87 560sl Air Temp Sensor IAT

[eblackwell]

I have looked everywhere on the car, and manuals (shop manuals for my 380sl), and cannot find the location of the Air temp sensor on my 560sl. PLEASE can someone point me in the right direction. All info I have is the part's descriptions say "at air cleaner".

[donbryce]

Is this the part you are looking for? " Engine Temperature Sensor; Air Temperature Sensor at Air Filter Housing "

[IMG]http://www.***************/secure/PartImages/0280130047.jpg[/IMG]

If your car has one, it would be attached to the intake air snorkel, where the large black plastic intake tube leading into the air cleaner housing attaches by the radiator.

[rocky raccoon]

The sensor for the outside ambient air temperature (for your dashboard gauge) is located behind your front license plate. Easily visible, just duck your head under the front bumper.

[eblackwell]

I have the part that looks like the picture. It's not the ambient air sensor for the outside air. I looked at the air cleaner assembly and nothing. I looked at the snorkle tube and nothing. I looked at the air box that is attached to the sheetmetal near the radiator and behind the driver's side headlight assembly, and still didn't find anything. The car looks as if it had front end damage, prior to my ownership. I say this because there are a few metal parts that look as if they had been straightened.

I looked for loose plugs and even wires that had been cut, but found nothing. I searched (Google) and this site (which is the best source of mercedes info available) and found no pictures or info that could help me locate. I noticed that the metal panel, that the air box attaches to, had a couple of funny shaped holes that I thought maybe something attached to (HOPED). I luckly found a picture on the web that showed another car with the same holes. This puts me back at square 1. Is it on the metal cleaner assembly as on older cars? Is it on the plastic tube? Is it on the airbox? Is it still at the factory? I don't know. If I were to have designed it, I would have put it on the airbox. If it is related to previos damage, and the sensor had not been replaced, where would the wires be, and where do they run to. If I find the wires, I will track them until I find the pot of gold! Thanks so much for the lightning replys!

[rocky raccoon]

Look at my previous post. If the sensor is not in that location, it may have been removed while the front end damage was repaired. It looks like a single piece of wire with a simple small cylinder at the end and fastened to the license plate backing plate.

Are you from a state that does not use a front plate? If so the sensor may have been removed or relocated.

[donbryce]

So, we're looking for an air sensor that looks like the one pictured, but which is not currently wired into your 560SL, just 'in your hand'? And you are sure it isn't the sensor for the outside air temperature guage, usually at the front bumper/licence plate bracket?
All I could find on this mysterious puppy is in the picture, scanned from the 117 engine manual. I did look all of the engine wiring diagrams for the 117 engine for a 'B17/2', but like you, found nothing. There is no such sensor on my 560SL, at the air intake snorkel pictured, either.
Maybe someone more experienced can illuminate the mystery? Why does the entry in the manual for the B17/2 connector say 'not applicable'? There must be some kind of story here.