Soft top control module?

[spinedoc]

Hey guys, having some soft top problems here. Had my hard top on for about a month and decided to take it off, rode downtown went to park, put the top up and halfway up it crapped out.

Took it to my indie and he got it to go up by bypassing the relay, or something like that. He says he is pretty sure its the soft top control module.

OK, so where do I buy this module? I will call the dealer monday, but already know their price will be exhorbitant.

Thanx

[spinedoc]

BTW it's a 96 SL500

[iwrock]

Hows the voltage when you operate the top? Does it drop to the point where there isnt enough to run the top mechanisms? Did you try to resync the windows and rollbar?

[speace]

Beckmann Technologies is well respected in this market.
Click "Browse Our Catalog" and see if your controller is listed.

I think they will sell retail to anyone, but I believe they have a wholesale pricing structure that will allow your shop to sell it to you and make a little in the process.

Good Luck!

http://www.beckmanntechnologies.com/products.html

[LeaUK]

I would seriously check the down window detection switches in each door first! The top WILL stop in the vertical position if it detects that the windows are not fully down...

Much easier and inexpensive resolution - happened to me BTW.

Lea

[spinedoc]

Thanks Lea. My indie says he got the top up by bypassing the relay. He says that now the top does not move at all, open or close, but the windows do go up and down with pressing the red top button.

Beckmann has them for $864, a big chunk to be sure.

[Gilly]

Does the 1-touch "express" down feature work?
Gilly

[mslc791]

Gilly,

I have a similar problem, after a near empty battery, the soft top would not lower and the rollbar is also not moving. I recharged the battery and synchronized the windows, but the problem remains. How does 1-touch window function enter into the game?

Thanks

[spinedoc]

Originally Posted by Gilly

Does the 1-touch "express" down feature work?
Gilly

Yes the windows go down with pressing the conv button. My indie wants to look a bit closer and verify that its the module.

[den500sl]

..97 SL500 stored winters resulting run down battery. The red button kept flashing and the soft top and roll bar would neither go down or up. Dealership diagnosed a bad control module and supposedly replaced it. I say "supposedly" because the mfg date on the "replacement" control module was circa build date for the car. I should have spoken up and had them try clearing the bad code(s) on the module instead of suspect replacement. My recommendation to you at my expense - clear the codes. If there truely is a problem - they should trip again. BTW, I suspect the main cause of this a rundown battery unable to power top and rollbar, among other things. You could also try replacing battery. Good luck!

(edited) BTW the cost of module was $1100.

97 SL500 sprt pkg1 tri blk 29k miles

[Gilly]

I'd try disconnecting and reconnecting the control module. Fixed more than one this way. Be sure to resynchronize the control module after doing this.
Gilly

[stats007]

I very much doubt it's the module. If the roof stopped half way it's because it thinks the windows are still up. As Lea says, there are limit switches in the doors for this as well as Hall Effect sensors in the motors. Operate the roof by hand so that it's stored. Make sure the windows are up fully and the doors closed. Pull the fuses 4 & 5 in the boot with the ignition off and replace. You should hear the windows resync. If not then reset the windows and roll bar as mentioned in the manual and do it again. If the windows operate with their one-touch function it means they are correctly synchronised and the Hall Effect sensors are working.

The roof should operate providing it doesn't think it's closed (i.e the rear latches shut but the front open. If it doesn't work then lock the front of the roof by hand and let the rear portion hang above the latches and push forward on the soft top button to lock the roof - the windows will need to be down for this obviously.

You should clear all of the codes as a matter of course.

[spinedoc]

Thanks guys, I'm stopping by my indie today and will try and disconnect the module and the fuses.

I don't have a manual, what is the procedure for resynching the system?

[spinedoc]

Also keep in mind my top did NOT stop halfway. The front part did engage the windshield frame, I heard the clicks of the locks, thats exactly when it stopped functioning.

If for some strange reason it is the window sensors, I dont understand how they could by unsynced, unless it was putting on and taking off the hardtop somehow.

How do I test and resync the windows or the whole top?

[Gilly]

I hate to think I know it all; esp with Mercedes NO ONE knows it all, BUT I was pretty/relatively sure that when they went to the newer system that they dropped that lower limit switch. It was also my understanding that your top was stopping with the top bow standing straight up, ie "half way from closing", so more than one is confused by the problem. OK, given the problem as it is presented now, I think it may be either the proximity sensor in the top of the windshield header, OR the small magnetic plate in the soft top front bow is missing or the magnet fell out. The magnet is in a plastic cover, and it matches up with the proximity sensor in the windshield header trim, it "tells" the control unit that the top bow is down on the header and to "push" the bow down and latch the fron latches. It is on the newer style system, the older 129's didn't have this. When they went to this style is when I had thought the microswitches in the bottom of the doors was dropped, thought it just did it with the window motor sensors.
Gilly