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OWNER makemann

Makemeister,

Did you also get a blower regulator to go with it? I highly recommend replacing both together, if possible. It's enough of a PITA job to do the regulator (and they do/will go out), that it's worth the cost to get a new one to go with the motor. Factory is preferred, though they are $pendy. It's an incremental labor "while you are in there" type of thing.

Be super careful with the blower motor box metal clips ... easy to lose forever into the void of the "behind the engine" area....

Cheers,
Gerry
 
I did not. After searching, I found this part number: 124 820 27 10. Is this correct for my 1992? If so, I'll place the order now. Thanks!


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The OEM part was $550 from the dealer and $407 from Naperville. I can't wait three days for it to arrive, so I just bought a Behr blower regulator (124-820-27-10) from my local shop who had it in stock for $185. Will install it all tomorrow. Thanks for the tip Honcho.
 
makemann said:
The OEM part was $550 from the dealer and $407 from Naperville. I can't wait three days for it to arrive, so I just bought a Behr blower regulator (124-820-27-10) from my local shop who had it in stock for $185. Will install it all tomorrow. Thanks for the tip Honcho.
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Behr is OEM, I believe, but you'll find out when you R&R and compare old to new. I'd have gone for the Behr myself. Do you have pics of the Behr regulator? I'm curious where it was manufactured. Replacing the porcupine is a bit of a PITA on pre-facelift models without the dust filter (86-93 USA model years). It's not quite the same setup as the facelift / dust-filter / 94-95 regulator.

:shocking:

OH, btw, you may want to clean the evaporator face while you're in there... but before you go crazy spraying foam or rinse water, make sure the drain tubes are intact or you'll have a mess inside the car. If your evaporator looks clean, just vacuum debris out and skip the foamy cleany process.

:duck:
 

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I'm leaving to pick it up shortly, so I don't have it in hand yet. I'll take a photo of it before installing.

What makes it a PITA? Anything I should pay particular attention to?
 
If a Behr blower regulator is available for your car, then it is the preferred aftermarket part. KAE (Kaehler) also makes them, but I do not recommend Kaehler products wherever possible. As you found, and I mentioned, the MB stealer product is damned expensive.

From what I am seeing on-line, the Kaehler product is less expensive than the Behr unit. Also, perhaps 5 years ago, the Behr unit was not available on the aftermarket for the late W124, necessitating Kaehler as the only alternative. It appears that this is still the case.

As Kent Bergsma's nephew GSXR mentions, there are two different versions of the blower motor resistor.

The unit for early cars (pre-facelift) is: 124 820 27 10.
The unit for later cars (facelifted) is: 124 821 21 51.

Cheers,
Gerry
 
makemann said:
What makes it a PITA? Anything I should pay particular attention to?
Click to expand...
The regulator & heatsink (aka 'porcupine') are located underneath a non-removable partition below the center of the motor; and it's a damned tight fit. I've only replaced one or two but each time it was not fun, and I've yet to figure out any tricks to ease the pain. You may contribute to the swear jar on this project, but it's definitely DIY'able. Snap a photo of the wire routing before you tear everything apart.

:pc1:
 
Please create a photo-illustrated HOW-TO article on this job. I did it some years back and that was right before I started doing the HOW-TOs. Still kicking myself for not documenting that job.
 
Makeman. Check that electrical function of the resistor. Mine was good for about 10 uses after the new behr and it was back to the drawing board.
 
gerryvz said:
If a Behr blower regulator is available for your car, then it is the preferred aftermarket part. KAE (Kaehler) also makes them, but I do not recommend Kaehler products wherever possible. As you found, and I mentioned, the MB stealer product is damned expensive.

From what I am seeing on-line, the Kaehler product is less expensive than the Behr unit. Also, perhaps 5 years ago, the Behr unit was not available on the aftermarket for the late W124, necessitating Kaehler as the only alternative. It appears that this is still the case.

As Kent Bergsma's nephew GSXR mentions, there are two different versions of the blower motor resistor.

The unit for early cars (pre-facelift) is: 124 820 27 10.
The unit for later cars (facelifted) is: 124 821 21 51.

Cheers,
Gerry
Click to expand...

I ended up getting the KAE part, as the Behr was not available locally.

I'm going to tackle this project over the weekend and will shoot some photos of my progress.


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We had a beautiful warm snap of 51 degrees yesterday, so I took advantage of it and pulled my E out of storage for a day. Very therapeutic.

Cheers!


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I just returned from a short visit, Max. I was lucky to enjoy the temps but the change has corrupted the roadways badly. Be careful, i drove through a hole with my F350 that would have ripped the wheel off of a 500E. As you may know the wheel and wrecker folks can't keep up.

drew
 
You’re absolutely right, Drew. Our roads have taken a beating this winter. Almost as bad as the Polar Vortex Winter of ‘13-‘14. Be safe out there!


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On June 11, an inexperienced young driver drove outside the lines of her parking space and continued into the front grill and bumper of my car.
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My good friend, who just happened to walk out when it happened, stopped and held the woman until I got there. I escorted her and her SuperDuty to the local PD to get a police report.

