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W140 Buyers guide

224K views 189 replies 51 participants last post by  jal1224 
#1 · (Edited)
New W140 Prepurchase owner's may like to read this .Dont Get Scared .

http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=review&make=Mercedes-Benz&model=S-Class&gen=1247
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NEW LINK .
https://www.mbca.org/star-article/m...s-class-sedans-and-coupes-and-cl-class-coupes
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W140 S-Class Buyers guide

February 2008

I’ve had several e-mails asking me where to purchase one and what to look for. So having searched the web and spoken to several W140 owners I have a brief outline of what to look for, it is by no means everything but it will point you in the right direction. Firstly and most importantly these are very extremely complex automobiles and the oldest ones are now sixteen years old, time fly’s in the automotive world.
What to pay is a question regularly asked and the answer is buy on condition not price, a high price will not ensure a good car. In fact it may be a desperate owner trying to claw back some cash for the wad of invoices he hasn’t shown you. The W140 is now a third generation old S-Class and with W220 prices taking a pounding anyone expecting to get a good price for a W140 could be waiting a very long time. I have seen them right down at $10,000 for a high mileage 92 model right through to $50,000 for a perfect condition 98 model, there is no W140 out there that is worth more the $50,000.
These car’s were extremely complex by nature and therefore will never be a cheap car to maintain/own. There is no getting past the fact that the car was designed using computers and the ultimate consideration was how the car drove, not how easy it was for a mechanic to swing a spanner around it. As such any repairs can lead to heart stopping bills, especially on the V8 and V12 models, that isn’t saying the six’s are cheap to repair they are simply a little less complex. One particular job that mechanics spend two days doing is replacing the aircon evaporator, the entire dash board has to come out and in a W140 this is no small feat. So not only do you get a bill for a very expensive part, but also a bill for somewhere between 18 to 30 hours labour usually enough for anyone’s heart to flutter.
So moving on to what goes wrong, well the air-conditioning on pre 95 models have had evaporator fail’s, the cause of this was found to be a chemical reaction between dissimilar metals. The plumbing to the evaporator was incompatible and as such corroded the evaporator connections and hence a leak in the system means no gas no aircon. Most earlier models have had the aircon overhauled, make sure it has otherwise a four to five thousand dollar bill is a possibility. In saying this there are early model cars that have never had aircon issues luck of the draw I guess.
The next biggest issue is the fuel injection harnesses, this afflicts all Mercedes models from 95 to 98 and a W140 harness isn’t cheap. In the V12 engines it is quite a laborious job so expect a big bill, most cars now have had the harness replaced with the new improved version, if not seek a discount on the car you are purchasing. These are very heavy cars and as such any car that has passed the 200,000km mark, will need suspension work. The bushes in the suspension sub frames wear out simply because of the sheer mass of the car, the bushes them selves aren’t expensive but it is no mean feat fitting a set.
The non self levelling cars have been known to crack the front road springs, specialist tools are required for their removal so when test driving, drive hard into the comers find a pothole and listen for the dreaded clunk. Another job that is very common is the computer controlled vacuum pump which sits under the rear seat. It is a very versatile pump operating everything from the servos that pull the doors closed to the central locking and the boot handle. If just one door won’t lock or self close it’s a pump replacement and at $1800 they aren’t giving them away. A lot of people pull the fuse to reset the pump; it is only a temporary measure as the pump will actually suffer more damage using this trick.
Another item that worry people are the ECU’s the V12 has a total of seven just for the engine, however they are rarely known to give trouble providing no novices have been playing around. The five speed automatics in latter models have been known to give trouble, most of it lies in the fact that there is no recommended oil change interval, as such many never have their transmission oil changed and the results are failed transmissions. Change the fluid every 60,000km and you should have no troubles. One last thing the electric window motor’s fail with age, the double glazed windows are very heavy and the motors work hard moving them up and down.
So by now your thinking this is all bad, true enough if you get an unloved example, However the engines themselves rarely give trouble the V8’s in particular are ultra reliable providing regular oil changes have taken place. The two sixes the 2.8 and 3.2 shouldn’t be written off as under powered once in the move they cruise effortlessly and are a far cheaper ownership proposition than the V8’s or the V12. The six’s have been known to have head gasket failure this can affect any car at any time, so check there is a history of coolant changes and you should be alright.
Why would you want one well there are many W140’s out Orange way with stella mileages on them. If you want a car to cruise the interstate then they don’t come any better than a W140, infact you often find higher mileage examples drive better than the city cars, a regularly driven W140 is a superb car and providing it is serviced properly it will provide many years of service. Drive one seldom and not maintain it and it is a licence for bankruptcy, sadly due to the cheaper purchase price now days many have become nothing but derelict money pits. There is no car that makes you feel as royal as a W140 and they were between $160,000- $340,000 new, as such your maintenance budget needs to be more than the budget you would have for say a C-Class. Most importantly never by one without a Mercedes Mechanic looking at it, these are fantastic cars but complexity is their nature and it’s only a mechanic that can tell you what that will cost.

