all the hidden engineering marvels of mercedes
 

hey guys when people buy these old benz's like 86-95 do they ever stop to think of all the hidden things going on under the hood of a benz, such as the recirculating pump for heat,the heating coiled wires around the windshield fluid lines to prevent lines from freezing, the bladder at lower portion of window to prevent ice build up on wiper blade,the heated coil inside wiper fluid res.the fact that the pass outside mirror is power and the drivers side is manual,do they ever stop to think wow thats really amazing that they thought of all this stuff,also thats part of why my car is so expensive? also,is this stuff worth keeping maintained,i noticed on my car allot of this stuff is so old and brittle it stopped working, i guess 22 years will do that.

Yes, they were built to a standard and not a cost set forward by a bean counter.

Yes when everything is functioning they operate like a precision swiss watch, true engineered works of art

Bladder to prevent freezing? What models had that one?

mine has it for sure 1989 300ce,im not sure how many models have it,there is a bladder that fills up with heated engine coolant when u start the engine you can sometimes hear a girgling sound around the dash area,this is the bladder filling up with warm engine coolant so that it will melt any accumulated ice along bottom of windshield and wiper.its truely another reason why mercedes are one of the finest engineered machines on the road.i think most of the 85-95 e classes have it.

Bladder of ReCirculating Coolant @ Windshield
 

LYL,

Look at the coolant setup of your W126!

W126

I have never seen this setup before. Can you post a picture?

I agree. When working, their engineering concepts are beyond the day of their time in foreward thinking and practicality. Question I have now, is, are they still like that with their newer cars or is it now status quo match with everyone else? Hyundai is now a viscous competitor? BMW?

I recently changed out an alternator on a 07 S550 and it was straight forward as all get out. I will say the computer stuff makes diagnostics ALOT easier nowadays.

Edit - after thinking about it a little the alternator was easier to change out than say a 85 300D in my opinion.

The W126 has the windshield glass heater too. You can't see it easily, but it connects to that tangle of coolant lines between the firewalls.

I also like how the heater blows warm air into the door cars, which turns the doors into gentle radiators. You get a nice soft even heating of the cabin. And how the rain gutters along the windshield prevent splashes from getting onto the side windows. And how the gutters along the edges of the side mirrors keep their glass clean. And how the rear defroster wires are so fine you can't see them.

But a few things still baffle me... like the automatic defrost when you first start the car. That would be great if the evaporator was already cold, but when you first start it's not and it ends up blowing warm moist air onto the glass. Or how they could put a wimpy 70 amp alternator on a car with so many electrical gizmos.

-J

Marvel
 

Have an 89 300TE 225000 miles everyday driver, everything works, do my own maintenance, and nothing comes close to the comfort at 90mph cruising the hwy. getting 22 miles to the gallon and driving a tank

Yes. ;)

Learned something new! When I read bladder, I was thinking of something more external. Like on aircraft that have those anti-icing things that inflate. So its on the inside at the base of the windshield? I assume that is why there is such a huge area masked off at the bottom.

there is no "bladder", the gurgling sound is the climate control switchover valve, common issue on the w124. The base of the windshield is heated by a metal assembly with a pipe of coolant running through it.

Is there any consequence to this gurgling?

Thanks,

glenmore
1991 300CE