W124 ACC Vacuum Pod Availibility Update

[nehuge]

As mentioned in post #80 above, Performance Analysis offers a diaphragm kit (#2010) but it only works on parts of certain pods. There are a total of four different diaphragm sizes/types for the six total pods (three of which have the same internals, so four different pod designs). You may want to stock up on the #2010 kits as they'll come in handy in the future. But getting a production run of anything else would be a challenge, especially for the other half of the dual-diaphragm pink pod where the diaphragm is embedded as part of the piston.

You use their 2020 diaphragms for the top section of the dual diaphragm pods....

 

[gsxr]

You use their 2020 diaphragms for the top section of the dual diaphragm pods....

Correct. And the 2020 kit doesn't work right, as you noted previously. I just want to make sure everyone understands this. The "top section", or in MB terms "large lift" portion of the pod, does not fail nearly as often as the other portion which can be fixed with the 2010 kit. Meaning, there's a good chance a failed pink pod can be fixed with only a 2010 kit, leaving the old/original diaphragm in place for the top section / large lift portion.

Sample photo attached, additional photos at link below:
http://www.w124performance.com/images/W124_dash/PAC_repair_kit_ACD-2020/

 

[nehuge]

Correct. And the 2020 kit doesn't work right, as you noted previously. I just want to make sure everyone understands this. The "top section", or in MB terms "large lift" portion of the pod, does not fail nearly as often as the other portion which can be fixed with the 2010 kit. Meaning, there's a good chance a failed pink pod can be fixed with only a 2010 kit, leaving the old/original diaphragm in place for the top section / large lift portion.

Sample photo attached, additional photos at link below:
http://www.w124performance.com/images/W124_dash/PAC_repair_kit_ACD-2020/



View attachment 93911

Good point.

 

[gerryvz]

Current availability update for W124 vacuum pods, July, 2020.

Updates/changes are marked in blue text.

Some changes over the past six months:

• One pod which was formerly only available from MB, is seemingly available on the aftermarket as well
• One more pre-facelift pod has gone NLA from MB
• One more pre-facelift pod has gone NLA from the aftermarket
• One more facelift pod has gone totally NLA

In short, only TWO pods are available for pre-facelift cars, plus one pod that can be made from an aftermarket diaphragm.

For facelift cars, only THREE pods are available, plus one pod that can be made from an aftermarket diaphragm.

1992 & 1993 500E models (Pre-facelift):

1. 124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod (NLA from MB; available aftermarket)
2. 124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod (NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket)
3. 124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod (available from MB; available as MB part on aftermarket) -- NOW AVAILABLE AS MB PART ON AFTERMARKET)
4. 124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox (NLA from MB or aftermarket, aftermarket diaphragm available, see post #1)
5. 124 800 04 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (NLA from MB, NLA on aftermarket) -- THIS POD HAS GONE NLA FROM MB
6. 124 800 11 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side (NLA from MB, NLA on aftermarket) -- THIS POD HAS GONE NLA ON AFTERMARKET

1994 E500 models (Facelifted*):

1. 124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod (NLA from MB; available aftermarket)
2. 124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod (NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket)
3. 124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod (available from MB; available as MB part on aftermarket) -- NOW AVAILABLE AS MB PART ON AFTERMARKET)
4. 124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox (NLA from MB or aftermarket, aftermarket diaphragm available, see post #1)
5. 124 800 29 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (NLA from MB or aftermarket) -- THIS POD HAS GONE NLA FROM MB AND AFTERMARKET
6. 124 800 30 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side (available from MB and/or aftermarket)

 

[gsxr]

FYI, the Performance Analysis Company repair kits for W124 HVAC vacuum pods are still available, but the price has gone up. A few years ago the ACD-2010 single-diaphragm kits (photos here) were $6 each, now they are $9.50 each plus $8.95 shipping, no sales tax:
ACC Version I

I'm finding that most of the dual-diaphragm pods only need the 1 diaphragm replaced to fix them, and since most all pods are NLA now, ~$10/ea is a reasonable cost for repair.

If/when the second diaphragm fails, we're in bigger trouble, as there is no viable repair kit for the second diaphragm. The ACD-2020 kit limits travel of the pod, detailed photos on my website here. At that point you'd want to source some used pods and rebuild a used one.

On the 124 chassis, you would need 4 total per vehicle of the ACD-2010 diaphragms to replace all of them (1 defrost, 1 center vent, 2 for the main air / recirc flap left+right pods). ONLY the defroster pod can be repaired without pulling the dash. The 124 diverter pod and footwell pods are different sizes and cannot be repaired / rebuilt.

