Hitman0187

Thanks, this whole thing is driving me insane. everything seems to be working fine switches are making contact correctly, but I still have the same issue as greenman does. Tomorrow when I cool off mentally I will disassemble everything all over again and try to find the wires. I was hoping to cheat by running two jumper wires from the bow lock switch directly to the soft top computer as a test before ripping any more things apart.

Top Hydraulics

Hitman0187,

Stay positive - you can do this! Finding the bad switch or the bad wire is not rocket science, but a clear head is always helpful when you want to use a process of elimination... If you find bad wires, please take photos of the exact location and post them here.

Good luck.

Klaus

Hitman0187

Thanks. I will have to figure out how to crop these pics so they can be loaded on here. I found that messing with the two wires from the rear bow lock on the curve on the passenger side in the wire loom temporarily disabled the movement of the actual soft top. The deck lid still behaved normally when time for the top to move it didn't make it. I put the wires back in place and the soft top resumed normal activity.

GatorMB

The cabling to the Bow lock gets frayed on these cars near the passenger hatch hinge.

If you inspect the harness here and test @ the limit switch we might get through this.

Its all Fun, Gator

Top Hydraulics

That hinge can be a problem spot. See below the picture of two pinched hydraulic lines and a Bowden cable. The pic is from Benz916's thread https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...ic-inside.html.


Electric wires in the background; foreground shows two hydraulic lines on the left and the Bowden cable on the right. The hydraulic lines needed to be replaced. Top Hydraulics manufactures them:
Both lines: http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...nvertible.html
Line 44 (pump to the end of rear bow lock cylinder 1298001672): http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...k-to-pump.html
Line 47 (pump to the side of rear bow lock cylinder 1298001672): http://www.tophydraulicsinc.com/en/w...k-to-pump.html

Benz916 indicated that he is planning to create a DIY for hydraulic line replacement...

I have also started a poll that asks fellow W208 owners to check out this weak spot and help us all determine whether the lines are getting kinked in this spot because they have been installed with too much slack - would appreciate some feedback: https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...n-factory.html

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

GatorMB

Awesome Klaus,
My (your) bow and hatch cylinders are working like new.

Gator

Hitman0187

sorry - spring break vacation got in the way, anyhow the wires at the bend on the passenger side I suspect are making a poor connection. With that being said they are still in the black tape. I plan on a more complete inspection tomorrow. When I was poking around there a week ago it made the top stop working, slight movement on the wires restored the tops motion.

Hitman0187

so after 6 years the roof is finally fixed, I took out the limit switch on the drivers side and put it back together and also jumped the rear bow lock with a fresh set of wires. after inspecting the old ones the grey/pink wire was completely snapped and pulled up into the sticky tape that holds it in the same picture location that Klaus has in post #80.

thank you to everyone that helped in some way shape or form...

Top Hydraulics

Congratulations!!! Does this mean you could feel the bad wire if you knew what you were looking for, and roughly where?

I have identified the components in the referenced picture - see attachment.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

danpcr2

i am pretty new to cars, so i don't really know exact terminologies of parts/process to describe what is happening with the soft top.

I will try to explain what exactly i need to do, to open my soft top and close it. I hope that's ok.

If somebody could help me figure what could be wrong, it would be really helpful.

Opening the Soft Top:
1) Manually lower all the windows and release the soft top.
2) Open the trunk: Mostly manually.. sometimes the switch inside the car works, sometimes doesn't.
3) Manually release the rear end of soft top (the one with the rear glass) from inside the trunk.
4) Close the trunk
5) Go inside the car, from the back seat, with the help No. 10 spanner release case cover.
6) Open the case cover fully.
7) Manually pull the entire soft top back in the trunk. This doesn't give any resistance, very easily goes in the trunk.
8) Manually close the rear cover and press hard in the center to lock it up.

Closing the soft top:
1) Go inside the car, from the back seat, with the help No. 10 spanner release case cover.
2) Open the case cover fully.
3) Then just pull the soft top switch inside the car and hold and the entire thing comes out and the rear cover closes itself automatically.
4) Close the windows separately. (This function sometimes works automatically, sometimes it doesnt, and then i have to close each window with the separate switch)


So closing is not a big issue, its just the opening part that is giving me some problems.
and since everything closes automatically, i think the hydraulic motor and hydraulics are working correctly.

What do you think could be the problem?

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Hitman0187

Klaus - im glad you have that picture, I couldn't get mine to upload from the phone. Anyway the bottom right arrow showing the wiring harness with possibly fraying rear bow lock micro switch wires in it is where it was. I couldn't feel the broken wire because it was stretched out when the deck lid was open so it felt natural if you will. After peeling back the covering with an exacto knife I realized there was a gap.

GatorMB

DanPCR,


The only manual operation should be unlatching the top lock by the dome light console.
If it works up it will work down.
do you have the operations owners manual?

danpcr2

Thanks Gator MB.