I called Hagerty Insurance and the agent was prompt with sending out a check for the repair.

Satish at MotorWerks did an outstanding replacement of the grill and bumper. They also repainted the hood and fenders.

It looks so good, I’m going to get the rest of the car repainted next year.

My 15-year old son is working on getting his driver license and looks forward to driving it whenever he gets the chance.
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Mileage: 158,500


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Ricardo, I regret to inform you that you are too late. He has already sold it to me when he plans to sell. He just does not know it yet. :-) That is my favorite exterior color as well.
 
And i have to inform you both that it is already for shipping to Norway ���� jokes aside ,so happy to see the repair turned out good.your car looks fantastic :jono:
 
gerryvz said:
Why did your insurance pay for the damage? Did the truck driver girl not have insurance?
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We have No-Fault Insurance policies in Michigan. My insurance pays regardless of who is at fault.

However, if I did not get a police report showing who was at fault, or if it was my fault, then I would have to pay the deductible. Since it was her fault and I provided proof, I did not have to pay the deductible.

The damage was very minor, but it still added up to $3,205.50. And since the front bumper is NLA, Satish took the bumper off of his own car to replace mine. What a guy!

Ricardo, JLaa and lowman: I hate to disappoint you, but I will never willingly sell my car. I have too many memories with this car in the three short years that I’ve had it. From the three years that I lurked on this site looking for the perfect color combination. To the cross-country trip with my late, oldest brother to drive it home. To all the help I’ve received from you guys to get it keep it maintained. And now, my only son learning how to drive in it. So I am pretty positive we’ll all be searching for the last of the NLA parts together!


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Max, I am very happy that you had the opportunity to take a huge road trip with your late brother from CA back to MI in your then-newly acquired car. What a treasured experienced - I am sure. Please never sell that car --- it represents a shared brotherly experience that can never be replaced.
 
Looks like a fantastic drive in clear "colder" late spring weather i guess :) Love it.
Here in Norway,,,days are getting shorter also..and colder..so not long until my car goes into its lair :)
Greetings,Stefan :)
 
lowman said:
Looks like a fantastic drive in clear "colder" late spring weather i guess :) Love it.
Here in Norway,,,days are getting shorter also..and colder..so not long until my car goes into its lair :)
Greetings,Stefan :)
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yeah, it was 27 degrees this morning. Winter is right around the corner. Putting my car in storage this week.


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It's been a while since I've updated my owner thread. I ended up not driving the car in 2019 because I spent the whole summer training to race in the Leadville 100 MTB race in Leadville, CO. With the current lockdown, I decided to work on the 500E. At 169,848 miles showing on the odometer, I replaced the right, rear window regulator without issue.

I took it to Motorwerks and had the following additional work completed:
1. replace PS filter
2. replace PS cap seal
3. flush PS fluid and replenish
4. brake system flush
5. cooling system flush
6. welded a crack in the muffler and replaced exhaust hangers
7. replace wiper blade
8. changed oil

Took it for a nice long drive for the first time since late 2018. Man, I love this car.

Now that my son turned 16, I had the pleasure of watching him enjoy driving the car for his first time. He loved it too.
IMG_2184.JPG
 
170,083 miles

Replaced Oil Filler Cap as the seal was poor.

Replaced spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor caps and rotors.

Replaced front brake pads, rotors and wear sensor.

Gave it a thorough interior detailing. Still looks great, but I'm thinking of either reconditioning the seat leather or replacing the leather. Will Leatherique soften really hard, 28-year old leather???
 
makemann said:
Still looks great, but I'm thinking of either reconditioning the seat leather or replacing the leather. Will Leatherique soften really hard, 28-year old leather???
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It may require multiple treatments, but supposedly yes, it should soften the old leather. And/or you may use other brands as well.

Seems the quality of replacement leathers has been hit or miss, and with the "horsehair" pads NLA, new leathers may require fiddling to fit properly. If your leathers are not torn or damaged, I'd try to rejuvinate them first.
 
gsxr said:
It may require multiple treatments, but supposedly yes, it should soften the old leather. And/or you may use other brands as well.

Seems the quality of replacement leathers has been hit or miss, and with the "horsehair" pads NLA, new leathers may require fiddling to fit properly. If your leathers are not torn or damaged, I'd try to rejuvinate them first.
Click to expand...

I'll give it a try, I just ordered the 32 oz. kit from Autogeek.
 
gsxr said:
It may require multiple treatments, but supposedly yes, it should soften the old leather. And/or you may use other brands as well.

