500SL seat cushions are EASY to remove!!!
 

First of all thanks to MBenz for pointing me in the right direction!!!:D

After waiting several months for my wife to quit driving the car (it's 30-40F avg. last weekend) I could finally attempt to repair some problems with the driver's side seat.

Five screws hold everything together!!!

There are two 10mm anodized machine bolts under the front of the seat cushion. Remove those and lift and slide forward. Front cushion out!!! You can then see the two prongs that hold the rear of the front cushion in place. So install is the reverse of removal.

Move the seatback forward and there are three screws that are located underneath the seatback. Two take a 4mm hex wrench and the larger one requires a torx or a larger hex wrench...I found them to be different on each seat, so I think it had been worked on once? Anyway, it slides down, then out...prongs are also used to hold the upper portion of the seatback.

Turned out the grinding noises were caused by a variety of loose change that had fallen across the seat tracks...also fixed the seatback latch whch had misplaced a screw.

Still have other things to fix (intermittent seatbelt warning light), but with the seat cushions out, EVERYTHING is in plain view for repair or maintenance!

Thanks again, MBenz! :cool:

Hope this helps anyone else interested in saving A LOT of $$$$$ ;)