W124 Evaporator Replacement
 

Evaporator has got to come out of my 87 300TD. Was wondering if the steering wheel has to come off to get the dash out. If anyone who has done an evaporator could shed some light on this I sure would appreciate some advice.

The steering wheel, dash, console, everything has to come out.

The evaporator is buried in there.

It is a 15.5 hour shop at a shop, and is not an easy job for a DIY. Some mechanics even have trouble doing it, and have been known to tow cars to a Mercedes specialist or a dealer to finish the car.

Suginami is correct...
 

EXCEPT, the steering wheel does not have to come out. However, it will make your life a LOT easier if it comes out.:eek:
It is not hard to remove the steering wheel but, do not forget to disconnect the air bag.;)

How do you know if your evaporator is bad? What's the tipoff?

Thanks,

Matt
'94 E320

To determine a bad evaporator:

The first clue is warm air coming out of the vents during the summer time. After that event you check to see if the refrigerant has leaked out of the system.

You then must recharge the system and put in UV dye. You watch for the UV dye with a black light. If the blacklight shows the UV dye in the condensation drain water below the car, the evaporator is leaking.

Under shop conditions, you can put in 4 oz. of R22 and pressurize with nitrogen, then use an electronic sniffer. Since you can't get to the evaporator very easily, it's not the best way.

This is NOT what you want to happen to your 124 MB. I cross my fingers every spring, and so far I've been lucky.

Good luck,

It is a complex job but, it aint that bad. Yes, the wheel should be removed but, I've seen it done without removing the wheel but by dropping the column. Be sure to replace the recirc door flap elements while your there, along with any that look imposible with the dash on. :D


Joe