Written By Mathew.Kean.
Thanks to Mr Mathew Kean from the Mercedes-Benz Club New South Wales - Australia
Thanks again More like this but nicer .....:thumbsup:
Within the Link Below you find More about this and some of the Facelift Changes .
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/search.php?searchid=5170748
And More Info about the Great MB W140 Cars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W140
 
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#44 ·
Hope you found or looking at a good Example of it ,know have a laugh with us below .
 

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#45 ·
But beware of the maintenance and take in consideration the age and advancement of these vehicles. w140s are some of the best engineered cars ever made and it shows. But with all that technology and age comes a price.

If you buy one make sure its low miles and has the entire history report of each repair. Can't stress that enough. I've seen some w140s I wouldn't touch with a 10ft pole and some that are most of the beautiful cars in the world.

I'd recommend the w124 or w126 to anyone who is scared of the maintenance woes with the w140. :p
 
#46 ·
Saw your note on the intention to purchase. I did the same six months ago and have found the guidance and insight from this forum to be on the mark on the risks and suggested repairs.

With a couple of exceptions, the maintenance requirements are no different than most other higher end vehicles. Engine mounts age, transmissions require fluid changes, water pumps fail, tune ups and oil changes are part of normal car upkeep. When a car is 15 or more years old, things age or deteriorate like sunroof seals.

The chronic headaches are well documented...wiring harness $1000, ac evap $2500 , MAF $400, ESP $400 , window regulators $100, ETA $+800. Either be prepared to learn how to do the work, or find an affordable independent mechanic

If you can stomach the expected re investment in your vehicle, you will have one of the world's finest automobiles surrounding you as your cruise down the road.

I paid $6000 for a 58,000 mile vehicle with nonexistent records which was in excellent condition based on pre purchase inspection. Did I pay too much, maybe. But the overall condition was too good to pass up. If I spend $5,000 and get 100,000 miles additional, I still only spent $11,000 for a 100k mile vehicle which is still a MB.
 
#47 · (Edited)
eh evap is 2500 for a hack job. 3200-4000 for a proper job. doesnt include blend doors which you might as well replace while there. couple hundred for those

water pumps dont fail. this isnt a VAG product.

our chain tensioners do fail. thats 1500 right there. to replace. not fix if it fails.

every single transmission will die. about 100k for the .6, 180 for .4, .5 unless you lose reverse way earlier which is almost a given.

engine mounts are not only a use item but a time item. replacement is mostly due to age, not use. every 5 years is a good interval. though they can last 10. depends. but if you can tell they need change, its a few years overdue


on a 15yo car, every single piece of rubber is due. that is a lot of expensive rubber. most pieces/hoses are 200+ a section. add salt and every metal pipe is also gone. 1000 for the power steering lines alone.

moral of the story? avoid northern cars like the plague!

and once you get over all the issues you can expect a couple years of trouble free use. however the cost per mile/year is astronomically out of proportion for what its worth. turning wrenches yourself and getting some specialty tools will probably make the difference between burning it with napalm or keeping it, once tear and wear overwhelms your wallet and patience.
 
#52 ·
The longer you wait the more time it will take you to find a good example of it later on . W124 ,well depends on the condition of your car is it still running ok or you just want a change ,then hell yeah ,what you waiting for to get the W140 ,you missing out every year that passes ,you wont enjoy it when you to old ,the pension cant support the W140 you now ,lol.

