Howto: Cabriolet convertible top hydraulic system

[Mercee]

it sounds like maybe your leak is around the pump area rather than the vacuum actuator under the top cover which is what often leaks. if the leak is in the pump area then maybe that total is correct... have you gotten a second opinion from another shop?

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[WayneQ]

Hey Flot,

Thanks for the write up on this repair. I just bought my 2002 CLK-55 AMG a couple of weeks ago and have found a couple of problems with it. One being the same problem as you have described above, leaking fluid from the lid that covers the top when closed. I had a cylinder that was leaking fluid. I followed your instructions (which was spot on) and the job went pretty smoothly. Added a little fluid and everything works great.

I have been on this site for a year or so (just have not replied any) and it has been VERY HELPFUL for other repairs that I have had for my 2000 S500.

So thanks again.

Wayne

[diegoo]

Hey Flot,

Thank you for your post. Thankfully in my case there was no leak of fluid but my top did stop working. It worked maybe three times intermittently and then stopped working altogether.

I had to follow your instructions to get to the pump assembly because it turns out that the relay switch was not working. The relay switch is located right next to the pump assembly. I replaced it with the one off the fuel pump - same part no. - and now both seem to be working just fine.

BTW, I went to the stealership and they told me "oh no it cannot possibly be the relay, you need to bring it in for a diag." Nahh, both the fact that even I could fix it and the fact that MB incredibly smart engineers conveniently 'forgot' to build an access panel in the metal partition tells me that the stealership's name is well deserved. It is a makes-job program subsidized by those that are too lazy or scared to put their hands into their own cars.

I cannot thank you enough. I would not have undertaken this unless I had read your post.

Total cost: 3.5 hours, $0, and priceless satisfaction!

[wjaramillo]

My top stopped working and I don't see any leaks. I took the car to the dealership and he said I needed my hydraulic pumps replaced. Can someone provide some details on where I can buy them on (I will need the model and part number information).

Thank you in advance,

Bill

[Top Hydraulics]

I would like to introduce myself to this forum. Top Hydraulics rebuilds thousands of convertible hydraulic cylinders per year, spanning over 20 brands. The important part is, our rebuilds make the leaking cylinders better than new on account of the advanced seal material we are using. Unlike the seals from our competition mentioned in the first post and unlike the OEM, our seals age much slower and are not susceptible to damage by water.

The OEM seals in all cylinders decay with time, and the chemical reaction is accelerated with temperature. This is common to almost all modern convertibles, and you might regard the cost of upgrading your cylinders as cost of ownership for a fancy convertible. We are proud of the solution we have found to upgrade all your cylinders at a fraction of the replacement cost with inferior OEM parts. To my knowledge, Top Hydraulics is the only vendor who is able to upgrade the five black cylinders - we actually upgrade both seal material and seal type on these!

We have an up-front shipping or core exchange option, and we can usually ship the two locking cylinders mounted inside of replacement latches at no additional charge (requires a deposit, though). This saves you time, and we get the assurance that the cylinders haven't been mechanically damaged upon removal from the lock.

A few comments to enhance this thread:

- The W208 CLK Class Convertibles have seven hydraulic actuators in the top system, not counting the roll bar cylinders.

- The first ones to fail are the two aluminum cylinders borrowed from the R129 SL-Series: the Rear Bow Lock Cylinder (as described in the first post), and the Case Cover Lock Cylinder. These cylinders typically fail at about the same time, since they are using almost identical seals.

- Do not let your hydraulic pump run dry - Mercedes does not manufacture these any more, and pump rebuilds are expensive (we currently charge a maximum of $600 per CLK pump depending on the kind of damage, and MB charges close to $2,000 for a rebuilt pump)!

- If the seals are allowed to crumble apart, the particles may block the valves in your pump.

- There are only two fluids officially recommended for your hydraulic top system: the OEM fluid from the dealer, or FeBi 02615. The latter can be purchased online at currently about $11/quart. For example, go to www.autohausaz.com and type "02615" into the search box. FeBi 02615 will come up as power steering and hydraulic fluid.

- Do not use "stop-leak" type products: they make the seals swell up at first, which may or may not help, but eventually the seals fall apart and you are more likely to have catastrophic results on account of massive seal failure and potential damage to the pump assembly. OEM fluid and FeBi 02615 do not have damaging additives, and they do not suspend water in the hydraulic fluid.

Attached below please find a picture of all seven cylinders used in your system, plus a schematic showing the location of all hydraulic cylinders in your W208 CLKs. A crisp version of the schematic can be seen at http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/diagrams/CLKdiagram.jpg.

