[W140Gill]

I've owned my W140 since 1996 when she was just 2 years old.

I thought it would be useful to list all the problems I've EVER had with her for the duration of my ownership. If anyone wants specific details on a repair, just ask via a posting. []

Hope you guys find this useful

Format as follows Problem – Resolution – Who fixed the fault

Rear Headrests not reclining - New switch - DIY
Failed Lumbar Support - Vacuum leak by ZF pump - DIY
Air Con failure - Leak at intake pipe - new intake pipe - Shop
Sunroof Sticking - ongoing - TBA
Rear passenger window sticking - ongoing - TBA
Front door locks sticking - rebuilt front locks twice with new rollers - Removal/fit DIY rebuild Shop
Rear boot lid lock failing - Cleanout and lubricate - DIY
Mirrors not folding - New Switch - Dealer
Rear Centre vents position handles broken - ongoing - TBA
Gear selector light failure - New bulb - DIY
Dashboard lights (fuel gauge/ mileage recorder) - New bulbs - DIY
Dash lights on headlamp on/off cluster - New bulb - DIY
Central lock failure - New ZF Pump - DIY
Water leak - New Water Pump - Shop
Transmission flaring between gears - Transmission Overhaul - Shop
Rear Brake Caliper grinding - New rear caliper + New rear discs (rotors) - DIY
Oil leak at front of Engine - Front gasket of M104 engine - Shop
Squeaking engine drive belt - New belt + tension set - Shop
Drive shaft linkage worn - New linkage fitted - Shop
Ventilation blower motor failure - New motor fitted - Dealer
Ventilation blower squeaking at low speed - ongoing - TBA
Rear speaker buzzing - New rear speakers - DIY
electric aerial stuck down - New aerial - DIY
ABS light on following battery install - Reset ABS light - Dealer
Worn (perished sheathing) ignition leads - New engine wiring harness - Shop
ABS light on following perished ignition leads - Reset ABS light - Shop
Headlamp wiper failure on right lamp - ongoing - TBA
Breakup in lamination on rear glass - ongoing - TBA
Rear screen elements partially working - ongoing -TBA
Centre console roller jammed - forced back into tracks - DIY
Loose Bonnet Star Emblem - New Emblem fitted - DIY
Jump Wiper arm not jumping at screen corners - ongoing - TBA
Pulling to the left - Retracking - shop
Snapped drivers door check-strap (door jam) - New check strap fitted - Dealer

If any more spring to mind I'll update the list


LEGAL STUFF
I'll glady help anyone with problems. I'll describe the repair as I carried it out. All repairs are at your own risk and down to your own competency.

 

[W140Gill]

Dash cluster bulb replacement instructions for ychachad

The dashboard cluster is held in with compression. There are no screws or clips holding it in place. There are 2 ways to remove the cluster. The 1st method involves you buying some pulling hooks (see image below). These can be found on ebay or bought at your Mercedes main dealer.

Make sure the electric steering column is fully out and down out of the way. Insert the hooks either side the cluster and twist so that they catch the back. Then pull the handles towards you. The cluster pops out and you simply need to disconnect the leads behind the unit. While the unit is out, replace ALL the bulbs. Bulbs have a finite life and theres nothing worse than you putting it back having replaced a single bulb only to have another pop on you soon after. The bulbs are a mixture of 2 types. They simply twist out of the cluster. Dont buy cheap bulbs, you dont want to go back in there to replace them again.

The second method (which i did) is without pulling hooks. Undo the the carpeted panel beneath the dashboard. There are crossheaded screws hidden along the join - make sure you dont miss these out. Next, reach up through the lower part where the carpeted panel was removed and push the cluster forward. There is less risk of damaging anything this way.

NOTE: The cluster comes out top first. As a gap appears at the top between the cluster and the dahboard, dont be afraid to put your hand in and help it out.

