Electronic Accelerator (EA) - Who's got the best price?
 

Hi all,

I found recently that my '93 600SL needs both EA units (current dealer price $6500!). I have a lead on a company that might rebuild them, but I would like to know if anyone has a good connection on salvage, used or new modules. I would also like to know (if anyone heard a little bird say) what the actual dealer list on these units is. I'd hate to have to sell my car, but since the wholesale KBB on the car is ~$16,250, it would make little sense to spend so much to repair it. Thanks a bunch!

Justin

This post is a PRIME example of why I don't see myself in a newer MB. I'm not sure I would take one for free, because I wouldn't want to have a heart attack over it.

There should not be a SINGLE FREAKING ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY in ANY CAR that costs that much. Or, if it does, it should come with a lifetime (and I mean life of the car, regardless of who posesses it) warranty. Maybe I'd be happy with even 20 years. This would imply that the mfr would design it to be repairable or would stock a good number of the parts at the end of the model run.

Seriously - I am aware that this was an expensive car in the first place - but this is simply over the top.

Comments?

Rebuild Cost
 

Hello again,

Well.. I did find a company that will re-build the units at a cost of $1600 each, bringing the repair to $3200. A great reduction of the $6500, but I think with all the collective resources we have we can do better.

Also, for other less expensive models I would assume a repair of half the original unit cost, which should be a boon to those with $1100 EAs.

Still looking for the best solution, and appreciate any help getting to it!

Justin

P.S.: I agree with the sentiment on the costs, especially since I'm paying them, but drive a 600, then drive any new car you could resonably afford.
Then... you have your answer!

Try the networks . . .
 

. . listed in the LINKS section (bottom of page) of my web page; I've had good luck with the PartTrackers network.

Following the EA trail...
 

JimF,

I called Beckmann, they have an even better price. The catch is, you have to know a repair center, as they will charge you full retail if you buy it personally. However, if you know a repair center that will sell it to you for cost, have them buy it, and you'll save a bunch. They told me they don't have a problem with that.

Their price on the units are:

0001415625 - $1898 Retail / $1233 Wholesale
0001415525 - $2288 Retail / $1487 Wholesale

$4186 Retail / $2720 Wholesale

I will continue to look and see what else I can come up with. My father is an electronics engineer, I'm going to have him take a peek into it and see what he thinks. He had a couple of ideas on how it might be repaired. I'm sure usually they rebuild the motor, replace the pot circuitboard and the wiring.

Justin

If you loolk . . .
 

. . . at the pictures in MENU#24, you'll see the 'pot' and how it wears. That appears to be the main culprit and there's no replacement assy, that I know of, for that part. Now with proper microelectronic facilities, they probably make a new 'pot'.

If you look at the wiring, it is as new, at least in the one I removed from my car.

Hopefully, you will impress on your dad the importance of performing testing/examining/replacing in an undetectable manner - I would not want to lose the "core charge" on these babies!

Repairing an EA.. the adventure continues
 

I read all your stuff a few days ago, JimF, and was very grateful for the pictures.

I'm assuming the people that rebuild these units professionally do have a source for a new circuitboard that has the resistance element in it. We just don't know what source that is and obviously nobody is talking.

I wouldn't either if I were rebuilding something that cost 2-300 to fix and could be sold with an +130% markup.

Porsche 944 owners apparently have a similar problem with a pot based sensor, but they have it worse, as Porsche has quit selling a replacement part! Many of those people apparently extend the pot swingarm so that the contact element crosses a slightly different section of the resistance element, which is presumably intact.

Looking at your pictures JimF, it looks like the contact element crosses the entire width of the two strips of resistance element. So that might not be a way to go.

There may be a way however to redesign the part or to rebuild or re-make the resistance element circuit board. Dad does have circuit board fabrication experience, and loves a challenge to be sure.

You're right about cores though, I'll be careful.

Justin

Jim, I noticed a repair for something or other (I forgot what it was, I read on here I think) and to fix the pot that was part of it, you just had to move the wiper to an unused area on the resistance material. Is it possible to do that on yours?

The thought of having to replace two of these things is not pleasant.

Oops! I should have read the whole thread. This is what I was talking about.

I remember reading . . .
 

someplace that an ingenious repair was made by a clever person to replace the slider-pot with a mechanical precision pot. With the right adapter, that would work very nicely. There is enough room so the challenge is to build that mechanical 'bracket' so a 'standard' precision pot could replace the present wiper-pot.

Rebuild it, and they will come.
 

I'm starting to think that's the way to go. My brother is a gunsmith and has a slew of precision machining equipment and the skills to use it. I had dinner with my dad this evening and we discussed trading the slide pot with a more conventional precision unit, as you mentioned JimF... with a little luck, and a lot of work.. maybe we can find a solution. I plan on pulling the EA's this weekend, we'll start there.

Justin

Hi Justin

I'm watching this thread with interest (as probably are many others) and am looking forward to your dad's evaluations. I'm an electronics Eng with SMD (those tiny electronic components inside) and full machine shop facilities, so if you need any help with electronic/mechanical components then just let me know.

I nearly got hold of someones failed EA unit once and was going to do similar, but alas it never materialised :(

Feel free to PM me :)

Lea

What does the EA unit do?
 

Can someone tell me what the EA unit does? My light ASR & ABS have started coming on, and thee isn't a mechanic within 100 miles. Does it effect the car's operation? Mine is a '94 320SL

Check my web . . .
 

. . .page MENU#24 for my troubles with the infamous ETA (elec throttle actuator). If you mean the EA (electronic accelerator), check out MENU#9.

Since your car is a '94, you should have the "X11/21" LED/switch combo so you can read the DTCs (Diag Trouble Codes) from the Diag Module, MENU#6. For how-to-do, check out MENU#2.

Keep track of the 'blinks' and lets us know.