HELP-SLK200 roof not working

[LadyPenelope]

Dohhhhh...........tried to operate roof this morning,,red operating button is lit,hydraulic pump can be heard running but nothing at all happens,no boot popping,no window movement,no roof delatching heard etc..thanks for any tips. this motor is only 04 plate,24k on clock. Not what i expect really..see my other recent thread about courtesy light not going out. I wonder if there is some connection?
ta
LP

I'll just add that the operating button flashes when pulling it back to operate the roof,pump runs,nothing else. Tried squirting the lock mechanism on the boot with WD40,also manually operated the microswitch on the right for the boot cover,seems to click ok,didnt check it electrically. Oil level in pump reservoir is ok.

 

[5pares]

Sounds like it needs the faults read,where are you based?

 

[LadyPenelope]

manchester

 

[jibcl500]

Dohhhhh...........tried to operate roof this morning,,red operating button is lit,hydraulic pump can be heard running but nothing at all happens,no boot popping,no window movement,no roof delatching heard etc..thanks for any tips. this motor is only 04 plate,24k on clock. Not what i expect really..see my other recent thread about courtesy light not going out. I wonder if there is some connection?
ta
LP

I'll just add that the operating button flashes when pulling it back to operate the roof,pump runs,nothing else. Tried squirting the lock mechanism on the boot with WD40,also manually operated the microswitch on the right for the boot cover,seems to click ok,didnt check it electrically. Oil level in pump reservoir is ok.

I assume the roller in the boot has been pulled into the correct position???

jib

 

[LadyPenelope]

OK i operated the roller switch manually and mechanically it feels ok. My next step,check it electrically. The two wires to it are thin brown/grey with purplish tracer. Same wires exist in plug block fixed just below and to right of hydraulic pump. Unplugged same,tested the two wires for continuity on the upper block(no voltages on any pins with ign off).Shows continuity through switch (assuming they are the right wires). I wonder if this switch is normally closed or normally open when the roller blind is in position. I.E when blind is in position,is the switch open or closed? Also,i considered removing switch for visual/closer inspection. How do i get it out? I expected it to unclip somehow. Surely you dont have to remove all the right side boot trim??

I have heard mention of a boot lock switch?? Presumably this signals that the boot lid is closed? where does this live? The only obvious switches are the roller switch and a travel limit switch which can be felt on the right hand side just inside the furry draght excluder type strip into which the boot hinge on the right passes.

ta

 

[LadyPenelope]

Just to add further,can someone clarify the correct operating mechnism of the boot courtesy light? What brings it on? is there some kind of daylight/night time sensor? Will it come on even if its daytime?

I ask becuase i note that mine isnt working and i suspect a link to my roof not working/front courtesy light always on threads!!!

So i removed the bulb and checked it for continuity-checks ok. with boot open,i find i have +12v on both bulb terminals (bulb removed from spring contacts) so it must use earth switching?

Is it switched by the mysterious microswitch(es) in the boot handle? The fact that the light isnt coming on seems to me to suggest that whatever switches it on isnt working? or is it a bit more complex than that??

 

[mercmadjim]

I had trouble with my SLK roof, first thing the boot switch, open the boot and raise it up, now look where you push in the button to open the boot, you will notice on the inside of the boot, that when you press the button there is a bar that goes from the button down to the lock, grip the bar and twist it, it will make more sense when you open the boot (promise) now close the boot and the interior light will go out, now the roof should work ok.

 

[LadyPenelope]

The actual boot catch visible when you open the boot on the front edge of the boot lid appears to be black plastic. Just inside the boot lid there is a black plastic panel cover with two or three popper fixings. Presumably i need to unpop these to view the item you refer to? Do they just prise out with a flat blade or similar? I strongly suspect all these issues are interlinked...ta

 

[mikestrivens]

manchester

Go SPR Autos in Stockport.

http://www.sprautos.com/

 

[antijam]

The actual boot catch visible when you open the boot on the front edge of the boot lid appears to be black plastic. Just inside the boot lid there is a black plastic panel cover with two or three popper fixings. Presumably i need to unpop these to view the item you refer to? Do they just prise out with a flat blade or similar?

Yes, prise out the centre part of the three fasteners with a flat blade (these come out quite easily, they are just locking the main fixings which remain). The main fixings can then also be prised out but these are barbed so require a little more effort. The panel is located by one obvious tang at the rear and two further not so obvious ones at the sides. Bow the panel to disengage the side tangs and the cover will then easily disengage from the rear one.

