check this out, this is on an '81 500SEL on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2409624913&category=6332

what is it for? anyone seen it before?

eric

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1995 E320 Sportline Wagon "Bernard"
black on black leather

http://i.imgur.com/BdZ7jM3.png

Eric, you need to add a sign under your chin with a bunch of numbers on it for your avatar

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past MB rides:
'68 220D
'68 220D(another one)
'67 230
'84 SD
Current rides:
'06 Lexus RX330
'93 Ford F-250
'96 Corvette
'99 Polaris 700 RMK sled
2011 Polaris Assault
'86 Yamaha TT350(good 'ol thumper)

The seller lists a phone number you can call for information. I called, but his voicemail picked up, and I don't want him to have to call me to tell me what that control module does, so I didn't leave a message.

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

on ebay he listed a special description of something that can test voltage and oil pressure and other various things. maybe that's what it is for.

eric

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1995 E320 Sportline Wagon "Bernard"
black on black leather

http://i.imgur.com/BdZ7jM3.png

I know that in south africa you can get your car outfitted with flamethrowers underneath the car to prevent hijackings, maybe that's what the fire symbol is for (considering it's a mafia car).

First, the listing was "Full factory analog gauge compliment for temp, tach, oil press, volt, etc... " that means nothing that you implied. It just means that it has the usual gauges.

Next, If you could read German, and looked closely at the control box, you would notice that the buttons are for controlling the heated driver's seat. The first one is a check button to test the heater, the next one, labeled "ein-aus" is the on-off button, the next one with the flames reads "sofort heizung" or immediate heating, for full-on heat, and the last two with the arrows are labeled "heizbeginn vorwahlein" or, heating beginning preselection. That controls the level of heat applied to the driver's seat and is controlled by a thermostat.

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

If you already knew that, why didn't you say it before you called him? I'm SO sorry for not knowing german, maybe I should only drive american, british, and french cars, since I took french in high school.

longston, i don't know how we offended you.. we were just curious and speculating. something we've never seen before. maybe we should start german classes.

4ndelit, LOL

eric

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1995 E320 Sportline Wagon "Bernard"
black on black leather

http://i.imgur.com/BdZ7jM3.png

Calm down, no one's trying to make you look stupid. Well, at least I'm not. I didn't ALREADY know that. But after your comment about flamethrowers, I had to go to the eBay listing, pull up the original photo of the box, examine it carefully, and after being able to actually see the labels I could then translate it into English.

And I think you're right, with your attitude, you should drive a French car. If you are going to drive a German car, you should at least buy a German-English dictionary.

BTW, you also need to learn to capitalize proper nouns. And maybe later, I'll tell you how you too can learn how to translate any word or phrase in any language, ok?

Eric asked a reasonable question, and I got him the answer. There's no need to be cranky, I'm not personally attacking anyone, or trying to belittle you, I just have a scarcastic sense of humor.

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

This is a controll unit for a heating system when the engine is not running. Gasoline is burned in a little burner which heats up the coolant. A little electric pump moves the water around and you have a perfectly heated car.

There is also a time clock so you can set it at 6.30 and get a heated car with a heated engine at around 6.50.

This looks like factory installed, the manufacturer ist Webasto.

There is also a manufacturer Eberspächer (right here from Esslingen where I live)

Their Standheizung is of less quality and never was factory installed. Only aftermarket.

BTW: Code 972 very often had that heating device. Made surveillance a little less frisky.

Kind regards
Eberhard

I would think that if you are going to translate it anyways, you would have done it before criticizing us on our speculations. I was unaware that people would criticize me for my grammar on this board, I am honestly sorry if I offended you with my capitilization errors. Congratulations on finding online translators, altavista has a versatile translator, yet some of its translations leave me wondering if it's accurate (ass for ears?). Concerning the flamethrowers, they are real, and if you really need me to find the video of them on the net, I guess I'll waste time finding it for you.

BTW, I'm not about to trade in my 450SL for a Peugot, sorry. I don't need a dictionary, there's really no need for it since the people at my local euro parts store speak english.

I'm glad we have actual German members here to straighten us out. I made a guess at that control based upon the seller mentioning a heated driver seat. I had also considered that it might have had to do with the climate control system, but didn't consider that it was an engine pre-heater. A very slick accessory indeed. Thanks Eberhard!

First, there is no "us". I made a simple comment about eric's speculation regarding the gauges. Beyond that, I wasn't going to bother with it at all, but I can't resist trying to get facts when people come up with ridiculous explanations. Did you really think that anyone would allow a car to be imported and/or sold in America with flamethrowers on it? And your comments about the Mafia were prejudiced and unfair. That's the only thing that offended me. I'm not criticizing, but why speculate at all without having done any research? I don't want to fantasize about what it might do, I want to know what it does. And thanks to Eberhard, now we do.

Capitalization isn't grammar, and always count on me to bust on people for poor grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling. I'm especially a ***** about homonyms. Although I let a lot of it pass without comment, I will mention it when someone decides to get combative. And understand that you don't offend me when you're too lazy to do it right, you offend yourself.

I also have a library and several decades of experience. Some of the younger members here might be amazed by what they could learn from those of us who have been where they are right now. And Altavista is accurate, it's German slang for a stupid person. Kind of like, butthead. I could have called you worse . . .

Don't bother. I know all about it.

See, here you miss all of my points. Have you ever even driven a French luxury car? The point of having a dictionary is in case you came across something in or on your car that was written in German, you could find out what it meant right away. And from what I've been told, that thing with folks speakin' English at Euro parts stores is really startin' to catch on.

Hey, Robert, that's why most of us are here on MercedesShop. We all need and want to get references for things about these cars. Because of that, I now have links to websites that tell me what my VIN means, what the upholstery and paint codes are, what the accessory codes are, what models were American imports, and a bunch of other interesting stuff. Like what that control box does on that 1981 Mercedes on eBay.

Never stop learning.

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

I dunno...I kinda liked the "flamethrower" speculation...much more fun to allude to than an engine heater!

Kinda like in "Seinfield" when George thinks he's bought a car formerly owned by "Jon Voight" but it turns out the real PO was "John Voight"...:p

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

He wasn't making any insensitive assumptions, that's what the website says: it used to belong to a mob boss. It says that in very big, bold, red letters.

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

The seller is obviously trying to get attention for this car, so he can make some money on it. The term Mob Boss is his label he affixed to his eBay page to draw attention and interest. He's wrong in doing that because it also says in the description that, "It was formerly owned by the Milano family, reputed mobsters who lived in Los Angeles." Accent on the word "reputed".

Regardless of the current owner's assertations, the controls are clearly in German, so it follows that they were installed before the car came to be owned by the Milano family. Therefore, to draw a corelation between "mob boss" and "flamethrower" is prejudiced thinking.

Many Italian-Americans are sensitive to people jumping to conclusions about all people of their ethnic group being members of the Mafia, or somehow connected to organized crime. To assume that it would naturally follow that the vehicle would have flame throwers, machine guns, or any other weaponry mounted to it is as ridiculous as it is prejudiced. Capice?

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."