Howto: Cabriolet convertible top hydraulic system
Newbie
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
2012 E350 cabriolet
W 208 convertible top hint
FYI If you are working on your top and want to see the top in action without putting all of the trim back, including the roll up cover that separates the top from the trunk, make SURE that you close the switch at the end of the track. A 3/8 extension works perfect.
Newbie
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2000 clk 320
2000 CLK 320
Question, Is there a way to bleed the hydraulics system for the conv top? I replaced the hyd cylinder for the roof lock and ran low on fluid, after replacing the cylinder and adding the fluid the top wont do down by itself. It opens slower then before and when starts pulling the to back it triggers the relay. I replaced the relay and still having same issue. Any ideas? Thansk
Newbie
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2000 clk 320
2000 CLK 320
After replacing the rear cylinder I have to help the top open. I have to push the top half way back or it will trigger the relay or something and the light will start flashing red. It stops as soon as it gets pressure on it for some reason. It closes great all by itself with no help. Are there different pumps for opening and closing? Thanks for your help.
Newbie
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2000 clk 320
2000 CLK 320
After replacing the rear cylinder I have to help the top open. I have to push the top half way back to get it to close then the lid won't go down to shut if I don't push the top back it will trigger the relay or something and the light will start flashing red. It stops as soon as it gets pressure on it for some reason. It closes great all by itself with no help. Are there different pumps for opening and closing? Thanks for your help.
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
2000 clk 320
There are 7 hydraulics that are used to raise and lower top - you need to make sure they are all working - I originally replace only the rear bow lock cylinder and then had to go back and replace the case cover - you need to check all cylinders. I also had to replace a cable that runs from the front of the top to the rear - this may be your problem and not the hydraulic - there are 2 cables one on the passage side and one on the driver side that run the length of the top - if one or both of these are broken, the top will not retract. When this happened to my car, my first assumption was the a hydraulic issue. Go to Mercedes parts department and ask then to show you a view of these cables - check to see if yours are broken - it is a bit tricky to install, but not too bad. Good luck
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 209
From: Boston North Shore
2001 CLK320 Cabrio
After replacing the rear cylinder I have to help the top open. I have to push the top half way back to get it to close then the lid won't go down to shut if I don't push the top back it will trigger the relay or something and the light will start flashing red. It stops as soon as it gets pressure on it for some reason. It closes great all by itself with no help. Are there different pumps for opening and closing? Thanks for your help.
If so, intermittent / lazy power roof operation can result from insufficient hydraulic pressure.
It is the valve with the white plastic cone on it, that you can reach through a hole in the truck carpeting. See the instructions for operating the roof manually, in the Practical Hints section, in your owner's manual.
This has happened to others and it's easy enough to check out.
Newbie
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
2000 clk 320
2000 CLK 320
While you were troubleshooting your power roof, did you open the pressure relief valve on the pump, to release the hydraulic pressure, to operate the roof manually and afterwards forgot to closed it?
If so, intermittent / lazy power roof operation can result from insufficient hydraulic pressure.
It is the valve with the white plastic cone on it, that you can reach through a hole in the truck carpeting. See the instructions for operating the roof manually, in the Practical Hints section, in your owner's manual.
This has happened to others and it's easy enough to check out.
If so, intermittent / lazy power roof operation can result from insufficient hydraulic pressure.
It is the valve with the white plastic cone on it, that you can reach through a hole in the truck carpeting. See the instructions for operating the roof manually, in the Practical Hints section, in your owner's manual.
This has happened to others and it's easy enough to check out.
Thank you very much, I had a friend working on it with me and he didn't tighten that screw up. Works great not. THANK YOU VERY MUCH..
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 209
From: Boston North Shore
2001 CLK320 Cabrio
You're very welcome, congrats on another successful DIY repair and thank you for getting back on this, as it will remind/help others.
Always happy to make a suggestion, to a new forum member, who first did their homework and got to this point, using the forum search function.
