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  #1  
Old 10-10-2008, 05:06 PM
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my '87 300D is falling apart!

All of the sudden I've got all these issues with my wife's '87 300D and I'm struggeling to keep up. Any help on the following would be appreciated:

1) I replaced the right rear inside door panel. It seemed pretty simple, but when I got done, the pneumatic lock system no longer worked and the seat belt alert light (center ceiling by the sun roof controls) started blinking even tho we're buckled in. These two problems started at precisely the same time: no problems before I replaced the door panel, but problems immediately after I replaced the panel. I took it apart and reassembled but but couldn't see how this could be been related other than the door lock arm that connects to the door handle. What could I have done replacing the door panel to cause this?

2) The heater/aircon fan has stopped pushing air. I noticed that a few of the buttons on the env control were acting a little flakey before so I suspect that the problem is just that the env control unit needs to be replaced. How can I troubleshoot this to confirm that the buttons are the source of the problem?

3) Last thing, someone got into the car and tried to break into the glove compartment... in the process damaged the dash, the glove compartment and the lower dash....so I've got to pull it and replace it. How big of a job is it to get this out and back in?...am I biting off too much?...I'm moderately intuitive with car maintenance but I only have a mainteanance manual for my '85 and don't have one for my '87.

Thanks for any advice on any of these three issues. -Harv

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  #2  
Old 10-10-2008, 05:49 PM
pawoSD's Avatar
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I don't know if I'd call that "falling apart" I'd call it a minor electrical issue, normal repairs (probably need a new fuse/blower/relay or something for the fan issue) and "vandalism" for the last one.

All in all those repairs could all probably be made in 1-2 hours.


You need to see a car that really needs some love, then you'd be scared!
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'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
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  #3  
Old 10-10-2008, 05:52 PM
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way too difficult to handle, give me your address, and I'll come tow it away for you.
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  #4  
Old 10-10-2008, 05:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
way too difficult to handle, give me your address, and I'll come tow it away for you.
Thats ok, I am closer, I'll gladly tow it away for him.
__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)
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  #5  
Old 10-10-2008, 06:32 PM
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OK, so I was exaggerating....it is not really falling apart but I've got three troublesome issues all at the same time.

For the comment about an electrical problem...are you suggesting that the combination pneumatic door lock failure & seatbelt alert light are related to an electrical problem?

And for the heater blower, if it is the relay, how do I test for that? Or how do I rule out the button controls?

Thanks -harv
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  #6  
Old 10-10-2008, 07:09 PM
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Replacing the dash will take you a bit longer --- I think you ought to drive the car down here and after we have struggled it for 3 days; you will want to leave it here. I'll pay for your flight home.

Of course, I would have to hide the car --- my wife would shoot me if I "acquired" another Mercedes.
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Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
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04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more
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  #7  
Old 10-10-2008, 10:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daw_two View Post
Replacing the dash will take you a bit longer --- I think you ought to drive the car down here and after we have struggled it for 3 days; you will want to leave it here. I'll pay for your flight home.

Of course, I would have to hide the car --- my wife would shoot me if I "acquired" another Mercedes.
It's a good thing you don't chase women like you chase Mercedes!
Hmmmm, makes me want to go for a barbecue buffet......
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'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
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'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John
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  #8  
Old 10-10-2008, 11:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arnoneh View Post
All of the sudden I've got all these issues with my wife's '87 300D and I'm struggeling to keep up. Any help on the following would be appreciated:

1) I replaced the right rear inside door panel. It seemed pretty simple, but when I got done, the pneumatic lock system no longer worked and the seat belt alert light (center ceiling by the sun roof controls) started blinking even tho we're buckled in. These two problems started at precisely the same time: no problems before I replaced the door panel, but problems immediately after I replaced the panel. I took it apart and reassembled but but couldn't see how this could be been related other than the door lock arm that connects to the door handle. What could I have done replacing the door panel to cause this?


Thanks for any advice on any of these three issues. -Harv
I know EXACTLY what the problem is here, because I have undergone it before. You have a burned out fuse as a result of the wires that connect the under-door courtesy light being shorted to the frame of the car. The short may still exist, or you may have hit it as you installed and then broken the short again. Either way, you've got a fuse gone which is causing (for whatever reason) the constantly flashing alert light.

