[Bobbyx1]

does anybody know what types of hydraulic fluid is needed for a 2003 clk 430 soft top

 

[TopHydraulics]

Hydraulic fluid for the convertible top

Bobbyx1,

you can get the OEM fluid from the dealer, or get FeBi 02615. Do NOT get any fluid from a national chain auto parts store. Off the shelf hydraulic fluids in auto parts stores have additives in them that will likely make the seals in your seven hydraulic cylinders fall apart all the faster!

Top Hydraulics' FAQ page FAQ | Top Hydraulics, Inc. - Top Hydraulics, Inc has a link to buy Febi 02615 from an online seller: Your Parts Search Returned 2 Part(s), (Top Hydraulics is not related).

Very important, though: Have you found and fixed your hydraulic leak? If the fluid is low, then you have a leak. If you don't fix the leak, you will be sorry...

Klaus

klaus@tophydraulicsinc.com
Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt Convertible Top Hydraulic Cylinders - Top Hydraulics, Inc

 

[Balal]

Hi there i have a clk w209 2007 convertible and behind the passenger seat there seems to be hydralic fluid leaking there only when opening or closing i have been quoted £750

 

[TopHydraulics]

Hi there i have a clk w209 2007 convertible and behind the passenger seat there seems to be hydralic fluid leaking there only when opening or closing i have been quoted £750

Balal,

welcome to the forum! Where are you located?

It is highly likely that you have a leaking hydraulic cylinder. Did the quote mention which hydraulic cylinder needs to be replaced?
Are referring to the fluid being behind the rear seat, or is it dripping from the top?

Sounds like a main lift cylinder or a bow tension cylinder if the leak is right behind the rear seat. We usually see the main lift cylinder failing before the bow tension cylinder. It's a bit of a toss-up, but the most common progression of failure starts with the front lock cylinder 2098001172, then moves to both tonneau cover cylinders 2098001272, then main drive cylinders 2098000772 and 2098000872, and then bow tension cylinders 2098000972. You can find the bow tension and main lift cylinders aka main drive cylinders if you stop the opening/closing cycle when the rear of the soft top is up - you can see them mounted in the convertible top frame accessible from the storage compartment.

Any of the six cylinders in the rear are used in pairs, and it is almost certain that the matching cylinder on the other side will fail soon if you replace or upgrade only one of them. Having the cylinders upgraded by Top Hydraulics is cheaper than buying new ones, and delivers you much higher quality.

Please let us know what you find.

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc

 

[Balal]

Hi again yes i was for a cylinder being replaced and it it is leaking from the roof i am located in reading uk

 

[bob loblaw]

I have a 2005 CLK Cabbie and I expect I'll have to do this sometime in the next few years. If the cylinder above the windshield is usually the first to go I should be looking for the first leak there. Where does the leak first show up when that cylinder fails?

Steve

 

[rudeney]

Steve, just keep an eye on your fluid level. If you see it going down, then look for leaks. Otherwise, you may never have a problem. In fact, one of the worst things you can do with a cabriolet is to not use it - sitting idle will cause the cylinder seals to dry out.

 

[Balal]

Hi i have found out the leak it is one of the hose running down the side of the roof and it is running to the fround locks has a slit in it can some please send diagrams of how to see or find the pump for the roof and how to take front locks out please thanks

 

[keyhole]

Balal

If you live in Reading England, I must assume that you know how to write in English. We do not communicate in text-speak, so if you want replies to your questions you must make yourself clear. This means using fullstops and capital letters in your sentences. Otherwise it is garbage.

 

[TopHydraulics]

Hi i have found out the leak it is one of the hose running down the side of the roof and it is running to the fround locks has a slit in it can some please send diagrams of how to see or find the pump for the roof and how to take front locks out please thanks

Balal

If you live in Reading England, I must assume that you know how to write in English. We do not communicate in text-speak, so if you want replies to your questions you must make yourself clear. This means using fullstops and capital letters in your sentences. Otherwise it is garbage.

Balal,

cuts in hoses are rare and leaking cylinders are common. Please check carefully. If you see a cut in the line, please take a photo and attach it, showing where the cut is. Together with an explanation in (somewhat) proper English, this will help others and make this thread more valuable. Once we have a better understanding of the situation, we would be happy to give you some useful advice. Thank you in advance for your efforts!

