Howdy,

I'm doing the always popular 108 body heater lever replacement. Everything's going well: I've got the lever assy out and didn't loose any clips or damage anything, but I've got some problems.

First, this obviously isn't the first time my car's lever assy has been out. Someone has removed them and "repaired" them before. The previous mechanic was obiously trying to get around replacing the broken "caps" on the end of the cylindrical clear plastic lenses.

The problem is that one of the caps that holds the light bulb is broken so there is no way to screw the cap to the cylindrical lens. The previous mechanic's solution was to drill a big 'ol honkin' hole through the entire assembly and insert the biggest freekn' bolt in the whole assembly.

Being broken, and bolted together (sort of), I don't think there is enough support for the lens/cap/lever assembly. This is probably why they broke: The bolt shifted and let the levers on that side slip sideways.

Question is: Are these plastic parts for sale NOS or aftermarket? I'd surely like to just replace them all and have it working as new. How about just the black end caps? I can polish out the clear lenses. Any part numbers out there? The plastic cap that plugs into the power source is broken anyway at the screw, so it doesn't go together very well either.

Simpler question: Which bulbs do I order. Mine still look OK, but I'd like to replace them now while I have it out. Any part no's? I didn't see anything on fastlane that looked appropriate.

Thanks,

Sholin

__________________
What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

Sholin,

The clear cylinders do clean up nicely. I used a little light oil and a rag, cleaned all those years of gunk right off. As for the end caps, I'm thinking your best bet is gonna be a dismantler. You'll probably end up having to get a complete assembly though just to get those caps. If FastLane had them, they would be listed under the heater control tab.

I haven't a clue on the bulbs, I thought the Osram 12v3w bulbs were gonna be in there too, but those are some mighty tiny bulbs, with an unusual lock pin arrangement. Probably gonna be a dealer item (mine looked good, it was the weekend, so I took the chance they will survive).

Glad to hear you didn't drop any of the clips, but getting them out isn't the problem - putting them back in is. Fortunately, they seem to land on the duct work or fall all the way to the bottom of the A/C unit. Just make sure you the center cover off, the one between the dash and tranny hump, and you can see the area where they land. I dropped several of the clips in trying to install them, and was able to retrieve all.

Make sure you don't lose the spring loaded, double ended contact from the old switch lever. It's fitted into the hole offset from the double contact bars. You have to reuse that spring loaded contact. I cleaned the ends with a bit of crocus cloth before installing. I also used just a touch of assembly lube on the levers where they contacted the cylinder and the heater control unit, and I used light oil to lube the cable ends at the jacket.

When you start to reassemble the unit to the dash, set all levers to the midway point. This will make it easier to install the chrome bezel. It almost takes three hands to hold the bezel and control unit together while trying to attach the nuts . For example, on the driver's side nut I held the bezel against the dash with my right hand, then using the little finger of my left, I pulled the control unit against the dash and spun the nut with my left thumb and index. Once started, it's a piece of cake .

Hope this helps, keep us posted.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Thanks Mike,

I probably will stop by the dismantler here in OKC tomorrow. I don't have alot of hope that they will have good caps sitting around, but it won't hurt to ask. The plastic is really brittle and I need to replace them. If not, I may end up fabricating aluminum strengthening plates for the inner and outer part of the cap.

The real problems stem from the fact that one of the caps won't hold a screw because the part that held the screw has broken off. The other has a sector broken out so it only incompletely holds the cylinder.

I probably will hit the cylinders with a plastic buf that I have to clean them up a bit.

Say Mike, do either of your caps have a bolt through the middle? One has a smallish bolt and the other has a very large bolt to hold the stack together.

Also, do yours have shims of any kind? One side had homemade shims and the other had nothing.

The biggest problem in fixing stuff is if it has been "fixed" before by someone who damaged it. I'd be done if the parts were merely "old" and not "old and broken".

I hope I can get back to reassembling this next week. I probably shouldn't get in too much of a rush because I have to rework the radio wiring back to OEM. The PO had a cheapo stereo installed and kindof butchered the wiring.

Oh well, I guess I've never seen a car more than 15 yrs old without some cheapo stereo wiring job.

Till next time....


