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  #1  
Old 07-26-2010, 12:14 AM
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W124 Driver's Seat Disassembly?

The bottom MB-Tex cover on the driver's seat bottom of my '87 300D Turbo (W124, OM603) was damaged under previous ownership. I have acquired a new (used) cover from another forum member but am having a hard time figuring out how to install it. I can get the seat out of the car but am puzzled as to how to R&R the cover with its horsehair/rubber pad. Does the seat have to be unbolted from the frame and its motors, cables, and transmissions? The FSM shows the manual seats only, I can't find anything in EPC that might give me a clue, and a search of the forum didn't bring up anything relevant either. Surely someone must have changed a seat cover! Anyone?

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970
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  #2  
Old 07-26-2010, 12:48 AM
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Yes unbolt it from the moving part. You will see some white plastic clips and some hog ties that hold it all together. You will need to remove them. You will want to add the foam blocks in the corners when you have it apart. They provide more lateral support. They were standard in later 124s. I have a book from Mercede$ $ource that is on loan in FL. The member who borrowed it is done with it. Do you want me to have him mail it to you?

I have pictures when I redid my seat but I copied them to a back up drive. I will hunt them down and send them to you if you would like.

I found a few pictures that were still on my laptop and emailed them to you.
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1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
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  #3  
Old 07-26-2010, 01:10 PM
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Do you have the part numbers for these foam pads?
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  #4  
Old 07-26-2010, 02:29 PM
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C'mon, Jeff, you know where to find the answer







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87 300D
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  #5  
Old 07-26-2010, 07:12 PM
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Thanks again!
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  #6  
Old 07-27-2010, 09:47 AM
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Sagging Seats

I recently bought an 87 300D. The front seat springs are shot. MB tex is in good condition. Has anyone "fixed" these seat without buying a spring replacement kit from M-B? Does anyone know how much a spring replacement kit costs?
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  #7  
Old 07-27-2010, 12:06 PM
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See post #4, above, with Sixto's pictures of the foam bolsters. If that isn't enough, a replacement set of springs from a junkyard car (or a forum member parting out a car) would be a much better deal than ordering new springs (if available) from a dealer.
__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970
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  #8  
Old 07-27-2010, 12:10 PM
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I had a spring welded before I found my spare seats. The foam blocks help in the corners, but it's still nice to have all the springs functioning correctly. You can remove the springs individually to fix the broken ones.
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1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
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  #9  
Old 07-27-2010, 12:12 PM
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FYI,

It's best if your hunting used- buy a passenger seat bottom. There is a lot better chance that it will have good springs and less wear and tear.

I don't know the price of a new spring box and pad. Pads use to be about $35 and the cheapest place was MB. Some do make-shift repairs. I just replace the spring box and pad- then it feels like a new seat.
If you don't own a pair of hog ring pliers- they are not expensive and make the job easier. There is metal rods running in the seat cover and you tie them down to the spring through the pad with the hog rings. Should be easy to see once you take it off the motor/base. There are some big philips screws which old it on the motor base.

M
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  #10  
Old 07-27-2010, 12:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samiam44 View Post
FYI,

It's best if your hunting used- buy a passenger seat bottom. There is a lot better chance that it will have good springs and less wear and tear.

I don't know the price of a new spring box and pad. Pads use to be about $35 and the cheapest place was MB. Some do make-shift repairs. I just replace the spring box and pad- then it feels like a new seat.
If you don't own a pair of hog ring pliers- they are not expensive and make the job easier. There is metal rods running in the seat cover and you tie them down to the spring through the pad with the hog rings. Should be easy to see once you take it off the motor/base. There are some big philips screws which old it on the motor base.

M
The MB tex is usually in better shape as well. I used a passenger seat back and bottom to fix my drivers seat. You just need to cut a hole for the armrest.
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1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
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  #11  
Old 07-28-2010, 01:09 AM
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Got it!

