HOW-TO - Remove and Replace Seat Covers

[LWB250]

While it's not something that you might do often, replacing the leather cover(s) of your front seats is a major undertaking, and can be quite difficult if you've never done it before. I would put this as a 6 or 7 difficulty on a scale of 1-10 for a competent DIYer with the proper tools.

As for tools, you're going to need:

3/8" ratchet, extensions and universal joint
10mm socket
Phillips head screwdriver
Plastic panel tools
Mercedes instrument cluster hook
Razor or XActo knife
Flashlight

I've sourced near perfect OE leather covers from a guy I've known for some years named Craig Schoenemann. He's on eBay and can be reached directly via email at mschoen4@sbcglobal.net . Great guy, very responsive, has beautiful stuff and has never disappointed me with the covers I've gotten from him. I highly recommend him. Cost? It certainly depends on the model, color and age of the car, but the set you'll see me installing on my 1993 400E was $300 shipped to me for both front seats.

This "HOW-TO" is a little light on pictures, but very descriptive. If you read through it carefully before undertaking the work, everything will make sense as you go through it.

On to the fun:

1.) Move the seat as far to the rear as it will go. This will expose the bolts holding the front of both seat rails. Loosen, but don't completely remove them using your 10mm socket.



2.) Move the seat as far forward as it will go. Remove the two 10mm bolts holding the rear of the seat rails to the floor. Due to their location you're probably going to have to use an extension and a universal joint to get to them.



3.) Remove the cover from the seat belt retainer track that is located on the driveshaft tunnel near the rear seat. Pry it off from the rear and it will come loose. With your 10mm socket, unscrew the bolt holding the track to the tunnel. Note that there is a bell shaped washer between the track and the tunnel. It may fall into the gap between the carpet and the chassis, so be sure to fish it out. Pull the track back as far as possible, which will disengage it from the seat belt receiver bracket.

4.) Move the seat all the way to the rear. Tilt the seat back about halfway in its travel, about 45 degrees. Raise the headrest as far as it will go, then remove it from the seat while pushing in on the release button on the seat back. This shows up as a small bump in the upholstery on the seat back above the map pocket words the outside of the seat. Holding the front edge of the seat bottom with one hand, remove the front bolts. The seat will want to tip back, which is a good thing.



5.) Let the seat tip back. This will expose the bottom of the seat. You'll see some wiring harnesses going into the bottom of the seat. On the front of the seat below the cushion is a fabric cover that wraps around the bottom of the seat. Pull down on this and you will release it from its position. It is held in place with springs, so let go of it carefully. This will expose the connectors on the wiring harness.

6.) Remove the connectors and free the wiring harness from the seat bottom. There may be a couple of reusable tie wraps holding them in place.

7.) With a helper, lift the seat and gradually rotate it 90 degrees while taking it out of the door opening. You might want to put a blanket or other protection on the door sills, as it's easy to drag the seat rails across the sill while removing it. Put the seat on a workbench or work area where you can get to it easily from all sides. Gag when you see all the cruft that's under the seat. Ugh.

8.) Carefully remove the plastic trim covers from the hinges. If you gently pull the inside edges at the rear, they will release. Then it's a matter of sliding them towards the rear to disengage the hooks on the front. The cover on he seat belt receiver will come off - if you look closely there is a gap in the slot that will allow you to slip it over the seat belt receiver bracket and wire. There are two phillips head screws on the bottom of the seat back. Remove them. Lay the seat back down so it is flat on your work surface. Press down on the front of the seat back to compress the cushion. With the cushion compressed, pry the edge of the fabric out of the groove on the seat back using a panel tool. Start at one end (top or bottom) and once it's released the rest of the fabric will come out easily. Repeat for the other side. Once the fabric is out of the grooves the seat back will come free from the seat. Set it aside.

9.) With pressure applied to the seat back bottom, pull out on the fabric along the bottom of the seat back where it wraps around from the front. There is a cardboard strip stitched into the fabric that is folded over and placed in a metal groove on the seat back frame. When the seat back cushion is compressed, the fabric can be pulled out of this groove, freeing the cardboard strip and fabric.


10.) Facing the seat back from the rear, you're going to see a mess of springs and wires. Look carefully at the horsehair pad, which will have a number of slots and holes cut into it. Some of these will have wires projecting out of them with nylon tabs or hooks holding them. Starting at the top of the seat back, take the instrument cluster hook and hook it into one of the wire loops where you see a nylon tab. Pull out on the wire loop using the hook, relieving the pressure on the nylon tab. Slide the tab out of the loop and set it aside.



