CLK-Class (W208) 1998-2002: CLK 200, CLK 230K, CLK 320, CLK 430 [Coupes & Cabriolets]

*cabriolet's* y won't my top go down?!

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Old May 24, 2006 | 04:25 AM
  #1  
rolling430's Avatar
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
*cabriolet's* y won't my top go down?!

Anyone know why their top won't go down on the car? I hear the little motorized sound of it trying but nothing happens.. I read every inch of the damn manual too! Just lookin for some answers before the Mercedes dealer takes ahold of my wallet. The price I have to pay for some sun to shine on me......
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Old May 28, 2006 | 12:03 AM
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2000 CLK 430 Cabriolet
Originally Posted by rolling430
Anyone know why their top won't go down on the car? I hear the little motorized sound of it trying but nothing happens.. I read every inch of the damn manual too! Just lookin for some answers before the Mercedes dealer takes ahold of my wallet. The price I have to pay for some sun to shine on me......
Read my forum post titled 'Soft top issues'.

When you hear the little motorized sound, what is the soft top COMPARTMENT COVER doing (this is, essentially, the rear deck)? Is it slightly moving as if trying to unlock or move? If so, that sounds similar to my issue which turned out to be my trunk lock (that's right, the trunk lock). I should warn you here thought that it could be a variety of issues but thats what my deal was. Does the trunk work when you activate it by remote? By key blade? Mine wouldn't work with either. My mechanic went straight to that. It didn't have anything to do with ANY of the soft top components so don't rule it out.
Also check the hydraulic fluid resevoir. It could be empty.
Feel free to ask any ?'s to the best of my ability. I'd love to help anybody avoid what I went thru .
Forget about the owner's manual. That will be no help....
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Old May 30, 2006 | 01:22 AM
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
thanks so much! i guess when they fixed my shift problems, it fixed the top, somehow the car didn't think it was in Park, and due to that it affected the soft top going down. The sun shines down on me now... yea!
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Old May 30, 2006 | 03:34 PM
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From: Somewhere in Maryland
2000 CLK 430 Cabriolet
Originally Posted by rolling430
thanks so much! i guess when they fixed my shift problems, it fixed the top, somehow the car didn't think it was in Park, and due to that it affected the soft top going down. The sun shines down on me now... yea!
Wow. So from what I've been able to ascertain at this point, it appears that the other systems to be checked in addition to actual soft top operation are: windows, headrests, trunk lock/release, and (now) the shifter. All controlled by computer. If ANY of these systems are sending bad (or no) information to the soft top computer (there's a seperate computer for the the soft top I found out), it won't work right. Scary huh? What kind of shifter problems were you having?
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Old May 30, 2006 | 03:43 PM
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
Originally Posted by Whodat
Wow. So from what I've been able to ascertain at this point, it appears that the other systems to be checked in addition to actual soft top operation are: windows, headrests, trunk lock/release, and (now) the shifter. All controlled by computer. If ANY of these systems are sending bad (or no) information to the soft top computer (there's a seperate computer for the the soft top I found out), it won't work right. Scary huh? What kind of shifter problems were you having?
For some reason, my car, when at a stand still and suppose to be in PARK, could be PUSHED, like by people. I thought it had something to do with that anti-towing switch, but then the Shift thingy wouldn't go into DRIVE. And when tinkering with this they said my shifter could be bent, so we fixed that, the car thinks its in Park now and doesn't move an inch when you try to push it and miraculously, when that was fixed, (cuz I had that done by an independant Benz shop) I was gonna now DRIVE the car to Mercedes and have them mess with the top cuz my trunk thing and everything else you guys suggested worked and while pressing the button the top just rolled back smooth as butter. So I'm thinking it had something to do with the car Park and shift thingy. Cuz the car has to be in Park for the top to roll back right? Hahaha.. I had my boyfriend help me out, a girl could get raped when taking her car to the mechanic! Sorry bout your dilemma!
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Old May 30, 2006 | 04:53 PM
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My car does not have to be in Park to raise/retract the top. I can be in any gear, but my foot has to be on the brake first.
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Old May 30, 2006 | 05:21 PM
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From: Somewhere in Maryland
2000 CLK 430 Cabriolet
Originally Posted by rolling430
For some reason, my car, when at a stand still and suppose to be in PARK, could be PUSHED, like by people. I thought it had something to do with that anti-towing switch, but then the Shift thingy wouldn't go into DRIVE. And when tinkering with this they said my shifter could be bent, so we fixed that, the car thinks its in Park now and doesn't move an inch when you try to push it and miraculously, when that was fixed, (cuz I had that done by an independant Benz shop) I was gonna now DRIVE the car to Mercedes and have them mess with the top cuz my trunk thing and everything else you guys suggested worked and while pressing the button the top just rolled back smooth as butter. So I'm thinking it had something to do with the car Park and shift thingy. Cuz the car has to be in Park for the top to roll back right? Hahaha.. I had my boyfriend help me out, a girl could get raped when taking her car to the mechanic! Sorry bout your dilemma!
Oh, thanks, but no need to be sorry. I'm str8 now! I just want to share as much information as I can. I know I've learned a lot about this vehicle from this forum. I only wish I'd joined it BEFORE I bought the car. No problem. No need lookin in the rear view mirror when I got road in my windshield. We rollin now!
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Old May 30, 2006 | 09:48 PM
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
Originally Posted by velvet fog
My car does not have to be in Park to raise/retract the top. I can be in any gear, but my foot has to be on the brake first.

