Floobydust

Ray -

Awesome! Thanks!!

- FD

Captain11

Floobydust - in the photos you have provided, which fuse is the 8-amp fuse that is in the circuit to the roll bar deployment solenoid? If that fuse to the R/B deployment solenoid is not those photos, where on the body is that fuse located?

My roll bar triggering solenoid (Y57/1) will extend upward with pressing the 'up' rocker switch but the solenoid will not engage in the lock in the headrest. The Y57/1 solenoid will move down when the 'down' rocker is pressed but the roll bar will not go down as the solenoid never locks into the headrest.

Also, where specifically in the right front passenger footwell is the data link connector for the top and roll bar? The footwell is sealed off with panels so what do I need to remove to get at that connector to read the codes?

Thanks

Captain 11

Floobydust

The three fuses for the top and roll bar are located on the right strut tower as shown in my picture. The large 30 Amp strip fuse is for the hydraulic pump, the two Bosch style fuses are 15 amp for the soft top controller and 8 amp for the roll bar deployment solenoid.

Your post is interesting in that it is the second one I have seen as of recent regarding a deployed roll bar that won't retract. I have not yet been able to work out what the problem might be on these, although I am suspecting a mechanical issue with the internal latch that couples the spring loaded roll bar to the hydraulic sled that raises it up and down normally.

This is a long shot, but you might try the roll bar reset procedure with the 8 amp roll bar solenoid fuse removed. The re-latch should be a mechanical process and if the solenoid is being held on, the latch may be being prevented from latching because the solenoid is holding it "open. Just a thought.

Please post what you find out.

- FD

Captain11

Dear FD - thanks for your help. However, while trying to get my roll bar to go down via the normal operating procedure, something hydraulic started leaking inside that compartment behind the rear seat and below the back deck. I heard the fluid spray and fluid level in the reservoir dropped considerably.

I wedged open the locking pawls on the back side of the roll bar rack and then tried to manually force the roll bar down - no luck. The roll bar will not go down via the hydraulic system or manually. And now I do not have a hydraulic system so I am stuck.

The question to you is:

How do I get into the compartment behind the seat to determine and fix the problem with the hydraulic system, considering:

- The roll bar is stuck in the up position,
- The top cannot be lowered hydraulically if the roll bar is up and I don't know if there is a manual procedure to get the top down if the roll bar is up.

I tried to get into this compartment from the trunk side but all the fasteners have the heads on inside the compartment, so you can't get in that way unless I missed something.

If I take the roll bar rack entirely out of the car will I get a better advantage for applying force to retract the roll bar? If so where do you break the hydraulic lines? Even removing the rack, I don't see any way to get into the compartment from there.

In summary, how do I get into the compartment behind the rear seat o(or access the hydraulic system therein) given the roll bar is locked in the up position, the top cannot be lowered if the roll bar is up? Even if I get the hydraulic system fixed I am still stuck with how to get the roll bar down.

BTW - I have checked all the fuses and they are good and I am following all procedures listed in the operating manual.

Thank you

Captain11

vootsak

My top got stuck in the closed position on a W124 chassis - something most mechanic and shops I went to including the dealer said was impossible to open without cutting out the lock or drilling a hole into my beauty. I live in Southern CA and just want to refer anyone who has convertible top problem to Lee at AAA Convertible - he did the job in record time and a t a fraction at what everyone else wanted to charge to 'take a stab at it". Located on 17th Street in Costa Mesa t 949-515-1525

landondonovan

Could be a lot of things, try going to an indie with a diagnositc computer and get the codes pulled.

landondonovan

Is the main fuse not working? Check it.

David Gosling

Finally I find folks who know about the W124 Cabriolet roof

Hope this issue hasn't been aired before, but my roof folds down but not back up. Turns out the left side roof hinge bolt had sheared, breaking the micro switch from it's mount. All good, but I can't find the correct name or part number for the switch or the bolt; the Merc distributor sent me a very vague diagram.

It is a slim, rectangular black plastic thing, with at least one white/clear 'mechanical' switch, which fits in front of the hinge.

Can anyone help with names/part numbers?

David Gosling

I'm sure this is sorted by now, but manual retraction of the roll bars involves a reset using the roll bar switch on the dash.

It's a while since I did it, so bear with me here;

1. Turn ignition to either electrics on/engine off, or start the engine,

2. Hold the dash switch in the 'close' (or 'open') position until you hear a loud click, which is a reset of some sort,

3. The headrests will then retract.

I couldn't ever work out the exact sequence from the instructions I got from the manual I have, so trial and error needed. Though I'm pretty sure it's with engine on and switch 'up' for 8 or more seconds.

joef

If you can take a picture of what you require, I have a spare roof sitting in my storage.

David Gosling

Thanks Joef, most kind

I'm in Ireland though, so shipping might be expensive.

I found the part number (I finally had a good look at the switch); 124 821 40 51 (2402 3061), photo attached. The switch seems to control the rear a deck roof cover/lid opening/closing, and locking the hood down against the lid.

I've asked my dealer about it, and also found it on this site; https://www.mercedespartscenter.com/...&siteid=215720

I'll get back to you if I can't get the part here.

TX again.

Celicasaur

I've tried looking online for a picture of these sensors but can't find them....anybody care to share?

MBdrvr

I just wanted to thank Floobydust for the excellent instructions on how to release the top bow with some jumpers. Thanks a bunch!!

