360 spider oil leak appearing on soft top when folded up inside car

Unfortunately a very common problem on 360 spiders. Many articles on it. I have a similar problem. For some odd reason the tops are actually made by Mercedes and have about a thousand sensors and hundreds of moving parts, all built by the lowest bidder.

Here is what happens: After a while the pistons (I believe there are 2 main pistons besides all the small motors that operate all the panels) start to leak. Mine started in 2002, only 6 months after I bought the car new from Shelton. So some of the hydraulic fluid bypasses the piston seal and leaks out. From what I know, most leaks are internal so you never actually see the fluid. When the piston moves back the fluid just flows around the leak area the other way. Although some must be lost to the outside, or we would never have to refill the reservoirs. I've just never seen it.

It doesn't seem to matter how much you drive it or how many miles are on it. The seals degrade over time, whether it's driven or not. Some (like mine) were faulty from day one.

I don't know why your fluid is clear, as the replacement fluid from Mercedes is green. Perhaps the fluid was clear from the factory, and the formula changed at some time. In any event, the main symptom is a convertible top that is reluctant to open or close all the way. I was once stranded with a top half closed. You don't ever want to use the mechanical alternative to opening or closing one. It takes 2 people, one of whom needs to be an astrophysicist. Lucky I was in Greenwich shopping with my daughter, only 2 minutes from Miller Ferrari.

Replacement of the entire top mechanism is around $40,000 with labor. Replacement of just the pistons is about $7,000 with labor. Most of us just refill the reservoir every so often which is quite simple and costs about $27 for a bottle of Mercedes hydraulic fluid and a half hour of simple work.

I don't know why your leak is showing up on the fabric. Then again I am not familiar with every hydraulic connection back there. Certainly hydraulic fluid can damage the fabric top and the plastic window if exposed often. But I can't think of any other fluid that would be in that area. Nor can I think of any clear fluid anywhere in the car. Are you certain the fluid is clear? What type of consistency does it have (thin, thick, oily)? Does it have a recognizable odor?

If the top opens and closes normally as you have stated, and doesn't sound like it's struggling then you are either OK as far as the mechanism goes and the clear fluid is an anomaly, or you are at an early point in the failure cycle. Unfortunately there is no preventive maintenance or easy fix. Either way get it checked out ASAP.

 

As above a leaking cylinder. There are rebuilt cylinders available on an exchange basis for about 250 bucks.

Which one? Look here:
HYDRAULIC PLANT AND ELECTROHYDRAULIC PUMP - Ricambi America, Inc.

 

This company will replace seals in any of the rams for $150. They also sell hydraulic line couplers which saves the royal PITA of re-routing the lines. I haven't used them yet but intend to as I have a cover ram which has blown seals.

cabriolethydraulics.com

 

Wow great info. Duly noted.

 

When your center top cylinder goes, here's how you get it out (by you), rebuilt (by a service), and reinstalled (by you). Will save you a fortune and then the part becomes a regular part of maintenance: