Vario hardtop

[stubev]

Hi,
I have a 1999 slk230. Does anyone know what part of the system tells the roof its ok to retract once the boot has opened.

The boot opens fine, the front roof latches disengage fine quarterlite windows go down and that is where it all stops, Hydraulic pump seems to be fine with no leaks from any rams/struts.

Any ideas gratefully accepted.

 

[Peter T]

Does it always stop in the same place, and, once its stopped, does it then close OK when commanded?

My son had something like this on his car. Turned out to be the wiring loom that runs from the roof latches to somewhere in the boot. Where the wire runs from the roof panel to the rear window panel, one of the wires was broken inside the insulation and making intermittent contact.

Soldering iron and insulating tape solved the problem, but the roof lining etc has to come out to get access.

 

[stubev]

Hi,
yes it closes fine when commanded. I already have the roof lining and boot panels out so will try a continuity check on the wires. Do you remember which wire it was.

Much appreciated
Stu

 

[stubev]

Sorry,
yes it always stops in the same place

 

[Peter T]

Sorry,
yes it always stops in the same place

May be a different problem. This one stopped in different places, sometimes not at all.

There is a wiring loom, which is just 2 wires inside that black sleeving, which runs from the locks on the front of the roof, backwards across the roof, then across the join between the roof and the back window, and then down one of the C pillars, possibly driver side but I'm not sure. It plus in somewhere in the boot.

We tested the continuity of the wires and found they would loose continuity when the loom was bent, as it would be when the roof went down.

Good luck.

 

[stubev]

Many thanks, always up for the simple fixes first.