While the power roof operation is extremely complex and typically very expensive to troubleshoot and repair at dealerships but, given the wealth of information available within the W208 forums and the help/rebuild services provided by TopHydraulics, it can usually be repaired on a very reasonable DIY basis.
Always happy to make a suggestion, to a new forum member, who first did their homework and got to this point, using the forum search function.
While the power roof operation is extremely complex and typically very expensive to troubleshoot and repair at dealerships but, given the wealth of information available within the W208 forums and the help/rebuild services provided by TopHydraulics, it can usually be repaired on a very reasonable DIY basis.
Last edited by Serndipity; Jun 1, 2014 at 07:23 PM.
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
2000 CLK Convertible
Wanted to share this while it was fresh in my head. Sorry, no pictures just yet but will see what I can do.
I had a hydraulic piston go bad on my convertible top. Turned out to be the one that actuates the lock/unlock mechanism on the "lid" that covers the top when closed.
Convertible owners - would highly recommend getting out the manual and reading over the section about how to operate the top by hand. It takes a few minutes, but do it 3-4 times so you know what to do if something ever goes wrong. And DON'T LOSE the convertible wrench that comes in your toolkit - it is a must have for opening/closing the mechanism.
Accessing the hyrdaulic system:
- Pop the cover that the convertible folds up into. If your system is working, just start the folding process and interrupt. If the system is not working, follow process in the manual. Be very careful when moving this panel as the clearance between it and the trunk lid are tight - trunk must be fully closed to operate
- In my case, problem #1 was inside the lid - the hydraulic cylinder in the lock mechanism was leaking. I removed the carpet liner by taking out the 19 plastic fasteners holding it in.
- I sent my lock cylinder off to DENNIS FICKEN (mercedescylinders@sbcglobal.net) to be rebuilt. Dennis is a great guy and charges $40 a cylinder to redo them. Dealer quoted me $500 for the whole latch assembly but later I learned the cylinder itself had a part number and probably would have been $120ish.
- Removing and replacing the cylinder was easy. Simply unbolt the cylinder, and unthread the metal piston from the lock assembly. To unscrew the piston, you'll need a 9/32 Craftsman Ignition Wrench - that's the only thing that will fit into the notch on the piston without damaging it. (you'll have to see it to understand) The hydraulic lines are held in with clips, just pry firmly outward on the clips and the lines will disengage. Don't lose the clips as you'll need them for the new cylinder.
- After R&Ring the cylinder, system still wouldn't work - I had lost too much fluid. Adding fluid was a huge pita. It was clear this could not have been a preexisting problem as it is at least an hour job to add fluid.
- To add hydraulic fluid ($22 for a quart at the dealer) you must access the resoviour attached to the pump assembly itself - this is stored behind a solid structural sheetmetal panel at the front of the trunk.
- To get to the pump assembly - again, pop the convertible cover and prop the rear window forward and out of the way. You'll be in there for a while.
- Looking down, you'll see the top carpeted section, which you can leave alone, and then a row of 7 or so plastic fasteners going the width of the car which hold the forward trunk carpeting in place. You'll need to remove those and then also remove the two 10mm bolts that are holding the convertible safety cover in place. Once you take the two bolts out just grab the roll up assembly and twist it gently to pop it out of position. Remove the cover, the trunk carpet, and the piece of carpet that is covering the front of the trunk.
- Whew. Now you should be looking down at a piece of sheet metal that has a good 20 bolts keeping it in place around the perimeter. There are also 4 bolts in the middle - don't touch these - I believe they are holding the stereo amp (?) in place. Take out ALL of those bolts around the outside edge and then slide the large metal panel back a few inches to access the pump.
- Now you should be looking down at the hydraulic pump and solenoids. The pump has an opaque plastic tank attached to it, with a threaded fill plug on top. Remove the plug and add your MB fluid (you'll need a long small funnel to do this). There are two lines on the side, low/high fill, fill to high, run the system once to bleed, and then check it again. I had to add fluid twice.
Re-assemble and see if you can end up with no extra parts.
