What is this thing?
 

I have seen this black thing coming out of the bumper now on a few pictures of Wagons but not seen one in person. I think there is normally a Plate adapter over them when I have seen them. I guess.... but I thought when I saw it in a few pictures it was some sort of damage. Now having seen it a couple times I am fairly certain it is not....

Red arrow pointing to the black item I am wondering about....

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r...iteWagon-1.jpg

It looks like the outside temperature sending unit.

Hmm.... seems an odd place to put it. I guess it would normally be hidden by a tag mounting plate... but seems all the ones I see on other makes are behind the bumper or something like that. Out of the way of the front like that anyway.

Matt is correct. Outside Temp sensor.

Outside temp sensor, thats they way MB does it.

Interesting.

I suppose, from what I have seen, there is normally a plastic plate that the front tag might be mounted on that is missing in that picture?

has anyone simply relocated that to hide it and protect it? Looks like its coming through a rubber grommet?

Mercedes used to put it on the left side of the bumper, just a tiny hole in the crack between the bumper and rub-strip. Moved it mid-year '87.

Correct that the plate holder or blank covers the wiring and hole.

Ah.... I see one on this 94

Would seem to me it would be a cleaner look to move it. Rather than return the cover tag plate.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r...ip/MBGold1.jpg

Major grill style change in these two years too.

It is installed there as it is one of the best locations to avoid engine temperature playing trick games on the real outside temperature.

I had a Lincoln that had the sensor behind the radiator grille and every time the car was started after it had been used before the outside temp read 110 when it was a fresh 74 outside.

Darker colors look better.

One of mine has the blank filler instead of the plate holder (needs matching paint), you can hardly see it on the blank one, no big ugly hole and wire. I think the US plate holder is ugly, unless it happens to have a plate on it (which is its purpose), no front plates here.

Could put a nice Euro plate on it like my car. :D

Is this the case on all Mercedes that have an outside temp display?

AFAIK, its in the same spot on your W126.

Put a Euro plate on the front, the sensor bolts to the bracket and covers it quite nicely.

How common is it for them to go bad? My display changes but does not seem to be anywhere close to correct.

I don't know, mine has allways been pretty accurite. I don't even know what there is to the system, never really had a reason to look at it.