Sholin

__________________
What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

Sholin,

I think the only cap that had a screw through the middle was the top right. It actually had two screws, one centered and one offset. That is the cap that the electrical connection for lighting is attached. The the bottom cap holds the optic bar for ashtray lighting. I can't remember right now how that center screw attached, if to the lower portion of the two piece cap or to the clear cylinder. I had no shims under the levers/caps. Mine too had been previously repaired so I don't know if there are supposed to be any or not.

I was able to clean out all of the alien wiring for the stereo and can replace all of the original equipment ends easily. If you are putting in an aftermarket stereo and need a constant 12v for memory etc, try this. The bottom leg of the glove box switch is always hot, I put an eyelet on the yellow constant and put the eyelet over the bottom post, then installed the plug. Works great, neat install, no extra wires running under the dash to the fuse block (and just wrapped around the fuse post ends like the PO did).

I did all my stereo work after reassembly of the heater levers. With the instrument cluster and glove box removed there is plenty of access to the wiring, and unless you have a center dash speaker, no wiring goes up, it is all in the lower portion of the dash.

If the dismantler has one where parts of the dash have already been pulled, you might be able to use a shorty screwdriver and pull the caps without having to remove the control unit. Just a thought.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Thanks for the info.

And really big time thanks for the tip on transferring the spring loaded contact out of the blue lever. I almost forgot.

I think you got it right: There isn't any cap/lever/lens stack with a bolt through the whole thing--this was left by a bungled repair job.

I believe I know where all the screws are supposed to go so all I have to do is repair/replace/reinforce the plastic cap parts so that the screws hold an I'm home. I'm going to go by the boneyard tomorrow and see if I can't get access to one.

As for the wiring, I've got some tracing to do, but I should be able to figure it out. The cheapo stereo I took out had memory so it's wired to the battery. I've got a Becker Europa mono, but am going to upgrade it through Becker North America this month to a Europa II. The only slight problem I'm having is that one of the cables has been lopped off. One of them is still available (round DIN, looks something like a keyboard connector), but I'm sure I've got some work to do. For one thing, the speakers are rewired with the new wires going randomly under the carpet--disgraceful. I may preserve this, however, and route it appropriately and connect it to the Europa II pigtail behind the stereo.

You're right about access: I can get to everything now that all the dash components are out.

I've got to take the inst. cluster out again anyway to send the speedo off for repair. Should probably do this now, but I want to drive my car.

Thanks,

Sholin

p.s. Wow, I didn't realize just how dark the original wood finish was. Under the chrome bezel for the heater levers, it's much darker than the rest of the dash.

__________________
What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

The wood under the bezel on mine is a beautiful chocolate brown. I can only imagine what the entire dash looked like in that deep color. Must have been absolutely wonderful. Time has mine looking more like a dark maple rather than the deep walnut.

Once the speedo is out, you can position the water and oil gauges back in the opening. With the gauges hooked up, you can still drive if you need to, but you wont know how fast, or have any dash lights. The turn signals and all exterior lighting still function, but I don't know if the alternator light is part of the circut, if it is you will not be charging.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Thanks for the information. Question- How do you take the center speaker cover off? Mine doesn't have the speaker inside.

Thanks,

__________________
Shea

See All My Mercedes-Benz Cars And Other Cars (Click Here)

Visit http://www.cform.net/

Four phillips head screws at each corner of the grate. Underneath you'll find a cardboard/hardboard blanking plate, probably held in place by two rubber pieces. Try to gently pull them from their sockets, but if time has acted upon them like happened to mine, they will just tear. Haven't found replacements yet.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

I looked for the screws of the corner of the grate but I didn't see any. I'm looking for a new grate but haven't found one yet.

__________________
Shea

See All My Mercedes-Benz Cars And Other Cars (Click Here)

Visit http://www.cform.net/

Something about my answer didn't feel right. Went out and looked, there are only two screws at the corners furthest from the glass. Here is a close up of where the screwhead is located (one at each corner).



Sorry for the dirty glass, but the weather has been kinda yuk here the past couple days.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

I know now why I can't find the screws, the grate on mine is differnet. My grate is no plastic it is made out of some sort of fabric instead.

__________________
Shea

See All My Mercedes-Benz Cars And Other Cars (Click Here)

Visit http://www.cform.net/