bruce1216

Hi everyone,
I hope someone can help me.
the convertible soft top functions normally, going smoothly up and down, sounding and looking locked in place. When in the up position (closed), the convertible light is lit up red. As you begin the drive it flashes and your hear the warning alarm sound. If the top is down, the light is off and the is no alarm.

Incidentally, the windows appear to be well synched and function normally. They slightly open when the car door is opened and close as you close the door. The go up and down without issue, when using the controllers. The roll bar also functions completely normal and without issue.

Any suggestions???

Bruce

Top Hydraulics

Bruce,

welcome to the forum! Where are you located?

What you are experiencing is not unusual. In most cases, it only requires a slight adjustment of the micro switch on one of the front locks. The root cause is either the locking mechanism developing a little play, or the gaskets on the top being less flexible, or someone having bumped the switch before when replacing the front lock cylinder 1298001672.

Here is how to check which one of the front lock micro switches needs adjustment in your case:

Put the soft top tool (6-mm Allen wrench) into the front lock on one side, through the hole in front of the visor. Turn the wrench such that it locks even farther, taking the play out of the lock. That direction is different on the opposite sides, by the way. It is counter-clockwise on the left side and clockwise on the right side. If the red light goes out, then you have found the lock that needs adjustment.

Try the same on the other side if necessary.

(You might get away with only adjusting the prongs on your soft top, following the instructions in http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129...djustment.html, but that would likely be only a temporary fix and eventually result in the chime going off every time you drive over a bump.)

Adjustment procedure:

Note that you need to re-install the windshield header panel before the top will operate on model years '95+. Also, be careful not to pull on the wires of the magnetic sensor that is mounted in the windshield header panel on model years '95+. See page 3 of http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf.

The micro switch on the front lock(s) gets pushed DOWN by a lever when the lock is OPEN. There is some reverse logic involved here, so take it slow and read very carefully.

As the lock receives the soft top in it and locks, the small lever that is pushing on the switch releases just enough for the switch to click open once the lock itself is in closed position. If the lever has been bumped or bent when the front locks were installed, or if the locks have developed play over the years, then oftentimes the lever is not pushing down far enough by the time the lock is in the final (resting) locked position. This resting position can be different from the locked position without the top being latched down by the lock.

In your case, you probably have to bend that lever up just a tiny bit (1 mm or 1/32 inch). This adjustment can be made without removing the lock. Remove the windshield header panel and adjust the lever above the micro switch until it barely touches the switch when the lock is closed. Note the play in the lock - you need to recreate the position the lock would be in if the soft top was closed and pulling up on the lock. This is shown in the third photo with the caption "Front lock in real life with the top pulling". Ideally, the boot of the switch will just start bulging when the lock is in the "real life closed position".





I hope this helps - please let us know what you find.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

bruce1216

Thanks for your response Klaus.
I am from Long Island NY.

I used the "Manual Front Lock Tool" as you described, to check each front lock. The light did NOT go out by manuevering either one. Therefore I didn't proceed any further.

What do you suggest at this point??

Bruce

Top Hydraulics

Bummer. This takes care of most cases where the light stays lit. Now it's down to having codes read with Star Diagnostics, or doing some detective work first: has there been any work done to your top or to the hydraulic system recently?

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

bruce1216

Klaus,
I replaced the Right Bow extension cylinder on the convertible top 2 years ago and I replaced the Left one last summer. In both cases I used replacement parts from Tophydraulics and your instructions. It was shortly after replacing the left cylinder that the problem began occurring.

Bruce

Top Hydraulics

Bruce,

that's a good clue. Sometimes, the warning light will come on in late model year R129s if the micro switch assembly on the left bow extension cylinder is intermittently malfunctioning. As you know, we are very carefully pointing out in our instructions that much care is needed with the micro switch assembly on the left bow extension cylinder. I am not saying that you damaged it, but it is worth checking before you spend some $140 on getting codes read.

With the top up, raise the rear bow (section with the rear window). Turn off the ignition. Move the rear bow back and forth along the highest spot and listen for the micro switch assembly clicking. Does it click every time? Check out the switch itself and see if the mechanism moves freely or if it might be a little stuck. See http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129...ml#post4363007 if you need more details on the micro switch assembly.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

bruce1216

Klaus,
On inspection their is no sign of anything being bent or crunched.
when I move the back portion of the soft top, there is NO clicking sound.

