Well, I finally broke down and joined up today, because after having gotten loads of wonderfully successful advice from you all just this past week after having a dead battery in my 2000 CLK 430 regarding

Trunk lockout
Error codes
Windows not going up
EC light stuck on

I have this one last problem which seems different than the ones already posted and cured:

Soft top. It's stuck up.

The luggage switch in the trunk is okay.
The rollbar works when I press its dash button.
The red light of the top's console switch is on solidly - never blinks.
Fuses are fine.
The auto/manual screw inside the little funnel is at "auto", ie hard clockwise.

When I release the handle above the windshield, the windows go down automatically.

But nothing else happens. No motion or sound at all. Took the trunk apart and the hydraulic reservoir is 1/3 full and the relay is fine. I swapped it with the fuel pump relay and the car runs just great with either relay. There is a very small amount of fluid on the floor immediately below the header under the plastic cover to the right of the hydraulic pump itself.

I apologize if this issue has already been answered, but with the rollbar functioning and the relay okay, what's going on? I have not yet attempted to move the top in manual mode and frankly don't want to yet, because then I have to put the trunk back together and I realllllly don't want to have to take it apart again, because, as many have already reported, it's a real nuisance.

Also, after I trace and fix the source of this tiny oil spot, would I refill the reservoir with the top up or down? I don't want to overfill it. I would assume the hydro cylinders are extended with the top up.

Thanks for your consideration!

PS. If anyone reading this wants the short, concise answer to any of the problems listed above, I'll post my solutions for you. Cheers!

 

I presume the 208 has various limit switches like the 209? One of those not working maybe? Anyway, I don't think it matters when you fill the fluid, although top up would be normal. The cylinders have 2 hoses - the pump removes fluid from the bottom end while pushing it in the top, and vice versa. The cylinders are always full.

 

Thanks, Yidney. Good to know.

(Wow, that was quick!)

 

Hello Ben, welcome to the forum! You have thought this through quite well, and I appreciate all the detail in your post. There is an electrical issue not making the top move, and you have to find the source of your hydraulic leak with the reservoir being only 1/3 full.

The owner's manual describes a reset procedure for the top. It involves cycling the top manually. This might already solve your electrical problem.

The fluid level would normally be closer to the bottom of the two markers when the top is up (cylinders are extended), and closer to the top marker with the top up. Overfilling the reservoir can cause damage in the long run, but only if you go way over the top marker.

Klaus



Location of your CLK cabriolet hydraulics

 

Thank you, Klaus. I have put the trunk somewhat together (only 6 of the 32 screws which hold the metal plate in) and lowered the roof and have been enjoying the top-down weather with my wife for the past two days. The manual lowering apparently is not enough to kick start the electro-hydraulic sorcery, but perhaps tomorrow I'll have the time to raise it by hand and try again.

And why in the world would I not expect that to work? After all, when the voodoo known as "swerving the steering from lock-to-lock and back to center" will kill the idiot lights in the dash, I'm game for most anything. If that doesn't work, perhaps I'll road roast a rack of ribs under the hood and sacrifice them to my paunch!

Cheers!!