Replace the fuse once, if it pops again then you have a grounded out courtesy light. If it doesn't, you grounded it out during the installation.
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  #9  
Old 10-10-2008, 11:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyL View Post
It's a good thing you don't chase women like you chase Mercedes!
Hmmmm, makes me want to go for a barbecue buffet......
You are making me LOL, Jimmy. And it's too late at night for that.

Anyway, to the original poster, I had a "somewhat" similiar (okay it is just vaguely similiar) in that my overhead inside lights on the warning light display would not go off when in the proper switch position. I replaced the module (the thing between the inside rear view mirror and the sunroof) and I haven't had any issues. Must have been a bad switch\circuit board\etc. in that thing. Yes, there is a circuit board up there. This would be on a w126, of course.
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Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
Cluster Needles Paint
New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more
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  #10  
Old 10-10-2008, 11:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daw_two View Post
You are making me LOL, Jimmy. And it's too late at night for that.

I knew I was playing to a small audience. Glad you were out there.......
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'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John
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  #11  
Old 10-11-2008, 01:03 AM
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R&R of the lower dash panel and the glove box and its door are easy jobs. The dash is a larger job but has been described in detail in this forum and is not difficult if you have good instructions. I used those instructions when I pulled an uncracked replacement dash from a junkyard car for installation into my '87.

If you do pull the dash, you should take the time to replace all of the climate control vacuum pods. Dash removal is a fairly time-consuming job, not one you really want to repeat any more than necessary.

The problem with your lock system could be either an air line or an electrical connector or wire (damaged or disconnected). Remember that the actuators work on air (pressure or vacuum) but can also be triggered by an electrical switch connected to the front door or trunk key switches. The rear doors have only air lines for their locks so I would suspect that before an electrical problem. Can you lock all of the doors by pressing down the driver's door knob? Can you lock all the doors with a key from outside?

The door switches (that operate the interior lights) are wired together via the alarm system in a complicated progression that makes diagnosis difficult. As busted says in post #8, check for shorts in the door wiring. You could also have a broken/shorted wire or wires in the B pillar or in the cable that goes through the rubber boot from the B pillar to the rear door. The puddle lamp wiring and the power window wiring is in there as well as the door switch and its wires.

The climate control blower problem could be the switch assembly, the transistor speed control, or the fan itself. I haven't had a lot of experience with the 124 system myself; the easiest test may be to find the blower wires and connect them directly to 12 volts to see if the blower is good or not.

Jeremy
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Our all-Diesel family
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Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
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  #12  
Old 10-11-2008, 01:39 AM
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Thanks for the advice....I'll check the fuses and for a short in the wiring tomorrow.

For the dash, it looks like I'm looking at about $400 for the three pieces (main dash, glovebox, and right lower dash) shipped. Does that sound about right?

-Harv
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  #13  
Old 10-12-2008, 10:53 AM
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What year and what color interior? I might have some dash parts I can shoot your way, the top pad is the tough part to get though.

R&R of the dash is probably a 3 in difficulty. Mostly dexterity and being sure you get the defrost unhooked/reconnected properly, and not dropping parts inside. I posted a 124 dash removal thread a year or so ago, no photos though, ... I can take photos of my spare dash if you need any inside photos. Extend the steering first, wheel can stay on, your choice, if you're a heavy person it might be easier removed, I'm not.

I agree with the vacuum-pod replacement suggestion.

Ditto also on checking the fan/blower first. The wiper assembly comes off to service the blower and the speed controller beneath it, if it isn't the fuse. Pretty easy, probably a 1.5 in difficulty.
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  #14  
Old 10-12-2008, 11:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arnoneh View Post
. . . For the dash, it looks like I'm looking at about $400 for the three pieces (main dash, glovebox, and right lower dash) shipped. Does that sound about right?

-Harv
I didn't know the dash was available new (?) . . . but even good used interior/trim parts are not easy to find for a 21-year-old car. If that's what you have to pay for a replacement, that's what you have to pay. I paid about $50 for my dash but I pulled it myself at the local junkyard. Shipping is expensive because of the dimensions of the dash – you are paying for the equivalent of a 50 pound package.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970
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