You know, somehow it is never tiring watching these videos. I think it's a sickness or an addiction that we all share. lol. Thanks for the videos...awesome.
Tell me about it ,i watch em all over again to ,lol .
 
#51 · (Edited)
Here is a verry interesting and well presented video of the features in the W140 cars ,best i have seen so far .Exellent for someone that would like to know what the W140 got to offer in options .
Features like the "Bose sound ,Self closing doors ,Electric rear blind ,Electric rear seats ,Electric up+down rear headrest's ( the headrest will go down by a press of a button but not back up electrical ) and Electric rear view mirror,"(most models have the electric rear view mirror but check to be sure ) dont come on all models so check for those add ons before you pay for the car if you realy want a W140 with the lot ,some have it and some dont ,some have that feature but not that other one , to have all the features ,you need to get the S600 or S500 Grand Edition & even then you still need to check for it.Also check for the Trip computers in the upper storage compartment


A more in Detail version is in this Video below .Take note of the external road noise etc at 11:04 when he goes in the car and closes the rear door .


Bonus Video in 1080P resolution for lcmlee & everyone else,lol .
 
#54 ·
#55 · (Edited)
#56 ·
Merc S500's article above is absolutely REQUIRED READING for any newbee to the group, any doubter of the excellence of the w140, and anyone who chooses to engage in commentary on the w140.

It might also do well to re-read the sections on parts availability and long-term functionality designed into the vehicle before deciding to consider one's w140 for Home Depot or dump runs. While thoroughly possible, of course, one should consider elevating their w140 to the head of their fleet in multi-car families.

Make this article a 'sticky' and post on OliverK's forehead? And every other fool who trespasses on this Forum, maligning our cars?
 
#57 · (Edited)
Yes verry interesting indeed .
One of the many Lines that stand out " Almost twenty years on, a 140 series S-Class is still an extremely handsome car. " ,"handsome car" pf, it's the best looking one on the whole road but yeah ,that whole article is exellent,i think i fallen in love again ,lol .
 

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#58 · (Edited)
#60 ·
Here are some owner's review of the W140's,pretty interesting to hear what they say about it .
1993 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews - Carsurvey.org

Does anyone know if the W140 ever was Car of the Year , someone here dosnt want to belive that it actually was ,i cant find anythink about it but i'm sure i have seen something about it or similar . :thumbsup:
 
#62 · (Edited)
Just a little ad on to this threat for buyer's that find it difficult from choosing between MB W140 or BMW 7 series wich i think is the only other car that stands out next to the almighty 140 ,take a closer look into the 7 Series from BMW ,the one picture'd below is a 2001 L7 V12 E38 BMW with the single rear seat option just like the rare to find option in our 140's .
Nice console with some intersting gadjet & features ,unfortunately i cant comment on how these cars perform & it's maintenance cost etc since i my self em looking into this at the moment but maybe some of our owner members of this BMW 7 here could contribute to this .
The cost of the car picture'd here is 40000 au dollars by the way ,more then what an 2005 7series bmw would cost at the moment probably because of the rare rear seat option since others are aprox 20K cheaper .:thumbsup:
 

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#63 · (Edited)
Pictures we all or almost all have already seen , i think a W140 with all it's add ons looks twice as good then any BMW 7 series ,late or old model .:thumbsup:
 

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#68 ·
Dont know about you guys even that i know the answer already but i rather sit in this (pic below) then in a cockpit with buttons screens computers & more Buttons that probably are not even functioning .
This looks like you're at home ,so romantic lol.:thumbsup:
 

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#69 ·
Hi All

Hi all,

I am a newbie here, and have read all these excellent posts about the W140. I am a BMW and Porsche driver (and old Chev), looking for my first two MB's - one for me (C63) and one for my father-in-law's 70th Birthday, a W140. Not having known anything about the W140 other than it looks awesome and is what MB conjures up in anyone's mind, I have learned a lot and got what I guess all newbies get as they educate themselves about the W140 - the wobbles.

