Hi all. Just purchased a 1990 300SL and would like to be a part of this forum to learn, and hopefully in the long run, be able to help and educate others.
Got a few questions for you experienced guys. When I first purchased the car, the previous owner disclosed all possible faults. One of which is the soft top operation. The top is currently in the closed position. When operating the switch that activates the top, it seems to be in good working order when I push it forward, which I assume is to close the top. The motor engages and the mechanism seem to be moving. Its already in the closed position so movement is at a minimal. However, when I pull on the switch to lower the top, all I get is a blinking light with no slight movements of the mechanism. I checked the pump in the trunk and the fluid is full. The PO said this all started when the car's battery was drained and he had to jump start the car. The battery now seems to be fully charged. I tried opening the top while the engine is running and same result. He also said that two other problems came immediately after jump starting the car, the ABS and Check Engine Lights are on. On a side problem, the passenger door lock doesnt lock when the remote transmitter is pressed. All other locks work.
I hope that someone can shed some light in this matter, or at least point me to a starting point and direction. If the switch operates the top mechanism to close, then should I rule out that the top control unit as a culprit? Thanks in advance everyone.

 

ive read this a few times.. and it has to due with burnt out fuses..

but i cant tell u specifically which ones.

I wouldnt worry much until the fuses get replaced.




FK

 

similar problem happened to me... as a result of the battery being disonnected/reconnected a fair few times etc, it blew the Soft top control unit. DISASTER! - the soft top control unit is generally the first component to blow since it is so delicate. Part of the mechanism did work... but wouldn't work all the way.

Took it to the dealer who confirmed control unit to be replaced at it cost £1000 (it was 'only' £1k because i found out they could return the removed soft top unit - otherwise they wanted £2.5k!!!).

I really hope it isn't the control unit!!!! try what firstkill said... fingers crossed!

 

Thanks for the replies. Well after an extensive search through the Net last night, I finally traced and solved the problem. The culprit was a burnt OVP relay (Over Voltage Protection). This relay is located under a cover in the engine in front of the passenger side. Open the cover and the relay is sitting right in the middle. It has a cover on top and 2 10AMP fused. Replaced one fuse that was blown and all is well. Top works perfectly, and the ABS and Check Engine Light is now off (after disconnecting the battery). The engine starts and runs much better as well. Im saving the burnt fuse as a momento for being a $1000 fuse (previous owner gave me a break of an extra $500, plus what I may have spent at the dealership for diagnosis...approx. $500).
Whats next? He he he...time for some fun in the sun with the top down.
Thanks again and I hope this thread will serve someone well in future reference.