Open Mon–Fri 9–6 · Open Saturdays 9–4 54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe, Sydney NSW · minutes from Sydney Airport Call 0418 200 289
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Home / Makes / Honda S2000 & Infiniti roof repair

Honda S2000 · Infiniti retractable hardtops

Honda & Infiniti roof
repair, Sydney

Two very different roofs, one shared problem: almost nobody in Sydney knows them. S2000 soft tops are wearing through at the fold lines, and Infiniti's three-piece retractable hardtop is a hydraulic and sensor ballet the average workshop has never once seen. We meet both regularly at Arncliffe.

20+ yrs in automotive repair 1000+ roofs serviced 4.9★ Google rating

Known faults: Honda & Infiniti

The faults the generalist
rarely meets

When a workshop sees one of these roofs a year, every job is an experiment. When you've seen them for twenty-plus years, the fault walks in already half-diagnosed. Here's what each make brings us.

Fault 01

S2000 frame, tension & seals

The mechanical side of a tired top

How it shows up

Look at the top half-folded and you'll see the fabric wear: pale creases where it doubles over, threads showing through. That's the material at end of life, a trimmer's domain. What we see alongside it is the mechanical story: wind roar from a top that no longer tensions flush, a damp patch on the parcel shelf, a frame or cable that's let the roof drop out of shape.

Why it gets botched

A new top fitted loose by someone who doesn't know the S2000's frame sits baggy at the rear bow, chafes in the same spots and leaks at the rails within a year. The fabric is one trade; the frame, tension and seals it sits on are another — and the mechanical side is ours. We don't do any trimming or upholstery.

How we fix it

We check the frame, pivots, tension cables and header latches, set the roof so it seats and seals correctly, inspect the seals and rails, then water-test before handover, with our workmanship warranty behind the job. If the fabric itself is finished, that's a motor trimmer's job and we'll tell you straight; bring the new top back to us and we'll make sure it tensions and seals right.

Fault 02

Infiniti hardtop hydraulics

Slow, lopsided, weeping

How it shows up

The three-piece hardtop folds slower than it used to, hesitates under the weight of the panels, or sits slightly uneven mid-cycle. Oily residue collects in the boot corners where the cylinders live. Those are hydraulic seals letting go, the same wear-out that hits every hydraulic roof, just inside a system most of Sydney has never opened.

Why it gets botched

With no Infiniti dealer network left in Australia, owners get bounced between general workshops that won't touch it and quotes built entirely around replacement rams that are slow to source and brutally priced. Topping up fluid treats the puddle and ignores the failing seal that made it.

How we fix it

Hydraulic ram rebuilds are a core specialty here: your cylinders come out, get rebuilt with new seals, the lines and pump are inspected, the system flushed and bled, and the roof cycle-tested until it folds evenly at full speed. Original hardware, returned to spec, covered by our parts & labour warranty.

Fault 03

Infiniti sensor & switch faults

Stops mid-cycle

How it shows up

The roof halts partway through its routine — panels suspended over the boot — and refuses to continue. The control system choreographs latches, flaps and three moving panels, and it stops the moment any sensor fails to confirm its step.

Why it gets botched

A generalist can't ask the system which step failed, so they guess — or worse, push the panels by hand and bend the linkages. One tired microswitch becomes a mechanical rebuild in about thirty seconds of good intentions.

How we fix it

We plug in, read which stage the module refused, test that specific sensor or switch, repair it and recalibrate. Then the roof runs its full ballet, repeatedly, before you get the keys back.

How a visit works

Four steps. No surprises.

  1. 1

    Tell us the symptom

    Call 0418 200 289. A photo of the fold-line wear or a video of where the hardtop stalls gets you a first read, usually the same business day.

  2. 2

    We diagnose, you see it

    Fabric and frame inspection on the Honda; module read-outs, sensor tests and hydraulic pressure checks on the Infiniti. You see the finding before anything is quoted.

  3. 3

    We fix it properly

    Mechanical and hydraulic parts confirmed before the car comes in — OEM or premium aftermarket rams, motors, sensors and seals — fitted by factory-trained technicians, only after you approve the quote.

  4. 4

    We rain on it before Sydney does

    Seals and rails soaked, hardtop cycled through its full routine, cabin checked dry. No roof leaves on a promise.

Straight answers

S2000 & Infiniti questions
we hear every week

If yours isn't here, call. You'll get the same straight answer.

Ask us directly
My S2000's top is splitting along the fold lines. Can you help?

Once the fabric has worn through at the fold lines, the material itself is done — and renewing the fabric is a motor trimmer's trade, not ours. We don't do any trimming or upholstery. What we do is the mechanical side: we check the frame, pivots, tension cables and header latches, and make sure the seals and rails aren't dragging the top out of shape. Get a new top fitted by a trimmer and we'll happily sort the frame and tensioning so it sits and seals right.

Infiniti left Australia. Can you still get parts for my roof?

Yes, and this is exactly why we confirm parts before your car comes in. Between OEM channels and premium aftermarket suppliers, and the fact that we rebuild hydraulic cylinders rather than depending on replacement rams, an absent dealer network matters far less than owners fear. Your quote includes the parts plan, so there are no surprises.

My Infiniti's hardtop stopped halfway into the boot. What now?

Stop pressing the button and don't push on the panels. The roof has halted because a sensor or the hydraulics reported something it didn't like, and forcing it is how linkages bend. Call us on 0418 200 289 during opening hours; on most systems we can talk through what to do next over the phone, then diagnose the actual fault properly in the workshop.

Do you actually see enough of these cars to know them?

S2000s and Infiniti retractable hardtops both roll through this workshop — we keep meeting the same failures: fold-line wear on the Honda, hydraulic and sensor faults on the Infiniti. Twenty-plus years on nothing but roofs means the rare makes aren't rare to us.

What owners say

Repaired, not replaced

★★★★★

"My 2006 Prado sunroof had 1 motor fail and wet carpets due to blocked drains. Michael is very friendly and advised estimate cost for options over phone. Ended up cleaning, drying, sealing the sunroof and disconnecting power switch so can be repaired later if desired. Overall, a pleasure dealing with Michael and team."

Toyota Prado · Sunroof motor & blocked drains
★★★★★

"Michael exceeded all my expectations in his recent repair of my leaking and rust-affected RAV4 sunroof. I believed it would need to be permanently sealed due to longstanding leak issues."

Toyota RAV4 · Sunroof leak & rust
★★★★★

"Awesome service! I brought my car in as the sunroof was stuck open and the gear broke so it wouldn't close. Mr Kuang repaired it on the same day. Drive home with a working sunroof. Very happy, would recommend."

Sunroof stuck open · Same-day repair
Next step

Rare roof, familiar workshop. Start with a text.

A photo of the fold-line wear or a video of the stalled hardtop tells us most of what we need. We'll come back with a first read and next steps, usually the same business day.

54/58 Princes Hwy, Arncliffe NSW 2205, minutes from Sydney Airport · Mon–Fri 9am–6pm · Sat 9am–4pm · contact@convertiblecentre.com.au

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