trunk won't stay closed, 2005 clk 320 cabriolet
 

hi,

can anyone offer suggestions or solutions to this problem: the trunk will not stay closed!

i am no auto expert but have some general knowledge of cars; mechanics usually don't have to dumb down explanations for me. i am always curious and eager to learn if it doesn't get wildly technical. even then, it's useful to be exposed to it anyway. this is my first post, hope i did it right.

the trunk not latching closed: checked the latch for obstructions; tried all kinds of permutations of pushing the unlock buttons on the key and in the car (other lock stuff seems to be working fine); don't see any obvious damage to any wires and things visible in the trunk.

the "trunk-open" light in the car stays on, so the car knows the trunk is open.

looking at the latch with the trunk open, tried moving the latch thing around (sorry, don't know the names of the parts....). i am able to manually push a piece of what looks like what would click around to secure the latch closed; so this thing moves and it pops back open when i open the trunk from in the car or with the key button. no matter which position it's in, doesn't affect it latching closed and staying so. yes, i understand when that piece is in a particular position, it is in the locked position so if you try to close the trunk like that, no cigar, and you'll probably also damage something. i did not try slamming it hard like that!

no matter what i do something is not latching to to keep the trunk closed.

i just got this car from a local used car dealer -- the night before going away on a 2 week trip, then stowed the car in the garage while i was gone (stupid, i know, but timing absolutely could not be helped, no how). i drove it for the first time (since test driving it) yesterday, drove it about 7 miles, put it back in the garage, just now went to see if something was in the trunk, then tried to close it. and this not-funny thing happened, the trunk would not latch and stay closed.

of course, the guy who sold it to me has gone to florida for some weeks to come, so 'ask who you bought it from' is not possible right now; neither is being able to drive it, with the trunk open.

maybe there is a quick and easy fix?

basically i just got the car, drove it once a few miles, first time i opened the trunk it will not stayed closed.

(btw, my other car is a mercedes. true. an '83 300d; 350,000 miles. it's awesome, i adore it, even if people stare and mutter at the sight of it. but familiarity with almost 30 yrs old diesel is not helping with the car i just got).

[off topic here, but also btw, the shock of what's needed to get another key for newer cars is new to me as well (the clk only came with one, didn't think to ask... yes, i can be astonishingly stupid and naive sometimes) -- what y'all already know: they're about $200 and require a personal appearance at a mb dealership.]

yes i googled but could not find anything i could interpret as useful information for this problem. so i'm trying here.

if you can advise, many thanks for sharing.

If you use a screwdriver to close the jaw of the latch, just as the strike would do, and then pull against it, does it stay closed? And does the light on the driver's door trunk button extinguish? If so, then it sounds like the latch mechanism itself is working. If not, then you have a bad latch and need to replace it. If the latch is working, then this may be a simple alignment issue. The strike on the bumper can be adjusted and there are rubber "bumpons" that can be adjusted for the height of the trunk in the closed position.

As fro the key, yes, a replacement SmartKey is $200+ and only available from an authorized MBZ service center. You must provide proof of ID and vehicle ownership to have one ordered. See the parts counter - you don't need a service advisor to help as no programming is necessary.

many thanks, rodney - appreciate it much
will try today & post result later.

hi rodney,

driver side trunk light did extinguish when jaw of latch was pushed,

stayed closed after trying to push it open,

[and it still responds to the trunk opener on the key]

as you say, that suggests the latch mechanism is not the problem. yay. that would seem like a not real simple and cheap repair.

alignment of the latch/strike - looking straight down at it, it is not totally vertical. it's rotated clockwise about 20 degrees. makes total sense that's likely blocking the jaw from slipping down over it!

