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  #1  
Old 07-19-2003, 01:30 PM
drbrandini's Avatar
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Wrightsville Beach NC
Posts: 1,512
Thumbs up Rebuild your old in-op seat switch !!

As to the current satus of my cash flow I decided to take a look inside the passenger side seat switch on my 1990 300E rather than immediately forking over the 85$ for a new one just so the back will recline and come back up again.

I searched the forum just before doing so and almost everyone suggested that it was in fact the seat switch that was bad and not any of the motors and that upon replacement everything would go back to work.

Rather than spend my hard earned cash on a new one I decided to take a look and see what makes this thing tic. So I pulled the switch and took it to my shop bench, I popped the top off and inside I found a lot of little parts that can be a bit discouraging at first glance but seem to make sense after a few minutes. It's loaded with ball bearings and springs. I removed all of which and cleaned them thoroughly with electrical contact cleaner. The ball bearings roll back and forth a long a brass strip that complete a circuit when the switch is moved forward or back. I cleaned the contact ends with my pocket knife scrapping off all of the old burned looking contact points. I soaked the springs and ball bearings in the contact cleaner. I then carefully put it all back together, it can be a bit tough balancing the ball bearings on the springs while trying to snap the plastic top back on. Once the plastic top was in place I decided to give the old girl a try! Once completely back together and in the car I found that the rear lifting part of the seat bottom now works! and has never worked since I bought the car! I was so excited I was forced to post the results here.

Hopefully this will help someone in the near future save a few extra bucks.

I should have taken pictures!

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Brandon



2008 S550
1957 Dodge D100
1967 VW Microbus 21 Window
2001 Suburban
2004 Beach cruiser bicycle
-----------------GO DUKE!-----------------

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here." Patrick Henry 1776
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  #2  
Old 07-19-2003, 02:27 PM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Walnut,CA,USA
Posts: 554
That is a fun DIY job...........
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MB STARS Master Guild Technician,17 years MB tech
14 years independent shop owner
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  #3  
Old 07-19-2003, 07:01 PM
I told you so!
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Motor City, MI
Posts: 2,853
That's a typical result for a DIYer -- repair rather than replace parts. You save twice. Once on labor, again on the part.

Shops don't have that luxury. They don't have the time and they can't afford to chance that the repair won't take.
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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K
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  #4  
Old 07-21-2003, 02:42 AM
azhari
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Power window switch

drbrandini

Recently, I had a problem with the front power window switch.Window would go down, but not up.

Took the switch out and apart (out of curiousity).

It was exactly the same scenario!

I cleaned all the electrical contacts of the switch.

Used contact cleaner on the ball bearings and springs...

Also had the same amount of fun balancing the ball bearings (there are 2!) in the middle of the springs when re-assembling the two pieces of the switch back together!

Switch works like a charm!

Unintentionally (yeah, right!) saved 30 bucks!
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  #5  
Old 07-21-2003, 08:37 AM
I told you so!
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Motor City, MI
Posts: 2,853
One trick to keeping small parts like ball bearings in place during assembly is to tack them onto the part with grease. I don't know what the switches look like so I'm not sure if this tip applies.
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  #6  
Old 07-21-2003, 11:50 AM
drbrandini's Avatar
GO DUKE!
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Wrightsville Beach NC
Posts: 1,512
Re: Power window switch

Quote:
Originally posted by azhari
drbrandini

Recently, I had a problem with the front power window switch.Window would go down, but not up.

Took the switch out and apart (out of curiousity).

It was exactly the same scenario!

I cleaned all the electrical contacts of the switch.

Used contact cleaner on the ball bearings and springs...

Also had the same amount of fun balancing the ball bearings (there are 2!) in the middle of the springs when re-assembling the two pieces of the switch back together!

Switch works like a charm!

Unintentionally (yeah, right!) saved 30 bucks!
Isn't it a great feeling ??
__________________
Brandon



2008 S550
1957 Dodge D100
1967 VW Microbus 21 Window
2001 Suburban
2004 Beach cruiser bicycle
-----------------GO DUKE!-----------------

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here." Patrick Henry 1776
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  #7  
Old 07-21-2003, 12:04 PM
azhari
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Yesssssssss!!!!

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