Been doing some tinkering on my 420SEL over the last two weekends. Have been having some surge problems with the cruise. Last week I opened up the actuator and cleaned / lubed all contacts and gears, and cleaned/lubed ALL related rods and pivots under the hood. This weekend I resoldered the cruise AMP. All seems to be functioning normal now. Easy job...very rewarding. Also changed the sump gasket....one more leak gone.

This weekend I used my Leatherique (sp?) kit to refurbish my center arm rest. HOLY COW, did it turn out nice! Yes I can tell it's been repaired, but considering what I started with (superficial cracks), the result looks professional. The dye was a perfect match. A word of advice; don't use any more crack filler than necessary...you gotta sand off what's not needed! Hope to do the rear bench next week.

Also this weekend I tried to install my used Bocsh euro headlights and ran into a snag. I have wipers on my car now, but the brackets don't line up with mounting holes on the bottom of the lights. I can see that; US wipers and Euro lights...but neither light has the same bottom hole pattern. The drivers side only one hole lines up, and the passenger side no holes line up. I do know that one light looks newer than the other, but aside from the hole issue they are the same. Any ideas? Would really like to retain the wipers. Do I foresee some bracket frabrication ahead?

you need euro wiper motors. Or delete the feature. I may have some. But they are surely barried. Email me if you really want me to look.

change your brake light bulbs to german bulbs with silver base. That usually helps a lot too.

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Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.