I'm now searching for some help with the tonneau lock. I had all the cylinders rebuilt and reinstalled but now find that the hard tonneau will not go up. It appears to push down slightly when it should be going up but that's all. I thought I had installed the hydraulic lines to the cylinders in the trunk incorrectly but that's not it.

The tonneau lock is now stuck in the locked position and the manual release will not work. Any suggestions?

Answered my own question: The connector to the bow switch was disconnected during disassembly. All OK except:

The top will not fold down completely into the compartment but I'm stopping for tonight. Film at 11.

allenjdmb

The top will run and begin the sequence (opening or closing). But shortly after the well cover begins to operate, the roll bars start to come up, interfering with the process. This I have never seen. My tech thinks it's the top controller 124.820.4526. Sent it out to BBA reman (what a waste of time), they say they can't really test it, and they don't want to mess with it (but of course, they did charge me the $35 diagnostic fee). There seem to be hardly any of these boxes around (Classic Center says no US, no CAN, no Euro depot and not any in Stuttgart), but there are plenty of the 124.820.5826 roll bar controllers and reman services around. I guess that should tell me something? Anyone experience this? I am becoming increasingly disenchanted with this girl. Have spent months and thousands of dollars to get her just right.

MBdrvr

First of all my top is now operating properly. After a few cycles the system must have bled itself and the top goes all the way into the boot.

Regarding the controller, I have no specific experience with the convertible controller however when I needed the seat belt presenter controller that is NLA, I found a used one on eBay from another MB model that worked fine. So try that.

allenjdmb

Just FYI, for those of you that have these cars.....
There are no more top controllers, nor plans to make any.
Classic Center has none. They contacted the Euro parts depot, there are none on the continent. The guys at Classic Center even went out of their way to contact Stuttgart and see if there were any in the secret parts stash. None. And oh, not a sign of one on ebay, in the US or Germany.
BBA was a joke on this one, after they told me to send it on and that they had spare parts if it wouldn't co-operate, they decided, well, um, we really don't have any way to test that. "It's probably too far gone to repair anyway" (which is amusing, since they have no way to test it to see IF it is in fact too far gone.) What that amounts to is, if it ain't easy, and we can't beat the labor real easily, we don't want to do it. But I still wasted about $125 on overnight freight + the $35 "diagnosis charge", funny, since they tell me they have no way to test it. Crystal ball perhaps?

So at the moment, what I have is a beautifully prepared 124 soft top coupe. Next step? Maybe replace/refurb the roll bar controller unit? And who would I trust to do that?

LKTB_E63

Need help Manually lowering soft top on my 1994 Cab.

I removed one of the hydraulic cylinders, but then locked the top overnight. I cannot unlock it using the hydrualic system. Need to do it manually.

I tried following the directions above and tried to unscrew from the rear of the top. I was able to remove the 5.5mm locking plate bolt, but cannot get the remaining to bolts with the locking plate out.

It seems as though the locking plate will not come up once I remove the 5.5mm screw.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Celicasaur

I'm not entirely sure what you mean....but if you're in the fully attached setting as oem:

• 10mm wrench (or is it 11mm? I can't remember) on that weird half nut thing behind the rear seat back to unlock the front lock of the hood.
  
• 10mm nuts to remove the rear lock from the back of the hood.

It's a bit of a faff though and when you want to put the rear lock back, you need to remove the bolts that house the rear lock assembly and manually operate the lock to latch it back etc...by that point and by having your tools out, you'll figure it out.

Gldiwan

Hello my w124 Cabriolet top won't open it's got a new pump, new rollbar valve, rollbar going down but not the windows I hear the rollbar clicking and something else after few seconds light starts flashing

Celicasaur

Try the reset.

Hold down the roll bar button on the dash downwards for around 8-10 seconds....eventually you should hear the thing at the back. If you don't, turn engine off, back on and try again. Has worked everytime for me and then the roof opened with the normal button.

If that doesn't work, I think you may need get a blink reader or something to tell you what the issue is.

Gldiwan

I made a blink reader that connects to the 16 pin near battery but I wasn't able to get any blinking only the light comes on when I press the button, although I managed to clear a light on the console somehow. Not sure if I can red the codes from somewhere else, maybe from the soft top controller?
I installed the missing limit switch for the rollbar now they're working fine, but the soft top won't open they just come down and it starts flashing, windows stay up. I tried opening the bowlock from the soft top controller and the pump but it did not function maybe that's the issue? Thanks!

Celicasaur

Even if you've broken the cycle by opening the low manually, after a reset or two, it should work out where it is when you hold down the close switch.

Have you checked under the rear seat jussssst in case water got down to the roof module? I pray for you that it didn't of course.

But yeah like I said, try resetting it a few times and eventually you should hear a click or something from the rear which means that it's done.

Gldiwan

Thank you for your reply, no water ever got to the modules or computers under the rear seats. The bow is not opening I tried to open it by giving an order to the controller like it was described in a video posted by tophydraulics, the bow lock did not open, I heard the solenoid click and then I ran the pump but the bowlock (rear window) did not pop up. I think it is the issue as when I try to open the top the regular way rollbar goes down without the windows after that nothing happens and switch starts flashing.

Gldiwan

Hello my 300ce 24 cabrio pump gives pressure from the small line only not the big one, the third line is the return line. Shouldn't give pressure from both lines connected to it? What could be the problem as I changed the pump and same issue it is running but no pressure from bigger line

Zammer1

Or people that may look in the future.
I found the wire that powering the rear head rest ejects was not making contact.
I replaced that wire and started to work.