Heated rear seam of convertible top separating. I tried silicone and glue to no avail. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

You might try sewing it with #40 black fishing line and a needle, it worked on mine until I changed the top.

 

Thanks for the note. How did you ensure that the top did not leak after the sewing job?

 

Good question.
My tears were along the rear sides on the original vinyl over canvas top, not the glass area. The sewing was a PITA but it worked. Unfortunately the top was 8 years old, and after a few cycles I thought the repair had failed. Turns out the canvas had become very fragile and new tears adjacent to sewing appeared.

I think your damage may be in a less stressed area. For waterproofing you could sew and then coat with black RTV on the inside for better appearance. A pic would help. Gl!

 

I thought about combining thread and silicone. I use the car as a daily driver with the top going up and down regularly hence the separation is spreading. Here are some pics.

 

Gotcha.
Clearly the adhesive has started to fail. Once a top starts to fail sewing and patching are really Band-Aid attempts to prevent further decay. I've seen everything from duct tape to silcone "repairs." IIRC the fishing line was from Bass Pro, black nylon braided 40# test, it did exactly what I needed before other tears appeared.

If it were mine, I'd sew it at least 2" past the problem area and hope for the best. You can get a nice replacement from Topsonline.com, Hartz Stayfast canvas (not vinyl) for my 06 was $650 delivered in 2013. Changing the top at home is very doable if you have the time. (8-10 hours). Gl!

 

Thanks for the advice and the referral. I think that is what I will do.