Good Afternoon:

I've done some searching on this site and have gotten some answers to my questions, but I have some gaps and could use some help.

1) Since the time when the car was new, I recall having a few repairs to the multi-contour seats for bladder leaks or simply the seats not inflating properly. I have kept every receipt, so if need be I can go and look up the various repairs. At some point when the car was outside of the warranty period, I just didn't bother getting them fixed. For some reason I now want to fix them.

Someone posted some helpful diagrams on the hoses, PSE pump, etc.. My pump works just fine, and while I checked all of the fuses in the fuse box under the seat, I didn't see on the fuse card which location was responsible for a relay of some sort. My guess since the pump works and I don't see any hoses that are disconnected, that there's a relay that is bad. Any thoughts on this?

2) Horn. Well - I never thought I'd need advice to fix a horn, but here we go...I cracked my front grill this past winter sliding into someone's bumper. I can't tell when things went wrong, but at some point the horn sounded different. I thought the accident damaged the horn, but it would appear that the second horn - the one that is hidden under the passenger side headlight, is broken or disconnected. As a side - I had used the horn a few times recently, and the one in the center of the grille went out. That one had blown the fuse, which I replaced. So - how much of a hassle is this going to be to get to and replace the hidden horn? Do I have to take off the bumper cover? Can I get to it from the underside? I saw a few suggestions to got to a Hella brand setup that might fit near or where the other horn resides in the center - behind the grill. There doesn't seem to be much room there. Also - is the one behind the grill the high-tone horn, or the low-tone horn?

3) Related to the minor accident - does anyone have suggestions on where to get another grill? I found a little while back a new Mercedes one from an online dealer that was around $300 or so. Someone may have a used one - so that might be a better route.

4) There's a rubber gasket at the bottom of the windshield, that sits behind a plastic panel, and the gasket itself forms a seal between the panel and the bottom of the windshield. I have no idea what it is called - so I don't even know an appropriate search term. Mine is cracked in many places and I'd like to replace this. Can anyone help with this...a name of the part or place to purchase?

I could buy some of this stuff from the dealer, but after spending $65 for two electrical connectors, I try to not give them too much (more) of my money.

Thank you for any help that you can provide!

 

*contour...

 

For number 4.

Is it one of the these seals?
8 or 32

http://www.mbpartsworld.com/showAsse...chString=grill

 

Thank you very much for the link, Dan04mcs. I think - although I'm not confident enough to order the parts, that it's #41 and #44. I looked today and from what I can see, you can't just buy the gasket - you have to replace the two plastic 'panels' that are positioned on each side of the wiper arm. I'll try to upload a picture.

 

Here's a picture of the cracked seal - beneath the windshield.

 

This seal comes as assembly part with whole plastic trim...



ZAYED,,

 

Great find, Zayed. Thank you. I was unfamiliar with ECS, and they seem like a good source for parts. That is exactly what I need.

 

Sure mate,

Its great to deal with ECS...

ZAYED,,

 

They are only around $27 each from the dealer. I replaced both of mine last year. Takes maybe 10-15 min for the first side and 5 min for the second side. Once you see how it slides into place (or out of place).


The replacements are of the latest model. Early W210 have slightly different, but the later will fit and function just fine.


I replaced for a 97 once. The replacements looked like my 2002 version.

 

Do the seats inflate at all? Any of the bladders? Can you adjust the multi-contour seat adjustment valve? Do you hear air?
If no air sound or inflating bladders, could be the hose or fitting (most likely) is broken.
Look in front of the seats. Low, down near the carpet. See picture. If this fitting is loose, then the control valve does not get air and the bladders will not fill up.

 

cudaized - thank you for your comments and information. I will replace the rain trays.

As for the seats, here's what I know. The pump definitely works (under the rear seat). The lines at the front of the front seats are in place, and there is no leaking sound. Since the pump turns off after a minute or so once the car is started, I'm guessing there isn't a leak, since that would (I assume) cause the pump to stay on indefinitely.

