pskdude

Ok. So my adventure begun yesterday with my new 04 CLK. Cabrio
I had not lowered my top since purchasing the vehicle since my rear window regulator needed to be fixed. After installation I took a shot at lowering the top.

First the front unlocked then the rear Case began to higher. I Noticed the Main cylinders for the roof where not lifting and the case was about to hit the rear window area. I lowered and when i looked back. Luckily my entire rear had been removed due to the regulator replacement. I had tons of Fluid leaking alll over the place. Front Cylinder and both main rear. (from the bottom joint not the top) See Attached.

I assume the seals are bad but i had the curiosity of asking the community if this had anything to do with the rear pump being closed or open correctly. I received the car with it fully open. So I closed the hex key screw completely and opened it as the manual describes. I'm hoping I didn't ruin the hydraulics. Regardless ive sent them over to Klaus today at Top Hydraulics they seem to be active here in the comm. so i support that fully.

1. How should my initial Hex screw by the fluid pump be. initially before the turns to open and close.

2. Now that I have removed the hydraulics it seems my car recognizes the Top is in Operation. I have just replaced all the microswitches so i know its not that. When im driving i get the dash error in red. ( LOCK TOP). even though its locked.

3. Finally, my windows stay in the lowered position as if the top was opening. :/ being i live in Miami this rain is not fun. I have had to put some bags on the windows.

Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks!

Top Hydraulics

pskdude,

welcome to the forum, and congrats on your convertible!

Your CLK500 cabrio is ten years old, and that is the design life span for the original seals in the seven hydraulic cylinders in a warm climate. No comment as to why the OEM cylinder manufacturers all use the same bad seal material that decays so quickly...

The main lift cylinders 2098000772 and 2098000872 typically leak first on the bottom, just where you circled in your attached picture. Outside of the top lock cylinder 2098001172, the next cylinders to fail will be the tonneau cover cylinders 2098001272. The bow tension cylinders 2098000972 are typically the last ones to fail. Top Hydraulics upgrades these cylinders with far superior seals for a fraction of new price.

Having the interior quarter panel (the trim on the side of the rear seat) removed already is saving you a lot of labor - quarter panel removal is actually the most time consuming part of removing all seven cylinders.

In response to your questions:

1) The hex bolt on the pump that you are referring to, is the release valve. It needs to be opened when you move the top manually. Apparently, that's exactly what your car's previous owner has done. The valve gets closed clockwise and open counter-clockwise. You were probably still able to cycle your top manually with the valve closed, because the system was already full of air.

2) It is possible to lock the top manually while the cylinders are out, and not to get any warning message. If your display is warning you to lock the top, then there is still a problem with a micro switch or with its wiring going to the controller.

3) Once the controller receives the proper signal from all micro switches that the top is locked, it will give the signal to the windows to close. You need to find the micro switch or wiring problem - start with the micro switch on the top lock mechanism.

A few useful links:
http://benzbits.com/w209/soft_top/ManualClose.wmv (Manual closing of the top)
http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/w209pumpremoval.pdf (Pump removal guide)

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

pskdude

oh! i did not know there was a top lock micro switch...The Diagram i received from mb did not show that one.what would be the location?
Also before i removed the lock hydraulic would it have not given me the same error if one of those switches had gone bad ? i replaced practically all 4 in the back and made sure they worked ok by directly connecting them.

fyi i had manually raised and lowered the top continuously while fixing the car and i had no error. Now in the hydraulic removal is when i received the error....

pskdude

Klaus,

Taking your advice and sending all the cylinders at once. Ordered the mircoswithces for the front lock they should be in tomm. Ill change them and hopefully i can get in there and remove the ones in the trunk to send you all of them. Thanks!

pskdude

Klaus,

Quick question. When i removed the hoses. I took into consideration the top and bottom of the hoses but i noticed when removing them they had numberings on them. Is there a diagram that shows in what postitions the hoses go attached to the hydraulics ?

Much appreciated.

Top Hydraulics

pskdude,

indeed, each hose has a two-digit number printed on the black hose material in black or white ink, about an inch from the fittings. The same numbers are engraved into the manifold plate of the pump, which makes it easy to replace multiple hydraulic lines at the same time. The only place where it is easy to mix up hose locations is the left main lift cylinder 2098000772, because it has three hoses and their routing can be counter-intuitive.

