Malfunctioning power seat button
 

My driver's side power seat button on my '97 E420 will move the seat forward when I push it to move back. All other functions on the seat adjustment switch work well and the seat will go back when I hit one of the memory buttons. Any ideas on fixes for this or will I need a new switch?

If the battery has been dis-connected/replaced recently, the version coding of the seat control module may need to be corrected. The issue is what kind of seat motors(Bosch/Temic) the vehicle is equipped with. This should be checked before any parts are replaced.

No recent battery disconnects or drained battery.

This is a common problem on the E Class of that year range. What happens is a solder connection to the pin that holds the switch to the circuit board comes loose and therefore gets no response when you move the switch. Check out MBCA's article in "The Star" on pages 86 and 87 of the current issue and it tells you how to make this repair on your own without replacing the switch assembly at a cost of $130.00. Good luck! Happy Benzing
Brian

I'm not a member of MBCA so I don't get The Star. I'll PayPal you $5.00 if you can scan and e-mail those pages for me. Thanks for the info.

If you send me an email I will scan and reply to you with the pdf document. My email is bwheitman@sbcglobal.net I would be happy to help out a fellow MB owner so no charge! You might want to join the MBCA, it is only $45 a year and you get the Star, you also get free technical assistance and quite a good discount at your local MB dealer that will more than pay for your membership when you buy some parts! So send me an email and I will shoot it back! Happy Benzing!!
Brian

http://www.mbca.org/

e-mail sent. Thanks a lot!