Fitting is reverse of removal

 

[W140Gill]

Gear selector light replacement instructions for ychachad

The gear selector bulb is a little more complex.
You will need the following tools:
(1) A selection (because I cant remember the size) of torx screwdriver bits (I think its either T10,T15 or T20)
(2) A 1/4" mini ratchet bit
(3) A 'L' bend Allen key that fits into the 1/4" ratchet on the side that would normally fit the ratchet handle.
(4) A small phillips (crosshead) screwdriver bit.
(5) flat tip screwdriver

Open the ash tray and remove the inner with the release catch.
Look into the opening and you will see a small phillips screw holding on the wood panel on the cover of the ashtray. Insert the phillips bit into the 1/4" bit and use the allen key in the other end to 'frig' yourself a custom tool to get into the hole.
Undo the screw and the ashtray comes away. Keep the compression washer thats under the screw safe.
Feel in the opening where the ashtray resided for 2 torx headed bolts. There is one either side. These hold the wood around the gear and window switches in place.
Undo these bolts using your 'frigged' tool fitted with the right size torx bit.
Remove the surrounding plastic from the gear selector panel. This comes out upward. Use a flat screwdriver if necessary - mind the wood!.
The Wood panel is now loose from the gear selector. Lift upward starting from the ashtray end and carefully unclip the wiring from all the switches.
The Gear selector mechanism is now exposed. The bulb is the same variety as the dashboard, twist in type. It resides either on the side or under the top panel where the numbering is. Carefully unclip the top panel and replace the bulb.

As before refit is reverse of removal.

 

[W140Gill]

DTKY how long have you owned your 140?

DTKY how long have you owned your 140? I think I have done okay for 7 years on what now is a 9 year old car
[]

 

[W140Gill]

let me know what you want clarified on the dashboard. I will make it clearer for all.
The...

let me know what you want clarified on the dashboard. I will make it clearer for all.
The dashboard is EASY in comparison to the gear selector

 

[W140Gill]

am I correct in assuming that you mean half the lights on the dials and not the mileage me...

am I correct in assuming that you mean half the lights on the dials and not the mileage meter or warning lights?

There are 4 bulbs for the dials. The light is shared and routed to the dial faces and needles. I suspect its the bulb thats fried and not the wiring. The element is loose and only makes contact ocassionally when its jerked - contact is made. It works until its jerked again and contact is lost

 

[W140Gill]

No, I mean the filament...

No, I mean the filament inside the glass bulb
[]

 

[W140Gill]

I'm not sure where your phone controls are. In my car they are fitted in the telephone con...

I'm not sure where your phone controls are. In my car they are fitted in the telephone console in the front armrest. Maybe removing the sunglasses top box will help you get better access.
I removed mine once when i was pondering on where to fit my navigation unit. There are two phillips screws holding the top box in place. You can easily undo them when the box is open. Then the unit can be lifted out from the drivers side first. There is an audioable click as the lock mechanism detaches from the release catch.
The centre vents are held in place by plastic catches which can be prised open with a long thin flat tipped screwdriver.

I've never had to replace these bulbs...yet, so I'm not too sure how you would get at them. Opening the console as described above will help you get better access to see where the bulb is.

Good luck [8D]

There are no known official manuals for this car. Too many times I keep hearing that one will be released soon [!] . I have brought a couple of CD roms from e-bay :The star parts finder and the Mitchel S class repair manual. These are USELESS. A complete waste of money. The only thing they are good for is Frisbeys and coffee mug costers
[][]

 

[W140Gill]

Removing the Drivers Door Card

The following instructions are for cars NOT equiped with the door airbag. If you have a door airbag, disconnect the battery and pull the SRS fuses before attempting removal.