11.) Work from the outside edge in, then down. With the nylon tabs removed from each side on the top, move towards the center of the seat where there will be a nylon rod of sorts with three hooks on it, center and one on either side. Using the cluster hook, hook each loop and pull to relieve pressure and over/off the hook. Repeat for the other two hooks on the nylon rod. It will stay in place as it has clips holding it to the seat frame.

12.) Repeat this process until all of the tabs and hooks are removed. Pay close attention to the very top and bottom of the seat pad, as some of the nylon tabs might be obscured but the seat pad folds.

13.) Move to the top of the seat back. The upholstery that wraps around the back of the top of the seat is held in place with a wide cardboard strip that is folded up in place behind the seat frame. Reach up and feel the cardboard strip. Pull down on it on one side, "flipping" the cardboard down. Work your way across the fabric to the other side of the seat, freeing this edge. At this point the seat cover will be free of the frame with the exception of the top of the cover.

14.) Carefully peel the seat cover off of the top of the seat frame. The only remaining anchor is the plastic grommets that form the holes for the headrest rods. These are held in place with nylon rings that are pressed over the grommets. I have not found a way to remove or release them in place, so I carefully pull the cover up so I can expose the grommets, then use a sharp razor knife to cut the seat padding away from them. When the new cover is in place these are tightly anchored anyway, so I haven't found the lack of the rings making a difference in operation or appearance.



15.) At this point you should be able to lift the seat back cover off of the seat back.

16.) Moving to the seat bottom cushion, position yourself behind the seat, facing the seat back. Compress the seat bottom cushion along the back edge and release the material from the retention groove just as you did with the seat back fabric.

17.) Move around to the front of the seat. Starting at one corner near the hinge, compress the seat cushion to release the material from the retention groove. You'll need to work your way around the front of the seat to the other side to completely release the cover. Lift the edges of the cover to expose the horsehair seat pad on each side.

18.) From the side of the seat starting at the rear, reach under the horsehair pad and pull the edges down and out to release them from the spring frame. Move forward about halfway towards the front of the seat. Once about half of the cushion has been released, stand in front of the seat, grasp the seat cover and cushion, and pull forward. The seat pad and cover will come off the seat spring frame and be free of the seat.

19.) Move to a work surface or table in a well lit area. Place the bottom seat cover and pad upside down so you can see the bottom of the pad. Note that there are a number of holes in the pad with wires through them. On those wires are hooks that clip over the wires to anchor the seat cover. The hooks are in an inverted "J" shape with a flat plastic clip that "closes" the hook. Using the cluster removal hook, carefully hook one of the plastic hooks and pull it up and off the wire. Repeat for the remaining hooks.



20.) Depending on the age and construction of the seat bottom, there may be several cloth strips coming through the holes in the seat pad, stapled to the bottom of the pad. Carefully remove the staples. This should free the cover from the pad. Set the cover aside where you see it for reference.


21.) At this point you need to inspect your new bottom cover. There are two different means of securing the cover to the seat pad, and they are different. The more common arrangement seems to be the plastic hooks as previously described. There is also an arrangement using a similar style of hook, only it's a part of a flat plastic "butterfly" that holds the seat pad in place. If you've gotten this far you've figured out how everything is attached. If you have the same arrangement with the new seat cover, great! If not, you may have to swap the plastic hooks over from the old pad to the new pad. If you do this, use the old pad as a pattern for where the hooks are placed, as they must line up with the holes in the seat pad. If you have to swap hooks, you may have to make small cuts in the fabric that holds the wires to the seat cover. I like to put the hook in place on the wire over the fabric, then use my razor knife to carefully just a slot in the fabric for the hook to slip through.



22.) With the hooks in place on the cover, turn it good side down on your work surface. Place the seat pad over it, lining up the hooks with the holes as best as possible. Starting at the front of the seat pad, use the cluster removal hook to hook the plastic hook, pull it up and over the wire to secure it to the wire. Work from the inside out, front to back. With all of the hooks clipped over the wires, you're done.

23.) Move back to the seat and get your seat back cover ready to install. Carefully pull the cover down and over the seat back frame, taking care to position it properly. Check the fit on the corners and edges around the top of the seat and adjust the position as necessary. Once done, take the cardboard strip on the back edge of the seat fabric and "flip" it up into the seat back frame, securing the cover.

24.) Facing the seat back from the rear, starting at the top of the seat on the outer edge, take the cluster removal hook, place it into one of the slots in the seat back cushion and "hook" the wire loop in the seat cover. If you can't reach or locate the loop, reach your hand up and under the cover to locate the wire loop that corresponds to that location. Reach through the hole from the back with the cluster removal tool and guide it to the loop with your hand. Pull the loop through the seat pad and have a nylon tab ready to place in the wire loop. Once done, release the wire loop and the tension will hold the tab in place. Move to the other side of the seat and hook that loop, then move to the center of the seat and hook each of the three loops onto the nylon rod's hooks.

