MelheM_CLK240

Hello folks, I have recently become attached to the topics and threads here, it is great to see all the technical acumen and advise from all of you.

I have come across many threads that solve convertible top problems for CLK - eg boot lid closing problem and gas cylinders to hold the switch to close the top and others, however my problem is alittle different.

The top is actually now open, and I receive "top visit workshop" message and fails to close. Last year I had a complete overhaul of the hydraulic system which costed close to a fortune!

Thinking #1:
I thought there would be a problem in the boot partition lid as I have received messages before to close it even though I made sure it was, I tried to tape the switch (small switch left hand top corner on boot partition) and keep it pressed, did not work.

Thinking #2: I read in owners manual how you can reset the top operation by removing and reconnecting the fuse / jumper #28 (side fuse box), did not work.

Thinking #3: I disconnected the battery for some long time hoping it would reset any system faults and then I will be able to operate the top, failed.

Thinking #4: I disconnected the battery, removed the convertible top fuse, connnected the battery after some long time, connected the fuse again, failed.
Ps, During this I switched the car on before reconnecting the fuse, and I had a red warning message - Please release the rollover bar...

Thinking #5: I thought I would try to manually close the top as per the owners manual (removing the panel behind the center top indoor lights then use the allen key placed inside the owners manual case etc..) I could not remove that panel..



Hence, my top is still up and I really appreciate any advise or sharing previous experiences to help me close the top again.

Thanks and regards...

Rudeney

First of all, here's a video detailing the manual close procedure:

http://benzbits.com/w209/soft_top/ManualClose.wmv

It shos a W207 E-Class, but it's identical for this process. All of the panels you need to remove are just carpet and should be easy to detach. The only challenge in the manual close may be that the hydraulic cylinders for the soft top cover are very stiff, making the cover hard to move. If that's the case, you might try disconnecting them from the cover.

As for the error, this is definitely a problem in the system. I have seen a few cases where manually closing the top will "reset" all the micro switches and make things work, but probably not. You'll likely need a proper diagnosis using a specialized tool (liek SDS or iCarsoft) that can read error codes from the soft top control module.

MelheM_CLK240

Thank you Rodney for the advise and the video link.

I am afraid I could not quite get "the hydraulic cylinders for the soft top cover are very stiff, making the cover hard to move. If that's the case, you might try disconnecting them from the cover" -
In the video you are supposed to release the hydraulic mechanism by releasing the pressure from the main oil cylinder and rotating the switches ccw so as to disable the process, do you mean despite this I am expected to have stiff movement? Do you think this could cause any damage or break the cylinders, joints, rods etc? You know recently it costed large amount of money to repair and replace all these :-)

I hope manually closing the system will reset the switches, do you think I should remove the fuse #28 that is powering the soft top or disengage the battery first and reconnect after I do the manual close?

Appreciate your concern.

Melhem

Rudeney

The knobs on either side that you rotate are what is supposed to release pressure on the struts that handle the cover panel. However, they can still be very stiff to operate manually. I think the earlier versions are worse. I know my MY2007 was pretty stiff, but with steady, even pressure on the lid, I could move it. If it just feels too stiff to move the cover lid, you can remove the struts from underneath the lid (through the trunk), then it will move freely.

No need to worry about battery or fuses - just don't try to operate the top with the switch while also manually operating it as you could get injured if it moved unexpectedly. Manually operating the top should not affect the cylinders.

Samy_araben

Did you ever get this fixed? I have the same issue and dont know what im looking after. Please if u have any suggestions i will be grateful