[Guest (MBNZ)]

Hi,<br>
<br>
I have a problem with my '83 280CE. The vacuum operated catch to hold the drivers seat in the upright position doesn't operate. The passenger side is not working either, but that moves (sluggishly), so probably just needs lubricating. The drivers side, however, feels 'disconected', i.e. no resistance at all. Anybody out there have any advice on locating (and repairing) the problem? All other vacuum operated things in the car work perfectly.<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
<br>
Richard.<br>

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Funnily enough I just had my 230ce MOT'd and the only thing it failed on was insecure front seat backs. It was quite easy to fix though. If you look under the bonnet just below the break fluid reservoir there will be an array of rubber pipes. These are the vacuum pipes which operate the central locking, and on coupes, the seat backs. On my model, the pipes are very close to the manifold, and were warped by the heat from the manifold. If you locate the the two pipes which operate the seat mechanism, pull them off and blow through them to see if air can get through. If it can, you'll need to replace the pipes. It's good idea to tie them back away from the engine as well. If this doesn't resolve the problem, check the pipes coming from the seat, these may have become blocked as well.

 

[Guest (MBNZ)]

Re: Re: 280CE Seat Back Lock Problems

Thanks for the info Paul.<br> I checked it out further, and it appears that the problem is not as bad as I thought. I didn't realise how many interlocks there were on the vacuum system - for instance, the seat locks disengage automatically when you open a door etc. So, actually everything is working except one of the locks on the drivers seat which is due to a disconnected link in the mechanism under the seat. Should be easy enough to re-connect I hope (although pretty inaccessible).....<br> <br> Thanks for your help.