R129 SL500 Roof and Roll Bar not working after low battery!

[IMD]

Hi all,

I hope you're well. I've just been away for the last 5 weeks. My friend started the SL every week, but when I got in it for the first time today, the battery was almost flat, with just the starter motor ticking over. Dash lights worked, but windows stopped working soon after.

So, a quick call to the AA got it started, with the help of a charge pack. He did say that a new battery was needed, after testing it. I decided to do this with winter coming.

Anyway, I reset the windows (or rather he did, as I no idea!), but the roof switch and roll bar switch are lit constantly when the ignition is on. These lights were on before he arrived and charged the battery.

I drove to Halfords, got a new battery fitted, re set the windows again, but have no idea how to re set the roof or roll bar.

I have had a quick search on forums, but the answers range from vague pressing of buttons, to re setting ECU codes, to buying new £1000 modules!

I can't believe that Mercedes would make it too hard to re set the roof if a battery is changed or gets low....not an unusual thing.

Can anyone help with a simple fix?

The car is driveable, but obviously the roll bar is set down, is not safe in an accident. I could take it to a specialist, but thought I'd check here for an easy fix first

Thanks

Ian

 

[Alex Crow]

Has it been jump started from another vehicle, or has the battery been charged without being disconnected??

A yes to either of those questions, and you are possibly looking at a roof ECU repair...

 

[jaymanek]

The roof bar just needs to be reset... Does it move with the button? If so you need to take that up and down three times.

If not then it needs to be plugged in.

 

[IMD]

When I got to the car this morning, it wouldn't start, with just enough power for the dash lights to be on and the starter motor to click over. The roof and roll bar switches were lit constantly.

Whilst away, my friend just started the car as normal, no jump start etc.

So, the AA arrived and connected a tester pack and then a charge pack, as per usual. No jump start.

The car then started, but I replaced the battery, as he said it wasn't holding charge properly.

So, yes, it was charged connected, but the switches were lit even before he arrived, when the battery had been drained.

 

[IMD]

Hi Jay, nothing moves.

I reset the windows, but the red lit roof switch does nothing when pushed either way, neither does the roll bar switch.

I tried holding the roll bar switch in the up position and the down position, but the lights stay the same and nothing changes.

How do you re set the roll bar? Is it as I've read - key to position 2, hold in up position for 5 secs and then down for 5 secs. There is so much info on various forums, some good and some not so good!

Thanks

 

[grober]

Is your alternator charging OK? Could be a faulty rectifier pack flattening the battery?

 

[jaymanek]

Normally they move but chances are things have gone out of sequence..

I would remove the battery again for a while, reconnect then try the resetting the roll bar first, then the windows... the roll bar should move.

If not it needs to be plugged into star.

 

[IMD]

AA said the alternator was charging fine, I imagine the battery was just old....but thats not the problem now. I want to get the top working and get the hard top on :-(

Looks like I will have to wait until next week and book it in for someone to plug it in. I can't see how it can be anything serious, if it happened due to an almost flat battery. I can't be the first person that this has happened to. All was working perfectly when I went away.

 

[IMD]

Jay..what is the correct way to reset the Roll bar? I'm finding very vague info on forums.

Thanks

 

[IMD]

Oh by the way....the roll bar switch is lit up constantly red as well...if this means anything.

 

[Alex Crow]

As Jay suggests, a hook up on 'STAR' (MB diagnostic platform) is required as next step.

 

[BTB 500]

I had exactly the same issue with mine, and it required STAR to clear the fault codes.

After that I bought an Accumate maintenance charger to keep the battery at 100% ...

 

[IMD]

Thanks everyone.

I will try disconnecting the battery and resetting the rollbar and windows again, then book it in to my nearby specialist next week if no joy.

Unfortunately the car is parked on the road, so i dont have the luxury of being able to attach a charger when away.....I will just have to ask my neighbours for their help again!

 

[Alex Crow]

How honest is your friend? Perhaps they did jump start it?

 

[IMD]

No..he just started it as normal. Oh well....trip to the independent next week with fingers crossed

 

[stoneage]

HI, HAS YOUR CAR GOT THE 16PIN DIAGANOTIC SOCKET ON THE N/S UNDER THE BONNECT?THERE IS A SIMPLE WAY TO CLEAR THE FAULT CODES ,THAT WILL SUSPEND THE OPPERATION OFF SOFT/ROLL BAR, HERE IS MY EMAIL,[email protected],email me yours and ill send this infor,to you

 

[Alex Crow]

HI, HAS YOUR CAR GOT THE 16PIN DIAGANOTIC SOCKET ON THE N/S UNDER THE BONNECT?THERE IS A SIMPLE WAY TO CLEAR THE FAULT CODES ,THAT WILL SUSPEND THE OPPERATION OFF SOFT/ROLL BAR, HERE IS MY EMAIL,[email protected],email me yours and ill send this infor,to you

Sadly not in this case - it is the 38 pin diganostic, and I dont think it supports blink code reading/erasing.

 

[stoneage]

ALEX, it list all merc. dia. ports from 8 to 32, must addmit dnt know how to read from the 32pins, but show you how to connect and read a code ,reader, if it can held any menbers ,,ill send it on

 

[IMD]

All sounds a bit complex to me chaps! I'd rather take it to my indie for him to look at, for fear of breaking something! Just hope he doesn't want mega cash to clear the codes

 

[EDZ649]

All sounds a bit complex to me chaps! I'd rather take it to my indie for him to look at, for fear of breaking something! Just hope he doesn't want mega cash to clear the codes

If you can get the car over to Hastings sometime soon I can clear the codes for you on my STAR machine FOC