Soft Top won't latch

[Dave]

My top goes up and down fine, latches at front no problem.  However, I can't get the back latch to engage.  I try to push down on the top to engage the hook, but the top won't go down far enough.  I unlatched the front, still won't go down far enough at the back to catch the hook.  The cable does work, and the latch hook seems to move ok.  Can I adjust the location of the latch mechanism to move higher?  Any better ideas?

[Benz Dr.]

I think there's a bit of adjustment available at the latch. Four nuts that you can undo and move it up or down.

[Dave]

Danke Herrdoctor. 
That's next step.  Was hoping for a magic answer that cleared it all up.  The top was in the boot for years, so I am leaving it up to stretch out the material.  It's been 2 weeks now so it's time for something else.

[Iconic]

I tried adjusting that latch and found it all the way up. So, no additional adjustment was possible.
To get mine to latch, I need to stand behind the car, remove ring and watch, and slam the rear bow down with quite a bit of force ....
Then it latches .... I've done it that way for 2.5 years....
But, then again, I broke a screw in the soft top frame recently (at the PUB 2011), so maybe you shouldn't be taking my advice. 
Maybe others can chime in.

[Larry & Norma]

Elongated the holes in my latch mechanism to give more vertical adjustment.
Latches ok now.

[Dave]

Thanks Iconic.  I don't think I could bring myself to bash it.  Took me 4 years to get it on the road.  I'll try moving the latch up, then if that doesn't do the job, I'll follow Gnuface's advise and elongate the holes.  Hopefully I won't hurt the car or myself.

[Witt]

.....this is what I am going through: top has to be warm, either park in the sun, turn on the heater, or have small space heater running inside the car for a few minutes. That will make the material more plyable.

I also noticed that the chrome trim surounding the hole that accepts the hook on the s/t needed to be adjusted to clear the path for the hook. At one time I removed that chrome trim piece with the hole entirely with great success.

Dont be afraid to slam the rear bow with the hook down in order  to engage, that's the way it is supposed to be done.

Let us know if this works for you.......

CHEERS !
WITT !   

 

[Iconic]

Thanks Iconic.  I don't think I could bring myself to bash it.  Took me 4 years to get it on the road.  I'll try moving the latch up, then if that doesn't do the job, I'll follow Gnuface's advise and elongate the holes.  Hopefully I won't hurt the car or myself.

Dave,
Take a look in your owners manual or our Technical Manual. It is acceptable to "slam" it.
Although, I did break .... 

[thelews]

I slam mine and did my mother's back in 1971.

[Larry & Norma]

I think for slamming to work then the catch must line up with the hole perfectly.
If, like mine, it doesn't exactly then a more gentle approach is required.

[jaymanek]

I could never do mine until I learnt the proper technique

Stand at the back of the car in the middle, take both hands, one above the other and then slam the back down hard and swift...

Easy peasy.

[johnnymack]

I used a small step ladder so I could lean down on it , that worked . also try wetting top . The ladder approach gives you better leverage.

[rmmchl]

i don't recommend slamming--------------things will dent and paint will chip. The soft top lid can be adjusted from side to side. Also, with the 2 large springs removed from the soft top frame, unbolt the 4 bolts ( 2  on each side), and adjust the top frame so that when the top is lowered down to catch into the latch hole, things are lined up. If the hole and the soft top are aligned properly, very little downforce is needed for it to latch. I spent about an hour adjusting mine, because when I put my soft top frame and lid back on after painting, I had the same problem. Take a deep breath, keep your cool , and be meticulous. YOU MUST ESTABLISH A STARTING POINT BEFORE ANY OF THIS ADJUSTING IS STARTED. -TO ACCESS WHERE TO BEGIN-  LIFT THE TOP OUT OF THE COMPARTMENT-THEN SHUT DOWN THE LID----PLACE THE FRONT PINS OF THE SOFT TOP IN THE LATCH HOLES UP FRONT, BUT DON'T TIGHTEN FRONT LATCHES WITH THE HANDLES.JUST LET THE PINS SLIGHTLY REST IN THE HOLES.-THEN  GENTLY LOWER THE BACK OF THE SOFT TOP , AND JUST BARELY TOUCH IT TO THE LATCH- HOLE/ SPOT ON THE CAR. AS YOU STATED, YOURS WILL BE OFF. THEY SHOULD MATCH UP. WHEREVER ITS OFF, IS WHERE YOU NEED TO ADJUST THE FRAME OR LID TO COMPENSATE. YOUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE SOFT TOP PIN AND HOLE LINE UP ON THE MONEY. I PRESS MINE DOWN WITH THE PALM OF ONE HAND GENTLY AND IT LATCHES.

