I own a 1996 320 SL.
The battery became weak whereas the car would not start.
Once jump started the roll bar lower and raise switch light came on. The roll bar light on the dash came on, the convertable activate red buttom light on the center console came on ,
The convertable , roll bar and windows became inoperative.
Upon replacing the battery maintaing current to the car from another vehicle to maintain codes the problem persisted.
When taken to a local shop they put in another battery and the top worked one time to the down position. Once the top was stowed the lights all came back on agan.
Returned to the shop and they reset codes and put top up and windows up.
When I picked up car all the lights came on again and the same items were again inoperative, but with the windows up this time.
Any suggestions
I have checked all the fuses with an ohm meter except the 2 or three in the panel by the battery.
Fuses in the relays, by the battery are good and under the hood are good.
When first taking the car to repair facility the alternator light came on, Voltage check was made at 13.67.........

New information; The top has worked intermitently and then stoped.
Now with the windows 1.5 inces from closed which was dome by holding the remote lock past the unlock point. Was afraid to continue for fear the windows would end up in the down position and remain.
Now with the engine running there is a constant slow tick tick low in both door wells where the door lock meets the car body.
Suggestions please. Thank You
8/1The only thing that still works is the remote.
It allowed me to lower the windows, but I stopped for fear they would remain in the down position.
Pressing the windows for syncronization or roll bar has no effect.
8/5After a week the systems starting working again, but not before the
traction control system almost killed my wife by operating in some sort of random order and launching her into oncoming trafic.
The fact that the traction control system can develop a mind of it's own strikes me as U.S. Transportation Safty issue worthy of a recall?????
8/10 Now they have disconnected the battery and the computer will not let the shop mechanic back into the computer????
I think they blew the computer??? only becuase all these systems worked when dropped off.......
Can all the systems, roll bar , top and windows work if the computer is damaged??
The shop has had the car for 1.5 weeks out of the last three becuase the battery failed.........I am not believing this.
The shop now says the controller will not let thme in to read or clear codes.
Sounds like they blew the controller any ideas.
As I write this scinerio I keep thinking am I dreaming or is this actually possible....When a battery fails all hell breaks loose and now, no one short of some one who is looking for an open check book is going to be able to help.
Have the people at Mercedes lost their minds?

Two plus years later the top works and the windows work, however the top lowering light stays on and the roll bar light stays on......
I have accomplished this by myself since Benz Dealer couldn't and aftermarket Benz people couldn't either. I read endless posts about these top roll bar window problems, all from a battery jump or a battery going dead.
It amazes me that as a group of owners we haven't figured this top battery roll bar fiasco out?
Have found something very unusual. windows forget sometimes and have managed to turn wheels full to the left and then to the right for 10 seconds and the windows start working again.

But I guess we just drive these high dollar cars with a varity of malfunctions and live with it...
I guess the car will ultimatly go to the junk yard with this problem.
Does anyone out there actually have a Benz that is older than 6 months and everything still works?
Anyone have any suggestions, or do just live with it as long as it still starts and moves?

I have a 1999 SL500 and everything still works. I am getting ready to get a new battery however and I am paranoid because of the problem tales I see. Maybe I will spring for the dealer doing it.
Rocco

The 129 SLs are incredibly sensitive to jump starting. DON'T DO IT It tends to overload the RST(roadster soft top) module, which controls the windows, roll bar, and obviously, the soft top. It costs about $1600 alone if I am correct.

Nick

I am also terrified of jump-starting my SL320 - have been told to remove the relevant fuses if I ever have to jump the car in an emergency...

Does anyone know if this is the safest way to do it?

Thanks,
A

[QUOTE=nick 55;3279193]The 129 SLs are incredibly sensitive to jump starting. DON'T DO IT It tends to overload the RST(roadster soft top) module, which controls the windows, roll bar, and obviously, the soft top. It costs about $1600 alone if I am correct.

So how is done. My battery is drained and I am thinking to simply take the battery out and have it recharged and then re-install. Frankly I am also terrified of this issue. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE REAL SOON

[QUOTE=kerrypacker;3302118]You should go buy the new battery, charge it out of the car, and then install it and crank the car after. No jump start. Ever.

Or, call MB Roadside assistance, they have a flat rate for battery replacement and it's not that expensive. They will come to your house and do it for you.

You fried your soft top controller when you jump-started the car. That's why it "forgets", and that's why you're getting warning lights.

There's no fix, except replacing/rebuilding the module. And don't jump start it again, there are still a lot more modules you can fry.

Excuse my poor english, but what is a "jump start" ?

Jump starting, or boosting is when you connect cables between batteries of a running vehicle and a vehicle with a dead battery as a means to get the vehicle with a dead battery running. It is much safer to remove the battery and charge it instead of jumping a battery in an SL, let alone any car that has complex electronics in it.

Nick

Well all this stories with battery replacement on MBs sound like the most dangerous part, looks lioke MB did it on purpose to make money on those who buys used out of waranty cars. All it takes to put a module which can hold enough charge ( lets say 30 min) while replacing the battery. Even the manual does not say anything how you should replace the battery (you do not need brains to do it).
Anyway all this problems happen when new battery is connected and that is when spark happens, what it looks like creates big load and damages electronics.
Recently I was testing my battery, I was trying to see if it my alternator or battery, the way I checked was to disconnect negative end from the battery while car is runnig, and when I placed it back there was no spark, so it could be one of the way how to replace old battery

Get a battery charger, if you know you don't have a fresh, relatively young battery and you don't drive it regularly put it on a 2amp trickle charge.
Even a dead battery can be safely charged at 10 amps in a few hours.

I don't see anywhere in the manual that says do not jump start the battery. however the above statements are correct and jump starting it directly to the battery will in most cases kill your soft top modul.

Hi. How exactly or where do you get the soft-top/window module fixed?
Anyone have the p/n of this unit?

Looking at fixing a 96 SL500 - windows are fully down, soft top is up but doesn't latch at the back.
Thanks.

Similar problem on my 1997 SL320.

Battery died over the winter - needed to replace it. I did jump start it in accordance with MB's instructions.

Upon starting the soft top controller and roll bar switches were illuminated.

Had the dealer replace the battery and reset the soft top controller switch (they either forgot or did not want to work on the roll over bar lights).

All works fine, except for the roll bar activation is now linked in with the soft top operation. On either opening or closing the soft top, at the end of the cycle when the windows raise the roll bar raises as well. Roll bar warning light in instrument cluster stays on continuously. Flashing lights on roll bar switch are on when roll bar is fully down, but they go out when the roll bar is fully, or even partially, raised.

Have done some diagnostics myself, but to no avail. Back to the dealer on Monday to see if they can clear the rest of the errors.



jb