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc

 

[TopHydraulics]

I have a 2005 CLK Cabbie and I expect I'll have to do this sometime in the next few years. If the cylinder above the windshield is usually the first to go I should be looking for the first leak there. Where does the leak first show up when that cylinder fails?

Steve

Steve,

I appreciate your question, as the answer is a bit counter-intuitive. The front lock cylinder will typically leak from the rear of the cylinder first. The fluid usually comes out through the bushings in the rear of the cylinder. The reason is, the seal in the rear of the cylinder is the smallest one in the cylinder made of Polyurethane, and this material decays with time. The chemical decay of these seals is unavoidable, and it is accelerated by heat and contaminated hydraulic fluid.

Unfortunately, the cylinder in the front P/n 2098001172 aka A209 800 11 72) is the hardest one to check. It takes the removal of four rivet style fasteners from a trim panel when the top is down with the storage cover up. The trim panel is the plastic piece in front of the fabric headliner. Remove the four fasteners (you can unscrew the inner tab if you don't push on it while turning, and then the outer part can simply be pulled up), and then lift the trim panel straight up. This will expose the front lock and cylinder. See pics below.

When the top is up, the leaking fluid will either come out on the side of the trim panel, or drip through the plug in the middle. It will make its way into the headliner fabric when the top moves.

Klaus

 

[TopHydraulics]

Mark the fluid level with a sharpie

Steve, just keep an eye on your fluid level. If you see it going down, then look for leaks. Otherwise, you may never have a problem. In fact, one of the worst things you can do with a cabriolet is to not use it - sitting idle will cause the cylinder seals to dry out.

rudeney,

I agree that checking the fluid level tells you whether there is a serious leak. If one is very exacting, then repeated checking can alert to leakage - see my suggestion below.

My concern is that the first, slow leak will not be very obvious in the reservoir. An ounce of fluid leaked from the top lock cylinder can already create some significant stains in the headliner or create some damage once dripping inside the car, yet it accounts for less than the fluid level change in the reservoir with the top up or down, or just with the storage cover open vs closed.

One would have to mark the exact fluid level in the reservoir with the car in a level position, and always inspect with the top in the same position (and the car in a level position). The slightest change of fluid level in the reservoir would then alert to a possible leak. Get out the sharpies!

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc

 

[bob loblaw]

Thanks to you both. I do use the top often so I should be good there. It's interesting that the cylinder in the front of the convertible top is the first to usually go. Right where it's most noticeable. I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks.

Steve

 

[Balal]

Hi there sorry for my language .
I am certain that there is a spilt in the pipe and I have double checked that it is one of the two pipes running from the front lock to the pump in the boot .
I have ordered the part £250 and I need help taking the hoses of the pump as I am quite confused .
Thanks Balal

 

[TopHydraulics]

Top Hydraulics manufactures hydraulic lines

Hi there sorry for my language .
I am certain that there is a spilt in the pipe and I have double checked that it is one of the two pipes running from the front lock to the pump in the boot .
I have ordered the part £250 and I need help taking the hoses of the pump as I am quite confused .
Thanks Balal

Balal,

that's a new one to me. Top Hydraulics manufactures and sells many hoses, but we haven't run into the hoses on the W209 top going to the top lock cylinder being a problem. Split lines are a common problem in newer Saab and BMW convertibles, plus the lines crumble apart on Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, VW, Jaguar, Audi, older Saabs, etc...

Just to clarify: hydraulic lines or hoses are often called hydraulic pipes in the UK. If we knew the exact length of the hose needed (or you were to send us your old one), then we could manufacture a new one for a fraction of what you had to pay the dealer.

To remove the hydraulic line from the pump, you need to first unbolt the retaining plate that holds all lines. Then you pull on every single line separately, because it is too hard to pull them all at once. At this point, all lines are still inside the retaining plate. Next, once the plate and all hoses have been pulled off the pump, you push the hose that you want to replace about 1/2 inch back into the retaining plate. You will notice a small retaining clip that you need to remove. Once the clip is removed, you can pull the hose out of the plate.