All is now revealed! Sadly I cannot tell you how to proceed from here. There are a row of pretty l.e.ds towards the top which on my car are all lit with the ignition off - but this may be because my roof operation has been switched from ignition to accessory, so they may not be on yours.

You do however now have access to the boot catch microswitch, so shorting that may tell you if that is the source of the problem.

 

[LadyPenelope]

Yes, prise out the centre part of the three fasteners with a flat blade (these come out quite easily, they are just locking the main fixings which remain). The main fixings can then also be prised out but these are barbed so require a little more effort. The panel is located by one obvious tang at the rear and two further not so obvious ones at the sides. Bow the panel to disengage the side tangs and the cover will then easily disengage from the rear one.

All is now revealed! Sadly I cannot tell you how to proceed from here. There are a row of pretty l.e.ds towards the top which on my car are all lit with the ignition off - but this may be because my roof operation has been switched from ignition to accessory, so they may not be on yours.

You do however now have access to the boot catch microswitch, so shorting that may tell you if that is the source of the problem.

What? there are diagnostic leds behind the cover..? ROTFL. Is this a car or the Starship Enterprise...!!

 

[mercmadjim]

On my R170 the bar/rod is visible, what happened on my car and I suspect yours is, the interior light was on constantly, because the microswitch on the boot lock was not engaging/disengaging properly, now the cause of that is the button you push in to open the boot, it gets dry and 'sticks', now when you push in the button, it turns the bar and opens the lock, so when the button sticks, the bar does not turn fully....another symptom for me was that I had to slam my boot to make it close, is yours the same?

 

[LadyPenelope]

This problem is now solved. solution to follow for the benefit of others. Thanks to all respondents.

Parker-Merc Technician in training.

 

[LadyPenelope]

Here is the solution.

The car is a 2004 R170 SLK 200.

The problem/symptoms;

(a) Courtesy light inside car did not go out when door was shut. Had to operate the switch on/off using the switch

(b) Light inside boot/trunk did not come on when boot lid was opened.

(c) When the roof operating button is held back,it flashes red and the hydraulic pump can be heard to run but nothing at all happens.

Cause.

Boot lock/microswitch assembly found to be sticking.

Open boot lid and you will see a plastic panel which covers the inner locking assembly.

The panel is held in place by three plastic rivets. The panel also has two plastic tags left and right which slot inside the metal bodywork to left and right and there is a locator lug on the rear of the plastic panel.

The rivets are of the two part,pry out type.

Carefully,and using a thin bladed implement such as a pen knife,raise the inner rivet pin by sliding the blade under its edge. Pull rivet pin out.

Repeat for all other rivets and lift cover away.

This now reveals the boot lock and microswitch assembly. The yellow tube carries compressed air to operate the central locking mechanism on the boot lock. To the right on the pic is the microswitch assembly into which the three wires are passing. To the left is the vertical metal rod which links to the boot catch and operating handle. Using some spray lube such as WD40,spray the linkages and operate the boot locking mechanism and handle a few times.

When you shut the boot you should now find that the courtesy light goes out and that the roof will now operate.

The microswitch in this assembly has a number of functions,

It operates the boot light
It forms part of the vario roof control system in that it signals that the boot is shut since the vario roof can only operate when the boot is shut.

 

[mercmadjim]

Glad you got it sorted, same problem, different car, yours is R171, mine a R170....hey ho.

 

[antijam]

Glad too that you have resolved the problem; and thanks for the pictorial for anyone in the same boat.

By the way mercmadjim, I think both your car and LadyPenelope's are R170's. Your solution was obviously the same but presumably your car was missing the boot lid plastic cover?

 

[SLKBOYO]

Hi
Sorry a little late in responding but only just seen the thread. What a good result. I was going to suggest the PSE unit. I had problems with interior light not going out, boot light not working along with alarm. Did all the checks but it was the PSE unit, ingress of water onto the cable connectors and pcb board. Did your repair sort the interior light out?

 

[television]

I think that this should go into the DIY section, it is a very good article, and it will get lost here

 

[tsargeant]

Fab article, thanks LadyPenelope from a n00b

 

[LadyPenelope]

Hi
Sorry a little late in responding but only just seen the thread. What a good result. I was going to suggest the PSE unit. I had problems with interior light not going out, boot light not working along with alarm. Did all the checks but it was the PSE unit, ingress of water onto the cable connectors and pcb board. Did your repair sort the interior light out?

Sorry for tardy response...yes it did. The two issues were related.