Workshop notes
Battery in the trunk. Radio code in the wallet. Two people on the hardtop. Photograph the fuse lid once.
Jump from the under-hood post. After any disconnect, teach the windows and expect the radio to forget its PIN.
Negative first when you disconnect, negative last when you connect. Voltage at the under-hood post should match the trunk. After reconnect: normalise both windows, reset the clock, enter the radio code (it is on a slip in the service book, or the dealer can extract it from the serial).
A dead battery makes the head unit ask for a four-digit code. Three wrong tries and it sulks.
A card in the original wallet, or stamped against the serial on the side of the unit. If you have neither, a Mercedes dealer or a specialist can pull the code from the serial. Do not guess — the unit locks.
About 35–40 kg, awkward, painted, and happy to chip the A-pillar if you rush.
Soft top must be down and the tonneau closed. Two people, one each side. Header pins first, then the rear over-centre latches. Plug the electrical connector at the rear header (heated glass, interior lamp). Store it on a dedicated stand, never on the painted skin.
The roof and the roll bar drink the green stuff. ATF will swell the seals and then you can buy every cylinder again.
Half the reservoir, engine off, top up. Cycle the roof once and recheck. The spare-well foam should be dry — if it is not, find the leak before you keep pouring.
1996–1998 M119 SL 500 if you want the engine. 1999–2002 M113 if you want fewer electrical surprises. Early 500s if you have harness money.
Inspect the roof, the harness (Series I), the trunk battery, and a full roof cycle with the engine running. A cheap 129 is an unfinished job list. A documented 129 is one of the great roadsters.
Both charts are model-year specific. The internet’s fuse 9 is not always your fuse 9.
Phone photo of the fuse-lid card, both sides, and the diagnostic cap. Keep them in this app’s garage notes. Future you will not remember.