380 SL windshield resevoir
 

Hi, I have an 85, 380 SL, and my windshield resevoir leaks, was wondering if anyone knows if there are any windshield resevoirs interchangeable from any other Mercedes other than an SL. A new one is 299.00, so I was hoping for a used one from another Mercedes. Perhaps a pre. 85? Or any other year that might be a little less expensive.
Thanks!
D.

think any reservoir from any 81-89 SL will fit.

The 86-89 is different and has a level sensor.

85,380 SL. Windshield Resevoir
 

thanks for reply, but I was thinking any other Mercedes than an SL.
Something Pre. 1985. At 299.00 for a new resevoir I was hoping to get one from a parts car.
thanks!

Aftermarket?
 

JC whitney has an aftermarket bag reservoir for $20. It's not stock but it works great. The JC Whitney part number is ZX179167R.

Try this link

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/1360897-parts-car.html

John Roncallo

Steve,

Thanks for the info on this. The reservoir on my 81 380sl is cracked, too, and the cheapest replacement I could find was 229.00. I was thinking about trying to repair it with a glue/sealer that supposedly worked on polyethylene and other "slippery plastics." But this looks like a far better solution.

Can you tell us how easy or hard it was to install; how you attached it to the fender; and how and where you installed the push button on the dash.

Thanks

Richard Wooldridge
 

You might want to check and see if it's leaking around the rubber washer/gasket that the washer motor mounts through - these do get hard and begin leaking after many years. They are very cheap to replace. The newer reservoirs are different in that they have a second motor mount area molded into the case design to accommodate a second washer motor for headlight washers, but will work fine in older SLs, my '82 has one. If you get a newer style you must also get a rubber plug for the second washer motor mount hole.

The JC Whitney "bag" got me thinking -- would it be possible to line you current resevoir with some heavy duty plastic bag, clamping the top around the rim of the resevoir, and then putting the tubes, float mechanism and washer fluid within the liner? You might lose a small amount of volume as a result but the resevoir itself would provide a structure for the liner and liner would keep the fluid in the reservoir. You might have to change the liner out after a while (maybe a year depending on how cold a winter you have and how thick the liner is and how corrosive washer fluid is) -- but that's a lot cheaper than a new resevoir.

thoughts?

If you have a crack, you could try one of those plastic welders from Harbor Freight. They have three different welding rods for different plastics. I have used one on plastic bumpers with decent results (though it may not be pretty). Practice is important. Of course, if it doesn't work, you would definitely need to find another reservoir.

I was thinking that it would be a good idea for someone to make a plastic insert that would expand to fit the reservoir. But the problem with these ideas would be how to attach the pump that's under the reservoir to the bottom of the bag with a water-tight seal. Probably not even worth the effort.

I was hoping it was a seal. But as it turned out, my reservoir has several cracks that are just too big to repair. So, the JC Whitney bag still seems like the best option -- especially if it's not too difficult to install, and the pump can still be activated by pushing the turn signal in. So, I'm hoping Oceanfront with tell us more about it?

I was thinking about that after I wrote my initial remarks and then went to find a photograph of a washer resevoir -- I noted that the pumping mechanism does not come through the top as I had imagined (if you haven't guessed I am not a mechanic :)). I suppose if you cut a hole (or perhaps punch a round hole so as to avoid stress tears in the liner) in the liner to accomodate the entrance of the whatever tube or pipe connects to the pump and the seal it the way that tube is already sealed to the original tank (probably some rubber washer held tightly by a threaded pipe connector and maybe a bead of silicon on the outside of the reservoir) you would have the same seal as before, however this increases the difficulty of such an installation. An interesting diy project and maybe still cheaper than a new tank?