Hope this helps,

-Klaus

klaus@tophydraulicsinc.com

[suezy]

Originally Posted by beachclubevents

Thank you so much for your help...well the mechinism they are talking about is the entire unit in the back that even includes the roll bar (head rests)..all of that will be replaced..they say that mechinism was damaged by the fluid and needs to be replaced..they did show me that the "part" is 5 grand and with labor it will cost 7500.I talked to them today and with waving my diognostic charges they can complete the job for 6 grand... i did ask if there was anyway to repair it without replacing the 5000.00 part and they say no..also they told me that if i choose to disable the top and leave it shut and not use it,,everytime i start the car the system test will pump fluid out and i will still have the leak..and let me tell ya the leak was massive..when the rear seats were taken out under the seat was covered with fluid...i mean a disaster took 4 hours to clean.also this 5000.00 part is big with roll bars...the pump the motor etc. oh boy what to do i am close to telling them to just fix it

how did you go with your car as i now have the same problem

[allenjdmb]

I can't believe that no one here has talked about the tension cable. I've replaced a couple of them, but they were under warranty. Of course, not anymore. Can someone elaborate, thanks...

[mgworek]

Just bought a 2002 clk430 yesterday. I am having issues with my soft top. The guy i bought it from said if i have problems, he will pay for the repairs but i wanted to get your thoughts first.

Bringing the top down is my problem. It can take 3 - 4 mins, if it even goes down. Even the trunk piece closing after the top is alway the way down can take forever.

I can check and make sure it has fluids but considering the truck is slow as well, not sure where to look.

Like i said, going up, its not a problem.

Thanks

[Top Hydraulics]

Originally Posted by mgworek

Just bought a 2002 clk430 yesterday. I am having issues with my soft top. The guy i bought it from said if i have problems, he will pay for the repairs but i wanted to get your thoughts first.

Bringing the top down is my problem. It can take 3 - 4 mins, if it even goes down. Even the trunk piece closing after the top is alway the way down can take forever.

I can check and make sure it has fluids but considering the truck is slow as well, not sure where to look.

Like i said, going up, its not a problem.

Thanks

mgworek,

welcome to the forum, and congrats on your purchase! Whatever the problem is, we can likely fix it without you having to spend a fortune on new parts. Let's try to get to the bottom of this together.

Warning: DO NOT run the pump for several minutes, or you risk burning out the motor. That would be the worst possible case, with Mercedes not making these pumps any more, and Top Hydraulics charging $600 for a pump rebuild.

We need to start out with you checking the hydraulic fluid level. That takes some time, but it's not very difficult. After removing the front panel in your trunk, you need to unscrew a lot of hex bolts to remove the cover for the pump, located in the middle of the trunk wall. Once the cover is removed, you will see the pump with the reservoir. I'm attaching a photo below.

Klaus

klaus@tophydraulicsinc.com
www.tophydraulicsinc.com

[mgworek]

Thanks for the reply and the heads up.

I have not had the chance to take a look yet but plan on it this week.

I am going to check on the fluids but also look at 2 wires, release wires i believe?

I read up on those on another forum and it mentioned those can cause my problem as well as the top slamming down on the front of the car when putting it up, which my top is doing as well.

Originally Posted by Top Hydraulics

mgworek,

welcome to the forum, and congrats on your purchase! Whatever the problem is, we can likely fix it without you having to spend a fortune on new parts. Let's try to get to the bottom of this together.

Warning: DO NOT run the pump for several minutes, or you risk burning out the motor. That would be the worst possible case, with Mercedes not making these pumps any more, and Top Hydraulics charging $600 for a pump rebuild.

We need to start out with you checking the hydraulic fluid level. That takes some time, but it's not very difficult. After removing the front panel in your trunk, you need to unscrew a lot of hex bolts to remove the cover for the pump, located in the middle of the trunk wall. Once the cover is removed, you will see the pump with the reservoir. I'm attaching a photo below.

Klaus

klaus@tophydraulicsinc.com
www.tophydraulicsinc.com

[evangelo02]

Im not far from you im in Sebring area it looks like you need to top off your pump and try to locate the leak if you need help let me know Thanks angelo

[mgworek]

Thanks

The car is in the shop right now getting the top looked at. The previous owner is paying for it.

What i know so far is the tension cables need to be replaced. I am going to do that. They said the whole top needs to be taken off and it would take 5 to 6 hours...... I found instructions here on how to do it in 30.

They are replacing a switch or something. I pick it up today and will find out what they did replace. The previous owner is paying for this part.

I also asked them to check the fluid level but not sure if they did or not, they told me it's a pain but once again, thanks to here, I can do that.

Originally Posted by evangelo02

Im not far from you im in Sebring area it looks like you need to top off your pump and try to locate the leak if you need help let me know Thanks angelo