[R129 SL] [Fwd: TOP PROBLEM]

[Paul Samarin]

The *quite expensive* control box for the whole top mechanism is 
located beneath the storage compartment behind the pass seat.  It's 
very easy to get to:  remove the inside bottom of that compartment and 
there it is.   What the heck you do at that point is a mystery, though. 
  Obviously, if you could find a good used one and replace it...but, 
short of that:

I don't know whether my "immaculate correction" will work for you, but 
it's free.  Operate the switch until the movement stops, then manually 
make the "next move," then go back and operate the switch again 'til it 
stops again, and then manually perform the "next move." What's the next 
move?  It's trial and error I think.  So, in your example:

Is the rear: A) moving down to the deck and then just not latching or 
is it: B) not moving down to the deck.

If B, then grab it and pull it down to where it should latch, then go 
back to operating the switch and see if it grabs it; if it does not, or 
if the problem is A, above, then:

Your owner's manual (somewhere near the back, mine's now been stolen so 
I can't look it up, but I don't think it was listed in the Index) you 
will find a procedure for manually latching both the windshield part 
and the rear deck part.  There is a special tool in the tool kit (also 
now stolen from me!) just for this purpose.  It's not immediately 
obvious, but I did figure it out w/o help, so give it a shot, 
patiently.  The rear part is operated from inside the trunk.  The 
actual latch is hidden inside where the trunk hinges disappear.  Once 
you figure-out what to do, it's a piece of cake.

There's one other place where that tool works to manually operate the 
process of the top.  It's not your particular problem here, but I'll 
mention it anyway.  Imagine the roll bar down; standing by the side of 
the car and looking down at the roll bar, hidden between the roll bar 
and the side panel of the interior of the car is a little "bolt."  You 
can get the tool in there to operate the bolt, but you cannot see the 
bolt with the roll bar down.  This is true on both sides of the 
interior of the car.  These operate to latch/unlatch the sheet metal 
tonneau cover that covers the compartment where the soft top resides 
while down.  If you raise the roll bar, you will see them readily.  The 
special tool fits this "bolt." Something like a quarter turn rearward 
opens the thing and frontward closes and latches it.

Although I shouldn't have been, I was shocked by the simplicity of the 
entire process once I'd figured it out.

So, in any event, once I'd cycled-through the whole thing a couple of 
times, the whole thing just worked.  When I bought mine a year or so 
ago, the soft top just wouldn't come out of its compartment b/c the 
cover would not unlatch and open.  Imagine my thrill upon fixing it 
without really doing anything.  It "felt" to me as if I'd merely 
"reminded it" of its job, and once it had relearned it, it was good to 
go.

I hope you are as lucky as I was.

Paul

On Jun 20, 2007, at 7:13 AM, william hughes wrote:


>  update:

>  kept playing with the top switch and the roll bar switch.

>  nothing happens but a clicking sound that seems to come

>  from behind the passenger seat each time i move the switch.

>  also i put the top up mannually but i can't latch the rear of

>  tha top - is there a trick?

>  thanks,

>  bill

>

>  -------- Original Message --------

> Subject:

> TOP PROBLEM

> Date:

> Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:00:34 -0400

> From:

> william hughes <jennianenterprises at verizon.net>

> To:

> SL Mailing List <r129list at mbcoupes.com>

>

>

> SUDDENLY MY TOP WON'T GO DOWN.

> PULLED THE SWITCH, THE WINDOWS WENT DOEN AND THE

> BACK LATCHES RELEASE THEN IT QUIT.

> PUT IT DOWN MANUALLY - TRIED TO PUT IT UP AND NO

> RESPONSE

> WILL APPRECIATE ANY HELP

> REGARDS,

> BILL

>

>

> The MB Coupes Website!

> R129 SL Mailing List

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