E-Class (W124) 1984-1995: E 260, E 300, E 320, E 420, E 500 (Includes CE, T, TD models)

How do I tell if wiring harness is original or replacement?

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Old 02-18-2008, 01:35 PM
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1994 E320 (current)
How do I tell if wiring harness is original or replacement?

Hey Guys,

What are the tell tale signs if a wiring harness is original (besides the deteriorating and corrosion) or a replacement? I have narrowed my problem down to the Electronic accelerator control module or the Wire harness. Just trying to figure it out.

Thanks
Old 02-18-2008, 03:54 PM
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95 E320 Cabriolet, 108K
I'm not sure, but I believe there may be a prefix "S" in front of the part number for the replacement part. The part number is on a tag located one or two feet from the bulkhead connector along the wire bundle.

Keep in mind that if the wiring was replaced early in the life of the car, Mercedes had a policy where dealers were to first use up the old (defective) stock before selling or installing the good stuff.

I went ahead and took care of the ETA on my car as preventive measure. The wires were BAD.
Old 02-18-2008, 09:42 PM
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1995 E320 SE, 162,000 Miles (Sold)
If it's bad it will be very stiff. I once found a source online (maybe ebay?) that sold reconditioned ETAs for around $400. Otherwise I think they are $1200+.
Old 02-19-2008, 09:01 AM
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1994 E320 (current)
wire harness good or bad?

I checked the thing out and it looks very good. The wires under the insulation are , by appearence, in great shape. There is no cracking or splitting or crumbling at all. Is there a way to tell by the part number? I found the sticker for the harness and i wonder if I can use that to determine if it is a replacement or not?
Old 02-22-2008, 08:11 PM
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hard to tell
Old 02-22-2008, 09:40 PM
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1995 E320 SE, 162,000 Miles (Sold)
Originally Posted by GEDaggett
I checked the thing out and it looks very good. The wires under the insulation are , by appearence, in great shape. There is no cracking or splitting or crumbling at all. Is there a way to tell by the part number? I found the sticker for the harness and i wonder if I can use that to determine if it is a replacement or not?
If it is bad you would be able to tell by now. The wires would be powdered green corroded copper surrounded by chunks of brittle insulation.
Old 02-22-2008, 09:47 PM
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1994 E320 (current)
harness

The main harness doesn't look bad at all. However today while looking for an oil leak (which I found at the oil filter housing) i noticed a second set of wires coming of a sensor that looks just like every picture I have seen of the biodegradable wire harness. I am hoping it is a secondary less expensive harness but with my luck it will not be.

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