Let the hoarding commence! I just bought a dozen...

 

[gerryvz]

As of right now (February, 2020), here is the status of the W124 pods. From one year ago, pod availability is reduced.

For pre-facelift cars, only ONE of the pods is available from MB itself (as opposed to two pods available one year ago)

For facelift cars, only THREE of the pods are available from MB itself (as opposed to four pods available one year ago).

PRE-FACELIFT CARS
124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod -- NLA from MB; available on aftermarket (FCP Euro) (AutohausAZ) (RM European)
124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod -- available from MB or as MB part on aftermarket (FCP Euro) (AutohausAZ) (RM European)
124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox -- NLA from MB; diaphragm can be purchased to repair old pod (link for ordering diaphragm)
124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod -- NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket
124 800 04 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side -- NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket
124 800 11 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side -- NLA from MB, NLA on aftermarket


FACELIFT CARS
124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod -- NLA from MB; available on aftermarket (FCP Euro) (AutohausAZ) (RM European)
124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod -- available from MB or as MB part on aftermarket (FCP Euro) (AutohausAZ) (RM European)
124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox -- NLA from MB; diaphragm can be purchased to repair old pod (link for ordering diaphragm)
124 800 30 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side -- available from MB or as MB part on aftermarket (AutohausAZ) (RM European)
124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod -- NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket
124 800 29 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side -- NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket

Cheers,
Gerry

It's been a year, so I am updating this post above with the latest information.

No significant changes from before.

Two pods available for early cars.
Three pods available for later cars.

Again, if you are a long-term owner, I would strongly recommend that you buy whatever is still available for your car.

 

[SVH]

Gerry,
I took your advice and purchased what's available. Thanks.

I hope I never need :
124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod -- NLA from MB; NLA on aftermarket
124 800 29 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (available from MB and/or aftermarket)

 

[gerryvz]

Current availability update for W124 vacuum pods, October, 2022.

Updates/changes are marked in blue text.

Only one change over the past 15 months:

• One pod for facelift cars has gone NLA from MB, but is seemingly still available in limited quantities on the aftermarket

In short, only TWO pods are now available for pre-facelift cars, plus one pod that can be made from an aftermarket diaphragm.

For facelift cars, only THREE pods are available, plus one pod that can be made from an aftermarket diaphragm.

1992 & 1993 500E models (Pre-facelift):

1. 124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod (NLA from MB; available aftermarket)
2. 124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod (NLA from MB or aftermarket)
3. 124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod (available from MB; available as MB part on aftermarket)
4. 124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox (NLA from MB or aftermarket, aftermarket diaphragm available, see post #1)
5. 124 800 04 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (NLA from MB, or aftermarket)
6. 124 800 11 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side (NLA from MB or aftermarket)

1994 E500 models (Facelifted*):

1. 124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod (NLA from MB; available aftermarket)
2. 124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod (NLA from MB or aftermarket)
3. 124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod (available from MB; available as MB part on aftermarket)
4. 124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox (NLA from MB or aftermarket, aftermarket diaphragm available, see post #1)
5. 124 800 29 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (NLA from MB or aftermarket)
6. 124 800 30 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side (NLA from MB; limited availability on aftermarket)

 

[gerryvz]

If you own a facelift car, I would STRONGLY recommend you get the pods you can now (the three that are available) and perhaps the repair kit from George Murphy. That would get you two thirds of the pods.

For pre-facelift folks -- same, except you would only have half of the pods replaceable. Although you could probably retrofit one of the diaphragms from a facelift pod to a non-facelift one (the recirc/fresh air pod on the right side).

 

[skikrazey]

Would pods be something that could be done as a group buy?

 

[gerryvz]

I've never heard of online dealers like MB Naperville or places like AutohauZ/FCP Yurro doing group buys, but someone could always inquire.

 

[gsxr]

Would pods be something that could be done as a group buy?

Group buys only help if the parts are available. With most NLA, there's no vendor to purchase all of them from.

On the bright side, the Performance Analysis ACD-2010 diaphragm will usually repair four of the 6 total pods (see post 102 above). The footwell pod almost never fails, and the odd-size diverter pod is still available new. This assumes you don't break the plastic housing during R&R, in which case you need to harvest donors from junkyard cars.

 

[gerryvz]

Current availability update for W124 vacuum pods, October, 2022.

Updates/changes are marked in blue text.

Only one change over the past 15 months:

• One pod for facelift cars has gone NLA from MB, but is seemingly still available in limited quantities on the aftermarket

In short, only TWO pods are now available for pre-facelift cars, plus one pod that can be made from an aftermarket diaphragm.

