Hello All

Last weekend I was in the process of putting the top up on my 2003 R230, and when the trunk lid went back, I heard a bang/crack. The roof came up and locked, the flaps retracted, but the trunk lid remained open. I was able to manually push it closed (not much effort required), and I pushed it down far enough that the locks engaged to lock the trunk lid in place.

I can open and close the trunk lid normally. When I try to open the roof, however, the trunk lid does not tip backward, which is problematic in that the roof wants to go into the trunk.

I took it in to the dealer today for an oil change as well as a fuel filter change, and I asked them to look at it. They assured me that there were no fault codes present (microswitches work OK), and the hydraulic fluid level in the reservoir and pump was normal. I suspected as much because I could not see any leaks on my own. I told them about the loud noise, and they suggested my trunk was not adjusted correctly and was crashing into the bumper. It appeared they could be right because the trunk lid was not flush with the taillights. My local dealer does not have a body shop, and they were reluctant to adjust it, and I was reluctant to pay them more, so I took it home. Fortunately, they did not charge me more for the additional "diagnosis."

Anyway, I got home this evening, and I adjusted the trunk lid per the attached document so that everything was flush. The good news is that all of the gaps are within spec. The bad news is that the trunk lid does not tip back when I try to put the top down.

In reviewing the attached diagnostic aid, it appears that the crack/bang I heard may have been the trunk lid hydraulic cylinder (#8 on page 4 of the document) somehow disengaging from its attachment site.

My question is this - does anyone know how to get to this cylinder to inspect it?

I know where it is in the trunk, and I would like to remove the least amount of panel/trim/plastic because all of it is pretty brittle and I always break some stupid tab or connector, and it offends my sensibilities to spend crazy jack on stupid plastic parts instead of on, say, women and booze. It is probably operating correctly, but since it is off of its mooring in at least one place, it is not tipping the trunk lid back. It is not leaking, or I would be missing hydraulic fluid/have a bunch of fluid by the spare wheel. It may be on a ball joint-type attachment, and the crack/bang may have been it disengaging (possibly in a forcible manner). It would be good to see if I could at least easily put it back together or determine if the cylinder needs replacement.

Thanks for your help.
j

 

Hi there...I'm curious to find out if you were able to resolve your roof problem.
I'm in stuck in likely a similar situation.

Please see my post. Your help is appreciated.


https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-sl63-amg-sl65-amg-r230/586544-sl55-roof-problem.html