I'm a big believer in keeping all my automotive rubber gaskets, seals and liners as clean and pliable as possible. Back in the 70's I learned body shops used to treat rubber trims with a teensy bit of Murphy's Oil Soap to keep the rubber from drying out when they baked the paint. I religiously used MOS until about 5 years ago when I learned of a special formulation grease by Honda. Their Shin-Etsu silicone grease is formulated to be absorbed by rubber, making it swell just a fraction, keeping the seal pliable.

I've cycled (read: bought/sold) through all the cars I own in the last five years. We still have my wife's Volvo and my son's Pontiac convertible that I've been using the Honda product on since inception....all their gaskets and seals are supple and look brand new! The application process is similar to MOS..... a tiny amount worked into the front and back of the rubber, let it absorb, then wipe off any excess. When I say a tiny amount... the tube I bought 5 years ago has been used on 5 cars twice a year... and the tube is still 80% full!

My question: what's the best way (read: minimize potential damage) to stop my convertible top half-way through the cycle so I can get at all the rubber seals? The top will have to stay in that mid-cycle state for a good 30 minutes while the grease absorbs.

Thanks for your help!

 

Just hold the button down until the top is in the position you want it, then let go of the button. The top will stay in this position for 12 to 15 minutes. I block the rear section of the top and the tonneau with a couple of sticks to make sure they don't try to close while I am working. If this happens, you will need to do a manual reset as is shown in the owners manual.

 

Yeah, I personally wouldn't let it sit in any midpoint for more than a couple minutes. Even if a problem is very unlikely, if one DOES show up it can really suck to remedy.
Work fast on one side, cycle the roof and do the other side.

 

I would leave the top up and lube all the accessible rubber parts, then put the top down and do the same thing. That's good enough for me.

I had to do a manual top reset years ago, and don't want to do it again. Leaving the top halfway down isn't worth the risk.