This came to mind after I just posted on someone elses project to fix their air vents. I tried to access the foot vents on Mommy's 84 SD the other day and found that once you remove the kick panel on the drivers side there is a metal tube that is used for air distribution on that side of the car. Searched and searched and could not find any way to remove the thing to actually get to the foot vent itself.

Does anyone know the trick to pulling this metal distribution tube on the 84? It pivots like there is a screw somewhere around the steering column but darned if I could find it.
My 81 doesn't have it or if it did it is gone now.

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'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

I've got the identical problem on the SDL. That large metal duct has to come out to get anywhere near the footwell vacuum acutator. I haven't had footwell heat since I got the vehicle.

Need to have someone who has done it chime in here.

I'll do what I can...

There are a number of screws that hold this thing in place - assuming we're talking about the knee panel?

Work your way around the edge removing the screws along the edge of the dash, and down by the hood release lever. I don't remember a screw by the steering column, I think there's a piece of plastic that deforms to fit around the column, and which responds to some strong persuasion.

My trouble was getting out the plastic screw that holds things in place by the central tunnel. It's actually not a screw, it is more of a T piece which you must rotate until it lines up with the slot in the central ducting and then releases.

This plastic fixture has a screw head to it, which may have buried itself under the nap of the carpet and therefore be difficult to find - but it's there!

Kevin

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'85 300SD

Kevin, the knee panel is not the problem. Once the knee panel is removed, there is a round steel duct that runs from the transmission tunnel all the way to the outlet that feeds the door. This duct is rigid and is about 4 inches in diameter. I seems totally out of place here and it has to come out to get anywhere near the actuator for the footwell.

On my car the tube you describe is part of the knee panel. There is a corrugated pipe that leads from it up to the dash, and it has slots that supply the air to your feet. It's actually a two chamber manifold of sorts, the lower chamber has the footwell slots and feeds the door, the upper part of the chamber has the corrugated tube attached.

With my car this all came out attached to the knee panel, there was nothing specifically holding it in place.

Kevin

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'85 300SD

On the SDL, the "knee panel", which is the piece of carpet, come out with three screws. There is no other panel to remove, AFAIK. Sitting right behind the panel is this large duct, exactly as you have described it.

Maybe I need to take a closer look, but, I don't remember any "knee panel" that would remove and take the duct out with it.

Maybe Fisherman can comment.

The carpeted panel and this ducting are one and the same on my '85. Looks like one molded plastic piece.

Kevin

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'85 300SD

Well, I wish the '86 was that way. The duct is secure in both ends, without the carpeted knee panel in place.

After you pull the carpeted kick panel is thing is bolted on under the dash. It has one screw holding the end piece that ducts to the door but the rest of the tube stays in place.
I took mirrors, got in aall kinds of contortinous positions and still could find no attachment point. Must be a way to remove it I just can't find it.

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'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

Here's what the factory manual shows for my year:

Under Instrument Panel Cover

It's the same procedure for an '84. I have to assume that perhaps the two pieces have become separated on your cars?

Kevin

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'85 300SD

That procedure clearly shows how to remove the panel and reinstall it. The panel looks almost identical to the panel on the '86. The panel removes and installs just fine.

After the panel is removed, this large duct is sitting behind the panel and it takes up all the space behind the panel. It needs to be removed, after the panel is removed, to access the footwell actuator, AFAIK.

What duct? The panel shown in this procedure is the duct. There's nothing else left when it's gone. Check out step 5 and 6, that's exactly what mine looks like. The right hand side connects to the heater outlet opening, the left end is where the door gets its feed from.

The heater oulet opening is where I found the inoperative flap that stopped me from getting air to my feet.

Kevin

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'85 300SD

I realize this is frustrating, Kevin. The procedure definitely shows that the duct is part of the panel. It is a plastic duct that comes off with the panel.

On the SDL, and I presume on Fisherman's SD as well, there is no plastic duct on the panel. There is a round steel duct, extremely durable, behind the panel that takes air from the outlet at the transmission tunnel and sends it to the door. There are multiple slots in this steel duct to allow air into the driver's footwell.

The question is how to remove this large steel duct?

The shop CD shows the same procedure for the 81-85 300SD, the 86-87 SDL, the 91 350SD, in fact it appears to show the same setup for every 126.

I wonder what is different about your two cars that cause them not to be as per the shop manual?

Kevin

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'85 300SD

It's awful strange, I'll tell you.

The SD (1984) is identical to the procedure that you have posted, IIRC.