Help! Where does the Cruise Control Switch plug in? W124
 

I'm in the midst of attempting to replace the combination switch and cruise control switch on my '86 300E. I followed the directions from members here to safely remove the airbag and steering wheel; that all went without a hitch.
I removed the black plastic panel on the top side of the driver's footwell, and was able to unplug the combination switch. However, for the life of me, I cannot find where the cruise control switch plugs in! Can anyone help?
Also, I can't figure out how to pull the large combination switch connector up through the steering column housing... the gaps apper to be too small... is there a trick to this? BTW - the steering column is adjusted all the way back towards the driver.. is this the problem?
Many Thanks,
Mika

Anyone???
I really need to get this old clunker out of my garage... please help if you can!
Thanks,
Mika

You'll need to remove the main underdash (colored) panel in order to unplug those!

1. Pull off the headlight knob, unscrew the large flat nut underneath, and remove the black trimpiece. Remove the 8mm nuts underneath.

2. Remove the black trimpiece surrounding the ignition switch. Remove the 8mm nuts underneath.

3. In the driver's footwell area, there are a few more 8mm nuts that need to be removed before the panel can be dropped down. It will still be held in somewhat by the parking brake release and hood release, but you can disengage the cables by removing the screws underneath the handles.

Thanks very much! That's what I was afriad of...
How, exactly, do you remove the black trim pieces around the headlight knob and ignition switch?
Thanks,
Mika

The black trimpieces just pry off... start at the area around the keyhole/headlight knob opening and pry them out and away from the steering column carefully.

Great, thanks a lot.
So, did I understand correctly that the headlight knob just pulls off?
Just yank?
Thanks,
Mika

Yes, yank the knob straight off, and remove the flat nut underneath it.

Thanks; this will save me a lot of frustration!
Mika

Just wanted to say thanks again for the advice. I was able to complete the job of replacing the combination switch and cruise control switch last night, and got everything put back together right. The controls work great now; thank goodness.
Best Regards,
Mika

Combination switch
 

Mika,

Did you, by chance, keep the thread that explains how to remove steering wheel and airbag to replace combo switch? My optical horn is gone and I will need to replace the combo switch in not so distant future. Threads I had seen indicated this was challenging, but have not seen the detailed info you apparently used.

KermitF -
I'm not sure how to link to other threads on this forum, but I checked, and indeed it is still there. If you search for "combination switch," you'll find my older post ("Replacing Combination switch on '86 300E - DIY job?" or something to that effect)
Here's a link to the Mercedes service bullitin that describes the procedure for safely removing the airbag:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/attachments/tech-help/23048-replacing-combination-switch-86-300e-diy-job-airbagfsb.pdf

I can summarize what I did for my car:
1) Disconnect negative terminal connector from the battery
2) Disconnect the red airbag control connector from under the passenger side footwell carpet and floor panel
3) Loosen the 2 screws that hold the airbag module onto the steering wheel. The screws are on the back of the wheel, one on either side. They are 4mm hex screws on my car. The airbag module then comes loose.
4) unplug the 2-pin red airbag connector from the airbag module, and set airbag aside, face up, in a safe place.
5) Use hex bit (about 10mm or so) and breaker bar to loosen bolt in center of steering wheel. This bolt is held in place with thread locker, and takes a lot of torque to remove. You NEED a breaker bar or a wrench with a very long handle... a regular wrench will not do it. This is easiest with two people - one person holds steering wheel firmly to keep it centered while the other person applies force to the breaker bar. IMPORTANT NOTE - be sure to stick the key in the ignition and turn to release the steering wheel lock while attempting to loosen this bolt!!! If you put too much force on the steering wheel lock, you will break it.
6)Mark position of steering wheel before you pull it off.. it will be easier to get it back in the right position later
7) Remove steering wheel. Behind the steering wheel is a steel plate that covers the combination switch. Remove the plate by loosening the 3 small countersunk philips screws. Careful... the heads on these screws strip easily. They are also held in place with thread locker. I had to drill one of them out....
8) The combination switch and cruise control are held in place by 3 philips pan-head screws. Remove them.
9) Remove lower dash panels as described in this thread. If you need more help, let me know. The cruise control plugs in on the left side; the combination switch plugs in lower and further to the right. You'll have to look up under the dash to see it.

Good luck!
Mika

Combo Switch
 

Mika,

Thanks very much for the info ... good stuff. :D