Does anyone know how to access the wiring harness that runs along the floor under the front seats and then continue on to other locations?

Are the seats hinged in the rear so that the front can be lifted up and back? (1987 300E 124 series)

Nope, No hinges. 4 bolts hold the seat down, then the one bolt under the cover at the rear of the black bar on the side of the trans/driveshaft tunnel, then the wiring and remove seat........Gilly

Ok Gilly thanks. Those instructions will save me a lot of grief. The car already looks like a tornado hit it while all four doors were open. I evidently have damaged wires under the front seats.

Can I access the harness for the central locking system by removing the seats or are they inside a metal channel of some sort?

Earl: I think the wiring runs along the sill plates, under the carpet in a black plastic channel. There may be a cross-car harness, I don't think really under the seat, more like in front of the seats. Pull the carpeting sections out in front and see if you spot another plastic channel with wires in it. They really can't run wiring left to right under the seat, as the seat rails would have to lay on top of the wires, MB wouldn't do it that way (or anyone else, for that matter. Well maybe Yugo or some (other) Italian manufacturer, maybe Peugot. (Hmmmmm who else do I wanna pick on)......Gilly

I found the bad connection Gilly. It was inside the wiring harness that was inside the channel that was under the sub flooring that was under the rug. I took out the passenger seat and pulled up the carpet, opened the channel and then cut the harness open.

There were five wires in there all red with white stripe. They were corroded to dust and greener than the teeth of that kid I went to grade school with.

Well thanks a million to you and to Steve who also gave some good advice. Steve evidently ran into the exact same problen some time ago but could not remember exactly where the connector was located.

For future reference it is under the floor inside the taped up wiring harness halfway between the front of the back seat cushion and the back of the front passenger seat. Right where you would put your feet if sitting in the right back seat.

Again thanks. The central locking system now works like a charm. I soldered the R/Ws and two sets of ground wires... Browns and a set of brown/black stripe also in the same location.

Now to put everything back together again.

Smiles.

P.S. The channel for the harness runs under the front seats and under the seat rails along with duct work for the back seat heat. The floor is molded to allow the transverse grossing.

[Edited by ejsharp on 05-10-2001 at 05:59 PM]

That's great, Earl, glad to have helped.......Gilly

ok, i know i'm resurrecting this post back from the dead...
anyway, i have the exact same problem and i'm about to tackle this harness problem, my question is...

where is the source of the wiring that powers the pump?
from what i've read the wiring goes (from the pump) to the foot area of the right rear passenger then where? does it go all the way to the right front passenger area? or does it cross over to the left front driver's side area?

reagarding distribution points, anybody know where they all are in a w124 sedan? the reason i'm asking is because my car originally didn't come with power windows and power seats... i now have the power seats installed with no way of adjusting them, short of hotwiring the seats, eventually i'll be installing the seat switches and i'd like to do it properly by running the wiring as it should be run. any help would be appreciated.

ps, i've seen the junction/distribution point at the driver side kickpanel, is this the only one? anybody know which sockets power which accessories?

thanks guys!