Like I said, sorry for the lack of pictures, but the job really wasn't too bad just time consuming. The insane thing was just how much stuff had to be removed to simply add hydraulic fluid to the top mechanism. I imagine it would be a 2+ hour job at the dealer.
I had a hydraulic piston go bad on my convertible top. Turned out to be the one that actuates the lock/unlock mechanism on the "lid" that covers the top when closed.
Convertible owners - would highly recommend getting out the manual and reading over the section about how to operate the top by hand. It takes a few minutes, but do it 3-4 times so you know what to do if something ever goes wrong. And DON'T LOSE the convertible wrench that comes in your toolkit - it is a must have for opening/closing the mechanism.
Accessing the hyrdaulic system:
- Pop the cover that the convertible folds up into. If your system is working, just start the folding process and interrupt. If the system is not working, follow process in the manual. Be very careful when moving this panel as the clearance between it and the trunk lid are tight - trunk must be fully closed to operate
- In my case, problem #1 was inside the lid - the hydraulic cylinder in the lock mechanism was leaking. I removed the carpet liner by taking out the 19 plastic fasteners holding it in.
- I sent my lock cylinder off to DENNIS FICKEN (mercedescylinders@sbcglobal.net) to be rebuilt. Dennis is a great guy and charges $40 a cylinder to redo them. Dealer quoted me $500 for the whole latch assembly but later I learned the cylinder itself had a part number and probably would have been $120ish.
- Removing and replacing the cylinder was easy. Simply unbolt the cylinder, and unthread the metal piston from the lock assembly. To unscrew the piston, you'll need a 9/32 Craftsman Ignition Wrench - that's the only thing that will fit into the notch on the piston without damaging it. (you'll have to see it to understand) The hydraulic lines are held in with clips, just pry firmly outward on the clips and the lines will disengage. Don't lose the clips as you'll need them for the new cylinder.
- After R&Ring the cylinder, system still wouldn't work - I had lost too much fluid. Adding fluid was a huge pita. It was clear this could not have been a preexisting problem as it is at least an hour job to add fluid.
- To add hydraulic fluid ($22 for a quart at the dealer) you must access the resoviour attached to the pump assembly itself - this is stored behind a solid structural sheetmetal panel at the front of the trunk.
- To get to the pump assembly - again, pop the convertible cover and prop the rear window forward and out of the way. You'll be in there for a while.
- Looking down, you'll see the top carpeted section, which you can leave alone, and then a row of 7 or so plastic fasteners going the width of the car which hold the forward trunk carpeting in place. You'll need to remove those and then also remove the two 10mm bolts that are holding the convertible safety cover in place. Once you take the two bolts out just grab the roll up assembly and twist it gently to pop it out of position. Remove the cover, the trunk carpet, and the piece of carpet that is covering the front of the trunk.
- Whew. Now you should be looking down at a piece of sheet metal that has a good 20 bolts keeping it in place around the perimeter. There are also 4 bolts in the middle - don't touch these - I believe they are holding the stereo amp (?) in place. Take out ALL of those bolts around the outside edge and then slide the large metal panel back a few inches to access the pump.
- Now you should be looking down at the hydraulic pump and solenoids. The pump has an opaque plastic tank attached to it, with a threaded fill plug on top. Remove the plug and add your MB fluid (you'll need a long small funnel to do this). There are two lines on the side, low/high fill, fill to high, run the system once to bleed, and then check it again. I had to add fluid twice.
Re-assemble and see if you can end up with no extra parts.
Like I said, sorry for the lack of pictures, but the job really wasn't too bad just time consuming. The insane thing was just how much stuff had to be removed to simply add hydraulic fluid to the top mechanism. I imagine it would be a 2+ hour job at the dealer.