NOTE: As you get more wires hooked, the cover will come into position. The farther down the cover you get, the closer the wire loops will be to the corresponding holes in the seat cushion.




25.) With all of the wire loops hooked, pull the bottom edge of the cover fabric through so it is visible from the back of the seat. Apply pressure and compress the bottom of the seat back, which will allow you to hook the cardboard strip and seat cover fabric into the retention groove on the seat back frame.

26.) Get the seat bottom cover and pad. Paying attention to the slots in the seat pad, line them up with the spring frame and push the pad and cover to the rear of the seat as far as possible. Note that you will not be able to push the pad all the way to the back of the seat frame. Reach under the side of the seat frame and pry the seat pad edges down and over the spring frame. Once this is done, the seat pad and cover and be pushed all the way to the rear.

27.) Applying pressure to the bottom seat cushion to compress the springs. This will allow you to hook the cardboard strip into the retention groove in the seat bottom frame. Start at once corner and work your way around.

28.) Move to the back of the seat. Compress the rear of the seat bottom cushion and secure the cardboard strip and fabric into the retention groove on the back of the seat bottom frame.

29.) Locate the seat back panel. Put it in place and push upwards to engage the top edge behind the seat back. Install the two phillips head screws in the bottom of the seat back frame. Note that your new seat cover fabric may not have holes in the same locations as these were self drilling screws, so be prepared to "search" for the screw holes in the seat back frame.

30.) Lay the seat on its back. Apply pressure to compress the seat back cushion to allow the plastic strip and fabric to be pushed into the groove on the seat back panel sides. Start at the top and work your way down. Repeat for the other side. Clean the hinge trim covers and reinstall.




Installation of the seat is the reverse of removal. Again, be careful putting the seat back in the car as it's easy to do some damage in the process. Having a helper for this part is a big plus. Before you do it, sweep and clean the carpet under the seat. It's the right thing to do, as it probably won't see daylight again for another 10-15 years. It should go from this:



To this:



Dan

 

[sheward]

Thanks for the write up. I feel much better about doing this job in the near future.

drew

 

[nocfn]

Luckily, when I had new covers from GAHH it cost me a few hundred to have them installed. Later, I removed both seats and the carpet for Dynomat treatment of the floor pan. I was a solo, and agree pulling these seats out are not for everyone. I just removed my sill covers, then used some heavy duty moving blankets over the threshold and on the concrete to receive them. Also not a bad time to just remove your carpet and give it a power washing. I used duplicolor vinyl and plastic paint in the mb color and gave the clean dry carpet several light coats from differing angles and used a nylon brush to work it in and soften up the fibers. Props Dan, that is a lot of work. (clean your rails and give some fresh synthetic grease to moving parts)

 

[LWB250]

It's really not a bad job to do, just time consuming and fiddly. Once you've done one side the other one is much easier.

I would suggest that doing the passenger side first is best, as it's the easier one to do and will go a long way in building your confidence in doing the driver's side. I use the same approach on other repair jobs that are “side specific”. That way if you screw up, which you’re more prone to do on the first attempt, the mistake is on the passenger side and out of sight.

I learned this lesson years ago doing some exterior trim work. I started on the driver's side and did some minor damage as a part of the repair. Using the knowledge I gained on that one I was able to do the passenger side without incident. Every time I drove the car I would see that repair, and it bugged the heck out of me. Had I started on the passenger side and made my mistake there it would have been far less obvious....

Dan

 

[gerryvz]

Gleitpaste or NAPA Syl-Glide works very well for seat rails.

 

[nocfn]

Gleitpaste or NAPA Syl-Glide works very well for seat rails.

I used gleitpaste, it attracts less dirt than syl-glide and less is more approach whatever you use.

 

[samiam44]

There are tricks to working the fabric/leather over the horsehair pad. I borrowed a long arched piece of plastic which our company's interior guy used. It allows it to slide so into place over the plastic. made a huge difference doing bolsters. I live in an area with some big wholesale suppliers- J&J and Larry Dennis. I'm sure those guys sell tools and materials to help.

 

[LWB250]

The way W124 seats are constructed these aren’t really necessary, as you’re not stretching fabric over the horsehair pads. Earlier models, such as the W123 and W126, do require you to stretch the whole cover over the seat back, for example, which can be difficult and if not done properly will tear seams and/or fabric. Don’t ask me how I know...

Dan

 

[emerydc8]

I searched for hours trying to find a DIY on this. Now I think I can tackle it with the help of your excellent post. Thanks!

 

[gsxr]

I sense a spike in 500E leather seat cover sales at GAT and GAHH.

