Creaky roof California

Certified ? lol I would be interested in what the dealer or mechanics diagnosis turns out to be. Hopefully its just needs some adjustment and or lubrication . Its not normal thats for sure, I dont own one, hopefully its not Ferraris new normal.

Thank you

 

I have an '11. A few squeaks now and then going over railroad tracks and such. Not normal, talk to your dealer...T

 

For the annual service I thought the top was supposed to be lubricated. When is your next annual service?
T

 

Any hardtop convertable roof will make noise sometimes. Honestly there is zero chance it will ever be silent. I have never driven a hardtop convertable that hasn't made noise at some point or another.

This becomes a case of your personal tolerance level for noise. If you cannot stand the slightest creak or squeak then the issue is you.

You must have a control to judge against. Is your car any more annoying then the next one. Drive a few more then make a judgment.

 

Mine creaks and squeaks but less than the average convertible. Lubricating the rubber seals with Gummi pflege can keep it to a minimum.

 

The seals are a definite possibility. Also, if you are using the wind stop, make sure the seats/seatbacks are not so far back that they are rubbing on the plastic, that will make some noise that you might not notice as much with the top down.

 

We used gummi pflege on the wife's Benz SLK, which is also a hard top convertible. Worked a treat. That car was a lot creakier than the Cali by a long shot...T

 

Mine has squeeks as well. Dealer told me lubricant during the annual service will knock it out. They'll take care of it then.

 

I have an SL550. The same company makes Mercedes and Ferrari's tops. I rarely hear squeaks but if I do, I apply the attached. This little bottle will probably last the rest of my life. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks, Florida Joe! We have some squeaking on our Cali 30 hardtop so this will help!

 

The lubricant that was applied to all of the newer Ferrari retractable hardtops (California, 485 Spider, etc.) by the factory is a product called Krytox GLP 205 grease. It is a white gel which Ferrari spread liberally over all of the top seals on all Spiders.
If you look at the maintenance schedule for your car, you will see that the Krytox grease is supposed to be applied to all of the rubber top seals at every annual service.
I have never found a seal lubricate that even comes close to reducing noise from rubber seals as the Krytox GPL 205. It works like magic on any rubber seal (convertible top, door and trunk seals). Great for old cars too, I had a 308 GTSi top that was squeaking/rattling badly over bumps. I applied Krytox to the seals, front mounting pins and latch contact surfaces. Every noise from the top was eliminated, now I could hear only the rattles from the inside the left door (widow cables, door latch release?).

This modern technology doesn't come at a cheap price, as the stuff is ridiculously expensive, a .05oz tube is $22.
I apply it sparingly as a little goes a long way.
ttps://www.amazon.com/Chemours-D12431805-Krytox-GPL205-Grease/dp/B073Y4557Y

The other source of noise from California tops is from lack of lubrication of all of the pivots and catches of the top frame. I lubricate all of the top mechanism pivots with a good penetrating grease (Wurth HHS-2000, HHS-K or Winzer Polylube 250/300). The catches and hooks need a thick sticky grease, I use Bosch distributor grease.

Finally the top needs to be adjusted correctly, and have all of the rubber caps on the stops. There a a few adjustable stops for the top mechanism that limit the travel of parts of the top frame. These have rubber caps on them so there is no metal to metal contact. They need to be intact and adjusted correctly. There are also rubber caps on the plastic stops for the trunk lid and the stops where the trunk lid presses against the top when it is stowed. They need to be in place.

It takes time and patience to eliminate squeaks and rattles from Ferrari retracting hardtops. But you can make the car as silent as a hardtop if you are persistent.


Brian Brown
San Francisco Motorsports

 

Outstanding write up Brian, thanks.