SPONSOR
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 475
Likes: 41
From: On the beautiful Oregon Coast
03 SL Kleemann, 97 SL320 pano top, 95 Lorinser E320 Cabrio, Ferrari 360, Tesla X
Edit: just saw your request for contact info on Dennis. I don't have his number. Dennis was the first one to offer rebuild of 1298001672s and 1298000072s, a number of years ago. It is poor business practice to say bad things about the competition, so I will concentrate on the positive part. In fact, Dennis does decent work, and you will get back cylinders that are almost as good as new ones. However, here is where Top Hydraulics does better:
1) We replace ALL seals. Not just the cup-shaped rod seal that is usually the first one to leak. In particular, we also replace the piston seals (to avoid internal leaks) and the port seals (those are behind the brass bushings, where the hydraulic lines go into the cylinders).
2) Top Hydraulics' seals are true upgrades. They are NOT sensitive to water or "stop-leak" additives in the fluid. If someone has used the wrong fluid, then the OEM seals and those of our valued competition will crumble apart in a short period.
3) We offer core exchange for any and all W208 cylinders, with or without locks.
4) We rebuild and upgrade all W208 cylinders, not just the small aluminum 1298001672 and 1298000072.
5) We rebuild and upgrade the roll bar valve and the hydraulic pump.
6) I will try to help customers with their CLK top malfunction whenever I can. For example, if someone thinks they have a bad pump and I suspect a different (cheaper) problem, then I will let them know before they send us the pump.
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
Last edited by Top Hydraulics; Jun 9, 2014 at 01:06 PM. Reason: Dennis
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 5
From: West Palm Beach FL
Mercedes GLA 250
clk 320 rear headrests and top inoperable..
Re:
"After having a few problems with my convertible top working sometimes then all of a sudden just stop working all together, I came to the forum to see if I could diagnose the problem through some of the other posts on here. My top wasn't doing anything at all, and what really caught the attention of my brother and I was that the roll bar wasn't working either. I tried to see if I could just reset the whole system by disconnecting the battery. That didn't work. Well then I ran across a post by a member named Palm Tree Mechanic over on benzworld where he basically took everything apart and found some bad wires. So we decided that we would give that a try and see if my problem was the same as his. Unfortunately it wasn't but his post did help us A LOT!!! We took everything apart and found no bad wires, hydraulic pump was full of oil, all switches were good, then I sat in the car and started pushing the roll bar button. We heard a click everytime I pushed it. My brother was at the back of the car and was trying to hear where the clicking was coming from. He realized it was coming from a relay switch so he took a screwdriver and tapped the top of the relay and **BAM** everything starts working! So through that we realized it was a bad relay. Went to O'Reily Auto Parts and matched it up to the relay we took out of the car. Then called the local Benz dealership to check the specs on the OEM part. Everything matched up and the dealership said the part was $65.00 from them. Paid $6.00 for a new 30 amp relay from O'Reily and took it home and plugged it in. Turned it on and the roll bar works with no problem. Then tried to operate the top and it worked with no problem! So all in all, it took us a couple hours and $6.00 and everything is good! Hope this helps someone else who may have this same issue!
Here is a picture of the relay. This is Palm Tree Mechanic's picture and I just outlined the relay in green. "....
Is this switch on the left when looking into the trunk from behind the car? My windows go down on cue when I unlatch top, but headrests are stuck in the down position and button flashes slowly. Top wont work at all. Thanks!
"After having a few problems with my convertible top working sometimes then all of a sudden just stop working all together, I came to the forum to see if I could diagnose the problem through some of the other posts on here. My top wasn't doing anything at all, and what really caught the attention of my brother and I was that the roll bar wasn't working either. I tried to see if I could just reset the whole system by disconnecting the battery. That didn't work. Well then I ran across a post by a member named Palm Tree Mechanic over on benzworld where he basically took everything apart and found some bad wires. So we decided that we would give that a try and see if my problem was the same as his. Unfortunately it wasn't but his post did help us A LOT!!! We took everything apart and found no bad wires, hydraulic pump was full of oil, all switches were good, then I sat in the car and started pushing the roll bar button. We heard a click everytime I pushed it. My brother was at the back of the car and was trying to hear where the clicking was coming from. He realized it was coming from a relay switch so he took a screwdriver and tapped the top of the relay and **BAM** everything starts working! So through that we realized it was a bad relay. Went to O'Reily Auto Parts and matched it up to the relay we took out of the car. Then called the local Benz dealership to check the specs on the OEM part. Everything matched up and the dealership said the part was $65.00 from them. Paid $6.00 for a new 30 amp relay from O'Reily and took it home and plugged it in. Turned it on and the roll bar works with no problem. Then tried to operate the top and it worked with no problem! So all in all, it took us a couple hours and $6.00 and everything is good! Hope this helps someone else who may have this same issue!