 

[LWB250]

I sense a spike in 500E leather seat cover sales at GAT and GAHH.

And definitely contact my leather guy. The covers I got for the 400E are near perfect. For the money ($300 to my doorstep) they can't be beat. The quality of the covers I've gotten from him has always been very high. Nothing to gain on my part, just a very, very satisfied customer.


He has also come up with nearly new horsehair pads for me in a couple of instances as well, along with finding very good armrest covers.

Dan

 

[LWB250]

I searched for hours trying to find a DIY on this. Now I think I can tackle it with the help of your excellent post. Thanks!

That's great feedback and a big incentive for me to continue doing this. Thank you!

It's really not that difficult, but it is time consuming and requires some attention to detail. I would allocate a good 3-4 hours to do the first seat and maybe 2-3 to do the one after that. You're welcome to PM me if you have questions or get in a bind.

Dan

 

[Jimbo]

This is good stuff !

Pretty soon, with all the DIYs here, we won't need to pay for any 'professionals' to keep these cars alive and well.

 

[atg]

That's great feedback and a big incentive for me to continue doing this. Thank you!

It's really not that difficult, but it is time consuming and requires some attention to detail. I would allocate a good 3-4 hours to do the first seat and maybe 2-3 to do the one after that. You're welcome to PM me if you have questions or get in a bind.

Dan

Thanks a bunch Dan. I will probably go with new covers but this will save a lot on the install cost. Hope the sportline seats and are similar; I'm guessing they will be but who knows.

I checked with the ebay guy but no one has any Sportline covers.

Only part I am uncertain about is whether to try to add seat heaters to the car, because the Sportline seats definitely have the elements in them and I can have them transferred to the new covers. I suppose I should do a forum search on adding seat heaters.

 

[LWB250]

Thanks a bunch Dan. I will probably go with new covers but this will save a lot on the install cost. Hope the sportline seats and are similar; I'm guessing they will be but who knows.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Glad to be of help.

I'm sure the Sportline seats are similar. Their design might be slightly different, but the means of attachment and construction are most likely the same or very similar. I've done seats on W123, W124, W140 and W210 chassis' cars, and haven't found any noticeable differences between them as far as how they're put together. Be sure to get an instrument cluster hook tool to do this. I've been amazed at how many ways those hooks can be used in other repair and maintenance jobs on these cars...


Dan

 

[atg]

Glad to be of help. I'm sure the Sportline seats are similar. Their design might be slightly different, but the means of attachment and construction are most likely the same or very similar. I've done seats on W123, W124, W140 and W210 chassis' cars, and haven't found any noticeable differences between them as far as how they're put together. Be sure to get an instrument cluster hook tool to do this. I've been amazed at how many ways those hooks can be used in other repair and maintenance jobs on these cars...

You were correct. Substantially the same. Not breaking the plastic trim covers seems the most challenging bit of the job, until you get to rewiring the seat bases...here is the base with edges released:


Cracks


Little plastic clips requiring a hook to release from pad:


Pad separated from cover


Heaters wrapped around pad edges:


Main seat bottom element slide out:


Little hook thing:


Main element for seat:


Drivers side bolster seat heater material slid off the element from higher wear near the drivers door:


Removing foam bolster heating elements from pads:



Testing elements. Drivers side bolster definitely higher resistance:




Old style sportline seat base from a 90s v8:


Newer style with 1994 date stamps on the component stickers; probably from a 94 320te I bought in mexico for parts:


New style plug I will have to re pin to get the door switch setup in my 87 (which now has the 1994 te switches and seats) to work with the older 500e seat (not sure; definitely came from some sort of v8 w124 sportline car from the early 1990s):


Somebody lost some change from the Caymans:


Left base bolster heater


Right base bolster heater

 

[atg]

Maybe someone can explain to me why the earlier v8 sportline seat connectors often have 5 or so wires for a single function, only two of which seem large enough to carry current? The later base just has two wires to each motor.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Klink]

Maybe someone can explain to me why the earlier v8 sportline seat connectors often have 5 or so wires for a single function, only two of which seem large enough to carry current? The later base just has two wires to each motor.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Seat motors for vehicles with position memory function have potentiometers on the motors to indicate the position to the seat controller/memory box. The smaller wires are for the position sensor reference voltage and position dependent signal output. The potentiometers are on a fairly extreme gear reduction drive, as it obviously takes many turns of the motor to move a given seat function through the full range of travel. The potentiometer wiper itself is on a friction slip clutch. After the seat is assembled and installed one must move each seat function to a full travel limit to “center” the potentiometer wipers so that they can supply position information for the full range of travel. Obviously, seat motors that are used in a seat without a position memory feature only need two wires to run the motor...