That said, it has been a long time since the seats worked, and I can't recall what seemed to fail, first. I know they both didn't stop working overnight, but what happened in between; I'm uncertain. My guess is that there's a switch or blown fuse that's not functioning properly. So - nothing works.

From the PSE/pump side, as long as that hose is connected, what is between that and the ability to fill the bladders with air? I know there are hoses - but is there any sort of control valve or relay that would prevent air from going beyond that point, and out to the seats? The pump works and the hoses are connected to it - and there are no discernible leaks.

Thank you.

 

PSE pump: If there is indeed a leak, the PSE pump will stop. Maybe in approx. 3-5 min. Then it stops. It does indeed start pumping air again if the car is shut off and restarted (after some initial start up self test ).



I have some trouble shooting suggestions.

(I am hoping that you have an air compressor or a bit of vacuum hose to continue with this test)

1. Can you remove the multi-seat control valve? (The assembly that your hand pushes the valves to adjust the air bladders). If you have this off, put the key in and turn to the #2 position, or start the car. If you hear air coming from one of the hoses (the one by itself offset from the other 4) from the fixed section still attached to the seat area, then most of the system works. The control valve might be your problem. Or..... all the air bladders are broken. Or.... the control valve is not distributing the air to the other 4 hoses that fill the bladders (ie. valves sticking or internal gasket leaking).

If you don't hear air or feel air coming from the offset hose, then the PSE is not sending air to the seat.

Time to move backwards towards the PSE pump.



2. Which line coming from the PSE valve is the one going to the seats? Great question. (I don’t recall which line, but think it is towards the front passenger side.)

Remove the bottom of the rear seat by pressing in the locking tabs on the outside, front sections of the lower seat. This will unlock the bottom cushion. Lift the cushion out. Passenger side, lift the padding out of the way. You will see the battery and an insulated rectangular cube. (It may already be ripped open from previous maintenance). Open the insulated rectangle. Leave the seat control valve disconnected, so you can hear the air flow during this test. Unplug one of the connected lines to the PSE.

I suggest that you use compressed air in small busts and low psi to find the correct hose to the seats. Once you find the correct hose to the seats, you can work with the next step. Alternative method: use a piece of vacuum hose (1/4 inch) and seal the line and use your lungs. Yes, blow into the vacuum line into the hose….. See if air is coming out of the seat seat adjustment valve “base”.



3. Reconnect the seat adjustment valve. Go back the PSE pump and introduce compressed air (short burst and low psi) into the seat line. (or lung power) See if the air bladders work. They should inflate and hold air as long as you hold pressure in the line.

Seats work? FANTASTIC! You have discovered most of the problems with these seats. (The air bladders leak or the control valve stopped working.) Since these items are working.....Now to find out why the air doesn't go from the PSE to the seats....


The pressure reservoir has been a problem on some cars. They crack and leak. Creating an open source of air intake into the PSE vacuum closed system. You will hear the leak or see the crack on the reservoir. Usually on the sides where the front and rear half are bonded together.



I can not help you in this relay that you are discussing. If the PSE works, and air is going to the correct seat hose, then the above steps should help.

 

[QUOTE=sesquipedalian;6094684] The pump definitely works (under the rear seat). The lines at the front of the front seats are in place, and there is no leaking sound. Since the pump turns off after a minute or so once the car is started, [QUOTE]



The pump is building up pressure and then cycles off until the system pressure decreases lower then the sensor limit.


Perhaps the seat line is not plugged into the correct outlet of the pump? Previous maintenance....?????????
No pressure going to the front seat line? You can find that out if you follow the about post.

 

Thanks for the troubleshooting tips, cudaized.

