Wagonboy:

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but "dragging butt" on the self leveling usually means a bad pump or bad struts -- if the pressure spheres go the suspension is locked. You won't have any trouble figuring that out, the car bounces like mad and you cannot push the rear end down by body weight. Those are cheap, the struts aren't -- about $650 each last time I asked. No one wants to fix them so there are lots of self-leveling cars out there drooping.

You get the same effect, eventually, if the pump is bad or the fluid has leaked out, so check that, too. If you are lucky, you only need to fill the reservior and fix the leak (although if the fluid has been gone a while, the pump is also probably shot!). Get a good manual and troubleshoot it properly before you start buying parts -- they get expensive quick.

Seat springs are readily available from any part supplier who can get MB OEM parts. They are a couple hundred bucks, no more, maybe less. I'd replace the seat belt end -- it is bolted to the seat frame, I think -- get one from a junkyard, they are all the same.

TDs are great! I bought my mom an 88 TE last year for a very good price -- pressure spheres were shot, AC didn't work, etc -- got everything fixed now except the flex disk and tranny pan leak!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!