When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Very proud new owner of an '03 SL500, been going through sorting a couple of the little issues it had and started with the soft close trunk. The old latch was leaking so I bought a brand new one from Mercedes Benz, and all went well with the installation except for a little confusion with the trunk strikers.
It looks like someone had already had a go at replacing it before and reinstalled one striker in the wrong orientation - so putting it back together I had to guess. I could tell from the part numbers which side each was meant for, but not which way around, and I'm concerned it may be causing issues with my trunk's closing fitment.
I've searched online extensively for photos of other 230s to find the correct orientation, but they all seem to have different types of strikers so are no help. If someone could tell me whether this is correct or if they need to be flipped that would be a massive help!
My big concern is that the new latch worked for about a week but the PSE has cut out again. The last latch was obviously broken at the puck, and the leak was audible, but now I can't figure out what could be tripping it. My only theory is that it might be the strikers stopping the soft close from shutting properly.
I believe that is correct, at least that is how I install them. Once you have them on the proper sides, there is really only one way that makes sense. They are adjustable, so you might have an issue there. Is the soft close the only PSE function not working?
Brilliant, thank you! I pulled the fuse and the soft close is functioning again, but yes it's the only PSE function that failed. I don't know what could have caused it to have failed again given that I installed the new trunk latch mechanism.
And it’s failed again. With a new latch mechanism, what else could be causing the soft close lock to trip?
Something looks odd with your strike plates as they are missing the angle adjustments? (I took a photo of mine, you can see the line up adjustment marks)
With that said maybe you do not have that level of adjustment on your model, if you look at the strike plates they are labelled L and R respectively, so check you have them correctly but leave them loose to allow for adjustment. You can use some masking tape or similar to see what part of the plate is touching when you close it as it will leave an imprint, then adjust accordingly.
You need to also check your latch, this is really important that it is aligned perfectly. You will see that there are two elongate holes, which are purposely designed to allow for final adjustment, too high or low and the latch will not function correctly as it jams. If you have no leaks on your PSU actuator, then you can check that the latch is aligned. Push the latch in with a screw driver (watch your fingers!) and you will see the hook pull in, pull the trunk handle to unlock the latch. However if you have leaks in your airlines or actuator then there is no point checking this now, as you will need to fix the route cause first.
From experience I have removed the latch more than 100 times to fix leaks with glue (common fix) and I have also gone through 3 used actuators where they were beyond repair, with the last one lasting so far 2 years so far !
I did a video a while back showing where the leaks commonly happen and how to test and fix that may help you.
I have seen your version of the strike plate everywhere, which is why I was having an issue determining the orientation of mine. Mine offer no adjustment and have no identification as to whether they are L or R (only by model number).
Also, my latch is brand new from MBZ, so leaks aren't a concern, and when the fuse is reset the soft close functions properly for about 10-15 closes and then cuts out. If I push in the latch with my finger it also functions perfectly.
I'll double check the adjustment on the latch itself, perhaps it's timing out due to being slightly out of alignment or something.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