I want to surprise the father in law with one of these amazing cars and my first question of the board - perhaps you merc S500 as an Aussie - can anyone recommend someone to do pre-purchase inspections of cars in Sydney or Brisbane? There are a couple of nice looking models on carsales.com right now like this

1997 Mercedes-Benz S420 W140 Cars For Sale in QLD - CarPoint Australia

Would be very grateful for any advice here.

Thanks
 
#70 · (Edited)
Hi all,

I am a newbie here, and have read all these excellent posts about the W140. I am a BMW and Porsche driver (and old Chev), looking for my first two MB's - one for me (C63) and one for my father-in-law's 70th Birthday, a W140. Not having known anything about the W140 other than it looks awesome and is what MB conjures up in anyone's mind, I have learned a lot and got what I guess all newbies get as they educate themselves about the W140 - the wobbles.

I want to surprise the father in law with one of these amazing cars and my first question of the board - perhaps you merc S500 as an Aussie - can anyone recommend someone to do pre-purchase inspections of cars in Sydney or Brisbane? There are a couple of nice looking models on carsales.com right now like this

1997 Mercedes-Benz S420 W140 Cars For Sale in QLD - CarPoint Australia

Would be very grateful for any advice here.

Thanks
Welcome on bord
You find out that there are several 140's on sales.com.au at the moment,sedans & a lot of coupes lately ,the majority beeing 320's ,3 S600's of wich none would make me personally happy ,the blue one only has the special navigator from factory fitted but that alone dosnt buy me , however there is only one single 140 that stands out to me on all nation wide adverts here in australia and that is the S500 in the link below , go see it but dont drive it otherwise you wont buy your C63 anymore ,trust me you get the w140 infected bug,active almost instantly .
That is a good car ,looks good beeing a late model 98 ,price i'm sure the dealer will negotiate on it since at the moment it's either accept or see yaa (take it or leave it ) ,look inside it, it already has the burlwood wheel in it & also added extra already is the S600 grill at the front ,beautifull silver,it'l be nice to see with a set of descent 18 rims under (click on my avatar on the left to reveal my ex s500 ) ,the kilometres are ok to,M119 is pretty much a bulletproof engine ) ,even if you take someone there with you to inspect it ,i dont think they will find much wrong on that one ,just check that it dosnt overheat ,AC is cold & stays cold ,transmisssion shift smooth & drive it up to a speed of around 85km/h feel for a slight vibration (wobbles like you say) at that speed, they should go away at about 90km/h ,also check that the soundsystem is BOSE" otherwise you be pissed of later ,it should be written in the original sales manuals and check that all doors and trunk close by them selfs ,DONT SLAM THE DOORS or TRUNK ON A 140 as they are self closing if you didnt know, you can do that on the C63 later ,lol ,dont forget to check for oil water leaks etc after the testdrive.
The Engine harness fault dosnt apply to your year model with booth of them beeing late models i think .
Your father-in-law will love you forever for it with that car in his drive way ,i'm positive that that car is a good buy .
The car you posted above in your link is a Short Wheel Base (SWB) model wich means it is 4 inches shorter at the rear (legroom),i spotted it at the rear window & the ashtrays rear door positions ,LWB is the one to get (My link LWB) but then personal flavour plays a role ,it is a nice car ,i like the creamy colours interior of the S420 you posted but thats about it ,low km/s on a car like this dosnt intress me actually sometimes its worst ,since the major repairs could well be all due ,i purchased mine when it had 180000ks & she drove like new every day for all the time (5+ years ) i own'd d it.
Most important thing of all,Dont get rip't of from a dealer that knows jack shit about a 140 ,after they detailed it and made it shiny with there add ons exellent this & best car here & there nothing to spend nothing wrong etc etc ,remember all they want is what you got in your wallet nothing else ,they dont care if you break down half a mile down the yard ,test drive the car for a long period not just around the block or ask any Mercedes shop for assistance with the inspection ,150$ i think it cost's .
PRIVATE SELLER not Dealer,negotiate the price .
1998 MERCEDES S500 L W140 Sedan Private Cars For Sale in NSW - carsales.com.au
 