(1) open the door
(2) By the door latch there are two phillips screws holding a plastic shroud around the latch mechanism - undo these two screws and remove the shroud.
(3) Using a skinny flat tipped screwdriver (or MB special tool), lever the oval wood panel out starting from the lower right corner (or right corner on left hand drive vehicles). The wood pops out. Its held in with plastic grommets. If these break while removing you will have to replace them.
(4) Undo the connector from the oval woodpanel that controls the electric seats and place panel somewhere it wont get scratched.
(5) Under the wood panel just removed, undo the exposed phillips head screws.
(6) Open the front door bin.
(7) Inside the front door bin, there are a few plastic covers. Pop them out using a pin or small sharp screwdriver. Removing these will reveal more screw heads.
(8) Undo the screws
(9) Park your car over grass or place a piece of carpet under the open door.
(10) starting from the bottom, prise the door card away from the door. There are plastic pop rivets holding it in place. Some of these may break - dont worry they only cost penies.
(11) when all the lower and side rivets have popped open, pull the door card upward and towards you. The upper edge of the door card is held in with spring clips. It will take some force to pop these out.
(12) Disconnect the entry light and speaker wiring. The door card is now loose, let it rest on the carpet and undo the hook to the door latch. - The door card is open.
(13) Peel back the foam surround and you have full access to the entire door mechanisms - APART FROM THE LOCK. See my Lock posting for these instructions.

[]

 

[W140Gill]

Removing the front door locks

Contrary to popular belief, removal of the card is not necessary to facilitate the removal of the door handle/lock
(1)Open the drivers door
(2)On the edge of the door along the same plane as the handle, there is a black plastic cap. Prise it off.
(3)Using a T20 Torx bit (not sure of the size, buy a set. MB love using these all around the car) open this bolt.
(4)Pull the lock away, using the following order: out, twist anti-clockwise, then towards the back door.
(5) the door lock is out.

Note: You may still lock your car using a long flat tip screwdriver inserted into the lock receiver.
[]

With the lock out, take it to a locksmith for rebuild. The rollers tend to wear out very quickly. Rebuild/service should cost £30($50)

 

[W140Gill]

Yes you can follow the same instructions for the back door. In addition to the above, yo...

Yes you can follow the same instructions for the back door. In addition to the above, you must remove the rear door ashtray and retaining screw behind it.
[]

 

[W140Gill]

Re: transmission flaring between gears

W140Gill, first let me say thanks for your post I just replaced numerous burned out lights because of your post. But my transmission is acting really weird lately.
When I begin underway it revs to 4500 rpm before the gear will change. Then if i give it gas at the wrong time it will rev really high! The gears just aren't changing right. Is this the transmission flaring you spoke of? How much did it cost to fix?
Thanks,
drk. grn.

Yes, I am afraid so. How many mile has your tranny done? Mine did 140k miles before I went for a rebuild. Auto transmissions are very complicated machines and beyond the scope of many DIY'ers like myself. I suggest you take it to several specialists before making a decision. You will by surprised at how many different answers and prices you get.

Start with a transmission service and have the vacuum pressures reset by a specialist. See if this sorts out the problem. If It doesnt looks like the transmission will have to be taken apart for a rebuild. Dont bother with a 2nd hand reconditioned unit. This is likely to be someone elses headache which has been patched together. If you do decide to go with a rebuild then make sure you have the torque convertor and bearings changed at the same time.
I had this all done to my car at a cost of £800 ($1200) This is exceptionally cheap even for the UK. I would expect to pay close to double this. Remember - dont let anyone rip you off just because you drive a S class. A brand new factory tranny fitted by the Benz dealer costs £3200 ($4800)

 

[W140Gill]

Re: Re: Yes you can follow the same instructions for the back door. In addition to the above,

the rear doors don't have opening pockets,just an arm rest, do these have to be removed,if so how??many thanks.

Not sure about yours then. On my car I have opening armrests with door bins. Try my instructions and see if the card comes away. If it still doesnt come away, then investigate whether your door armrests can be removed.

They cant be that different. [xx(]
Good luck and let me know how it goes.[]

 

[W140Gill]

Re: transmission flaring

Ok w140Gill, I will be cautious. One question was your car driveable, or did it completely break down? Mine drives now and I was just wondering. If yours drove how long did you wait before taking it in to get fixed?

Thanks,
drk. grn. 400se

I am guilty of having driven mine for well over a year like this due to a dispute with an insurance company. The tranny got progressively worse as time went on. During this time I covered 20k miles. The transmission eventually got so bad that the car would not go into the top gear all the time.

