jpacilio

Fluid level down to 2nd line???

Top Hydraulics

John,

the fluid level being down to the second line in your cabriolet hydraulics pump means you are NOT having any major leak. There could be an internal bypass in the roll bar valve 1248001678, but that is not one of my prime suspects right now.

Let's tackle the electrical part next. There is a 40A fuse for the pump, let's check that one first. (I assume it's in the trunk as in most convertibles - your owner's manual should tell you.)

If that wasn't it, then you want to check the pump's relay next. The relay is mounted next to the pump. Access to the relay requires creating access to the pump, following the steps through page 10 in the DIY http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/W208...eplacement.pdf.

Once you have access to the pump, pull up the relay and replace it with the one used for the fuel pump for testing purposes. If the top works at that point, then you are a very lucky guy! You may have to manually cycle the top (down and up again, as described in the owner's manual) to make the computer relearn the top's position first.

Let us know what you find...

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

jpacilio

Klaus…..I replenished the hydraulic fluid the top still did not work.
I then checked the fuses…. there are two that are related to
To the soft top…. one is a 40 amp and one is a 15 amp. I pulled them both out….. they looked good…. I replaced them and when I did the top functioned! going all the way down with the lid Closing and locking and all the way up except for the lid closing and the soft top window coming down on it.

When I lifted up the soft top window and tried to use the switch again everything stopped working again.

So, I removed those two fuses again…. replaced them and was able to get the soft top down and locked using the switch.

Not sure what to do next? Do you think it is the relay and if so can you show me where that is and what it looks like. And also where I would find the fuel relay.

I have hope again and I want to thank you so much for all your help.

Serndipity

jpacilio......my suggestion would be to carefully read through https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...-failures.html

Your soft top is failing to operate because the controller is not receiving the proper signal from one of the limit/position switches as it monitors/controls the power roof operation.

In post #16 in the above link, you will find the sequencing and switch condition during each stage of the power roof operation.

If the controller does not receive the necessary signal, it just stops further power roof operation (e.g. to prevent system damage).

When you pulled the fuses and removed power to the controller, that just temporarily erased the failure condition within the controller, which allowed nothing more then one more sequencing of the power roof.

Hint: When closing the soft top, the rear bow (e.g. roof section with window) in stage 9, should not be allowed until the soft top cover (lid) has been closed and locked (e.g. controller believes the lid has been closed and locked). This may be due to improperly operating switch, a hydraulic cylinder that activates a switch, short circuit in the wiring harness etc..

At this time, I do not believe the issue is with your motor relay, because the pump operated normally after your erased the controller fault condition.

If you have good trouble shooting/DIY skills, the information in the aforementioned link has a wealth of information (e.g. wiring diagrams, switch locations etc.). Alternatively, the MB STAR diagnostic system should be able to pin point the area of failure (e.g. available at MB dealers and many independent repair shops).

Top Hydraulics

I completely agree with Serndipity - sound advice as usual.

John, altogether, this is pretty good news. If you find the electrical troubleshooting too overwhelming, then you should indeed invest in the dealer or an independent shop with the Mercedes software (STAR Diagnostic) reading the error codes related to the top malfunction. Don't let them sell you expensive stuff right away - just get the error codes with description, together with their recommendation. Very likely, you only have a bad micro switch or bad wires somewhere.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

jpacilio

My thanks to Klaus and Serndipity…..I am new to both tha car and DIY stuff and posting on forums so please forgive me for my mistakes.

I will take the car to a MB mechanic today to read the codes and get his diagnosis and get back to you.

THANKS AGAIN!

John

leonthomasmusic

Hello all,

I just bought a 2001 CLK320. The top did not work when I bought it at auction. When I first tried it, was doing nothing, light was flashing so I came on here and got a wealth of info. I have been slowly diagnosing the problem and have made some headway but now need some help. This is where I am now. I have gotten the windows and roll bar to roll down when top is unlatched and that was as far as it went and light would flash. I manually opened top and checked the latch that unlocks the back window. I found that the switch was not engaging so I cleaned everything in the latch and manually opened and closed the latch until it seemed smooth. Tried the top .... windows rolled down, roll bar down, Back window unlatched(this is the first time it has gotten this far) and the motor just kept working but the back window did not move. I manually pushed back window up and light started flashing. I am assuming that the next sequence is the back cover needs to unlock??? before the back window raises?? Any advice you can give me is very much appreciated. Thank you all very much!!

