Hello,

My car is a 300SD 1982 180K

The driver's side window has had a Jerkie Action for about a year. It goes up and down fine, all the way both directions, but I try to only go down about half way since it makes allot of Bumping, Jerking, Popping noise.

I have never had the door card off so I don't know much.

Is my problem just needing some lube back there, or do I need to get some parts and are there some parts I can oder without ordering the entire register for the window.

My guess it it will eventually fail but so far is hasn't. No idea what is worst case scenerio if I just partially open window to say 50%.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

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1982 300SD

These windows regulators (the term more commonly used) are made of fairly soft metal and over decades of use they bend. This puts the gear teeth out of alignment which causes the sort of behavior you're describing.

You can replace them with new regulators, but they are $300 or so.

If you have junk yards near you, you can hope to get lucky and find a good one. I got lucky and found a like-new regulator for my passenger front window in a local junkyard. It's now residing in my car and working beautifully.

Another option is to pull it out and see about bending it back in to shape. Here is a guide that talks about this; its for the W123 rear regulator but the premise applies to other regulators of that era as well.

Repairing Mercedes W123 Rear Power Window Regulator

You mention worst case scenario if you keep using it like this - the worst case is that you 1) break some teeth off of the gears which isn't something worth trying to fix and/or 2) you can burn up your motor meaning you will need to find a good used one to replace it.

Eventually the window will stop working entirely either because you break off teeth, burn up the motor, or the regulator bends so far that the teeth no longer engage at all and the gears just spin freely.

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

http://i.imgur.com/LslW733.jpg

The Baja Arizona Oil Burners Send a message if you'd like to join the fun
Left to Right - UberWasser, Iridium, Stuttgart-->Seattle,, mannys9130

Visit the W123 page on iFixit for over 70 helpful DIY guides!

The regulators can continue to work for a while, as you describe, but chances are one day (when least convenient) you will press "down" and the window will just drop into the door, and that will be it. On my old SD it happened in -14 F weather.

One thing you can check, before anything else: remove the inside door panel and check that all the nuts holding the regulator body to the inner door metal are tight. Especially on a driver's door, years of jerks as the door opens and closes can work these loose and result in skips or pops as the regulator moves.

From your description I don't think this will cure the problem, but it's possible that it may alleviate it somewhat.

You can post a "WTB" (want to buy) ad in the Mercedes Used Parts for Sale and Wanted subforum, if you decide to get ahead of the issue and find a decent used one from another forum member.

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Thanks you two for you time replying with good thoughts.

I will read the link !

Thanks again,

Steve

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1982 300SD

That link was great, a good crutch when I do the job. WOW the one "regulator' was really bent. Too bad they use soft metal. Oh well.

So I guess a good regulator is just flat as a pancake.

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1982 300SD

Yup, that's right. Flat is the idea.

That one in the guide was my rear driver's side regulator. It was super slow, when it worked. The front passenger side was bent worse but differently, so the gears weren't touching. Now I just have to see about my rear passenger which is clunking.

__________________
1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

http://i.imgur.com/LslW733.jpg

The Baja Arizona Oil Burners Send a message if you'd like to join the fun
Left to Right - UberWasser, Iridium, Stuttgart-->Seattle,, mannys9130

Visit the W123 page on iFixit for over 70 helpful DIY guides!

... I've got several SD's I'm parting out...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
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