches. It will settle into the windshield holes before it engages the latches if you stop it.

I ran mine down like always wo looking and the left side engaged and the right side was not in the hole. Left side pulled down shifting the entire top. I could see where the brackets had moved in the rubber grommets in the back by the frame. Fortunately there are indentures in the rubber from the initial seating. I loosened those bolts and realigned the top....... watching it drop onto the windshield frame. Before this adjustment the right side was almost 2 inches above the left when the top dropped.

I had ran the top up and down 100s of times wo issues. I do not do car shows. BUT someone asked me to do one for a charity...... at which I left the "trunk" up to display the engine compartment. It was up for 4 or so hours. Could the panel being up for a few hours. IDK get some wind action and get shifted???....... hard to believe but that's when the issues started.

Anyhow I am confident alls well now. It all looks complicated but if you stand back and watch it....... pretty simple and few areas to adjust.