SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Vario-Roof Issue
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Joined: Nov 2015
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2003 SL55 Brabus K8
Vario-Roof Issue
Hi Guys,
I recently tried to close my top and I was not parked on a level surface. Long story short, the top closed at a weird angle and caught the two plastic pins that are attached to the locking mechanism on the roof and snapped them off. I gave a call to the dealer and they informed me, that these plastic pins cannot be bought separately. You need to purchase the entire locking mechanism to attain them. That's about $400. Right now, I've taken some zip ties and just cut them to length, wrapped some electrical tape around them to make my own pin, so the top will at least click the sensor, telling the module the roof has met the windshield and will close the top fully.
any ideas on where to get these pins? has anyone else run into this issue?
I recently tried to close my top and I was not parked on a level surface. Long story short, the top closed at a weird angle and caught the two plastic pins that are attached to the locking mechanism on the roof and snapped them off. I gave a call to the dealer and they informed me, that these plastic pins cannot be bought separately. You need to purchase the entire locking mechanism to attain them. That's about $400. Right now, I've taken some zip ties and just cut them to length, wrapped some electrical tape around them to make my own pin, so the top will at least click the sensor, telling the module the roof has met the windshield and will close the top fully.
any ideas on where to get these pins? has anyone else run into this issue?
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 239
From: Santa Clara, Ca
2003 SL55 / 2002 SLK32
Sorry to hear about this failure.
I've not heard of this happening (so it's not likely a common failure).
It has me mildly concerned as I put my top up and down on my 2003 r230 VERY often (many times while driving and parking as well).
While I don't have anything useful to add relative to your part search (other than pointing out that list for the linkage assy, 2307900971 , is $565, and the best wholesale price with shipping I find is OEdiscountparts.com at $423 ... so your dealer is being very kind if he is offering it at that price), I will add that I am a little surprised this has happened at all. I routinely park my SL on a floor with a VERY irregular surface and have put the top up and down many times without issue .... as well as having done it while the car is on my lift.
So, you may want to check to make sure you don't have some issue that may lead to a short life for the replacement part. A broken chassis stiffening strap might be complicit in failure like this (though I would think it would be noisy) ... in any case, I would look very carefully at the entire vario roof mech.
Please do update the thread with any additional info and/or the solution you end up with.
Cheers,
Chris
I've not heard of this happening (so it's not likely a common failure).
It has me mildly concerned as I put my top up and down on my 2003 r230 VERY often (many times while driving and parking as well).
While I don't have anything useful to add relative to your part search (other than pointing out that list for the linkage assy, 2307900971 , is $565, and the best wholesale price with shipping I find is OEdiscountparts.com at $423 ... so your dealer is being very kind if he is offering it at that price), I will add that I am a little surprised this has happened at all. I routinely park my SL on a floor with a VERY irregular surface and have put the top up and down many times without issue .... as well as having done it while the car is on my lift.
So, you may want to check to make sure you don't have some issue that may lead to a short life for the replacement part. A broken chassis stiffening strap might be complicit in failure like this (though I would think it would be noisy) ... in any case, I would look very carefully at the entire vario roof mech.
Please do update the thread with any additional info and/or the solution you end up with.
Cheers,
Chris
