I know I raise the seat bottoms forward but I can't see where there's a switch to recline the seat backs on a 95 E320 wagon...help! Thx.

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85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

Not sure, but feel through the covering of the seat backs. There might be a button concealed.

I'm sure (read - hopeful) another wagon owner will chime in to assist.

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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

The back (middle) seats don't recline. Rather, once the seat bottom is up, they go forward. The only button to push is to get the head rests out. What you do is lift up the seat bottoms and them push the back rest forward. If you search you'll see where a little lube will help things in the future. The car's manual should cover the steps to move the seats. Good luck and enjoy.

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

There is not actual bottom ON the seat to release the 2nd row backrest of the W124.

The locks are automatically deactivated when either rear door is opened. There is a short black bottom sensor near the door lock anchor at the C-pillar that triggers a mechanism to unlock the seat(s). Fiddle with each one for a while to try to realease the lock mechanism.

Open one rear door, raise the lower part of seat, remove the headrest(s) and the pull firmly the backrest forward from the top (it should disengage automatically). If this does not work, try doing the same thing from the other door to see if the lock sensor is not working on the opposite door.

If this does not work, then the mechanism is stuck, which is a common fault on W124 wagons, more so if the rear backrests are not lowered often.

The mechanism once stopped working on my T124 and I had to take it to the dealer to fix it. As usual, it was not a cheap deal. Most of the rear floor panels and one side of the trunk area have to be open to access the mechanism.

It is a good idea to properly lubricate all moving parts on the seat regularly to have it work flawless.

Good luck!

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A. Rosich
CL 500, 1998
S 500 L, 1998
E 320 T, 1995 [Sadly sold ]

Edge:
Raise the seat bottoms forward. Pull the headrests off. The headrests slip into the holes at the 'tops' of the raised seat bottoms. With the door open, give the seatback (the one that does NOT have the cargo net connected to it) a healthy yank toward the front. Mine were stuck when I first tried also. Once they are down, lube the mechanism as A. Rosich suggests....the "stickiness" only gets worse unless properly lubed.
I read one report that an owner had to get in the way back and give the seatback a kick to get it down. I'm not recommending this method....merely pointing out how stuck the seatback can become.
Good luck!
Brian

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Brian
1995 E320 wagon

Thanks, guys. I made my first long distance trip with my new to me wagon and was perplexed as I was looking for a mechanism to unlock the seat back. I called two local Mercedes dealers and spoke to service advisors and as usual, they couldn't help. One said that he wasn't familiar with the older wagons, the other didn't know. They only know how to rip you for extra service charges and sucking down donuts. I get so frustrated by their ignorance. Great to have the board members around for help. Thanks, edge.

__________________
85 300CD Signal Red/Tan sold
83 300D Manganese Brown 109K
97 E420 Midnight Blue 197K sold
98 BMW 328i Vert White 100K, sold
95 BMW 525i White 125K, sold
93 BMW 525iT Red 193K, sold
95 E320 Green Wagon 125K, sold
94 E320 White 127K, sold
85 300SD 156K Grey (Annie), sold
84 300D Lapis Blue 170K (Judy), sold
99 ML 320 Black (lease), 1998 C230 White (lease)
00 Honda S2000 Red (lease)
86 Mercedes 300E (sold)
84 Porsche 911 Red (sold), 1965 Porsche 911 White (sold)

Edge:
If you're going to go the dealership route with service, I recommend Carriage House in New London. They have (or had at least) a 87 diesel wagon as their roadside assistance vehicle with 800,000+ miles on it, so they should know their way around a W124 wagon.
They will pick up your car and leave a loaner for you. They'll drive nearly across the state to do it. And their parts prices are unbeatable (except maybe by Phil here at Fastlane!)
Brian

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Brian
1995 E320 wagon

A. Rosich: There is a short black bottom sensor near the door lock anchor at the C-pillar that triggers a mechanism to unlock the seat(s).

I always wondered what that sucker was.

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

So in a nutshell, the black button (and related mechanism) keeps the corresponding seatback locked in upright position as long as the door is closed.

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1983 300SD, 1999 200 cdi and 1998 1,6 (gasser)