(hmm how did it get that way though?? sat in my garage motionless, with the trunk fully closed, for 2 weeks before this.)

will try to straighten it up, but of course, don't have the kind of screwdriver needed.

will post the result, but might be tomorrow since getting the tool means a trip out to the store later or tomorrow which i might no way even get to try to do til after stores close.

thank stars for my old friend - the 30 yr old 300d - to use meanwhile! not driving clk around with an open trunk or a rope/bungee holdin it closed if not necessary.

i feel so stupid i didn't think to look closely enough at, and think to try that common sense possibility, to begin with.... so i'm especially glad that along with the advice, you did not call me an idiot!

thanks again; hopefully know more by tomorrow

Don't feel stupid - it's not always as easy as it seems to diagnose things like this. The kid's C240 trunk latch broke and did the opposite - it would close, but not open. unless you tried it about 20 times I totally forgot how to use the hard key to open the trunk, so I was afraid it would get locked shut. She drove around for a day with a bungee cord on the trunk lid. Oh, and in case you are wondering, you can open the trunk, even if the electrical part of the latch is broken, with the hard key. You insert the key and turn it, but the part I forgot was that you then have to pull the handle. Apparently, the engineers didn't like the amount of leverage needed, and were afraid the key might be too hard to turn, so they connected it to the handle. I totally forgot about that, until I replace the latch and couldn't get the key to work. After about 20 minutes of head scratching, I somehow remembered the right procedure - one that I trained others to use when I worked at the dealership!

Hi There

I have had the same problem with my CLK i had some one hold the trunk lid closed then pushed the boot release button on the drivers door and then opened it with the trunk release button on the Key, Hope this helps

rodney, you were right about latch alignment. my local mechanic loaned me his torque wrench for the screws to adjust it and then decided to help me out with it.

after we tinkered & tested & did a little scraping/cleaning off the jaw and some wd40 in there, as well as nudging the latch to align better, we got closer to success. the alignment seems to have a very small error of margin. took us a few go rounds.

it was then mainly working, but it's unacceptable to have to use both hands to make it stay down at all. no way! that's crazy. so i pushed him to keep at it.

a few times it just bounced right back up again without latching closed. then it got where it worked right the 4-5 times i tried it with him there.

we shall see. i hope it's fixed for real and it doesn't pop right back up again next time.

zwaggy, thanks for your input, too. did i understood it right though:
somebody held the lid closed.
you pushed the driver's door trunk release.
but, was the person still holding the lid down when you pushed that, so you wouldn't allow it open?
then while it stayed pushed down, you next used the trunk release on your key? so you essentially held it down continuously while using the release on the door and key in succession?
did you then let it raise up, let go of holding it down after using the release on your key?

that's also alignment related?

we'll see what happens when i use the car more in the next few days, whether the fix worked or didn't, or if road vibration affects anything. just don't understand how it got so askew in the first place.

i'll post the results after a few days use.

i know - it's queer, most people have the problem of not being able to unlock the trunk/get it to open, not mine of keeping it closed! i'm still just getting use to this car, i didn't know the extra step when using the hard key to do it. rodney thanks for the tip! i'm gonna print out all this stuff to keep on hand.

(especially as there was no manual with the car! guess i'll have to order or buy one somehow.)

besides praying the trunk fix took, next, onto ordering the seat belt button that is missing on the drivers seatbelt. it's not particularly graceful, comfortable, or quick to have to dig around for the buckle when it's always on the floor in close quarters to the seat and door... ech

gracias to you both!

Had same problem with C230
 

This fixed my problem! Thanks for the advice...it was really easy to fix.

02 c240 trunk issue
 

When the trunk in my car is close in the screen says " trunk open" and also the the trunk button by the driver side the light remains lit.. What can it be??? Thanks for your attention

It's most likely a bad latch - it has the switch inside that indicates that the lid is closed.

Ok thanks for the advice . Is there anything that i can try or do to fix the problem or i have to buy the latch?

You'll probably just need to buy a new latch, but I have heard of industrious owners who have found a way to disassemble the latch and fix it. A new one is about $100.

All, I have 2004 CLK320, the driver seat side adjustment buttons and steering column adjuster are not working at all. I can't even hear motors try to move anything. Any ideas?