Last night I removed my hard top with no problem. When I tried to get the soft to go up nothing would happen. No sounds from the hydraulic system with only a red light when I pushed the button forward and the windows down with the engine running and the car in Park.
This morning I looked at the rear latches and they where both in different positions. So I pulled out the manual soft top release tool and opened the compartment per the Owners Manual, steps 1-8. My wife and I manually lifted the soft top toward the front latches. I then lifted up the rear plastic window and closed the compartment. I set the rear soft top latches into there respective holes, started the car in Park, windows down, PRAYED, and had my wife pushed the red button forward as I gently pushed the right side latch into its hole with the catch. It caught and the whole system was functioning again.
I have tested it several times and all is working fine. Sometimes the system needs a little manual help!
Note: It is a good idea to check your M-B tool kit and make sure you have the manual soft top tool. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/2419052-post5.html
My post was not meant to scare you but instead comfort you with the fact that the top can get back into action with a gental manual knudge. In my case the hydraulics and controller appear to still be in good condition. But what I am going to do is change out the HFluid and suggest that other Forum members put this on there to do list.
Hey Buddy, The next time it acts up, Like you said, look at the REAR latch pockets, I had a problem with mine once, and found the rear latchs were not in the same position, I took a large flat blade screwdriver and CAREFULLY played with both latchs and one of them POPPED and went into the same position as the other and EVERYTHING went back to normal. So I lubed both latchs and have not had another problem!!!!!!!!
I know it is some time back, but what should the latches look like when soft top is stowed away? Open? ie nothing seen down hole or with latch across hole? Got that problem and need to know what it should look like when OK.
I also tried a large screwdriver but my latches wouldn't budge. So I didn't want to force them and cause damage.
In my case I believe I needed to manually move the top up so that the limit switches where released which then allowed the cylinders to move into the same position after we pushed the Red button forward.
Bob Terry, if your soft top was in the compartment and the rear latches where not in the same position what would you have done?
This happened to me, Lynn. I removed the connectors to the soft top control module and used jumper wires to apply 12 volts (socket #1, small connector) to both the solenoid valve that opens the rear latches (socket #19, large connector) and to the hydraulic pump control relay (socket #54, large connector). This forced the locks to open.
I was lucky with mine, I lubed both latchs on mine over a year ago and have had NO problems since. A little white lithium grease and All is good. If one of your latchs DOES NOT Look like the pic that lynns sent in, the top will not work until it is in the other position. Thanks for the pic. Lynn!!!!
Having problems with rear soft locking. When raising the top all works till rear locks. It locks fine but as windows start to raise rear unlocks and then tries to re-loock again. Any ideas??
:bowdown: Thank You :bowdown: Thank You :bowdown: Thank You
I swapped my battery for a new one. Top was down and so were the windows so I tried to close the top. Darn roof stopped halfway up, no windows, no roll bar and a flashing red light on the roof controller when trying to operate it. The above instructions saved me and everything is working perfectly now after syncing it. Cheers.
I want to thank all of the Forum participants that have added value to the hydraulic cylinder and electronic controller posts.
Last night I removed my hard top with no problem. When I tried to get the RST to go up nothing would happen. No sounds from the hydraulic system with only a red light when I pushed the button forward and the windows down with the engine running and the car in Park.
This morning I looked at the rear latches and they where both in different positions.
I took a large flat blade screwdriver and CAREFULLY played with both latches and one of them POPPED and went into the same position as the other and EVERYTHING went back to normal. So I lubed both latches and have not had another problem!!!!!!!!
I once had this problem, when I removed the hardtop the soft top wouldn't budge. I then put the hard top back on, latched it down, then unlatched it and removed it again. The soft top worked perfectly after that.
The Indy that works on my car had suggested to take a wire and try to lift the one latch that was closed after taking of the hardtop. That did not work for me. After a while I started to think about the problem and decided to close to open latch so that both latches in the back would be closed.
That worked like a charm. While pushing the top control button forward with a broomstick I encouraged the latch to close by nudging it with a screwdriver.
The only other thing I had to do was to push down on the hardtop (in the back)the next time I closed the top.
Ever since then opening and closing the top has worked perfectly.
I was having the exact same issue as LynnS. Took the Pano off a month ago and hadn't tried to put up the soft top until yesterday. No joy! No movement at all, flashing red light in top switch while held down. Investigating today, found back latches in opposite positions. Matched them up ( both open and latched). No joy. Found this thread, raised top manually. When I hit the down switch, it seemed to "think about it" for 4-5 seconds, then began the normal retract sequence. Now working like a charm again.
Thanks once again to everyone who participates on the forum. Can't imagine how much time, effort, stress and $$$ I've saved by relying on you guys.
Lowen
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