Top Hydraulics

leonthomasmusic,

congrats on the new car, and welcome to the forum! This could be as simple as the rear bow lock (the one that unlocks the rear glass) not signalling that it is open. If the controller does not get the signal that the rear bow lock is unlocked/open, then it will not raise the rear bow yet.

Check out the micro switch on the rear bow lock. It should look like in the picture below when the lock is open. Conversely, the brass-colored lever should not be triggering the micro switch when the lock is closed (it will usually just about touch the micro switch in the locked position, but not trigger it with an audible click).



Rear bow lock in CLOSED position: the micro switch gets triggered by the lock's lever.


Let us know what you find, or post a photo of the switch.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

leonthomasmusic

Thank you.... I checked the switch again and the arm engaging the switch seems sticky... I cleaned some more and tried it.... it worked!!.... once.... then stopped again.... the arm above the switch still seems like it doesn't move very freely(SPRING?)... I just took the entire lock out and manually opened and closed it many times.... it still doesn't seem right... however I will reinstall tomorrow and get back to you.... how much is a rebuilt one?

Top Hydraulics

Maybe there is some dirt mixed with grease preventing that lever from moving freely - it is indeed buffered by a spring. We mostly find that in Chrysler Crossfires, but it can happen in CLKs as well. The latch itself is not rebuildable, only the hydraulic cylinder. A thorough cleaning should take care of it. Degrease it, clean it, then lube it again, and see if the lever moves more smoothly.

Let's make sure that your switch lever is not bent from various cleaning attempts. If it doesn't look exactly as in the photo I have posted, can you post a photo of yours?

Klaus

www.tophydraulicinc.com

leonthomasmusic

Thanks again Klaus...

I put everything back together and pulled the switch.... motor ran then stopped.... I pushed the button to put everything back to closed.... when it stopped I opened the hatch and moved the switch to just touch the arm...... and BOOM... it works!!!!!!!... thanks again Klaus.... I owe you a drink!!

Top Hydraulics

Awesome! Any Mercedes dealer or shop would have charged you a bunch for diagnostic and labor, plus sold you a brand new latch with cylinder p/n A124 770 04 26 for some $600.



Rear bow lock A124 770 04 26 aka 1247700426 with cylinder p/n A129 800 16 72 mounted to it


Note about adjusting the switch and lever: it is normally best to slightly bend the lever, as opposed to moving the switch, because you want to undo whatever has been changed before. Notice the switch having adhesive on and around the bolt - it does not normally move. The brass colored lever, however, could have been bumped or bent during cleaning or previous removal of the latch.

Remember: the lever triggers the micro switch when the latch is open, and it barely touches the switch when the latch is closed. Important detail: when adjusting the lever for the locked/latched position, let go of the 6-mm Allen wrench (soft top tool) in the closed position and pull up a little on the latching mechanism to take the play out of the lock. At that point, the lever should be about touching the switch without triggering it. Ideally, make things look exactly as in the picture 4 posts down.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

dennisspeaks

Here's my delima. the left side clip was missing when I purchased the car and the right one broke so my top would not go up or down, I put some zip ties on it and it worked for awhile. Then out of the blue one day I put the top down and noticed some motors still making noise (I think it was the rollover bars), so quickly I disconnected the battery and let sit for 1/2 hour. Reconnected it and it was fine.

It happened again so I did the same thing. Now the top is down and will not go up, the light flashes and when I pull the top switch back it will roll up the windows and then nothing. The roll bars just flash when I press it.

Looking for advice on where to start first?

Where do I get the little clips the will hold the boot cover in place and what are they called.

Thanks.

Dennis

dennisspeaks

For now I am looking to just get the top back up because it is raining this week. Thanks.

Serndipity

You can raise or lower the roof manually.

The procedure is explained in the Practical Hints section of your owner's manual.

dennisspeaks

Thanks Serndipity, One step forward, one step back. I have the manual out and it seems like even I can do it. When I purchased the car the tool box was not included, what tools will work in it's place?