Here is a picture of the relay. This is Palm Tree Mechanic's picture and I just outlined the relay in green. "....
Is this switch on the left when looking into the trunk from behind the car? My windows go down on cue when I unlatch top, but headrests are stuck in the down position and button flashes slowly. Top wont work at all. Thanks!
Last edited by danarog; Jun 20, 2014 at 09:52 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 47
Likes: 8
From: Poke-a-Fellow
None. Sold the last one and never looking back.
Thank you for all of the pointers! Hope one of you knows what's wrong with mine. The top was going slow and the pump making a sound to make me think it was low on fluid. I took the cover off and confirmed, it was low. I filled the reservoir with some Febi I had laying around, but didn't think it looked right. It looked dark in there. I poured some into the lid and could see floaters. So I used an external pump, emptied the reservoir, then took it off of the pump to clean it. I unbolted the pump from the floor just enough to give me good access to the screws on the bottom of the reservoir.
I filled it back up and bolted it back down. Tightened the pressure screw as I had to move the top around a little.
It doesn't work now.
I have cycled it manually (with pressure screw open, and it is now closed). I swapped the two relays in the truck. All fuses are ok. I swapped out the relay with the one from O'Reilly's as well. I jumped the pins on the wiring harness and the pump came on (kinda quiet, tho). I pressed the soft top switch down until the red light turned off. When I pick up on the switch, it turns red then begins to blink. The roll bar does not go up or down, but I can hear something working. When I open the top with the handle, the windows go down.
Any ideas? It worked fine until I did the above.
I filled it back up and bolted it back down. Tightened the pressure screw as I had to move the top around a little.
It doesn't work now.
I have cycled it manually (with pressure screw open, and it is now closed). I swapped the two relays in the truck. All fuses are ok. I swapped out the relay with the one from O'Reilly's as well. I jumped the pins on the wiring harness and the pump came on (kinda quiet, tho). I pressed the soft top switch down until the red light turned off. When I pick up on the switch, it turns red then begins to blink. The roll bar does not go up or down, but I can hear something working. When I open the top with the handle, the windows go down.
Any ideas? It worked fine until I did the above.
SPONSOR
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 475
Likes: 41
From: On the beautiful Oregon Coast
03 SL Kleemann, 97 SL320 pano top, 95 Lorinser E320 Cabrio, Ferrari 360, Tesla X
Zundfolge, I will add a few comments below, and a question at the end.
Obviously, you know you have a leak somewhere. That leak can be from a cylinder, a hose , or the roll bar valve. You need to find the leak and have the part taken care of.
Most likely, the leak is from one of the seven cabriolet hydraulics cylinders:
A 129 800 16 72 (rear bow lock) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html
A 129 800 00 72 (case cover lock) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html or http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html
A 208 800 01 72 (bow tension cylinder left or right) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-bow-w208.html
A 208 800 00 72 (top drive aka main lift cylinder left or right) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...main-w208.html
A 208 800 02 72 (case cover cylinder) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...over-lift.html
You obviously know how to remove the rear bow lock or the case cover lock. We will be publishing some nice DIYs shortly for R&R of the five 208 800 00 xx cylinders.
More rare cases are leaks from the hydraulic hoses going to the rear bow lock (line 44 and 47 http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...nvertible.html), or the hoses going to the case cover lift cylinder (lines 37 & 54; we will add them shortly to the line-up on our website).
Lastly, there is the roll bar valve A 124 800 16 78. http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...d-service.html It could be leaking externally and internally, or just internally (at first). If the roll bar valve is bypassing internally, then this will rob most of the power from the pump. The roll bar valve is located in the left bottom corner behind the rear seat.