Seems the quality of replacement leathers has been hit or miss, and with the "horsehair" pads NLA, new leathers may require fiddling to fit properly. If your leathers are not torn or damaged, I'd try to rejuvinate them first.
Click to expand...
I started out this year with hard un-cracked leather in my 25-year old Gal (95 E320), and as soon as the weather warmed up, I started rejuvenating the leather with a conditioner every month for the past 5 months. The leather has softened up nicely and feels much more comfortable to sit on. Even the rear headrests are so much more supple now.
Rejuvenation is definitely the way to go. There are a lot of great products to choose from
I settled for this product1598580835502.png
 
The key is like moisturizing skin. But your skins are not living so you need to emulsify the dirt out with water, soft soaps, heat and time. You are plumping up a surface of skin that have been dyed. It is rough and dry and matted with years of dirt and wear. So cleaning processes matters, use steamer like a wallpaper remover steamer. Emulsify the dirt gently, and gently wipe it off. Perhaps 2-3 times, then massage the softening agents in and let the skin absorb while the car sits in a hot sun, very moist (Humid) environment over night. Do this again a second time, perhaps a third. Moisturizing takes time, patience, heat and repetition to get them soft again. So if it is hot outside and humid inside, you will revive them pretty well in a week. The harder you scrub... well the more dye you will remove so keep that in mind. Be gentle and patient.
 
Great to hear the problem is fixed! Just curious, what were the symptoms of the defective MAF? Poor fuel economy? Low power? Etc...

:cheers:
 
gsxr said:
Great to hear the problem is fixed! Just curious, what were the symptoms of the defective MAF? Poor fuel economy? Low power? Etc...

:cheers:
Click to expand...
All of the above: It was chugging, low power and the fuel economy was like a semi-truck. At first, I had replaced the distributor caps, rotors and ignition wires, and some vacuum lines. It ran better, but still had similar symptoms. After replacing the MAF, it is running strong again--no stumbles or chugging, full power and I'll see if the fuel economy improves this weekend. Thanks again for the offer of one of your MAFs! Glad Ertech had one that he was able to ship immediately.

gerryvz said:
So true !! Makemeister has one of the very best color 500s of anyone on the board, no doubt.
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Thanks, Honcho! Now if I could only get my engine as well sorted out as yours! I binge-read your engine thread and was blown away. Well done!
 
It was a good COVID project. Started with a limited scope and ballooned majorly into something much larger. But needed, I think, to ensure another 20+ years of good running for the car.

The impetus that I had to really do this, the front crankshaft seal and lower wiring harness changeout (and later as I discovered the timing chain rails and the ETA), are things that pretty much EVERY car is going to have to face, sooner or later. There was no running issue at all that precipitated it, other than the EGR and air injection CELs, which both ended up being vacuum connections that had come off.
 
@Seangbadee It's a leather rejuvenator oil. Apparently, with enough time, product and patience, you're supposed to be able to make "cardboard" leather nearly new (said in a Billy Mays voice.) I haven't tried it before, but the YouTube review videos look very convincing and several of the board members have used it with success. I'll try to post before and after photos.

Here's a helpful link on the subject:

Leatherique - possible to have too much heat? | Interior Topics

Ntrepid and I are doing a leatherique treatment to some 16v seats. We have them removed from the car and sitting in black garbage bags. I've always heard that the hotter and longer you could have the seats covered the better. But i've almost always only done this with the seats in the car...
www.500eboard.co
 
Did one application of Leatherique this weekend. The rear seats look and feel much better. The fronts are going to need another go of it.

After washing and waxing, I took it for a spin. While stopped at a traffic light, a Hellcat pulled up beside me, revved the heck out of it, rolled down the windows and gave my car a knowing nod and a thumbs up.

fullsizeoutput_7bfa.jpeg
 
I recommend at least three or four applications, if possible. If you can remove the seat bottoms (rear seats) and/or cover the front seats/seat backs in plastic bags after slathering them with the Leatherique, it helps a lot. Particularly if you do this in hot weather, so they can bake in the sun all day (or at least for 4-6 hours). It's more work and requires more patience, but the results will be even better.

By the way, truly dried out ("cardboard") leather will NEVER be 100% supple. If your leather (say the tops of the back seats) is truly baked and crunchy to the touch, Leatherique cannot bring this leather back all the way. It will PARTIALLY bring it back.

If your leather is modestly dried out and still has some flexibilty to it, then Leatherique will go a long way toward making it more supple and close to new in terms of flexibility.

I have seen widely varying claims online about Leatherique bring leather that is essentially wrecking-yard sun-baked cardboard back to like new condition. It won't and cannot do this. If it is part of an ongoing care program (say, annually) and the leather isn't too far gone, it will bring it back and maintain it pretty well.

Last year, I used Leatherique for about 10 days (reapplied every day; baked in plastic bags in hot summer days all day) on the tops of my 560SEC coupe's rear seats, next to the headrests. My car was a California car and the seat leather on the tops had been hard since the day I got it in 2002. The Leatherique DID NOT bring it back. I would say it helped about 20-25%, but the leather is still hard and fairly inflexible. In reality, I need to buy new seat leather and always have.

For my E500, which has supple leather that is not at all sun-baked, the Leatherique is excellent as an ongoing program for nourishing and cleaning.

I just want to set expectations.
 
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Thanks for setting realistic expectations. It's starting to get cooler here in Michigan, so I'm going to wait until next summer to try it again.

I'm tempted to replace the leather, but I'm concerned about matching the door cards and surrounding grey parts. Can you recommend a supplier who is close to perfect?
 
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