 

[gsxr]

atg, could you explain what exactly you are trying to do, including the specific seats and year/model of the car, and what modifications have already been completed (and functioning) in the 87? The 91-up switches require completely re-wiring between switch and seats, which IMO isn't worth the effort.

Normally, to install 1991-up seats into a 1986-1990 chassis, OR install V8 (034/036) seats into a 6-cyl car, you will need to use the original base / motors from the recipient car. I installed 1994 E500 seats into my 1987 300D about a decade ago, and used the original 1987 base/motors. The 1991-95 seat frames/cushions/backrests bolt up to the 86-90 bases. No rewiring required, except for adding the seat heat wiring/relay/switches/wood. Photos here.

Also, the seat heating side elements on the bolsters should remain on the Sportline/500E cushion / horsehair pad, which must match the leather covers. You can't interchange standard seat leather on Sportline pads, or vice-versa. The standard leather covers (non-Sportline) have the heating elements sewn into the back side of the leather itself, not removable. Photos here, scroll down near the bottom.

Oh, and as Klink noted, seat bases with memory have more wires. Some late 124 wagons/diesels did not have memory as standard equipment, so it's possible the 94 wagon donor you mention did not have memory. If you haven't already pulled new wires into your 87, just use your 87 bases/switches.

 

[atg]

atg, could you explain what exactly you are trying to do, including the specific seats and year/model of the car, and what modifications have already been completed (and functioning) in the 87? The 91-up switches require completely re-wiring between switch and seats, which IMO isn't worth the effort.

Normally, to install 1991-up seats into a 1986-1990 chassis, OR install V8 (034/036) seats into a 6-cyl car, you will need to use the original base / motors from the recipient car. I installed 1994 E500 seats into my 1987 300D about a decade ago, and used the original 1987 base/motors. The 1991-95 seat frames/cushions/backrests bolt up to the 86-90 bases. No rewiring required, except for adding the seat heat wiring/relay/switches/wood. Photos here.

Also, the seat heating side elements on the bolsters should remain on the Sportline/500E cushion / horsehair pad, which must match the leather covers. You can't interchange standard seat leather on Sportline pads, or vice-versa. The standard leather covers (non-Sportline) have the heating elements sewn into the back side of the leather itself, not removable. Photos here, scroll down near the bottom.

Oh, and as Klink noted, seat bases with memory have more wires. Some late 124 wagons/diesels did not have memory as standard equipment, so it's possible the 94 wagon donor you mention did not have memory. If you haven't already pulled new wires into your 87, just use your 87 bases/switches.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

We are on seat iteration 3. I thought the 500e seats would be more comfy than the later wagon seats, which had already been swapped onto the older bases. So getting 500e seats into the car was the goal.

Unfortunately the upholstery on the 500e seats is shot. I would like to replace the pads, but they need to be rebuilt with some latex as they are nla and no one has tooled up a replacement coco pad yet. That is why I pulled the heaters off - I figured someone would have new pads - wrong!

Anyway I will likely be gluing some foam onto the old pads to bèef them up. GAHH recommends 1/2" foam. I am guessing they put it onto the back side of the pads, as how are bolster heaters going to function otherwise. Personally I like closed cell latex foam. Easy to work with and much tougher than PU over time. Quite a bit more dense also though varying densities are likely available. I actually slept on a 1" sheet of latex foam for a year or so when I didnt have money to buy a bed. Pretty good substitute and that sheet is still in the garage and going strong 15 years later. I have made foam rollers for my roof rack with it that have also taken a serious beating. So latex it is, either 3/8" or half. Anyone who has done this job please chime in.

As for the heaters, Tom is trying to talk me out of adding them. I have an early car without the option. I love seat heaters, but didnt put the wiring in with the last seats. So to do that I will need to rout some holes in the console wood or just pick up a refinished console set (87 doesnt have the dash wood), get a harness, the plug and block for the engine bay, and the power feed. I think it would be nice to have heat, esp with the rebuilt seats. Should have done it when I swapped the interior over before.

On the motors, live and learn on the memory vs non memory setup, but I just swapped the non memory motors to the new frame (one seat at a time while I figure this out). So the seats coming out of the wagon will acquire full memory setup and I can sell them like that. It is like three screws, total, to do that swap for two motors. Five screws if you count the little wire guide in the hinge.

I will swap the heaters into the new covers and reglue the bolster heaters on after reinforcing the pads. Then reassemble and install.

Not sure if I am going gahh or my even more local guy on the covers; he does higher end stuff typically but has a soft spot for old mercs. I think he will be out of my budget on this though. Gahh has the pattern at least for the sportlines and like 800 on the price.

A project I didnt really need but Jeff had the seats sitting around and I wanted better ones. Plus I learned a lot about how they go together and got some exercise. Just need to push it through this annoying nla hiccough and wire the heaters.



Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[gsxr]

atg, are you 100% certain that new bottom Sportline/500E heated pads are NLA? MB Classic Germany is still showing them as available, and they include new side/bolster heaters attached:

https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1249104050?tt=manual

https://www.mboemparts.com/oem-parts/mercedes-benz-pad-1249104050

It's the backrest pad that has been NLA for a while.

To add heating, you'll need to obtain all the parts from a donor car with seats. Don't attempt to cut holes in your console wood, you'll probably destroy it. Either buy used wood with the holes, or have Madera add the holes & refinish the wood. The rest is all plug + play, after removing the main floor carpet. It may not be easy to buy the parts, as it's a lot of work to extract the 2 harnesses, and not many people bother. Check with David Hendy though. The harness is NLA new. Best case you'd find a car with heated seats locally in a junkyard.

 

[atg]

atg, are you 100% certain that new bottom Sportline/500E heated pads are NLA? MB Classic Germany is still showing them as available, and they include new side/bolster heaters attached:

https://partssearch.mercedes-benz-classic.com/parts/A1249104050?tt=manual

https://www.mboemparts.com/oem-parts/mercedes-benz-pad-1249104050

It's the backrest pad that has been NLA for a while.

Ok I will check with Tom again on the bottom pad.

I guess the later heater harness should work ok in the earlier car, right? Was hoping to not have to remove rear carpets.

Otoh, the older stuff is all the same as 126, right? So that expands the donor pool a bit.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[gsxr]

The very early 124 harness is different, but yes, you can use the later harness, if you use all the other "late" components - yellow relay in the rear, etc. You cannot access the plastic wire trays without pulling the carpet, and the center console also has to come out to route the wires properly up to the switches ahead of the gearshift mechanism.

I do not know if the early 124 heating components (relays, wire harness) is the same as 126. You'd have to do some reverse lookups in the EPC.

Pulling the interior isn't that difficult, just time consuming. Since the seats are already out, the carpet & console only add a few more hours total for R&R. You can add some Dynamat while you're in there too. And pull any stereo wiring at the same time (RCA cables, speaker wires, etc) even if you don't have current plans for an upgrade, it will never be easier than when the interior is out.

 

[darek_u]

atg, are you 100% certain that new bottom Sportline/500E heated pads are NLA?

They are available, at least in Europe. I purchased one for EUR 98 last month.

It's the backrest pad that has been NLA for a while.

This is bad news... I was planning on purchasing a new backrest for drivers seat. They were still available last year when I checked with dealership?

 

[atg]

gsxr was correct - bottom pads are still available. Bought two today.

He was also correct about the squabs being NLA =:-(

I will post photos of my solution to the seatback rebuild when I do it.

They are available, at least in Europe. I purchased one for EUR 98 last month.



This is bad news... I was planning on purchasing a new backrest for drivers seat. They were still available last year when I checked with dealership?

 

[atg]

gsxr was correct - bottom pads are still available. Bought two today.

He was also correct about the squabs being NLA =:-(

I will post photos of my solution to the seatback rebuild when I do it.

Anyone have a part number for those little white plastic clips that hold the cover wires to the pad wires?

87 300TD om606 compound turbo
94 e420
85 300tdt

 

[atg]

Anyone have a part number for those little white plastic clips that hold the cover wires to the pad wires?

87 300TD om606 compound turbo
94 e420
85 300tdt

Hmmm...Tom Hanson said he doesn't have these clips listed separately.

This was the one aspect of the sportline seats that is different from the late w124 wagon seat: there are two more small white clips high in the squab portion of the seat that do not have access holes from the back of the seat pad. These hold a wire in the pad to a wire sewn into the cover. Releasing them is difficult. I ended up pulling the cover wires down out of their pockets to release the clips, but one clip was damaged. I will ask Harry my upholstery guy if he has any.

87 300TD om606 compound turbo
94 e420
85 300tdt

 

[gsxr]

The Sportline clips are small, and from memory the original design has been superceded to a functionally-equivalent clip that is similar size, but slightly different. I vaguely recall ordering a bunch of different clip part numbers from the EPC to figure out which were correct. I think 140-988-37-78 may be correct for the Sportline / 500E clips...?

 

[atg]

Those are for the rear seat apparently.

I will shoot him a photo. He says he has been through this before and it was not fun


87 300TD om606 compound turbo
94 e420
85 300tdt

 

[gsxr]

Those are for the rear seat apparently.

More specifically, the EPC shows 140-988-37-78 only for the rear seats. However it doesn't show any of the correct small clips for the front seats, which is what causes the confusion.