OK, I figured it out. Thanks to everyone who supplied advice and encouragement and photos. It turned out to be a lot easier than I had thought. I got the seat bottom cover replaced and cleaned up under the seat, made a couple of minor wiring repairs and put it all back together.

The thing that I didn't understand was that there's really nothing holding the covers on. I thought that the cover was somehow clamped onto the framework and I would have to take something apart to free the cover. In fact, as many of you know and I have now learned, the cover's edges are simply "trapped" in a slot and held tight (so they can't slip out) by the springs. The following photo pair shows the slot in the metal base and the reinforced edge that slips into it and is then held tightly by the springs.





Removing the seat bottom cover requires only unbolting the seat from the floor of the car to give yourself some working room. Five bolts with 10 mm hex heads must be removed (four hold the seat, one holds the seat belt anchor). Use the seat controls to move the seat back and forth to gain access to the bolts. The plastic trim pieces on either side and the "fry catcher" also must come off. Be careful with these plastic pieces as they are attached with fragile clips that are part of the casting. The fry catchers are attached with expansion clips; push the center pin through until it falls free. The pins will land under the seat (if you remembered to pay the gravity bill) where you can retrieve them.





Next, push the seat down against the resistance of the springs (sitting sideways on the seat worked well for me). With the tension removed from the cover, you can work the reinforced edge down and out of the slot. Sixto suggests starting at a corner and I agree that it seems to come loose easier there than in the middle. With the corner free, work your way along the edges and free the other corner until the edges are out of the slot on all sides but the rear.





The rear edge of the seat cover is held just like the other edges and comes free easily once the front and sides are done. Tilt the seat-back almost horizontal until you can pull the cover and pad off of the springs. Sixto mentioned hog rings holding the seat cover to the springs but my cover didn't have any, nor any sign it ever had any.

Installation is pretty much the reverse process. I chose not to install the foam bolsters. The seat looks much better now. If anyone is in need of a blue seat cover and pad and is willing to use one with a band-aid (see photo below), my old cover and pad is available, free. Otherwise it goes out in the trash.

Jeremy


__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970
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  #12  
Old 07-28-2010, 09:26 AM
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Location: Streetsboro, OH
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Jeremy,
I took my seat apart yesterday. It looks just like yours. I only have two coil springs in each front corner, no foam block. Apparently some have them some don't. The trick is going to be to reshape or reinforce the wire springs that run across the seat. My seat is very weak closest to the seat back. The steel ring around the perimeter of the seat that all the wire springs attach to rolls toward the center of the seat when I'm in it. I'm going to cut a piece of 20 ga. sheet metal the same size as the perimeter steel band and attach it to the steel band, restretch the springs that run across the seat and attach them to the sheet metal. My theory is that the 20 ga. sheet metal will spread the load (me) across the entire seat frame, so the majority of my weight is not bearing on just the two wire springs closest to the seatback. Over time the sheet metal should conform a little to the load (me). An extra layer of foam between the sheet metal and the seat cushion might be needed.
I will let everyone know if it works.
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  #13  
Old 08-14-2010, 12:46 PM
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what is the process of taking off the backrest portion>
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  #14  
Old 08-14-2010, 01:22 PM
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The seat has to be out of the car to remove the seat back. You have to label the connections and routing(!) of the wire bundles that continue into the seat back, release those wire bundles, remove the plastic trip around the hinge area then remove bolts holding the seat back to the bottom frame. It's not complicated, just tedious. Have blankets, towels and cartons and ideally another pair of hands so you can position the seat for the work you have to do without scratching or scuffing the upholstery.

Sixto
87 300D
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  #15  
Old 10-20-2010, 10:20 PM
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I am looking to replace my drivers cushion an my '93 W124 coupe.

The cover is in great condition. I have taken the seat apart and just the horsehair pad needs changing.

I have asked MB for the part but they have not got back to me. I have seen the horshair cushion here

http://www.adsitco.com/category.asp?CID=1557&page=2

They are supposed to be original eqpt pads, has anyone used these or know where I can get a pad?

Worlduph have told me they can't help.

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