clk320 w209 soft top stuck closed

[wispaws]

I've looked through the forum and read a large number of posts on problems with faulty soft tops on CLK320 W209 vehicles but have not encountered any that appear to be similar issue to what I'm experiencing. I'm therefore posting this plea for help in case someone has had a similar problem and found a way to fix.

My roof had been working fine and in constant use until about two weeks ago, when I attempted to close the roof. It completed virtually the whole cycle except for the very last step where the rear window panel locks in place. It would attempt to lock and then raise again slightly, giving the appearance that the catches were not locking correctly. After multiple attempts I finally managed to close the rear window section by pushing it into place. The roof was now firmly close and has remained that way since.

When I attempt to open the roof, windows drop as you would expect and the motor runs in the rear of the car but the rear window section is held firmly in place. It seems as if the window section is now 'stuck' in the fittings which are refusing to release the section for the system to then complete the opening process.

I have been reluctant to try too many times in case I cause further damage and welcome any fellow members who may have encountered similar issues and found a problem. Also welcome any thoughts on what investigations would be valuable in trying to troubleshot further.

Thanks in advance.
Graeme

 

[Pblewett]

I have a similar problem with the roof of my 2001 CLK 320 (W208) cab. Whilst lowering the roof I started to move forward, the beeping started so I stopped and continued to lower the roof. I tried to raise the roof but nothing responded.

I did a fault test with a MasterPro CAN OBD11 Code Reader and found no faults.

I raised the roof manually using the instructions in the handbook using the allen key and 10mm spanner.

To cut a long story short, I tried to reset the roof and after several attempts I got to the position where the boot was locked and the soft top bow (rear windscreen) was latched but not seated against the soft top compartment cover (there is a half inch gap between the bow and the cover).

Despite WD 40 and a lot of twisting I have not been able to open the boot manually with the key from the fob so I assume that the system reads the rear bow as still open, despite being latched.

Before getting to that point the roof had slammed over onto the front windscreen frame. It has always done this in the 15 years that I have owned it (And I have always had to push up the front bow to initiate opening).

The windows lower as soon as the front of the roof is unlatched, but do not raise when I tried to close electronically.

The rear headrests/rollover bar are lowered but will not raise.

Can anyone suggest how I can open the trunk so that I can investigate the problem further?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Uncle Benz]

The roof system cannot hold the manual boot lock off. The key is not turning because of corrosion in the lock. WD40 will work, eventually. The rear bow is not locked. It can only be locked down into place manually with a 6mm allen key used in the apeture in the boot ceiling. You need to get into the boot to do this. Only when that is locked down do you have a hope of resetting the system

 

[Pblewett]

Thank you for a quick response Uncle Benz.
If the bow is not locked down and there is a half inch gap under which I can place my fingers, why can't I just lift it up, or close it down to seal it ? See the attached photos:
1. View from inside car looking to the rear with finger under the seal


2. View from outside of the boot top and the rear bow seal

 

[Uncle Benz]

It clicks in to the first part of the catch, much like the doors do. That is then latched. To pull fully in to the locked position required a rotation of the latch mechanism. That is achieved hydraulically in normal operation, but the rotation can be done manually from inside the boot. To release the bow from the semi-closed latched position also requires a small turn of the 6mm allen head inside the boot. It won’t just pull up from latched sadly

 

[Pblewett]

Uncle Benz, I have at last opened the boot. It took a lot of rust dissolver squirted into the lock and the button pressed repeatedly with the manual key.
I managed to release the rear bow that was partially latched but not sealed with the Allen key.
So, having got the system manuals closed I tried unsuccessfully to open the roof electronically. When the front is unlatched the 4 windows lowered but nothing else happened except the roof switch flashing. Then the rain came on so had to abandon it!
So, next step is fault finding! However, all fuses are OK.
Thanks for your help? It enabled me to persevere with freeing the lock
Cheers
Paul

 

[LostKiwi]

If it's like the 129 the flashing light will repeat in a pattern of flashes. Count the flashes and will give an error code (if it's like a 129).