#72 · (Edited)
LoL,nice suggestion MB but when someone buys or finds that 1 w140 that is in exellent condtition & well maintained by an enthusiast of these cars ,chances are you wont need any extra money later ,the only additional money you need on top of the purchase price is the transfer of name money,registration maybe and the 1st thing i would do is to change the oil , oilfilter & the sparkplugs since that is something anyone could do on his own ,(fluid check in general including rear diff) ,it only does good to the engine ,when i purchased mine for $20000 cash wich was the most expensive on the papers at the time ,i changed the oil over & over in a matter of a week because i wanted the engine to be nice & clean on the inside ,since it was pitch black when i got it ,my oil was never black ever again after i finished with that treatment (documented here on benzworld somewere with pictures),my 1st minor repair (bad petrol from BP ) came up about 3 years later not counting the general maintenance like brakes rotors washing etc or adding a radio or some other modification ,thats got nothing to do with the 140 thats just up to the owner ,in my case my s500 cost me more in my own add ons then any repairs it needed ,for example ,i had 4 sets = 16 rims ( < < mistake adjusted here ) of wheels here at one stage ,constantly changing wheels ,didnt like these once so bought another set & so on ,even the little air caps on the tyre valves had to have the mb logo on in metal ,cost was $17+postage for those when those normal caps are free .
What you saying would perfectly apply to a 140 that is cheap not look after by the previous owner or run down ,then yes $10000 is not even inaf .
The S500 i posted above looks to me is one of those cars ,keeping in mind i'm judging it by pictures .
One of the must do things when owning a W140 (or any other car infact ) is that ,when something brakes ,fix it straight away and dont say ,i do it tomorowe i do next week ,if you do that that ,1 fault ends up in another fault inbetween then you got 2 problems or more before you even fixed the 1st problem ,and it is then when it starts to get expensive & you give up on the car alltogether .
A W140 is like a girl (2/3 highclass of them combined),it needs it's present & things ,Love lol & you get a huge reward. :thumbsup:
 
#74 ·
Why i sold it the reason is here " http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w140-s-class/1684756-sad-news-shes-gone-but-not.html " , when you are an enthusiast of this car you find that over the years slowly slowly you buy stuff for it that you dont even need ,i purchased rims of all shapes ,W220 18's beeing the 1st once about half a week after i got it , it started all like that ,before i even knew my yard was cover'd with rims ,i have the space for it to store them undercover so i dont really see them again unless i go looking for it & that how it gets out of hand ,the Wald wheel set was the last set i purchased ,at one stage i bought a set from the E class but they were to skinny & the car did the wobbling effect real bad so they came of a few days later since here in Australia once the wheel is on and used you cant return them, i was stuck with them,then i got the same looking wheel but bigger ,at 1st i like the appearance of the car with them under but then i changed my mind ,i didnt like them anymore because i could see the brake calipers to much ,so off they came then i bought the chromed spokes wheels ,they look't good but cleaning them was a major headache by cleaning every single spoke one by one every week and so on & on ,the Wald wheels were the best & look't the best on mine ,you can see them here plus the chromed spoke headaches wheels " http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w140-s-class/1581225-merc-s500-pictures.html " .
W140 is not just a car ,it's a Passion for Enthusiast's .:thumbsup:
 
#75 ·
Cool - your car looks awesome in the new pics. Well I spoke to the guy in Tamworth who has the S500 that you liked. He says he is the second owners and has MB books back to when new. He's had the car for 3 years, had 141k on it when he bought it, has 181k now. He paid $18k for it at the time (has the receipts), and has spent the following on it:

A/C evap 6 months after he bought it, done by MB Tamworth for $4k, he insisted they quote before they did it, they quoted 25 hours and took them 50 he says. He had had the A/C checked when he bought it and MB said low on gas only (not that that the evap would go), so he had it regassed at the time, then found out 6 months later about the evaporator being a common problem.

He put the S600 grill and fancy steering when in ($1200), replaced all "Coil packs" on the plugs, replaced the airmass sensor - (said MB quoted him $2300 here, he got it from German Auto Supply in the US for $317 landed in Oz in 7 days)

Replaced power steering pump, changed oil every 10k.

Car has been maintained by a guy at Star Motors Tamworth, used to work for the MB dealer Peel Motors, who don't have any 140 mechanics any more. I will talk to him tomorrow.