If there's one thing I dislike about messing with cars, it's the ever-present potential to crack a trim piece, a plastic connector, etc. So...I disconnected the front of the passenger side control valve, and you can hear air while the pump is working through a minute or so of start-up. I can't tell what it will take to get the back side of the valve disconnected. I'm concerned I'll snap the little tab. Worse- I can't get the valve to reseat, as it seems like it's somewhat out of alignment - or more likely - the assembly needs to be put back together when the bottom piece and the top piece are square with one another. Since I tilted the valve back, it's not going to seat properly. Is that a tab that needs to be pried back on the backside of the switch? Again - I don't want to crack it.

Thank you.

 

The forward section is held in place with the tab in the picture. It seems that you already found the way to remove it.
The rear (aft) section, is help in place with a tab also. A different type of tab. That tab needs to be depressed, or something needs to be placed up, into the rear bottom to force the tab out (rear). I use a small screwdriver to shove up into the rear part, from underneath. This dislocated the locking portion of the rear tab. Once the screw driver is shoved up and forced the tab to NOT engage the lock position, then the front section can be dislodged (like you already did) and just pull the control valve up. There will be some resistance because of the O-rings sealing each nipple (x5). Once you rock the control valve forward and aft, the control valve will just dislodge and pull up freely. Actually an easy task once you see the inner locks (forward and aft).
The control valve is mainly just pressed down and help in place with the O-ring friction. The forward and aft locking tabs are there to secure it in the down position. Try not to break the tabs, but bending them out of the way is alright. They will resume their normal position. It is pliable plastic.

Good news that the air is hissing out of the bottom section of the control valve.
The next step is to remove the control valve top half.
A short piece of tubing will be required. One that fits over the nipples (1/4" ???)
Once the control valve is off, connect the tube to the offset nipple. Connect the other side to one of the 4 out nipples. This will inflate one of the bladders.
See if the bladder holds air..... Yes! Try the next nipple
All 4 are good and holding air? Fantastic. Most things are working as they should.


Now the crappy part.....
Either step up and purchase a new control valve ($200 from my local MB dealer here in Miami) or disassemble your current control valve. This is not an easy job. I have done this and it takes time and patience. I repaired my valve one time, but since, it has started to leak again.
The first time, I got lucky and reseated everything and added new white Lithium grease to the 5 nipples. Connected the top half to the bottom and that was enough to get it working. Of course, I had the valve completely apart and exercised all the valves and movable parts.
The second time around...I found my inner contoured gasket and two out of the four control valve seats cracked or dry rotted. Also, the O-rings may be the culprit I could not repair the control valve. I could not find the correct size and thickness O-ring replacement. (I have a wide variety to select from) I am currently looking for a decent priced new valve. Trying not to pay $200 for it.


Try and clean the inner valves with compressed air (and solvent/oil) and moving each rotary control. This might just unseat each pneumatic valve and you will free up the inner workings of the main control valve. Re-apply the white Litium grease to each nipple on the bottom, stationary base piece. Push the top of the control valve back onto the bottom and check to see it the seat controls work.


They do???? Good to go. Anticipate that you will need to replace the control valve with a new one. Like I need.......

 

These contoured seat adjustment valves......SUCK. For an ~$80,000 car when new, they are cheap. But an interesting deployment method. The plastic valves (pistons) inside wear out and the O-rings don't seal the air. The leaks start......


Most often, the bladders break and that is the leak source. Very difficult to repair or replace. You have to take the seat apart.
If you are lucky, the seat back can be removed and a (several) loose tube(s) can just be reinstalled to the bladder. Or a heat shrink tube can be applied to seal the tube to the bladder fitting.

 

Thanks again for the information, cudaized.

I did get the control valve back together, thankfully. What I still don't understand is the mechanics of the system. For example - when I popped open the valve it of course leaked air, but it eventually (the pump) stopped. With a leak in the system as demonstrated by taking the valve apart, what is it that causes the pump to shut off, instead of continuing to pump air?

Thank you.

 

The part #s are


210-831-09-58
210-831-10-58


https://mbworld.org/forums/5073020-post6.html

 

Thank you, snoozie!