I just bought a Popular Mechanics CD
for my 300E and looked at the blower
motor replacement procedures and they
look fairly easy. The only problem is
they dont go into detail about some
things. For example it says "remove
air intake cover", which looks like
the entire shield behind the
engine. The CD makes it sound very
simple but how hard is this job and
what and how will I need to remove the
"air intake cover and the shield
behind the engine. Also what is the
part number for the blower motor for a
1986 300E. Thanks for your help in
advance.

Adam,

The procedure is about as simple as that.

Here's a slightly more accurate form of it:

1. Purchase benz service manual CD.
2. Discard Popular mechanics one.
3. Follow instructions from Benz CD.


I posted the instructions from the benz CD back on alt.auto.mercedes about a month ago. When I get home tonight I can repost it to you directly.

The real benz CD has the following manuals:

1. Chassis
2. Engine (all engines for the body type)
3. Electrical troubleshooting
4. Climate control
5. Owners manual

The only thing it is missing is the transmission overhaul info.

-CTH

It has been some time since I've taken out a blower...but taking out the entire shield behind the engine is something not necessary.
You have to take off the lower windshield trims, cap/panel behind the battery and unscrew the black plastic cover behind the steel shield (you mentioned). Remove the additional cover around the wiper and unscrew the air intake cover. This air intake cover can be "spooned" out fairly easy.
Then you have to remove the wiper mechanism (complete mechanism (4 bolts (I think) of which one in the shield), motor and cable to be disconnected by a plug). To take out the wipersystem, it is recommendable to take off the wiperarm (makes shoving the complete system easier).

Like I said it has been some time since I last took out the blower, but this should be about the things to remove before you see anything of the heater system and blower housing.
I can not help you with the part# necessary.

greetingz & good luck,

Blower motor part # - 000 830 82 08; M-B retail - approx. $290.

CTH, I will be looking forward to that. Thank you everyone for your help.

Pezzy:
Try putting a parts request in through the partsShop tab above. They will ask your make, model, and VIN number, and will give you a part # and price quote specific to your car with genuine MB parts - prices as low as I have seen anywhere, and it supports this site! I have had great service from them. Also, there is a sample page and table of contents from the MB CD shown under one of the tabs above, DIY, I believe. Hope this helps, good luck with the blower motor.

Well, today I had some time to waste and I found a different section in my popular mechanics cd that shows how to remove the air inlet so I decided to take it apart just to see how hard the job would be. Well verdict is, it is not hard at all, the hardest part is probably not losing all the screws. Although, now here is my real problem. I dont know what part to get. I searched Partsshop for the part #000 830 82 08 and it showed 2 things, the blower motor and the blower motor assembly for just alittle bit more money. Question is, what is included in the blower motor assembly, All I need is a new motor so I guess I would just need the blower motor but I would like to be sure of it. On another note, the prices in partsshop are very cheap compared to everything else I have seen. Thanks everyone for your help.

R U Sure Motor Is Fried?
 

FYI, Had a blower motor appear to quite and found brushes needed a good cleaning and one new spring. Works like a champ now! Total cost - zip!

The blower motor assembly consists of the blower motor and squirrel cages; the blower motor alone is ... just the motor.

In theory you can slide the squirrel cages off the old blower motor's drive shafts and transfer them to the new motor. In reality these sometimes can be difficult to remove. Each squirrel cage is balanced by means of a small metal clip. Check to see if these clips are present on your existing cages; if not, then the clips may be lost and the cages unbalanced (OR they were within balance limits initially).

Less work is involved with installing a new blower assembly; if the price difference is tolerable, consider purchasing a complete assembly.

Ok, I bought the entire assembly through PartsShop for $237 including shipping and tax, plus no labor since Im doing it myself (great price considering the $600+ route called the dealership). Thanks everyone for your help. Yay, Im going to have heat. Actually, just one more question and I promise I wont bug yall anymore. Now my problem is, I dont know which buttons do what on the climate control system. I know how to operate the fan speeds, the temp wheel, the defrost and how to turn the whole thing off, but I dont know what the arrows represent. I was thinking that the when the upper arrow is filled in it means air will come out of the vents and when the lower arrow is filled in air will come out at the floor. Am I pretty much on the right track or am I way off? I used to have a yellow card that came with the car that tells you how to operate the system but I lost that and the owners manual.

[Edited by pezzy on 01-10-2001 at 10:13 PM]

Adam:
The "O" button is everything off (including fresh air).

The "black arrow EC/white arrow down" button is fresh air and blower (blower won't work in this setting at low outside temps until engine warms up), and no AC compressor. So, this is heated fresh air or ambient temperature fresh air only, no AC!

The "black arrow up/white arrow down" is the recommended normal setting for cooling and humidity control. Warm air is given priority flow to the feet area, but also comes out the side and center dash vents, and a small amount to the windshield dash vents to keep it clear.

The "white arrow up/white arrow down" is multi level for "clearing a fogged windshield-As soon as the windshield is cleared, reset to normal or EC mode". Warm air may only periodically come from center vents in this mode, depending on interior temperature. Also, "prolonged use of this mode may cause condensation on outside windshield in warm, humid climates". (It does!)

The (almost)last button is defrost, and "sends the maximum amount of heated air to the windshield and side vents, overriding the temperature, fan speed, and air recirculation switches.

Finally, there is a recirculation switch above the main climate control switches with 3 curved arrows making up a circle. Pressing the symbol side of this switch causes outside fresh air to be shut off ( a red light comes on in the switch). The switch shuts itself off (back to fresh air) after 5-2o minutes, and won't work when the EC mode is selected.

(Whew) Hope this helps.

[Edited by JCE on 01-10-2001 at 10:46 PM]