SL/R129: 1997 R-129 Convertible Top Help
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 5
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1997 SL 500
1997 R-129 Convertible Top Help
1997 R-129 Convertible Top Help – Following a battery change, my convertible top and roll bar don’t operate and the respective lights remain on continuously. I have tried synching the windows and checked the fuses in the trunk. The level in the fluid reservoir is fine and there are no leaks. Next, I tried cycling the top manually using the special tool and now the rear tabs will not enter the sleeves because the latching cylinders seem to be engaged, preventing the tabs from entering the sleeves. Using the tool on the tabs in the trunk does nothing and there is no resistance on it like there was in the unlocking procedure. At this point I just want to get the top locked back down so I can drive it. Any help is much appreciated!
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 34
Likes: 4
From: Colorado Springs, CO
1997 SL320, 1972 TR6, and 1981 Euro 230CE
You will need to fashion a small hook from a wire clothes hanger (or find a similar tool) that you can use to reach down into the hole and pull the top part of the latch back up. There will be some resistance from the cylinder so pull fairly hard. It can still be difficult to get the cylinder to "lock" using the special tool. I found a small 10mm wrench worked better as it gave more throw. I had to push down on the top while moving the wrench at the same time to get it to lock. But even then it was not always successful. There are some videos on YouTube but a flashlight, hook tool, and experimentation are your best bets.
Best thing is to get the RST module working correctly again. I bought an iCarsoft MB 2.0 scanner w/38-pin adapter which allows me to see what's going on with the RST (and other systems) and clear the fault codes. About $200 from Amazon. Make sure it's the MB 2.0 version if you buy one, the other ones don't work on our vintage R129 cars.
Best thing is to get the RST module working correctly again. I bought an iCarsoft MB 2.0 scanner w/38-pin adapter which allows me to see what's going on with the RST (and other systems) and clear the fault codes. About $200 from Amazon. Make sure it's the MB 2.0 version if you buy one, the other ones don't work on our vintage R129 cars.