Yes i have the operations manual and went through the manual about how to open the the soft top..
The switch on the soft top is continuously on now. Also, it beeps for sometime after i start driving. The beeping stops but the red light on the switch remains continuously on.

Also, earlier i was able to close the soft top automatically but the last time i tried, its stopped coming up again from the trunk.. i had to do the entire thing manually.

Wonder what the problem is?

Thanks

Hitman0187

dan investigate the wires in post #80.... I had an issue where the top didn't work and it beeped like crazy until I fixed those wires..

fheil

Hello all and thanks for all the great information. My name is Frank. I have a 2001 clk430 Cabrio. About a year ago I started having problems with my top, the electicals more specifically. After sitting in the garage for more than 24 hours without being started, I would start the car and the red light for the top stays on as well as the headrest/rollbar light. Also the windows won't operate with any switch and the outside mirrors or trunk switch are inoperable. I've learned that the only way to get things working again is to disconnect the battery for about 0ne minute then everything works fine until the car sits in the garage again then the same thing happens. After reading through this post I will check the closed sensor over the sun visor as well as the wires in the area of the cable and hydrolic line that Klaus talked about. Last weekend I did rebuild my locking mechanism because it fell apart and the entire part at Mercedes was quoted at $1000. My hadle lock fell apart and the light on the switch came on and the alarm went off, so I thought finally I'm getting to the bottom of this, but when I repaired the locking mechanism the same symptom happened again, so it wasn't the handle or lock. There must be a short some where and not a complete break or failure because I can always reset it by disconnecting the battery. Phew,! sorry about all that but that's my story. Does anyone have any suggetions as to where to start looking other than the two I mentioned? By the way I did take pictures of the entire locking mechanism and how I fixed it. I will post them soon and how to repair this faulty part. I also put on cross drilled and slotted rotors and new pads from Callahan, Ebay. They're awesome, parts and labor $500. I also had new Bilstein sport shocks put on, and they are also great. Got the shocks at Tire Rack for $340 free shipping and $240 install. It handles like a dream, FUN again. My car has 129000 miles and doing great with the exception of the cabrio problem. I'm from Tennessee so Thanks Yall! I'm looking forward to your responses.

GatorMB

fheil,

Tennessee hmmm, Beautiful state with nice climate and mountains to boot. No beer on sunday though. I flew up some time ago to fix and commission an x-ray machine for one of the food plants, loved it.
any way, If all is working with a properly charged battery and 24 hours later nothing works.
Does the car start or require recharging after 24 hours?
Disconnecting the battery resets read only memory in the many microcontrollers in the car.
If the car starts than something is draining one of the controllers memory state values.
It can get real funky trying to go this deep over the internet.
Attempting to operate accessories in the car with out a good battery can damage the system in most cases.
Benz is very dependable and brilliantly engineered to survive most circumstances but there are exceptions.

I think this was Hitmans post, you better hope he doesen't get angry,

Cheers, Gator and Happy Easter everyone

fheil

Thanks for the response Gator. The battery is fine and never needs a charge. This morning the car did it again though. I keep a 10mm socket wrench by the battery.

Sorry Hitman if i'm inrtuding. Maybe you might know what's going on.

Serndipity

fheil....the last attachment in post #16 list the possible faults which would cause the soft top switch to be continuously illuminated.

richardjjs

If you drop the roof down into the back compartment WITHOUT droping the cover you can remove the lock assembly quite easily


Its just a matter f removing all the bolts etc

GatorMB

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...m-fix-fyi.html

I think there might be the link you are after in here. Also search convertible tops windows roll down by themselves.

There is excellent coverage with illustration from a brother sun worshiper. I have it buried in my laptop or cell phone but time is an essance right now.

All the Best, Gator

miatawnt2b

Hey guys...
Having a minor issue with my top. It seems to work fine, but when I lower the top, as the rear window portion lifts, the header of the top hits the A pillar on the passenger side. It's put a nasty gash in the vinyl coating of the A pillar. Any ideas on this problem?
Thanks,
-J

Top Hydraulics

miatawnt2b, I doubt that this is a hydraulic or electrical issue (which belong into this thread) - rather something mechanical. How about taking some pics, checking whether your cabriolet soft top frame is binding anywhere, and creating a brand new thread? Click on https://mbworld.org/forums/newthread...=newthread&f=5 to create a new thread.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

bkentlaw

When I pull back on the lever to activate the top, the red light does not come on and nothing happens. But, if a push the lever forward as if to close the top (although it already is) the red light goes on and you can hear the hydraulics attempt to work. Any suggestions?

jpacilio

Klaus and others …thank you all…working hard to save $ here.

So, heres to situation right now:

The top functions completely going down and the rear cover locks and the top comes up well but the bow top does not come up with it and the rear cover does not come down and therefore bow top does not close.
Please give me your best consensus:

bow top limit switches or hydraulics?

Do I need to take it in for the STAR reading?

Thanks All!

John

jpacilio

P S Went to the thread you recommended Klaus and need more specific step by step, simple instructions please.

John