Re-install the new line exactly as the old one was routed in your top. Make sure to check for the cause of the split in the line and to eliminate it if needed.

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc

 

[Balal]

Thanks for that but how do i bleed the new pipes I put on .
I would send the measurement of the hoses but they are still on the car.
I have just taken the boot apart.

 

[TopHydraulics]

The hydraulic system is self bleeding

Balal,

there is no bleeding required - the system is self bleeding. It will take a few cycles to get all the air out of the hoses, and the top lock will be a little noisier during those first cycles. The lines hold some 10-15 ml of fluid each. The cylinder displaces more than that when it moves. If the cylinder has fluid in it when you attach the new line, then the bleeding process will go a little faster.

Klaus

www.tophydraulicsinc.com

 

[mbenzo500]

Soft not Working

i recently just opened my soft for the first time. the bottle that holds the fluid there is a bolt on the side. use a hex wrench and make sure the bolt is tightened otherwise the cylinders will not pump fluid and the roof wont open. something this simple will ruin everything lol. Cheers
2004 CLK500 Cabriolet
44k.
AMG Edition

 

[rudeney]

I wonder if many of these soft top system failures are caused by atrophy. It seems there is always a flurry of soft top problems in the spring as people start opening the tops for the first time in many months. Maybe it would be a good idea to cycle it at least once a week? I rarely go more than a week (definitely no longer than a month) without opening the top. I often even open and close it several times a day depending upon where I park - down to drive to work, up in the parking lot, down at lunch, up back at the office, then down on the way home.

I know on the W163 ML, there were many transfer case problems usually experienced by people who never used low range and "tried it". The same goes for AC system that develop leaks from lack of lubrication on seals as the system sit dormant during the winter. Klaus, what do you think? You see how these hydraulics work. I would thing occasional exercise would keep the seals lubed.

 

[TopHydraulics]

I wonder if many of these soft top system failures are caused by atrophy. It seems there is always a flurry of soft top problems in the spring as people start opening the tops for the first time in many months. Maybe it would be a good idea to cycle it at least once a week? I rarely go more than a week (definitely no longer than a month) without opening the top. I often even open and close it several times a day depending upon where I park - down to drive to work, up in the parking lot, down at lunch, up back at the office, then down on the way home.

I know on the W163 ML, there were many transfer case problems usually experienced by people who never used low range and "tried it". The same goes for AC system that develop leaks from lack of lubrication on seals as the system sit dormant during the winter. Klaus, what do you think? You see how these hydraulics work. I would thing occasional exercise would keep the seals lubed.

Rodney,

thanks for bringing that up. There are four different kinds of seals in the W209 CLK cylinders, and they decay chemically at different speeds and for different reasons. Usually, the first seals to fail are static ones in the rear of the cylinder housings, and their decay is completely unrelated to the usage of the convertible top.

There are some advantages to using the top occasionally, but they are surprisingly small in terms of affecting the cylinder or hydraulic pump service life. For the average CLK owner, I would guess that use or non-use of the top may have an impact on the order of 1% on the service life of the original cylinders.

The surge of convertible top hydraulic questions coming in Spring is likely related to people first using their tops again after Winter, when the seals have decayed some more without getting pressurized (i.e., seals cracking over Winter first showed the leaks when the system was pressurized again).

The first cylinder to fail is usually the top lock cylinder 2098001172, then either the main drive cylinders 2098000772 and 2098000872, or the tonneau cover lift cylinders 2098001272, and lastly the bow tension cylinders 2098000972. Once you see any of the six cylinders in the rear leaking, it would be very wise to have them all upgraded at the same time.

Top Hydraulics upgrades on average six seals per W209 hydraulic cylinder (they don't all have the same number of seals), and the upgrade includes far superior material for all of those seals, plus superior geometries for four out of six seals per cylinder (average).

Klaus

Top Hydraulics | Rebuilt and Upgraded Convertible Top Cylinders, Pumps, Hydraulic Lines - Top Hydraulics, Inc

Upgrade service for full set of W209 CLK convertible top cylinders

Rebuild Service for '03-'09 Mercedes Benz W209 CLK-Class Hydraulic Pump - Top Hydraulics, Inc