oh what? serious? i need to read my manual first. i just got the car roughly over a month ago and had some work done to it, detailed it etc... so its been in the shop for a few weeks. hmm.. so i can be at a redlight or deserted stop sign put my foot on the break and raise the top? good to know, i was about to pull over and do it yesterday. hahaha
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Old May 30, 2006 | 09:49 PM
  #9  
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
Originally Posted by Whodat
Oh, thanks, but no need to be sorry. I'm str8 now! I just want to share as much information as I can. I know I've learned a lot about this vehicle from this forum. I only wish I'd joined it BEFORE I bought the car. No problem. No need lookin in the rear view mirror when I got road in my windshield. We rollin now!
i feel you. i joined it the day i got the car some of these guys are clk masterminds, they should go tell some of the mercedes service guys to stick a shifter up their ***. haha.... did u join benz world too? which do u like better.
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Old May 31, 2006 | 12:38 AM
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From: Somewhere in Maryland
2000 CLK 430 Cabriolet
Originally Posted by rolling430
i feel you. i joined it the day i got the car some of these guys are clk masterminds, they should go tell some of the mercedes service guys to stick a shifter up their ***. haha.... did u join benz world too? which do u like better.
Nah, haven't joined B-World yet. Still trying to digest information from this site!
Bad news. Had a flat tonight. A HUGE hook nail was in the tire when I looked after changing it. Worst of all, it looked like sabotage. I'm going to post a picture of the thing tomorrow and post it to see if this is something that I accidentally ran over or if it's some kind of homemade prank device that was put under my tire by some goofball. GRRR...I'm pissed.
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Old May 31, 2006 | 04:12 AM
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rolling430's Avatar
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
Originally Posted by Whodat
Nah, haven't joined B-World yet. Still trying to digest information from this site!
Bad news. Had a flat tonight. A HUGE hook nail was in the tire when I looked after changing it. Worst of all, it looked like sabotage. I'm going to post a picture of the thing tomorrow and post it to see if this is something that I accidentally ran over or if it's some kind of homemade prank device that was put under my tire by some goofball. GRRR...I'm pissed.

It's called haters! Just jealous cuz u got a nice car. Hmm.. I should do a 360 around my car before I drive away? I think i'm paranoid, I love my car, mine's black too!
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Old May 31, 2006 | 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by rolling430
It's called haters! Just jealous cuz u got a nice car. Hmm.. I should do a 360 around my car before I drive away? I think i'm paranoid, I love my car, mine's black too!
I was already a little paranoid but this incident didn't help. I thought it was cool where I was. One just neva knows, do one? *LOL*.

Where ya located?
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Old May 31, 2006 | 02:40 PM
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From: Portland, OR
03 CLK 430 Convertible "silkie" (sold), 2010 E350 Sport Sedan (graveyard), new wheels coming soon...
Originally Posted by Whodat
I was already a little paranoid but this incident didn't help. I thought it was cool where I was. One just neva knows, do one? *LOL*.

Where ya located?
I'm in Portland, OR, and the surrounding area since Portland's rather small. You can never be too careful. I don't know who would/could jack a Mercedes, and their isn't much aftermarket yet to jack, but my boyfriend's S2000 disappeared from in front of our house one day, entire car and he actually had like every alarm and immobilizer and anything on there to prevent that, unfortuantely the car was suppose to be in the garage, and they found the car later 45 min away a lot of it stripped but they managed to destroy what was left of the car. He had all the parts to put back on it but they like did stuff like take the bumper off and shoot it through the windsheid. Yeah... so I made him clean out the garage which is my car sleeps at night.
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