I will shoot him a photo. He says he has been through this before and it was not fun

Yep! And, I was never able to locate a part number that was the exact clip used on the 500E / Sportline front seats. Pretty sure the "rear" seat clip is the closest you may find, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

 

[gsxr]

Shiny new addition to W124performance.com is attached below (source here). I took the photo nearly 5 years ago and finally got the annotations added.

AFAIK, the original Sportline clips are NLA and you need to use the 140- part number that the EPC shows only for the rear seats.

 

[atg]

Looking a bit more supple now! New pad, cover but used the middle seat heater again due to nla.

87 300TD om606 compound turbo
94 e420
85 300tdt

 

[r44raven]

Could I go back in this thread almost to the start, where Dan's how-to explains the process for replacing the seat back and seat cushion covers?

I've just bought some new covers from GAT, and am getting a local car upholster renovator to fit them. However, I note that neither of the seat back covers are "pre-drilled (?)" to accept the headrest posts, neither has the driver's seat an opening cut out to receive the armrest arm.

Before plunging in and ripping off the old covers, when one fits the new ones, is it obvious where openings should be cut to accommodate the headrest pillars and the armrest arm? I.e. when you've fitted the new covers, can one "feel" where the openings should be cut by reference to the seat frame beneath the covers? (Hope that makes sense!?). Or should we be using the original covers as a template to cut the new openings?

Thanks in advance!

 

[nocfn]

My leathers were the same, I gave them to my installer. They cut the holes as needed, there were no issues. The installer, unless they are new and never did this, will have no issues as most recovering jobs are the same. Just discuss with them to assuage your concerns, but a pro has to expect such things.

 

[LWB250]

New leather covers won't have holes in them. Used/refurbished ones will, of course.

Let your installer cut the holes, or if you're doing it, put the covers on the seat first, then you can cut the holes in the covers once they're in place. You can feel the openings from inside the seat, and you'll have the seat back off anyway, so they're easy to get to. Note that the grommets are pretty much single use parts, so you'll have to get a new set of them. More often than not they get destroyed if you try to remove them from the old covers.

Dan

 

[dav.gm]

I'm getting new seat covers from GAT but I don't know how to install them. are they ready for installation ? I mean are the cover wires there?

 

[atg]

You need to cut the holeslike the old ones as above, and probably get some of the white clips as they sometimes break or get lost. The old leather is better quality than the new stuff, if you can find nice ones. And cheaper.

 

[Kyiv]

@LWB250, an invaluable write up - thank you!

I'm only looking to replace seat bottom pad and install MB spring reinforcing "noodles". I'm keeping original covers. You're sequence was seat back -> seat bottom, reverse for assembly. Can seat bottom cover be removed without dealing with seat back? Sorry if this a silly question, I'm a real novice. I'm tempted to try to do this myself. Thanks

 

[LWB250]

@LWB250, an invaluable write up - thank you!

I'm only looking to replace seat bottom pad and install MB spring reinforcing "noodles". I'm keeping original covers. You're sequence was seat back -> seat bottom, reverse for assembly. Can seat bottom cover be removed without dealing with seat back? Sorry if this a silly question, I'm a real novice. I'm tempted to try to do this myself. Thanks

Yes, it can. However, it will be a little more difficult getting the back of the lower seat cover in place. Not a major issue, it will just take some time to get the fabric pushed under the bottom of the seat back, that's all. You could tip the seat back as far as possible before disassembly, but that might make it unstable to work on, so I'm not sure I would take that approach.

While this is a fairly complicated job, it's not difficult if you take your time and move slowly. You've read through the procedure and have it to refer to while you're doing it, so you should be fine. As always, ask questions if you're not sure about something and don't force anything.

Good luck!

Dan

 

[sheward]

Thanks again to all that have contributed to this thread. I've read through it multiple times as I work on my own.
Currently, I can not see how to release the seat back heater wire that originates under the seat bottom and goes into the bottom of the seat back. This is a larger black wire that I assume carries current to the individual heaters. Where is the plug located? Is it the 4 pole plug with 2 sets of blue / brown wires attached to the seat frame bottom? Is it recommended / necessary to separate the seat from the seat frame for this recover operation? I now see this is necessary.
I'm also not clear on exactly which heating elements in the backrest have to be re sewn into the covers. It looks like the bolster heaters are glued to the bolster pads which would not be associated with the new covers. Do the seat back center heaters slip into pouches in the cover? Which heaters do the cover producers need? Do I cut these center elements out of the padding or remove the center padding from the cover in it's entirety?
Part no.s for the headrest grommets would also be helpful if anyone would be kind to post. I'm taking photos along the way to try to add to the detail here.

drew

 

[LWB250]

