My First W123 - Some Questions
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1985 230TE
My First W123 - Some Questions
Hi All!
This week someone made me an offer I couldn't pass up and I bought a car I've always wanted: a W123 Wagon!
This is a slightly odd one as well, it's the 230TE. It's been up here in Vermont a while so it has some issues throughout, but so far nothing too daunting. I've been spending the last couple of days chasing electrical gremlins and cleaning the car, and I have a couple of things I've run into that hopefully you an help me out with.
1. Non-working clock. The dash cluster was lying in a heap in a milk crate when I picked the car up. It's back together now, but the persistent issue is that the clock does not work at all. The line going to the connector on the back of the clock definitely has power, and I'm grounding the clock along with the same cluster of wires bolted to the frame behind the dash. I've tried grounding to the soldered grommet on the mounting plate as well as to the plate itself: nothing. I've read about replacing a couple of transistors in the clock, but I only see one, and the clock I have looks brand spanking new. It was separate from the other parts in a paper bag. What could be the issue here?
2. Hatch light. The light in the cargo area is not working. Fuse is good, bulb is good, but it doesn't look like the wires to the lamp are getting any power. Where could the break be, and how's the light wired in?
3. Keys. The car came with two keys. They both operate the ignition, but neither key fits in any of the door locks. Is this common? How do I get a new key in the event I'm missing a 'master?'
4. Upholstery/Seats. The car is upholstered in Mercedes Anthracite fabric aside from the front pair which are palomino MB-Tex. I'd like the interior to be consistent; any ideas? Which other MB models have rear seats which are interchangeable with the 230TE? I'm also trying to find replacement cloth for the fronts, but that Anthracite fabric seems to be almost impossible to find. Are there common replacements people use? Also, are there common seat upgrades which people like? They're not bad, but springy like an old mattress.
5. Haynes. I'm assuming I can use the regular diesel W123 Haynes manual, but is there one specific to gas-powered models?
I'm sure I'll think of more but that's it for now - thanks in advance for the help!
This week someone made me an offer I couldn't pass up and I bought a car I've always wanted: a W123 Wagon!
This is a slightly odd one as well, it's the 230TE. It's been up here in Vermont a while so it has some issues throughout, but so far nothing too daunting. I've been spending the last couple of days chasing electrical gremlins and cleaning the car, and I have a couple of things I've run into that hopefully you an help me out with.
1. Non-working clock. The dash cluster was lying in a heap in a milk crate when I picked the car up. It's back together now, but the persistent issue is that the clock does not work at all. The line going to the connector on the back of the clock definitely has power, and I'm grounding the clock along with the same cluster of wires bolted to the frame behind the dash. I've tried grounding to the soldered grommet on the mounting plate as well as to the plate itself: nothing. I've read about replacing a couple of transistors in the clock, but I only see one, and the clock I have looks brand spanking new. It was separate from the other parts in a paper bag. What could be the issue here?
2. Hatch light. The light in the cargo area is not working. Fuse is good, bulb is good, but it doesn't look like the wires to the lamp are getting any power. Where could the break be, and how's the light wired in?
3. Keys. The car came with two keys. They both operate the ignition, but neither key fits in any of the door locks. Is this common? How do I get a new key in the event I'm missing a 'master?'
4. Upholstery/Seats. The car is upholstered in Mercedes Anthracite fabric aside from the front pair which are palomino MB-Tex. I'd like the interior to be consistent; any ideas? Which other MB models have rear seats which are interchangeable with the 230TE? I'm also trying to find replacement cloth for the fronts, but that Anthracite fabric seems to be almost impossible to find. Are there common replacements people use? Also, are there common seat upgrades which people like? They're not bad, but springy like an old mattress.
5. Haynes. I'm assuming I can use the regular diesel W123 Haynes manual, but is there one specific to gas-powered models?
I'm sure I'll think of more but that's it for now - thanks in advance for the help!