Get it done as soon as you have some spare $$$.
[]

 

[W140Gill]

Re: 600sel rear door trims

You were quite right! all you have to do is remove the wood trim panel that holds the seat switches, that gives access to the 10mm bolts that hold the door handle, rest is simple. unfortunately my problem is a shot window regulator....the plastic slide seems to have broken up,I'm told it means a new assembly, ho hum.....many thanks

happy to help[][][]

 

[W140Gill]

Re: ac/ heating controls illumination

w140 Gill, have you changed the bulbs in your ac/ heating ever?

I have a blown one on the drivers side of my control unit. If you have any instructions could you share them with me please.

Thanks in advance,

drk. grn. 400se

I'm sorry, I havent had to change these yet. I will post if I ever come across it though.

Maybe someone out there has done these before?

 

[W140Gill]

Re: vnet wheel lights

Hi w140gill;
i have no lights on the vent wheels on dashboard. can you tell me how to repalce bulbs?
Please rspond to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Hi Mckenna,
I've not had to change these yet. I will be taking apart my dashboard over the next few weeks for 'other upgrades'. I will post instructions for this bulb change as soon as I have got some confirmed steps.

Apologies for the delay in replying, I've been away on holiday.
[]

 

[W140Gill]

Re: Wiring harness

Hi Gill, as usual I have a question. What were the symptoms when your wiring harness went bad. Lately in my car when I'm driving all the warning lamps will flash as if the car is gonna shut off but I feel no affects to the engine. Is this my harness? I have 153,000 miles on my car.

As usual Thanks for the info Gill

drk. grn. 400se []

If your car has a bad wiring harness, you will notice some or all of the following
(1) rough idle
(2) increased fuel consumption
(3) power loss
(4) check engine light on
Open the top engine cover and examine the leads going to the plugs. If they appear to be brittle and crumbling then the harness will need changing.

From your description of symptoms, I would say that your battery needs replacing. Battery and Acid pack from Benz will cost about £100 ($150)ish.

Apologies for the delay in replying []

 

[W140Gill]

Re: S280 Dash Lights and Auto Trans Flaring

Thanks w140Gill for the detailed explanation for pulling out the dash unit. Unfortunately, my 1995/96 S280 seems very reluctant to let it pop out! I removed the bottom carpet panel and have tried pushing the unit forward, but it appears to be holdig on something in the middle. I must be missing something and am worried that if I try excessive force something expensive is going to break.

Any clues?

I also hade a look at trying to replace the back lights on the central vent wheels. I suspect the only way is to remove the heater control unit below, or go in through the glove box.

I saw from your listing that you had transmission 'flaring'. I think I have the same symptoms, although not so extreme. In 2nd and 3rd, the revs sometimes increase by an extra 500rpm before engaging gear. Happens in drive and when using the gear selector manually. Problem occurs more frequently when in stop/start traffic. Is this the first stage of transmission failure? I have had it serviced and adjusted, but this only had a slight beneficial effect.

Apart from these problems, plus only getting cold air from the rear central vents, the car is a dream to drive. Car was imported from Singapore to New Zealand if that is relevant.

Any help appreciated.

The cluster will pop out. There is nothing but the steering wheel surround holding it in the centre. Dont be afraid to use some force.

The rear centre vents were available in two guises. One with rear AC control and one without. I think yours has no rear separate AC controls - in which case it will only supply cold air to the rear face vents. If you dont want cold air, just close off the face vents, the rear footwells will supply heat.

As for the bulbs in the front vent wheels, well I'm afraid that i've not had to change these yet. So no steps.

Your transmission - I am afraid it's overhaul time as soon as you have enough spare cash.

Again, apologies for the delay in replying

Gill []

 

[W140Gill]

Re: Re: help with carpet

The second method (which i did) is without pulling hooks. Undo the the carpeted panel beneath the dashboard.

How do you unhook the carpet panel...It will not budge..Help
[8)]

here you go
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/messages.asp?messno=50363&id=10&view=t