.htaccess and internal server error - .htaccess

Question

I've been trying to set up .htaccess to create clean PHP URL. My goal is to achieve clean URLs within the folder CL.
.htaccess:
# Use PHP5 Single php.ini as default
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php5s .php
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
# This is the initialization
# For security reasons, Option followsymlinks cannot be overridden.
#Options +FollowSymLinks
Options +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
# /CL/var1/var2/var3
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^CL/([a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)/([a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)/([a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)/?$ /CL/index.php?var1=$1&var2=$2&var3=$3 [L,QSA]
# /CL/var1/var2
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^CL/([a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)/([a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)/?$ /CL/index.php?var1=$1&var2=$2 [L,QSA]
# /CL/var1
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^CL/([a-zA-Z0-9\-]+)/?$ /CL/index.php?var1=$1 [L,QSA]
</IfModule>
However, for some reason, I get a 500 internal server error when y enter the folder CL. I've used similar .htaccess configurations in the past, but now its not working fore some reason.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

"I've used similar .htaccess configurations in the past, but now its not working fore some reason."
OK, so the ruleset works. I've just tested in on one my test VMs so it still works, so your problem isn't the mod_rewrite functionality in this .htaccess file. So where could it be?
Think laterally. A 500 status is usually a mod_rewrite loop. Have you got an .htaccess file in /CL? This could create a perdir indefinite loop.
Unfortunately DS suggestion of trying to get an answer on error_log content from a shared hosting provider for a $100 pa shared service is a no-no. Morale: set up a test VM on your PC to debug this stuff where you can get root access to the log as article here.