The fluid being dark means it is time to flush the system. Normally, the dark color is caused by sludge, which is mostly tiny particles that eventually settle on the bottom. The cause for sludge is mostly oxidation, and it is mostly from decaying seals. Too much sludge will wear out the system, plus it acts as a bit as a catalyst on the decay of the original seals in the cylinders.
Were the floaters actually on top, and did they have a noticeable shape to them?
The pump being noticeably quiet when jumping the pins could mean your jumper wire wasn't of a thick enough gauge, the motor is on its way out, or you were used to the gurgling noise before when the pump was sucking air.
You can hear something working - does that mean the pump is running?
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
Most likely, the leak is from one of the seven cabriolet hydraulics cylinders:
A 129 800 16 72 (rear bow lock) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html
A 129 800 00 72 (case cover lock) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html or http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html
A 208 800 01 72 (bow tension cylinder left or right) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-bow-w208.html
A 208 800 00 72 (top drive aka main lift cylinder left or right) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...main-w208.html
A 208 800 02 72 (case cover cylinder) http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...over-lift.html
You obviously know how to remove the rear bow lock or the case cover lock. We will be publishing some nice DIYs shortly for R&R of the five 208 800 00 xx cylinders.
More rare cases are leaks from the hydraulic hoses going to the rear bow lock (line 44 and 47 http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...nvertible.html), or the hoses going to the case cover lift cylinder (lines 37 & 54; we will add them shortly to the line-up on our website).
Lastly, there is the roll bar valve A 124 800 16 78. http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...d-service.html It could be leaking externally and internally, or just internally (at first). If the roll bar valve is bypassing internally, then this will rob most of the power from the pump. The roll bar valve is located in the left bottom corner behind the rear seat.
I filled the reservoir with some Febi I had laying around, but didn't think it looked right. It looked dark in there. I poured some into the lid and could see floaters.
Were the floaters actually on top, and did they have a noticeable shape to them?
So I used an external pump, emptied the reservoir, then took it off of the pump to clean it. I unbolted the pump from the floor just enough to give me good access to the screws on the bottom of the reservoir.
I filled it back up and bolted it back down. Tightened the pressure screw as I had to move the top around a little.
It doesn't work now.
I have cycled it manually (with pressure screw open, and it is now closed). I swapped the two relays in the truck. All fuses are ok. I swapped out the relay with the one from O'Reilly's as well. I jumped the pins on the wiring harness and the pump came on (kinda quiet, tho).
I filled it back up and bolted it back down. Tightened the pressure screw as I had to move the top around a little.
It doesn't work now.
I have cycled it manually (with pressure screw open, and it is now closed). I swapped the two relays in the truck. All fuses are ok. I swapped out the relay with the one from O'Reilly's as well. I jumped the pins on the wiring harness and the pump came on (kinda quiet, tho).
I pressed the soft top switch down until the red light turned off. When I pick up on the switch, it turns red then begins to blink. The roll bar does not go up or down, but I can hear something working. When I open the top with the handle, the windows go down.
Any ideas? It worked fine until I did the above.
Any ideas? It worked fine until I did the above.
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 47
Likes: 8
From: Poke-a-Fellow
None. Sold the last one and never looking back.
Thanks Klaus!
I guess I need to be more clear on the fluid. The fluid looked great (although low) before I put in the Febi. The "new" fluid I put in had the floaters. After noticing the reservoir was dark, I poured some out of the bottle onto a napkin. I didn't want it to get in the system so I pumped it out before it could reach any of the components. I guess I put this information to be clear that I emptied the reservoir and removed/cleaned/replaced it.
I have already replaced the rear bow lock cylinder about a year or so ago. Leaked all over my top while it was retracted.
I know this fluid doesn't evaporate...I'm just not seeing the leak. I didn't check around the roll bar valve. I'll look there tonight.
The pump is not running when I press the button. The only time I've gotten it to run is by bypassing the relay as you stated in a post earlier.