Thanks again to all that have contributed to this thread. I've read through it multiple times as I work on my own.
Currently, I can not see how to release the seat back heater wire that originates under the seat bottom and goes into the bottom of the seat back. This is a larger black wire that I assume carries current to the individual heaters. Where is the plug located? Is it the 4 pole plug with 2 sets of blue / brown wires attached to the seat frame bottom? Is it recommended / necessary to separate the seat from the seat frame for this recover operation? I now see this is necessary.
I'm also not clear on exactly which heating elements in the backrest have to be re sewn into the covers. It looks like the bolster heaters are glued to the bolster pads which would not be associated with the new covers. Do the seat back center heaters slip into pouches in the cover? Which heaters do the cover producers need? Do I cut these center elements out of the padding or remove the center padding from the cover in it's entirety?
Part no.s for the headrest grommets would also be helpful if anyone would be kind to post. I'm taking photos along the way to try to add to the detail here.

drew

Drew,

You'll have to pop the seat heater cable connector apart at the 4 pole plug to free the cables. The top or back of the connector body pries off from the side, exposing the wires and pins they're soldered to. Just make a note or take a picture of the pins before you remove them.

I can't speak to the seat back heater elements, as I haven't removed those, but the seat bottom cushion heaters have to be cut out of the old seat cover by separating the seams with a seam ripper or sharp utility knife. Because they're stitched into the upholstery when new, the only way to get them in the new cover is to just place them under the section where they belong when you reassemble the cover and seat. At least that's what I did...

Dan

 

[gsxr]

Drew, the 500E / Sportline heaters ARE NOT sewn into the leather covers.

Only standard seat leathers have the heaters sewn into place.

Poke around the photos here if you haven't yet done so:

Index of /images/W124_seats/seat_heaters

 

[sheward]

Thanks to both of you. I did finally just disconnect the heater wires at the 4 pole connector as well as the seat back wires at the adjacent connector which has a convenient snap top just for this portion. No need to disturb the remaining poles in the connector. I did note the difference in heaters between standard and sport seats. The only remaining question is do I cut the entire pad with heater elements loose and supply it to the cover folks or just the elements themselves. I'm guessing there is no way to check the elements without cutting them out first. Will the new covers come with an entirely new pad?

drew

 

[sheward]

Dave: After looking through your pics it seems I need to cut the entire "pad" with elements loose from the cover.

drew

 

[gsxr]

Drew, what year/model are you working on?

500E center heating elements are removable (slide out of pockets on the back of the leathers).
500E side heating elements are glued to the horsehair pad.

You can test them without cutting anything, use an ohm meter on each separate element, good ones will be roughly 3-6 ohms or so.

 

[sheward]

92 500E.

After looking once more at your pictures I understand. The entire rectangular center sections top and bottom will be sewn into the new covers correct? That means I'm free to cut the pockets open rather than pull them out. I ask this question to provide insight into what will be delivered back to me. I do not want to destroy any wrong items.
Any tips on reaching the last cover clips at the front of the bottom cushion? They appear to be inaccessible due to the extended seat pan underneath.

drew

 

[gsxr]

On a 500E, you don't have to cut anything, once you have the leather cover fully removed from the pad/cushion. The rectangular heating center sections top and bottom will slide out with some coaxing. The new leathers SHOULD have the same fabric pockets, and you slide the center heaters back into place in the pockets. It would not hurt to ask the vendor what they want you to do. I would keep the heating elements and not ship them anywhere, if they get lost, you won't be able to replace them.

It's been years since I've messed with these so I can't recall any tips on the finicky plastic clips. You may need to get creative to unhook them. With everything unhooked, the leather cover should come off with minimal effort.

 

[sheward]

Thank you, Sir. I see how they come out. The confusion came from hearing GAHH needs the elements to sew in. I'll call them directly to see exactly what they need. This is the only issue left keeping me from ordering / buying. The seat back clips were fairly easy to remove with the cluster tool Dan mentioned. Two were tricky to access. The seat bottom is different. There are six clips that have no access that are under the metal seat pan. I'll provide pics later after the cursing and personal injury.
I think the confusion with regards to sewing in elements may have come from the difference between standard (elements are sewn in) and Sportline (elements are slipped in to pockets).

drew

 

[gsxr]

GAHH needs the heating elements elements for non-500E, non-Sportline leather covers; so they can sew the old ones into the new leathers.

They are probably used to asking for the heaters and either forget 500E is different, or don't deal with many 500E/Sportlines?

 

[sheward]

Likely the case.
Completely finished with passenger seat. No cursing or pain although I did question my critical thinking. The seat pads come off of the metal / wire seat frames BEFORE seat cover removal. The pads slip off the frames similar to the way the covers come off of the pads. Everything must be separated in proper order. If this is followed the entire job is rather easy.

drew