So I'll see what he says - thanks again for the advice. I am starting to want one of these cars myself!
 
#76 · (Edited)
That is the biggest problem of that car already eliminated ,beeing the AC Evap , the only fault that i was always affraid of since it involves removing half the interior, all other faults & i mean all others i can deal with .
Only tip if you are serious about buying a 140 for yourself & forget about the C63 ,is ,test drive a good example of a W140 1st (coupe or sedan , only thing you missing out on is the hoodstar half a mile down the hood on the coup) then try out the hard suspensioned & cramped in C63's ride and you will see & find out that 140 IS KING ,overlook the slightly by a touch more modern technollogie in the c class,the c63's power ,were you going to use that exept license loss ,i have lost my license for a month with the s500 by beeing 43km/h over the limit ,originally it was 3 month but a barrister & money fixed that for me ,if i would have been clocked at 45km/h (2ks more) then it would have been a 12 month instant suspension/disqualfied and a huge huge fine ,i came out of it with aprox $3K's all up (plus the jobs i knocked back within the 1 month suspension), or i could have just accepted the fine + suspension would have been about $1.5K but then i need the license to work so i took 1 month of work completely, i never even knew i lost it after that . :thumbsup:

BTW: When you talk to him ask him how many times or if he has changed the AC DRYER at all since the change ,changing that , prevents evaporator damage earlier.
 
#77 · (Edited)
Was just thinking about the 16 sets of wheels ,my mistake ,the word "SETS" is wrongly added ,i mean 16 wheels wich makes up for 4 sets of wheels (+ the originals ) ,4 x 4 = 16 otherwise i would have had 64 rims here the way i written it above,lol .
Sorry for that little english mistake of mine guys. :thumbsup:
 
#79 ·
No offense taken what so ever ,when someone speaks the truth,if i were to tell you my real opinion you would be shocked of the comments i would make about it my self but i cant do that because Jimmy is a realy good friend ,if it suits him what he does i'am 100% behind him supporting him .:thumbsup:
 
#82 ·
Hi guys - going to Tamworth tomorrow to check out the S500L. Pre-purchase inspection checked out well - only fault found was small chip in windscreen. All services done, books and receipts back to 1998 and I got the service records from MB right up to when current owner bought it (2010). AC dryer changed at same time as evap changed out. Brakes done 20k ago, power steering pump done.

Hope to drive home in it!
 
#83 · (Edited)
I wish you all the best & good luck ,let me know how you go with it , i still think its the best one available at the moment the chip in the windscreen can be fixed at O'brien windscreens ,its the same kind of repair like patching a tyre unless it's a big crack .:thumbsup:
 
#84 ·
I took the plunge and bought the S500L, $15.5k. Drove it home from Tamworth to Sydney, 400km, it was absolutely glorious. I am totally blown away with the smoothness, the power, the subtle V8 sound, the awesome stereo, the lack of rattles or noises, the huge seats that feel hard when you first sit down but are super comfortable on the trip. I gave it heaps going down the Putty road, a road I always enjoyed gunning my Porsche 911 on, and it was superb through the curves for such a big car. It was really hot today (>40C) and the AC was cold and stayed that way, the temp was steady.

I just love this car - it is virtually unmarked, couple of minor stone chips but sweet.

The ONLY thing not quite working is the passenger side seat belt retractor. When you first put it on it is snug, but when you lean forward then back, it does not retract. Give it a yank and it settles back though. Feels like some pre-tensioner is not working right. Ideas anyone?

Other than that, it was a dream to drive and not sure I'm going to give it to the father-in-law now (just kidding, maybe find a W140 coupe for me)

thanks for all the help on this thread, will introduce my father in law to this forum as soon as he gets the car (March).
 
#85 ·
Congrats on the purchase ,i knew it was a good one ,dont forget before you hand it over to take some pictures for all of us here if you can & obviously like to do so if not dont worry about the hassle .
The seat belt could have some dust stuck down below in its retractor,try fasten the seat belt & then losen it with your hands from the chest and then press the seatbelt button slightly in but not to the point were it unbuckles ,do it slowly there is a point inbetween were it retracts fully to your chest again .
I'm very happy for you & your father in laws present .:thumbsup:
 
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