I guess I need to be more clear on the fluid. The fluid looked great (although low) before I put in the Febi. The "new" fluid I put in had the floaters. After noticing the reservoir was dark, I poured some out of the bottle onto a napkin. I didn't want it to get in the system so I pumped it out before it could reach any of the components. I guess I put this information to be clear that I emptied the reservoir and removed/cleaned/replaced it.
I have already replaced the rear bow lock cylinder about a year or so ago. Leaked all over my top while it was retracted.
I know this fluid doesn't evaporate...I'm just not seeing the leak. I didn't check around the roll bar valve. I'll look there tonight.
The pump is not running when I press the button. The only time I've gotten it to run is by bypassing the relay as you stated in a post earlier.
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
2001 MB 430 CLK Convertible
2001 MB CLK 430 Conv - Help
My top went half way up then stopped. I was able to manually close it but there was a significant amount of hydraulic fluid all over the trunk lid. Does anyone know a reliable repair shop in Southeast Florida (West Palm Beach area) that might be able to deal with this. From what I have read here, it appears that one or more of my seals burst. I am hoping it is not the pump. Any assistance of guidance would be appreciated.
Thank you!!
Thank you!!
SPONSOR
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 475
Likes: 41
From: On the beautiful Oregon Coast
03 SL Kleemann, 97 SL320 pano top, 95 Lorinser E320 Cabrio, Ferrari 360, Tesla X
My top went half way up then stopped. I was able to manually close it but there was a significant amount of hydraulic fluid all over the trunk lid. Does anyone know a reliable repair shop in Southeast Florida (West Palm Beach area) that might be able to deal with this. From what I have read here, it appears that one or more of my seals burst. I am hoping it is not the pump. Any assistance of guidance would be appreciated.
Thank you!!
Thank you!!
welcome to the forum! This looks like an easy fix that you can actually do yourself. You are lucky that your seals lasted this long in Southeast Florida. The top stopped moving because the pump ran out of fluid. Your main leak is apparently from the rear bow latch A124 770 04 26. It is almost certain that the cylinder p/n A129 800 00 72 in your tonneau cover latch is leaking already, or ready to fail, as well. The pump is likely just fine.
Check out this awesome DIY guide, written by fellow forum member 'joetwa': http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/W208...eplacement.pdf
Pretty much any mechanic can deal with this, should you still want to have it done instead of DIY. Just order the replacement parts from Top Hydraulics in core exchange, and hand them to the mechanic together with the DIY instructions. Core exchange means that Top Hydraulics ships you the parts first, then you take out your old ones, ship them back, and get your core deposit refunded.
Check the last six digits of your VIN. Most model year 2001 CLKs have VINs ending in a number higher than 070017, which means they use case cover lock p/n A208 750 09 84, and the following option is the best way to go: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html
If the last six digits of your VIN are 070017 or lower, then your CLK 430 should have case cover latch p/n A124 750 06 84, and the following option applies: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...-assembly.html
You will also have to buy a quart of hydraulic fluid. Either Mercedes p/n A000 989 91 03, or the equally good FeBi 02615, for example from http://www.rmeuropean.com/Part-Numbe..._D18BD03A.aspx
Again, consider doing this yourself, and you will save big bucks. Please let us know how it turned out in the end.
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
CLK430 cabriolet hydraulics
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 47
Likes: 8
From: Poke-a-Fellow
None. Sold the last one and never looking back.
Still Not Working
Hey Klaus,
Can I email you a video of my pump running? I'm bypassing the relay in the video. I'd like to know if it sounds normal.
When I open the top at the front bow, the windows go down.
When I pull the red center console switch, I hear a sound but nothing happens. Then the red switch blinks.
When I bypass the relay, the pump makes a sound. This I'd like you to hear.
I bought another relay and the same thing happens.
When I press either side of the roll bar button, a sound is made but nothing moves.
As a reminder, this all started happening after I unbolted the pump to remove and clean out the reservoir. Hasn't worked right since.
Thanks!
