Arrgh!!! Stupid Previous Owners - W126 Console / Stereo help - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

96C220 · #1 11-04-2002, 01:17 PM

Ok I need some help, or I need to vent or something.
After the first couple days with my new 1989 420 SEL I have gone over the car, and come up with a bunch of little things it needs.

Most are simple - drivers door contact switch, a headlight frame, a sun visor clip - Passenger side. The clip is broken, and the visor rattles against the headliner. Anyone know where I could come up with one of these?

Now... I have to rewire the aftermaket stereo, which is a botched install by circuit city. Basically they wired it through the fader switch, using only the rear speaker outputs of the head unit.

So of course the fader switch has now burned out on the right side and I only get sound on the drivers side of the car.

I did this before on my old 190E, but when I tried to get to it (basically because it was the only thing I could do without needing parts, I immediately ran into a problem)

The center console wood around the shifter would just not budge.... no way no how.

I called the previous owner - long time family friend, and the only reason I even considered purchasing this car. And asked him if he had any idea what was going on.

This was his reply.....

Apparently at some point he had replaced some power window switches etc, and the center console wood trim piece had become loose in its mounting points. It would not stay snapped in, and was problematic.

So he came up with what seemed to him as a perfectly logical solution. - Krazy Glue, and lots of it from what I understand. - That and a couple hard cover books on it until it cured well.

Now, the wood just wont budge, and I'm afraid of two things.

#1 - Breaking the actual wood piece if I try to get it out

#2 - Taking up a piece of the center console vinyl along with it, if I somehow do manage to get it out.

Now, this wood trim piece is somewhat worn, and not in the best of shape, but it will do for now, until I can source a replacement in decent shape.

Therefore here is my new mission. Finding the speaker wires somewhere downstream of the fader switch, and running new wires to the rear of the head unit.

Anyone have any idea where to look? - Anyone done this before.

Apparently the car has 6 speakers. Two in the front dash, two in the rearward lower portion of the front doors, and two in the rear deck.

Are there any crossovers in the system? It seems that the lower door speaker only plays bass frequencies.

Does this sound like a viable plan? The head unit is a Kenwood CD head with the "mask" flip down face and a decently powered amplifier.

Thanks for any help in advance,

George - new e-mail = george@parts4sale.com

1996 C220 109k mi
1989 420 SEL 243k mi

SCLJA · #2 11-05-2002, 01:31 AM

This is the best way to do it run 4 pairs of wires to the rear of the car to wire past the stock amplifiers located behind the back seat on the firewall in the passangers compartment. This will eliminate the amps and work fine with the radio. Here is a pic of the plug at the stock amps one amp is for rt side and the other is for the left. They are 2 channel with the door woofers common with the front dash speakers. The gray black is front speaker + gray is front - Yellow black is rear + yellow is rear-

The part you need for your visor can be purchased from the mbz dealer.

96C220 · #3 11-05-2002, 01:52 AM

I took a look at that diagram, and decided that that was the best course of action as well.

Couple of questions.....

To get to the amps I have heard conflicting reports.

Either that they are behind the seat on the passenger compartment side, or that they are basically on the trunk in front of the wheel wells.

My take from what you mentioned is that they are in fact behind the seat, and can be reached from inside the car. Is that correct?

Thanks again,

George

SCLJA · #4 11-06-2002, 12:25 AM

Inside the pass compartment one on each side behind the seat.

Scott@lajollaaudio

wbain5280 · #5 11-30-2003, 02:48 AM

Using Krazy Glue on the wood trrim? I hate that. ACC is terrible stuff.

A previous owner replaced the radio in my 300SE with a Clarion. I don't have an owners manual. I'm going to replace it with a Sony CD XPlode radio I bought for a previous car. I've got the manuals for it.