[thelews]

I think if it's easy to latch, it's too loose.  I clearly remember my mother's '71 from the factory.  It always required a slam as demonstrated by the dealer.

[rmmchl]

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. I did not say mine was loose . It still takes firm pressure with the palm  of my hand. It does not have to be slammed if it is adjusted properly. once the pin is latched it is locked, until you pull the cable to release the pin. I do not know where you are coming up with this  "too loose thing" IT IS EITHER LATCHED OR NOT LATCHED. THERE IS NO IN BETWEEN, AND NO SUCH THING AS TOO LOOSE

[thelews]

The top tends to shrink when stowed, creased and all.  Thus, when raising if it can be pushed into position, I'd consider it too loose, as it stretches when up and after being in the sun.  Thus it won't have the same tension as if it were harder to latch.  I don't mean it's rattling in your case, but it's naturally difficult to close after being stowed do to the movement of the material.

[rmmchl]

top shrinkage has nothing to do with the top latching into the back latch hole. The back of the top is latched first--ALWAYS--If it is not aligned correctly, your "slamming " technique will come into play--------------shrinkage may cause some difficulties in stretching the top to latch the front pins. But please remember the problem? We are talking about the back latch here. Seems we are veering off the subject at hand . His problem is the back latch hole and pin don't line up. I hate to be argumentative, but this is a factual statement I am making. I think have a pretty good handle on this type of problem

[thelews]

I'm not discussing the back hole and pin lining up.  Of course, they must.  Per my manual, when raising the top, the front is latched first and the rear bow last.  It's how I've done it for 40 years.

[Benz Dr.]

We place the frame on the car and make all the needed adjustments first before we install the top. It's too late once the top is on. One of those adjustments is the back hoop which will move fore or aft enough so that you can center the latching pin. I've also seen where the pin can be bent, sometimes a great deal more than you might expect.

The fabric material doesn't shrink per say, the rubber membrane does, which I suppose could be considred the top. I've seen tops that weren't up and latched for years and the owner came to pick up the car and we had it latched front and back, much to their surprise.

I don't slam anything, it's a good way to break stuff and I frown very heavily on that around my place. I won't slam the hood either, or a door, or a trunk lid. I close it carefully, pull the saftety catch back by hand, and then push the hood closed with the palm of my hand. If I catch anyone slaming hoods around my place they might find my steel toed boot slamed into their ass. Anyone can leave tools in the engine bay that can leave some mighty fine '' outies '' in the hood.  I have to pay for it, and, it's not cheap work either.

Anyway, back to the soft top. If it won't close because it's too tight I latch it at the back first and then go to the front. It will take two people to do this but you can carefully pull it forward enough to start the gear and then leave it loose. Go to the other side and do the same thing and then carefully turn the handles to lock it down. Leave the top up for a long time after this and it might relax a bit over time. If it really is too tight, this won't work but most of them will latch if you work carefully.
The reason this works is because you can push a lot harder from inside the car with a bit of help from outside of the car than you can at the back - it's just more possible to do. At the back latch it either hooks or it doesn't and you can't put all that much force on the middle of the top while standing and leaning over the car. If the top is new and adjusted properly it should close easily with moderate pressure ( no real need to slam it ) and it will close at the back as intended. Older tops may not close easily and then you should go to the front if it looks like it won't happen. This also works better on early cars than it does on late ones. 280SL's have those padded mouldings around the window frame that require extra care not to dig the gear into. This is why you really need two people to do this so it can be pulled forward properly. If you don't have help and you're not sure it will work, DON"T EVEN TRY!