Can I email you a video of my pump running? I'm bypassing the relay in the video. I'd like to know if it sounds normal.
When I open the top at the front bow, the windows go down.
When I pull the red center console switch, I hear a sound but nothing happens. Then the red switch blinks.
When I bypass the relay, the pump makes a sound. This I'd like you to hear.
I bought another relay and the same thing happens.
When I press either side of the roll bar button, a sound is made but nothing moves.
As a reminder, this all started happening after I unbolted the pump to remove and clean out the reservoir. Hasn't worked right since.
Thanks!
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
CLK 430
I wish to chime in here quickly. My roof also stopped working and was stuck in the open position. My mechanic closed it manually for me but when it had it at home to put the battery tender on it, I couldn't open the blasting trunk no matter what I tried. Turns out the roof wasn't closed all the way - about an inch like one of the posts here. This was months ago and after reading through this thread, I popped into the car, tried holding the "roof close" button at the same time as the "rollbar" button as someone suggested but nothing. Then, on a whim, I pressed the "rollbar" button, but I pressed it to go UP! Lo' and behold, the roof closed fully!! THEN I simply pressed the trunk release and voila, the trunk opened!! I have no idea why but if this helps anyone at all, I'll be pleased as this is a terribly frustrating exercise.
SPONSOR
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 475
Likes: 41
From: On the beautiful Oregon Coast
03 SL Kleemann, 97 SL320 pano top, 95 Lorinser E320 Cabrio, Ferrari 360, Tesla X
I wish to chime in here quickly. My roof also stopped working and was stuck in the open position. My mechanic closed it manually for me but when it had it at home to put the battery tender on it, I couldn't open the blasting trunk no matter what I tried. Turns out the roof wasn't closed all the way - about an inch like one of the posts here. This was months ago and after reading through this thread, I popped into the car, tried holding the "roof close" button at the same time as the "rollbar" button as someone suggested but nothing. Then, on a whim, I pressed the "rollbar" button, but I pressed it to go UP! Lo' and behold, the roof closed fully!! THEN I simply pressed the trunk release and voila, the trunk opened!! I have no idea why but if this helps anyone at all, I'll be pleased as this is a terribly frustrating exercise.
welcome to the forum, and thanks for the detailed description. Was your roll bar already up when you pushed the UP button?
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
CLK 430
Hi Klaus! Thanks for the welcome! Yessir, the roll bars were already locked in the up position (that occurred when everything went awry at the beginning of my woes). I had been trying to reset them by holding the roll bar "down" button and then, like I said, on a whim I hit the "up" and bingo.
It still needs to go back to the mechanic - I'm just praying it's not the $1400 actuator and simply a fluid issue or a relay which will remedy the problem. The car is a 2001 but it only has 104000km on her.
It still needs to go back to the mechanic - I'm just praying it's not the $1400 actuator and simply a fluid issue or a relay which will remedy the problem. The car is a 2001 but it only has 104000km on her.
SPONSOR
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 475
Likes: 41
From: On the beautiful Oregon Coast
03 SL Kleemann, 97 SL320 pano top, 95 Lorinser E320 Cabrio, Ferrari 360, Tesla X
Yessir, the roll bars were already locked in the up position (that occurred when everything went awry at the beginning of my woes). I had been trying to reset them by holding the roll bar "down" button and then, like I said, on a whim I hit the "up" and bingo.
It still needs to go back to the mechanic - I'm just praying it's not the $1400 actuator and simply a fluid issue or a relay which will remedy the problem. The car is a 2001 but it only has 104000km on her.
It still needs to go back to the mechanic - I'm just praying it's not the $1400 actuator and simply a fluid issue or a relay which will remedy the problem. The car is a 2001 but it only has 104000km on her.
when things went awry, did the roll bar come up in a fairly slow motion with a ratcheting noise? The latter would mean a bad roll over bar valve. Don't let the mechanics talk you into buying any new hydraulic parts - let us know first what he comes up with, or play around with the top a little and let us know what you find...
Klaus
www.tophydraulicsinc.com
