part2

part2

 

part3

part3

 

Can be done easier

part3

The vapor barrier does not need to be removed to do the door check. Just installed a 3rd door check on my 93 w140 and the previous installer had removed just a bit of the door liner where the 3rd screw goes in. With the new part in hand it should be easy to locate the (t30 Torx on my 93) bolt and permanently remove the liner just at the screw. The door check falls down into the door. On the 1993 it is very easy to remove the 5 nuts, 1 bolt (stripped on mine), and the plug that holds the bose speaker array in the door. Behind the speaker box was a cross slit that allowed access to the inside of the door. Easy enough to get the new door check in place and bolt with the liner in place.

By the way, my Mercedes replacement door check had snapped the two steel tabs that attched it to the door where the glide comes through. My check was flapping around quite a bit when you inspected it closely.

Also watch for the washer on the pin as the directions above mention that at the end and clearly show it in the last picture.

When putting the wood seat control panel back in place I'd be loathe to put the PIA tabs in place. I'd been in my door for a lock actuator and not put the tabs in place. If you get in securely enough it won't move and if it does the plug still holds it and you can lock the panel in with tabs if need be. Nice not to mess with those going into the door a second time. (I'll be doing my passenger door shortly for a lock actuator and plan to replace the window regulator as it auto ups and then comes back down some suggesting an issue. Yeah the Dorman regulator was a $45 part, but these door panels take enough time that I don't want to go in an out. Have had a front window get stuck down with emergency dealer repair/rape incident. Test drove a 1995 and rolled its back window all the way down and window failed. My rear window regulators have the same issue, so just don't roll them down all the way, but if I have to go in door they will be replaced presuming the Dorman fixes this issue on my passenger door. Really recommend never rolling the windows down on these things.)

 

I also did mine and afterwards i realized that it should be painted in body color.

JH

 

I have NEVER had a door strap/stop problem on ANY automobile until this summer on my 96 s500. This part is another example of MB over engineering that results in agrivation and failure. This part is too complicated and too fragile.

Mine failed on the drivers door; the strap/stop mechanism failed and exploded inside the door frame. It left a protruding pimple 2" in diameter protruding on the exterior of the driver's door panel. I was very disappointed since the car has not a single ding or scratch on it ANYWHERE. Well, now it does!

I am thankful that it did not explode while the window was down; it might have shattered the glass as well.

This is a $360 job at the MB dealership; I had it done since I was traveling at the time. The dealer also shared with me that they had an incidence were the strap/stop failed in the open position and the door would not close. The car obviously could not be driven; nor could it be towed.

A service technition had to be dispatched to cut the strap so that the door would close so that the car could be towed.

The spring loaded device can not be lubricated to extend its life.

Hope this helps

 

This is a great writeup, the only real difference is on the early cars there are screws in the arm rest compartment under plugs. I would suggest using the butterknife technique on the rear swivels rather than the pulling hooks, and definately dont loose the washer on the pin, or forget to but the rubber boot on. On mine both ears had broken off.

 

I would suggest using the butterknife technique on the rear swivels rather than the pulling hooks, .

In my "old" WIS, the procedure specified the "butter knife", but in my "new" WIS, it specifies the Instrument Cluster Hooks to unlock the swivels. Go figure..

 

Wheres the rolex

 

I now take it off.... so I don't catch any "Flak"....

 

Door straps are painfull and very noisy when broken!!!!!
Awsome write up!!!!

 

WOW...that's a lot of work. I'm glad I paid to have mine replaced....not sure if I would have all the tools to do this replacement.

 

Very good pictures! That's the best set of pictures I've seen of the swivel tabs and their location. It'll come in handy whenever I have to do the back ones. Thanks ! My front ones have already been done -- I can tell because, as s500lang pointed out, they should be painted to match the car color, because they come shipped with the shiny brass color!!, and mine aren't painted.

I suppose you could get the body shop to paint 'em for a few donuts -- you can probably do black yourself.

I've replaced two of these on my '84 W123 several years ago -- now that it was mentioned, one of them also caused my door to stick open. Fortunately, the W123's door panels are a little easier to get off...no Bowden cable, seat switch nor speaker stuff. The rear seats do have the window switch on them however. I don't recall getting much warning when they go bad -- they just sort of implode.

 

Ja,

I noticed the Un-Painted Chomated Metal on Install.

Since my Dealer does not carry the Color Coded Spray Cans in Stock.... I opted to just install the stupid thing AS IS.

It's my wife's car... and she didn't care if it was bare metal.

 

What sounds did it make when it was bad? I'm not sure if I should replace mine or not. When I open my doors, I hear a *pop* and *thunk* sound on each stop position. My driver door does that. The other ones doesn't have the *pop* sound but only a *thunk* sound at each stop position. Does a brand new one not make a sound at all? Maybe I should make a video of the sounds.

 

"Yes" to all of the above... sounds like your driver's door is Aby-Normal.

A MB door should not make any noise opening and closing, and should glide smoothly... even with the honkin' heavy doors on the W140.

The new stop makes ZERO noise, and is as smooth as glass.

 

Very nice write up, made me feel like i was doing it. Mine broke and did the dimples in the door as well, its enought to piss you off.....Great job!:thumbsup:

 

I guess I definitely have to replace my Driver one.
Here's a video of my other doors

Does it sound bad?

 

I guess I definitely have to replace my Driver one.
Here's a video of my other doors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhCjOZfSOU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Does it sound bad?

