300SE - Sticky window switches

[irobertson]

Hi all,

I have a small issue with my driver's side front and rear window switches.
The left work fine, and you can feel them engage in both up and down positions.
The driver's side switches both engage in the up, but not in the down.
No matter how hard you press, they never seem to "click".
It feels like they are jammed in some way.
Has anyone had this problem?
Has anyone replaced these switches, and if so, is it a relatively easy job?

cheers

[Cal Learner]

You don't say whether the windows on the side you're referring to actually operate, and if your question is simply related to how those switches feel when pressed, or whether the windows don't operate at all with the offending switches. I have never looked on the inside of those switches, so don't know if they are designed to "click" when pressed in the up or down positions. It seems to me that in mine, some do and some don't, altho I have only OE switches installed. Nevertheless, the windows operate just fine either way. I do know, however, that when my driver's side front window switch eventually got "mushy" and sloppy feeling, it was broken, because it no longer activated the window motor. Frankly, if I had my druthers, I'd like the switches not to click, but to have a nice smooth rocking motion up and down.

As for replacement, that's about the easiest DIY job on your car. The console wood trim removes readily by removing a single screw under the mat in the console tray (at least on the E class), and the switches pull straight up off their electrical connectors. Press the replacement switch onto the electrical connector, re-fit the wood trim around the shifter and re-tighten the screw. Total elapsed time: 2 minutes.

[S-Class Guru]

My friend, someone spilled coffee or a soft drink on your console, and gummed up your switches. They should have a nice firm movement with a detent and a click.

Chances are, all you need to do is pull them out and give them a good spray with WD40. I've had to do this several times in the past 20 years, but all are still working great. Also, while in there you can transplant the drivers switch to the rear, since that is the one that sees the most use.

1. Find the black plastic 3" by 5" (approx) ring that surrounds the shifter.
Slide a credit card or padded wedge gently under it and lift it straight up. it won't break, it's held in by slip pins.
2. Pull the ashtray, and find the two phillips screws on the rail under the inside of the ashtray holder. Remove those, then pull the ashtray holder out - it sometimes sticks a bit, but wiggle it. Observe the light wiring.
3. lift out the coin tray.
4. Push the wooden console/switch holder forward and lift it right up.
5. Pull the wires off everything, then you can see how to just pop the switches out. You might not pry on the wiring sockets with a metal tool unless you unhook the battery!
6. Spray liberally with WD40, work them a bit, and reinstall. all the window switches are interchangeable.

If they still don't work properly, check Ebay.

Very easy, took longer to write this than to do it.

Oh, the 15 second fix is to spray the WD 40 from the top intio the rocker arm of the switch, but that's sooo crude.
DG

[babymog]

The window switches on the early (pre-'90?) are interchangeable, the later ones have the "express down" feature on the front ones, different switches.

Some might balk, but when my daughter made a mess of her window switches, I removed them all and rinsed under warm water, shook them out, have been working great since. Seems the water dissolves the sugars etc., but not the grease. WD-40 dissolves the grease.