[R129 SL] Soft Top and Roll Bar Indicator Lights On - Soft TopControl Unit

[Peter S]

Hi Rolfe,
Yes, NZ is great between January and March.  Look forward to seeing you if 
you come over, so keep in touch.  NZ has 7 x Mercedes Benz clubs  so there 
will be people and cars to see all over the country.

Even though we are small, we have 1895 Benz Velo (I think it is number 2) in 
Southwards Museum about an hour's drive South of here - number 1 is in 
Stuttgart.  The Southwards Museum is apparently the best vehicle museum in 
the Southern Hemisphere!  They have a MB Gull Wing, Micky Cohen's Gangster 
car (complete with bullet ricochets). Marlene Dietrich's Cadillac, and heaps 
of other interesting cars - some from the movies.  There is a 1929 Wurlitzer 
Theatre organ that comes out of the floor   (only 6 left in the world), and 
it is fully restored and sounds fantastic.    Have a look at the website! 
http://www.thecarmuseum.co.nz/  .

This year we have had an amazing summer, with only two larger bouts of 
precipitation.  We had gentle (but cold) rain last night and it is welcomed 
as the paddocks are dry at the moment. If we can trust the weather 
forecasters, it appears we are in for a fine Easter.

Happy Easter to all and drive safely whether you are on or off the roads.

Kind Regards, Peter S.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "seitle" <seitle at whidbey.com>
To: "Peter S" <joyce.pm at xtra.co.nz>; "SL Mailing List" 
<r129list at mbcoupes.com>; "Deneal S" <deneals at sbcglobal.net>; 
<jimc at windwireless.net>; <mercedes at mercedesmailinglist.com>; 
<simssj at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 10:48 AM
Subject: Re: [R129 SL] Soft Top and Roll Bar Indicator Lights On - Soft 
TopControl Unit



>I second Peter! Often just connector corrosion and poor solder connections 

>are the problem. Dealers and many mechanics will just throw part at the 

>problem. I get lazy and sometimes use bad judgment myself. The other day I 

>replaced the auxiliary water pump that provides heat during idle. The 

>lowest price was just under US$200.  After I replaced the pump, I took the 

>removed unit to the bench and took it apart. The pump impeller is driven by 

>a magnetic coupling from the motor. The motor did not seem to be openable 

>without destruction. It did however roll off the bench and drop to the 

>floor. I reconnected it to a 12 Volt source and it ran and never stopped in 

>24 hours of test. I now have a spare I will never need again.

>

> Spring is finally coming to the Pacific Northwest! But I think NZ would be 

> the ideal place to go between January and March! I want to consider this 

> next year.

>

> Rolf Seitle

> 300E, 320SL

>

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Peter S" <joyce.pm at xtra.co.nz>

> To: "SL Mailing List" <r129list at mbcoupes.com>; "Deneal S" 

> <deneals at sbcglobal.net>; "Rolfe" <seitle at whidbey.com>; 

> <jimc at windwireless.net>; <mercedes at mercedesmailinglist.com>; 

> <simssj at gmail.com>

> Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 3:02 PM

> Subject: Re: [R129 SL] Soft Top and Roll Bar Indicator Lights On - Soft 

> TopControl Unit

>

>

>> Hi Jody,

>>

>> With electrical and electronic failures, the mileage has very little to 

>> do

>> with the failures!  In fact in the older circuit configurations of the

>> electronic 'goodies', corrosion/corrosion oxidisation, and capacitors

>> 'drying out' are the main causes of failures.

>>

>> I actually pull apart the electronics and try to fix them.  Many of the

>> older parts have discreet components (transistors, resistors, some mini

>> chips etc) so I have fixed most of the parts myself (unless the vehicle 

>> is

>> under a limited warranty).   At the moment, I am repairing a 'flasher 

>> unit'

>> for my 1983, W123 .  While I have some spare parts for most of my Merc's, 

>> I

>> like to find out the reason for failures, hence the inquisitiveness. 

>> The

>> Flasher unit has a dud transistor and a dud capacitor - just have to 

>> replace

>> them and the parts cost me about 20 cents 15 years ago. A replacement

>> flasher is about NZ$300.

>>

>> If you have a circuit board out at all (or the auto electrician has it

>> out!), spray the circuit board with CRC Zone 240.  This is good stuff and

>> limits corrosion.  Note also that corrosion also occurs on plugs and

>> sockets, so these also need to be maintained. True also for your fuse

>> connections.

>>

>> I have repaired 2 x central lock controllers - reasons for failure - 'dry

>> joints' (poor soldering by the manufacturer). Cars had travelled less 

>> than

>> 35,000 miles!!!!  MB contract out all this stuff and Bosch do a fair bit 

>> of

>> manufacturing for MB.

>>

>> Note also that window switches fail as well.  There are only about 7 

>> parts

>> in each these switches, I have accumulated a lot of old ones, so I fix 

>> these

>> for people if I have the exact bits - and if they are club members!  Easy 

>> to

>> repair and saves a heap of $$.

>>

>> So Jody, sometimes mileage has little to do with electrical and 

>> electronic

>> failures as atmosphere takes it's never ending toll on metallic parts.

>>

>> Well, getting colder in good old New Zealand as we are now in Autumn.  21

>> degrees C, 2 days ago and now it is 8 degrees C.  Nearly time to put on a

>> jersey!!!  Easter Thursday here, so a full weekend is planned with Easter

>> Services and car/ motorcycle events.

>>

>> Have a good one wherever you are in the world.

>>

>> Regards, Peter S.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> ----- Original Message ----- 

>> From: "Jody Techlin" <starfishsailor at mail.com>

>> To: "Deneal S" <deneals at sbcglobal.net>; "Rolfe" <seitle at whidbey.com>; "SL

>> LIST" <r129list at mbcoupes.com>; <jimc at windwireless.net>;

>> <mercedes at mercedesmailinglist.com>; <simssj at gmail.com>

>> Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 9:23 AM

>> Subject: [R129 SL] Soft Top and Roll Bar Indicator Lights On - Soft

>> TopControl Unit

>>

>>

>>> Hello All,

>>> The mechanic called this afternoon with the reason why my 1996 SL320's

>>> roll bar light and soft top activation button light are lighted.  In my

>>> case itr is the soft top control unit which has failed.  This just so

>>> happend to coincide with when I had the car detailed but the detailer 

>>> had

>>> nothing to do with the units failure.  The trusted shop I use shopped 

>>> for

>>> the part, if we purchase the replacement part from the MB dealer network

>>> it is $2100; if purchasing a remanufactured unit with the same 1 year

>>> unlimited mileage warrenty the price is $925 so needless to say we are

>>> using the remanufactured unit.  I am surprised the original unit failed

>>> with so few miles on the car but age is age I guess. I would like to 

>>> thank

>>> the many people (Daneal, Jim, Rolfe, SJS and others) for their 

>>> assistance

>>> and advice. I was hoping the problem would be much less costly but I 

>>> guess

>>> that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Thanks again one and all.

>>> Best regards,

>>> Jody

>>> 1996 SL320, 29k

>>> Punta Gorda, FL

>>>

>>>

>>> -- 

>>> Be Yourself @ mail.com!

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>>> Get a Free Account at www.mail.com

>>>

>>> The MB Coupes Website!

>>> R129 SL Mailing List

>>

>

>

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