LesB3

The top stopped working right before winter and now that I have time to play with it, I decided to try a few things before taking it to the stealership for some wallet-emptying.

Tried popping the top manually and got the rear latch disengaged. Nothing from the top switch -it blinks at me and all I can think of is the way my wife laughs at me and says "you're stuck with me now!"

The rollbars won't move, the top won't raise or lower, and now the trunk won't open with the key fob, interior button, or even with the manual key. I've got the rear of the top latched half-way but there is still about a 1/4" between the rubber seal and the decklid. First major rainstorm and this thing will be an expensive, leather-lined bathtub.

I'm guessing that the trunk won;t open if it thinks the top is up but I can't close the top because the trunk is locked! I'm beginning to think that my only options are the stealership or lighting a sock in the gastank and watching it burn.

I'm SO sick of the constant electrical problems with this friggen thing!!!

HELP... before I do something DRASTIC.

Whodat

Les, I have a vert too. I had a top up/down problem when i first got the car (used) as well. You're going to gag when i tell you what my indy did.
He broke the left (driver's) rear tail light and was able to get access to the trunk and get it opened from there. From there, he changed the trunk lock and the top has worked flawlessly ever since. He knew this because there was another CLK Cab in for the very same issue. The trunk lock 'fixed' the issue in both cars.

I think your deduction is right on the money. The top 'thinks' the trunk is open (I think a sensor in the trunk lock must go bad, as do MANY sensors on these cars). The operation of the top is also dependent on a) all the windows rolling and being down, and b) the rear headrest (or rollbars) are in the down position. The problem will be trying to convince a mechanic that the trunk is the problem with the freakin top *LOL*. This could mean they'll spend HOURS working on mechanisms that directly operate the top, when the issue is a mechanism that seemingly has little to do with the top. So i got lucky in a sense because my indy was already working on a faulty top with the same issue(s). The trunk lock is around $300 i think. I also had to pay for a new tail light.

So you're not alone. Feel free to PM me with questions as I've gone thru this and a couple of other guys here have as well. An indy can fix this BUT he'll have to know what he's doing and 2, he'll have to be willing to at least listen to the logic of the trunk lock preventing the top from working. My suggestion would be to call a trusted indy (if you have one), and talk about the mechanic about the feasiblity of a bad trunk lock stopping the top from working. See if he's seen the issue before. If he's receptive, he might be somebody you'd want to look at it. If not, well....frankly, i wouldn't use him.

Get that top back up manually first, then look into the trunk lock.

JayDee4711

The owner's manual contains a section on how to manually close the top. Reading that chapter, it appears that the top compartment cover can be opened after unlocking a screw between the back seat and the cover. You apparently need a wrench that is in the toolkit -- which, in turn is most likely in the trunk or with the previous owner . The tool has the part # A2088990080. Looks similar to the one for the R129 pictured over at Benzworld: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r129...p-put-rst.html, except the wrench head is at an angle.

Anyway, while the top is unlatched at the rear, this tool or a long, flat 10 mm-wrench should give a clever indie access to the trunk without surgery to the tail light. The screw is between the back seat and the cover, at about 1/3rd of the distance between the roll bars, off-center to the left. You can see it with a flash light.

Hope this helps.

JayDee

JayDee4711

Forgot to mention that said clever indie better be aware that the cover and the trunk lid overlap and should not be wide open at the same time. That is the reason for all those sensors and the mutual locking to begin with.

Whodat

Yep. We did that too....numerous times. CLEVER iz the operative word there *LOL*. I was appalled at the alternative (tail light busting) but I was really at his (mechanic's) murcy. i trusted him because Blackbenzz spoke highly of him.