As far as a diagram with hose numbers goes, I don't believe it exists. Hope I'm wrong, and able to save some work. Otherwise, we (Top Hydraulics) will add the numbers to our location diagram shortly - just need to get a "round-to-it"... Meanwhile, let me know if there is any particular hose location that you need help with.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

pskdude

Ok Everyone i may need some help here....

After installing the new Hydraulics. I tried opening the top. The windows begin to lower, once in the lowest position i get nothing after. The light stays blinking. If i close the top the pump makes some noise and then stops. I have not been able to get the top to automatically unlock.
Any idea whats going on ?

The trunk opens etc. and i replaced most of the sensors already. I get the trunk to open just fine. Tyically if any of the sensers are bad the trunk wont open.

what can be next step/ options.

Rudeney

Honestly, it might be time to get a proper diagnosis with SDS to see what's going on. Also, when you say the trunk opens, do you mean the actual trunk lid, or the soft top cover? The only reason the trunk lid would no open is if the soft top controller reports that the top it is not either fully open or fully closed.

pskdude

I think it might be time to get a SDS as well. :/

No, by open i mean nothing in the Cabrio functions work. to clarify trunk open means the Actual Trunk Lid opens not the soft top cover. So that means all the sensors are actuating. If not it would say top in operation and the trunk would not open.

Top Hydraulics

Agreed, it's time for SDS.
I don't have enough specific knowledge of the W209 controller programming, when it comes to error messages in the instrument cluster, or the controller freezing soft top operations after too many error codes have been accumulated previously, or or how it behaves if there is an illogical input from micro switches, yet the top indicates that it is fully closed.

For example, what would happen if the sliding micro switch assembly on the left tonneau cover cylinder 2098001272 indicated "open" or an intermediate stage, yet the micro switches on the top latch and the tonneau cover bracket indicate that the top is fully closed? Would the controller still allow the trunk to open? In some controllers, this would be deemed illogical and enough to freeze the whole soft top operation. An interesting test would be if a fellow forum member could disconnect their switch on 2098001272 when the soft top is closed, and see if this prohibits trunk lid operation... These sliding switches go bad a lot on W208s: https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...-failures.html

Hope you will have a chance to report the full results of the code reading.

Klaus

www.tophydaulicsinc.com

pskdude

Yes,

A malfunctioning sensor would prohibit trunk operation. That's why i ended up replacing half of them, (which where bad ) to begin with. Im almost 99% sure the malfunction is outside the sensor stage. Ill report back this week after the SDS. Thanks for all your help guys.

pskdude

Hello Gents,

Seems like it is a sensor problem after all. just have to figure out which ones these are. in part #. Im going to try and mess around with them but it seems like they have gone bad. Lets see. I think its the one that comes up and down in the trunk, its the only current one. Its the only i hadnt changed since it was in good condition.

Rudeney

did you pull codes to see which one(s) are failing?

pskdude

Yes the Diagnosis is attached under the last post with the results.

Rudeney

OH, sorry , I didn't see the "X" marks. Those are the cover switches. There are two of them, one on each side, on the "U" shaped locks behind the rear seat headrests.

pskdude

Are you sure that's the limit switch, i have already replaced both of those. :/ the gentlemen in the parts dept. stated that was the soft top compartment swtich which is the one that comes up and down right next to the hydr pump. Thats the only one i have not replaced recently...

Rudeney

Check this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...roof-saga.html

I have PDFs there showing all the limit switches.

pskdude

Thanks Rudeney, this was a big help. It justmakes me so angry i cant go to parts in mb dealer and they cant tell me which Switch is pulling their own error codes.

pskdude

So today I was able to troubleshoot. I removed all the sensors, checked all the connections. There was one ifffy one in the soft topp that might have been connected lightly. I turned on the car and BOOM Top worked. I want to thank everyone for their advice and help, it was much appreciated I would not have done it without you all. TY! Klaus as well for the fabulous work on the hydro rebuilds....

My next step is to Grease all the connections and do some maintenance on this top since it has not been used in some time. Any references i searched and came up with 0. Ty! again!

Rudeney

Get the rubber seal lubricant form the dealer - it's about $40 for a small vial but it is a "wonder drug". And that vial will last for many years. As for top care, most people like RaggTopp. Griot's also makes something similar that I use. Mainly, you want a low-detergent, non-alcohol fabric cleaner and follow with a fabric protector. Even 3M Scotchgard will work.