Newbie Needs Help

[Mommas380SL]

I've been around the German repair bench with a Carerra but I just bought an `85 380SL. These may be dumb questions. I tried searching without much success.
1) Power locks will lock and unlock all doors (including passenger door, trunk, fuel door) from the drivers side but the passenger side will not lock or unlock either manually inside (yes, the doors are closed but the lock lever is frozen) or outside with key. If I lock the doors from the driver side and then open the passenger door with the pull lever then the door won't latch when I try to close it. Where do I start?
2) Passenger side window goes up and seats just fine. If I open the door with the window up, when I close it, there is about an 1/8th gap down near the bottom. I can fix it by dropping the window a little and then raising up with the door closed. Is there a regulator adjust for this?
3) I have to push the gas pedal about an inch before it affects the throttle. It feels lighter until it reaches its contact point where the resistance is heavier and the throttle responds (almost like the contact point when lifting off the clutch but in reverse). Is there an adjustment?
4) PO put tint on the hardtop back glass. The car has an electric rear refrost but I don't see any lines in the glass. Can I peel the tint and then scrape the glue off the glass or is there some kind of layer on the inside of the glass that does the defrosting.
5) When looking for parts is the body style 107?
6) Need a repair manual (not too deep but decent)
TIA for any help

[airedale]

Yes it is a 107.
Manuals appear on eBay from time to time.

[tan man]

i had every problem you describe on my 85 380sl. all except the tinted glass.
1. door lock, the problem was the lever entering the outside door handle was inserted too deep into the door handle. the adjustment needed was to loosen a screw, set the lever at the next distance setting (it is adjustable) and tighten the screw. cost of part = $0. time involved to find the problem by eliminating everything else = 2 hours. in order to get there you have to take the door panel off which is a bit tricky, you don't want to do this without searching on this forum for a step by step. if you don't find good clear info i may still have a really good copy printed up.
2. window, good news = you need to have the door panel off to fix this (above). 2 birds with one stone. when i took off the door panel i found 2 loose screws laying at the bottom of the door skeleton. with a light and some peeping around i found where they had fallen off from. one of them was the window track adjustment. without the screw it was a little loose and left play for the window to move. i found the proper position (easy to spot visually), fastened the screw and no more window problem.
3. gas pedal was fun. open the hood, take the air filter assembly out. have someone lightly press the gas pedal several times. follow the linkage from the firewall. along the way i found 2 round plastic bushings were missing, one plastic roller guide worn down. also took the time to lubricate everything that moved. cost of parts was around $8 from the dealer. it eliminated 90% of the play and made the gas pedal transfer the feel of the motor better.
4. hard top hs very fine zig-zag wiring going up/down (not sideways like most cars) for defrost. if someone put tinting on the window you will never see the wiring, it is hair thin. removing the tinting will probably destroy your defrost wires. if you can live with it, leave it alone.
5. body is 107, r107,w107, any 107.
6. repair manual, only one choice. the one put out by MB is regularly available on e-bay for around $15. there is (almost) nothing else out there. if you have a good local library, go to the reference section and look under automotive for Mitchell reference repair books. at my place i can not take them out of the library so i have to make copies. between the MB manual (which just has a wierd way of directing repairs), the Mitchell book, and patient time just looking and trying to figure out the problem you can get most everything done. this forum helps alot.

all in all the problems you describe should not cost you much (big smile) and will require you and the car to spend some quality time together. feel free to stop by in new jersey and i'll give you a hand.

[Mommas380SL]

Thank you for the replies. I'll see what I can do with this stuff. Questions:
-Any suggestions on which manuals to get?
-I can probably peel the tint off without scrapping. It will be tough but I can get the glue off with solvent. Will this still destroy the rear defrost?
-I've taken the door panel off my Porsche. Do you think that it is similar enough that I can find my way around or are there some hidden tricks (hard to find clips, screws, etc)?

[airedale]

The window tint adhesive will likely not come of with solvent.

[Mommas380SL]

I peeled the tint off the side glass. The remaining adhesive was almost totally clear. I used Goof-off to soften it up and scrapped it off. I'm thinking that since I can remove the hard top, given enough solvent (maybe something stronger), paper towels and time I can get the glue off. No?

[tan man]

to remove the door pannel there are definitely some tricks that will help..give me a day and i'll post step by step.
jack

[tan man]

ok, i found the 2 page step by step. i am too lazy to re-type the whole thing. if you give me a fax number i'll send it to you. it came in article form but i don't recall where i got it from.
jack

[Mommas380SL]

Sent you a PM