The skins are from a 300SD, the right color, in much better shape then the skins on my second gen 126 SDL seats. In both cases, I removed the skins when the seats were out and the seat back separated from the seat bottom. I’ve seen the skins removed from seats still in the car in one piece at boneyards. And I had a thought something like “he’s a better man than I am Gunga Din” (line from a Rudyard Kipling novel for all you youngsters).

It was a work out on my poor little hands getting those skins off. I have to wonder how hard it would be to put the skins back on with the seats in the car. Does anybody know how doable this is? I’ve had first and second gen 126 seats out before. It’s work, but it’s doable work. I hate to admit it, but I sometimes wonder if I’m up for the job of putting the used skins on. My left thumb is a bit weak. I have to wonder if it would beat my hands up to a degree I might regret. I hate having thoughts like that. Paying someone to do it would have to be steep, it would be hard to find such a person that wasn’t steep. Would be cheaper to keep looking for used second gen seats in good shape. You see them now and then, never in the color I want, but I have seen some cherry seats, and at affordable Pick and Pull prices.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

It would be very hard to do without damaging them with the seats in the car, if you take them out and have someone help it isn't bad though. I have done it a few times. I think they are easier to put on than take off though.

Installing them in car will be very difficult, particularly with the hold down rings. Removal of the seat and doing on a workbench will be far easier. 5 bolts for the seat base and seat belt recepticle and you are out. The plastic covers over the seat mount bolts usually can be prised off around the edges. Tge shop manual explains the specific method.

Before removing the seat from the car, try to set the seat back to 75 degrees if electric. This will aide in fitting the covers with no power adjustments on a workbench. Also the seats can be done assembled, no need to separate base from back rest. Remove seat back cover and headrest. The plastic trim rings on the headrest base of the seatback, are sandwiched plastic pieces, that should be prised apart, so that the visible exterior end can be withdrawn. The other half is withdrawn from jnside the seat back. This assembly tucks down and also afixes the cover to the underlying foam, if you force it out, you won't be able to get the new covers to attach there correctly. Not a big deal, but worth knowing about.

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Stable Mates:
1987 300TD 310K mi (Hans)
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee OM642 165k mi (Benzrokee)

Thanks for the good feedback. I didn’t get any response for a while so I sort of forgot about the thread. Great to see some good advice.

Removing the seat back from the throne would be a real problem. On the ones I’ve done, there is no jack that you can unplug, the wires need to be cut or else you have to do it all with the two halves joined like Siamese twins.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I've been through a few of the seat swaps and I never saw an MB power seat which had the back rest hard wired into the control box. The plugs/jack are obscure being above and behind the control box but if you raise the base up it's not hard to find them.

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84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic

You can 100% unplug it, it's just hard to reach.

I've never swapped seat covers with the seat installed in a car.

If you mail me your seat halves (I have a shop and am in California so shipping won't be too bad via UPS), I can put on new or used seat skins for you and or also swap springs if they're weak/worn out. PM me if interested and we can discuss.

That almost sounds attractive. I might be in a position in a month or two to make that happen. I am a guitar picker and my left thumb is experiencing some arthritic weakness. Combination of squeezing a guitar neck for many years and hard work and old age I guess. Point being, I’m afraid putting those seat skins on would beat the hell out of my little hands.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

This is good news, interesting as well. I never searched it that hard. I recall that on both the first and second generation 126 seats there is a large cluster that plugs into a semi long jack, longer on the second gen, but I also recall a 2 prong jack, I think, that went along with that. I wouldn’t have thought they would’ve had a separate piece for the functions that way. I’m not even sure if all of the seats have wires going to the back. Maybe that’s for those that have a heater in the seat. The motor function to move the back could very well be down in the throne, makes more sense actually. But I know I have seen wires connecting the two, and I didn’t see a jack in the vicinity, didn’t look hard enough I guess.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

The wires that attach to the back of the seat are plugged in behind where the motors are in the seat base, and the plugs go in from the top (so with the seat in the car the plug would be pushed toward the ground to install it).