[Wild Weasel]

Hey all,

I brought my wife to the train this morning in the Boxster as it was above freezing and I'm working from home. On the way home though, I noticed something that I don't recall hearing before so I'm pretty sure it's new.

It sounded at first like a bit of static on the radio but then I muted it and realized it's coming from the rear section of the interior roof fabric. The sound is almost like fabric tearing or scratching or something. When I got home and parked, I noticed that if I press on that rear section, it makes a sort of crunchy noise so I'm fairly certain that it's just that noise as I'm going over bumps in the road and what not.

The inner lining is stretched taut and feels very elastic. The noise is as though there were a bit of very old foam between the two layers and when I press lightly on the inner layer, it's crunching that foam just a little. I think that's my best description of what it sounds like. The front section right over my head makes no such sound. It's just the rear section over the roll bars.

Again... the weird thing is that I've never noticed this before. I'm sure it has to be a new occurrence. It's not horrible or anything, but definitely something you wouldn't miss as it was fairly constant.

Has anyone had a similar issue and know of a resolution?

 

[Wild Weasel]

We have that as well. Mentioned it the last time she was in for service but the specific road makes a difference. They couldn't replicate and I didn't know of a road for them to use to test that would produce the noise since the dealer is nowhere close to where we live. We didn't have the noise when we first got our Boxster either.

Can you make the noise just by pressing lightly on the headliner over the roll hoops?

 

[Wild Weasel]

So are you guys saying if you get in your cars and just poke a bit at the headliner with your finger, it doesn't make the noise? So can I assume that some weird sequence of conditions came together to make it happen and that it probably won't happen again tomorrow?

 

[Wild Weasel]

What year is your car?

It's a 2015 with just over 1600 km's on it. I only noticed this the first time on Friday. Didn't get a chance to drive it again over the weekend.

 

[Wild Weasel]

Yes, the same sort of noise can be made by pressing on the headliner in that area.

Did you show them that when you brought it in for service? Did they have anything to say about it?

 

[Wild Weasel]

Mine doesn't do it. Feels like solid metal back there. The parts that fold in around the roll bars make a rattle sometimes over really 'vibrating' roads (pretty bad over a metal mesh bridge) when the roof is up (parts are in the up position).

Note that I'm talking about the inside, not the outside. On the inside, it's some sort of thin fabric stretched over the area. There's nothing solid about it. So... pushing up from in side on the panel over the roll bars made the noise.

Next time I'm in it I'll check to see if it's still doing it. From some of the earlier responses, I'm kinda hoping it was just a random thing and doesn't persist.

 

[Wild Weasel]

i have the same issue with my 2013 boxster. it seems like if u constantly close and open the top will cause the noise occur more often but i didnt bother my dealer cuz of this issue since i assume that this is a common problem among soft top convertibles. i also found some similar noise problem on my 2011 328 convertible.

I haven't driven with the roof up much, but I did a couple weeks ago when it started raining and it occurred to me afterward that I never noticed this noise at the time. Just sayin'. I wonder if it might be some combination of speed and temperature and who knows what else.

 

[Wild Weasel]

Weasley, I noticed something very similar to your original description in my car last night as I was driving from Toronto to Ottawa. It was late at night and too cold to keep the roof down when driving on route 7, so naturally I had it up. I only noticed the noise when the car was travelling faster than 118 kph. At first I too, thought it was radio static. Then I wondered if it was a leak in a seal, but definitely no airflow could be detected. I wonder if this is normal, or should we expect the car interior to be perfectly silent with the top up?

Firstly... too bad about having to have the roof up. I was gonna comment on how I can keep the roof down right to around 5 degrees... but that definitely requires a proper winter jacket which I rather doubt you brought with you.

I have a sneaky suspicion that it's a weird combination of temperature and road conditions. I almost never have my roof up, but I know for sure that there's been at least once or twice since starting this thread where I've had it up and distinctly noticed that it was NOT doing it. I can't recall the last time it WAS doing it. I also can't recall the last time I drove with the roof up though.

It really doesn't seem normal... but also doesn't really seem like something is broken or anything. Like... it's not a rubbing or scraping sound or anything... it's just something coming from the fabric as it moves... sometimes.

I thnk I got the same experience as yours. I was driving with the top down, I couldn't help but notice some weird sound with the high speed just you said faster than 100 kmh. At frst I thought the noise or the sound was some reflection of surroundings from somewhere. but the sound kept following. Sounded like some crickets got into the car somewhere.

Definitely not the same thing. This is ENTIRELY a top-up thing as it comes from just behind and above your head and isn't very loud. I can't imagine, even if it was doing it, that there's any way you'd hear it with the roof down much less at highway speeds.

 

[Wild Weasel]

Next time I hear it I'll try to pay attention to speeds and wind and stuff. May be a while though. Seriously... I nearly NEVER drive with the roof up.

takeshi, has it been fairly constant?

 

[Wild Weasel]

Interesting. I'd completely forgotten about this issue until I saw your reply. I've driven a few times this year with the roof up and it's hasn't happened again.

Weird.