Thank you,

Dennis

Top Hydraulics

Dennis,

you clearly have at the very least a sticking relay at the pump. Use the applicable portion of the following DIY to get access to the pump, so that you can replace the relay: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/W208...eplacement.pdf. There is a lot of information in the following thread, including the relay part number and how to test the motor if you have to: https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...-failures.html
Check out posts #16 and #28 in the aforementioned thread.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

Serndipity

The tool kit is in a cloth bag, just left of the spare tire, where the jack is stored.

If you don't find them you will need a screwdriver, a thin 10mm open-end wrench and a 6mm Allen wrench.

dennisspeaks

Thank you Serndipity!

dennisspeaks

Well I didn't get a chance to work on the car because I caught the worse flu. I had decided to just get the top up and fix it later, however when I raised it manually which was pretty easy when you know what to do, the only problem I have is now the front windows won't go up, I can hear it clicking but that is it. I am not sure if this has something to do with the rear roll bars not going up or not, they have rolled up since the roll bars stopped working. Thanks for your input/suggestions on how to fix this.

bobbyjo9

The top and rollbars both get power from the same relay located next to the pup. Replace that first so you can lower the roll bars to operate the top with power. That may or may not fix all your top problems but its a good start.

Your windows are independent of top operation. Are you saying they don't work from either the top switch OR the window switches?

dennisspeaks

bobbyjo9, thanks for your reply. That relay is where I am going to start once I take the trunk apart. The wondows don't work with the top at all since the rollbars are not working nor with the top switch, the two rears work with their individual switches but not the front windows.

dennisspeaks

Duh, went in the car today to figure it out and in stead of pushing the switches all the way up, I just rocked them pushing them only partly up and the windows went up and the roll bars started to go up but wouldn't go down so I left them partly up. My problem started with the little clips in the trunk (one on each side) that hold the skirt to protect the boot when it is in the trunk, one was broke off and the one on the passengers side broke off while taking the sub out. What are those two little retainer clips called and any place online to get them.

Also someone said the fuel relay is the same as the one for the pump for the convertible top, is this correct? I want to order a couple just to have on hand.

Thanks,

Dennis

Top Hydraulics

Dennis, indeed, the fuel pump and the convertible top hydraulic pump use identical relays. See post #67 below - it should have all the info you need.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

Serndipity

Dennis, at this time, glad to hear that you were able to raise the roof manually, as well as sorting out the front window switches. Don't forget to turn back the hydraulic pressure relief screw before attempting to operate the power roof.

While you seem to have developed an issue with your power roof operation, the operation of your power windows in independent of the power roof (e.g. the power roof controller only uses the window and other limit switch conditions, as inputs. In other words, your windows should operate properly, irregardless of an issue with your power roof. This is shown of the attached diagram (e.g. inputs on the left, outputs on the right).

Having your roof up and windows closed is important on 2000 CLKs...because MB added paddle shifting. Turns out that if, a liquid enters the center console area, the TSU (transmission shift unit) usually fails, resulting in a 'limp mode' condition. Otherwise, mechanically, the CLK transmissions are bullet proof, except for MB once suggesting that once upon a time there is no required maintenance.

MB has since recommended that the CLK transmission be serviced at least every 40,000 miles (e.g. fluid and filter replaced).

While their have been numerous successful DIY repairs, based on forum information, I do not know the level of your particular diagnostic/trouble-shooting skills. Following is a summary of the most common problems.

Leaking hydraulic cylinders: The most common ones are the two latching cylinders (e.g. 1298001672 and 1298000072). You can easily check the level of fluid in the pump reservoir via an inspection port. located in the trunk (e.g. see the W208 DIY located on TopHydraulics web site).

Pump Motor Relay: The relay switches very high current and the make/break contacts arc. As a result, over time, the contacts become pitted, which causes a high resistance to the needed current flow (e.g. the motor operates intermittently or not at all). Sometimes, the arcing can also weld the contacts permanently closed and if the thermo overload circuit does not operate properly, will burn out the motor. The pump motor relay is the same as the fuel pump relay. The relay is an inexpensive (about $9), commonly available part. Access to the hydraulic pump/relay is a bit more involved and shown in the DIY located on TopHydraulics web site.

Soft top cover wiring harness: There is a wiring harness, that when opening/closing the soft top cover, can break a wire or wear through the protective insulation. Open the soft top cover and inspect the wiring harness for possible damage.

Additional details on the above, are at:

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...-failures.html