All my doors sound like this - I think I will replace them, they should have no noise at all.

What are these things worth anyway?

 

That sounds pretty normal. It should be smooth, but with some resistance, obviously, in order to stop at the right spots. Since you said the driver door sounds different from the others, and the driver's is usually the first to go, then be glad you're getting a warning shot fired over the bow.

And see if you can get some correct paint ! The yellow-brass color doesn't look so bad with black (or my maroon W123), and maybe it'll work with white. The good thing about not painting them, is it is proof to the next buyer (if you can ever fathom selling it) that it's been replaced at least once.

 

Upon further review, NZ Benz, most of the times when the door is being moved in the "closing" direction out of a stopped position, I do hear a higher-pitched "click" or "snap" that's not normal, which accompanies the normal (IMO) muffled "thunk". I'm assuming that's coming from the door, and not from something that's hitting the camera/microphone.

"...they should have no noise at all." My claim is that there's gotta be "some" sound -- specifically the aforementioned muffled thunk when those big ball bearings move into and out of a stopped position. There's lots of grease in there (or should be), hence the "muffled" sound.

 

Actually, my new stay makes NO NOISE whatsoever.

And the Grease? I was surprised to find only a "small" amount smeared on the new races (ex-factory). I opted against putting MORE on, though I "was" tempted.

 

How much will Benz dealer charge do you know. Mine just happend yesterday.
I don't think I have enough tool to do a replacement.

 

Autohaus AZ is selling door straps for about $20US each, they are pretty cheap.

 

G : "I was surprised to find only a "small" amount smeared on the new races (ex-factory)." I stand corrected (heck, sometimes I even sit corrected). "Lots of grease" was a flawed recollection.

 

Sounds like we are talking two different things...

The pic there is the DOOR PIN. Yes, I gooobed on lots-o of the special lube, as this pin can be quite tough to get out.

The Lube on the door stay ITSELF had only a "small" smear of grease. Roughly, 1 cc per side?

 

G : We're talking about the same thing. Initially I was agreeing by saying I had said the mechanism had lots of grease (I assumed - didn't actually notice~10 yrs ago when putting my new ones in), that's why I thought it was as quiet as it was, while at the same thinking its makes a little more sound than you do.

 

Just replace the Trap door this morning. It took me around one hour and 15 min. Not bad.
The part I bought at Benz in Carlsbad, CA around $54.00, include tax.
Don't ask how the old part look likes that. I dun't know how and why
Pretty bad. Benz dearler said it is a known problem and will need to replace after certain of time.
--JT

 

I just replaced mine. You don't need any special tools...You can easily take the pin out by just hammering the bottom, then clinch the pin with a pair of pliers and hammer the plier upwards and the pin will come out easily.

What I discovered was that my old one was mechanically flawless. No noticeable worn parts, everything looked the same as the new part I ordered off AutohausAZ.

The part from AutohausAZ did not come greased. When I put the new part in, I tested close/openning and it was screeching/popping worse than my old one! So I took it out and compared old with new. New lacked grease/lubrication. So I greased it up with MB's grease and installed it again. Then it became quiet. So now I'm thinking, I could have just greased the old part perhaps...

Tomorrow I will be changing my rear right regulator, I will go ahead and grease the old door strap/stop part and if it performs good, I will suspect that I just need to re-grease the other parts.

 

Went ahead and greased the rear door strap/stop. I was too lazy to take the whole thing off and out of the door, so instead I just reached inside and pulled the casing off the door strap/stop. I had to remove the rear bolt in order to pull the casing off. Then I was able to grease up the insides. Door is now is now really quiet. Didn't have time to do the other doors so I guess I see two more door straps to be greased up in the near future -_-

 

this process seemed a lot more difficult then it actually was.... was quiet pretty simple, coming from a guy that has never taken a door about. the DIY photos really helped. only if i wasn't so antsy i would've remembered there was two catches for the seat adjusting panel instead of just ripping it out and braking the catches now... haha i also have to get new plugs for the two screw holes in the pre 95 w140's in the secret compartment on the door since i had a hard time getting them off.

all in all it was easy to do.... only special tool i needed was a butter knife which i found in the kitchen drawer.. everything else was the basic tools people have in the tool box. got the part from my uncles shop for 20 bucks. he ordered it in the morning and i got it by noon time.

and i forgot to plug back in my bose speaker... so i had to take he door off again...

but does anyone know where i can go to get the 2 catches for the seat adjusting panel?

 

Since some of you were "Visually Offended" ;^) by my Lack of painting the Door Strap... I finally got around to Touching up the strap.

These MB Matched Color Spray Cans are actually quite handy for small Jobs. Although this part number is not the one for Plastic Parts... I have used this part# on plastic body items with very nice results.

I'm not sure if the Paint is the OEM Sickens, or Glasurit.

G

 

These is amazing to see this for my exact same year and model and drivers side door.

Besides the door stay which I have to find are there any other very special tools that I need to pick up ?

 

I looked at AutohausAZ - part number 1407200616 . Is that the correct part?

 

Patrick, you need to get onto EPC. It's FREE.

EPC-net Online

They will ask for a C/C, but it is just for residency purposes.

AutoHausAz is nice enough to list their part#'s with a MB PN. This way you can cross-reference to EPC.

Since you and I have matching Cars/Years/Colors/& Names... it's the same part# listed below.

Cheers,
G