When I press the back plastic piece, I seem to hear a clicking noise come from behind it.But thats it.
i must admit i ignorantly don't understand the actual mechanism of how this works. For that I apologize.

If you have further pictures, that might guide me, please send them along.
Any other thoughts??
I assume I am heading toward removing the cylinder and starting from scratch???

Thanks for your patience and guidance!!!
Bruce

Top Hydraulics

Bruce,

It is possible that the micro switch assembly on the left bow extension cylinder got bent just a little, which created more friction than the spring in the switch assembly can overcome to push the black plastic piece back onto the switch when the cylinder is extended.
Cylinder extended: the spring pushes the plastic piece back onto the micro switch, which in turn opens electrically.
Cylinder retracted: the wider part of the rectangular eye (rod end) on top of the cylinder pushes the plastic piece, which releases the micro switch, and the micro switch creates an electrically closed circuit.


You probably will not have to remove the cylinder; the switch can usually be fixed in place (if it even is the culprit). Please check this thread for more details: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129...ml#post4363007

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

zlrsl500

This worked it was easy as 123. This guy is the best. Thanks

salabellera44

Hello, I am a new member and will suggest to do a manual soft top up (closed), follow the wrench procedure both windshield top lock (2 clicks) left and right side.
Same steps with rear lock (2 clicks) inside trunk. Start car and drive to check if will emit bell chymes and light on. Stop engine and start top down (open) this time follow the same step in the book (should complete wrench clicks). Turn key on use switch top up. Start engine and drive to check if alarm is gone. I hope this will help - Sal

rrbarrios14

Klaus,

my father and I have been going crazy for weeks trying to figure the system out, we replaced the hydraulic cylinder gasket O-rings, we replaced the control module computer twice, we checked fuses and the pump, and it was only until we read this article of yours that we were able to fix our issue. Thank you so much for publishing this and helping the people in Central Florida!


QUOTE=Top Hydraulics;5970591]Bruce,

welcome to the forum! Where are you located?

What you are experiencing is not unusual. In most cases, it only requires a slight adjustment of the micro switch on one of the front locks. The root cause is either the locking mechanism developing a little play, or the gaskets on the top being less flexible, or someone having bumped the switch before when replacing the front lock cylinder 1298001672.

Here is how to check which one of the front lock micro switches needs adjustment in your case:

Put the soft top tool (6-mm Allen wrench) into the front lock on one side, through the hole in front of the visor. Turn the wrench such that it locks even farther, taking the play out of the lock. That direction is different on the opposite sides, by the way. It is counter-clockwise on the left side and clockwise on the right side. If the red light goes out, then you have found the lock that needs adjustment.

Try the same on the other side if necessary.

(You might get away with only adjusting the prongs on your soft top, following the instructions in http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129...djustment.html, but that would likely be only a temporary fix and eventually result in the chime going off every time you drive over a bump.)

Adjustment procedure:

Note that you need to re-install the windshield header panel before the top will operate on model years '95+. Also, be careful not to pull on the wires of the magnetic sensor that is mounted in the windshield header panel on model years '95+. See page 3 of http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/R129...%20Removal.pdf.

The micro switch on the front lock(s) gets pushed DOWN by a lever when the lock is OPEN. There is some reverse logic involved here, so take it slow and read very carefully.

As the lock receives the soft top in it and locks, the small lever that is pushing on the switch releases just enough for the switch to click open once the lock itself is in closed position. If the lever has been bumped or bent when the front locks were installed, or if the locks have developed play over the years, then oftentimes the lever is not pushing down far enough by the time the lock is in the final (resting) locked position. This resting position can be different from the locked position without the top being latched down by the lock.

In your case, you probably have to bend that lever up just a tiny bit (1 mm or 1/32 inch). This adjustment can be made without removing the lock. Remove the windshield header panel and adjust the lever above the micro switch until it barely touches the switch when the lock is closed. Note the play in the lock - you need to recreate the position the lock would be in if the soft top was closed and pulling up on the lock. This is shown in the third photo with the caption "Front lock in real life with the top pulling". Ideally, the boot of the switch will just start bulging when the lock is in the "real life closed position".





I hope this helps - please let us know what you find.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com[/QUOTE]

ivan1981

… when I close my soft top red light button flash and after rear roof locks locked bar don’t go up automatically( have to do it manually)windows just sometime go all
thw way up sometimes just go 30% up and if I keep hold the roof button they start rolling down ( acting confused )
can you please advice what’s can be the problem?
thank you !
ivan_androsov81@mail.ru