I have seen where the rear window would split because it was so old once we got the top fully latched down. Only a really screwed up top will do this so you needed a new one anyway.  :'(

Anyone ever drive with the back of the top pulled forward? Kind of like a Targa with the back open. Works OK actually.

[thelews]

I'll stick to slamming, really just a good whap, never failed me, one man job.

Ok, let's start a hood closing debate.  I drop mine.  About six or so inches from the  latch, I give it a gentle lift and let it drop.  Thunk, closed, always.  The push it closed crowd?  Makes me queasy.  They always seem to have dents in the latch area on the soft aluminum hood.  I do the same on the 190 SL, although there, I just drop it, the hood's heavier because it's unsprung.  I know I saw a 190 SL service bulletin saying this is the proper way to close the hood to avoid denting, an after-the-fact lesson from M-B.

[Benz Dr.]

I'll stick to slamming, really just a good whap, never failed me, one man job.

Ok, let's start a hood closing debate.  I drop mine.  About six or so inches from the  latch, I give it a gentle lift and let it drop.  Thunk, closed, always.  The push it closed crowd?  Makes me queasy.  They always seem to have dents in the latch area on the soft aluminum hood.  I do the same on the 190 SL, although there, I just drop it, the hood's heavier because it's unsprung.  I know I saw a 190 SL service bulletin saying this is the proper way to close the hood to avoid denting, an after-the-fact lesson from M-B.

It works for you because the top fits. I was talking about when it doesn't fit, and most of them don't.

I've been closing my hood that way for 17 years and there are no dents around the latch area because I know where to apply pressure and how much force to use. I've made it a habit to do things a certain way because I've seen what happens when I deviate from the plan.

I went to close the hood in a 280SL and it wouldn't close. I opened the hood a bit and looked in the engine bay but didn't see anything so I tried again but still nothing. So I opened it up fully and had a closer look.
Someone had left the plastic top off a spray can siting on top of the brake booster. Since the cap was black it was harder to see it in low the low light at the time. It put a smooth bump in the hood about 10mm high. So I took it out to my local body shop and the owner fixed it. He took a body hammer and wrapped a lot of masking tape on it and then gently tapped at the bump until it settled back into place.
If I would have dropped the hood the usual two feet it would of been a complete repaint of the hood after the repairs were made. And, the customer was coming the next day.


 

[thelews]

Unusual case, but glad it worked out for you.

I don't drop it from 2ft.  Maybe 8-9".  Every once in awhile it doesn't close, doesn't overcome the plunger, that's how light a force it's latching with. As you said, we do what works for us.  My habit is to give the engine bay a once over look before closing, especially closely if I've been working in it.  When I received my car it had an "outie" on the deck lid.  Seems the previous owner's son left a baseball bat laying across the spare tire and then closed the lid.  I've since corrected it.  Now there's another story.  For the deck, I slowly lower it to the latch and gently push on the handle until it catches.

[Benz Dr.]

Unusual case, but glad it worked out for you.

I don't drop it from 2ft.  Maybe 8-9".  Every once in awhile it doesn't close, doesn't overcome the plunger, that's how light a force it's latching with. As you said, we do what works for us.  My habit is to give the engine bay a once over look before closing, especially closely if I've been working in it.  When I received my car it had an "outie" on the deck lid.  Seems the previous owner's son left a baseball bat laying across the spare tire and then closed the lid.  I've since corrected it.  Now there's another story.  For the deck, I slowly lower it to the latch and gently push on the handle until it catches.

Happy to say that it never happened before that or after, just that one time.
 Interesting side note; the owner noticed other small paint flaws but never did see anything on the hood - that's how well it was fixed. I decided not to say anything about it since it was repaired properly.