For facelift cars, only THREE pods are available, plus one pod that can be made from an aftermarket diaphragm.

1992 & 1993 500E models (Pre-facelift):

1. 124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod (NLA from MB; available aftermarket)
2. 124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod (NLA from MB or aftermarket)
3. 124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod (available from MB; available as MB part on aftermarket)
4. 124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox (NLA from MB or aftermarket, aftermarket diaphragm available, see post #1)
5. 124 800 04 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (NLA from MB, or aftermarket)
6. 124 800 11 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side (NLA from MB or aftermarket)

1994 E500 models (Facelifted*):

1. 124 800 26 75 - Defroster flap pod (NLA from MB; available aftermarket)
2. 124 800 09 75 - Lower footwell pod (NLA from MB or aftermarket)
3. 124 800 03 75 - Diverter flap pod (available from MB; available as MB part on aftermarket)
4. 124 800 02 75 - Center vent flap pod, inside airbox (NLA from MB or aftermarket, aftermarket diaphragm available, see post #1)
5. 124 800 29 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, left side (NLA from MB or aftermarket)
6. 124 800 30 75 - Recirc/fresh air pod, right side (NLA from MB; limited availability on aftermarket)

A quick availability check for all pods shows no changes over the last six months. All pods listed above as available are still available; all NLA pods continue to be NLA.

As I have been saying since 2017, if you are a long-term W124 owner, you should aggressively accumulate as many pods as possible, as pod availability has seriously decreased in recent years, and will very likely continue to decrease as parts stocks run out. It does not appear that Behr is making new production runs of pods either under its own brand name, or for Mercedes-Benz (for which it was the OEM).

 

[gerryvz]

I wanted to let folks know that there is a source available for both single-stage and dual-stage ACC vacuum pod diaphragm replacements, specifically for the W126. I do not know if these diaphragms can be used with the W124 pods.

Single-stage replacement diaphragms:

Single-Stage Vacuum Actuator Diaphragms – Klima Design Works

klimakit.com

Dual-stage replacement diaphragms:

Dual-Stage Vacuum Actuator Diaphragm Cartridge Assembly – Klima Design Works

klimakit.com

 

[gerryvz]

ACC Vacuum Pod Availability Update
October 29, 2023

As of this point in time, only TWO of the six pods needed for the cars are currently available, and only ONE of these pods is actually available from Mercedes-Benz. Both are still available via the aftermarket, but the defroster flap pod supply is drying up very quickly. It would be advisable to purchase both of these available pods ASAP.

POD AVAILABILITY CHANGES:
One pod for the facelift cars, the right side recirc/fresh air pod, is no longer available on the aftermarket, which it was a year ago.
As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, some pods can be fixed using aftermarket diaphragms, but this is not possible for all pods.

Part Number	Facelift Model	Photo	MB List Price / Discounted OE Price	Typical Aftermarket Price
124 800 26 75 Defroster flap pod	Pre/Post		NOT AVAILABLE.	AVAILABLE, BUT LOW STOCK $80-85
124 800 09 75 Lower footwell pod	Pre/Post		NOT AVAILABLE.	NOT AVAILABLE.
124 800 03 75 Diverter flap pod	Pre/Post		AVAILABLE. List: $27.50 Disc: $20-23.00	AVAILABLE, BUT LOW STOCK $25-30.00
124 800 02 75 Center vent flap pod (inside airbox)	Pre/Post		NOT AVAILABLE.	NOT AVAILABLE.
124 800 04 75 Recirc/fresh air pod (left side)	Pre		NOT AVAILABLE.	NOT AVAILABLE.
124 800 11 75 Recirc/fresh air pod (right side)	Pre		NOT AVAILABLE.	NOT AVAILABLE.
124 800 29 75 Recirc/fresh air pod (left side, facelift)	Post		NOT AVAILABLE.	NOT AVAILABLE.
124 800 30 75 Recirc/fresh air pod (right side, facelift)	Post		NOT AVAILABLE.	NOT AVAILABLE.

 

[maw1124]

FYI, the Performance Analysis Company repair kits for W124 HVAC vacuum pods are still available, but the price has gone up. A few years ago the ACD-2010 single-diaphragm kits (photos here) were $6 each, now they are $9.50 each plus $8.95 shipping, no sales tax:
ACC Version I

I'm finding that most of the dual-diaphragm pods only need the 1 diaphragm replaced to fix them, and since most all pods are NLA now, ~$10/ea is a reasonable cost for repair.

If/when the second diaphragm fails, we're in bigger trouble, as there is no viable repair kit for the second diaphragm. The ACD-2020 kit limits travel of the pod, detailed photos on my website here. At that point you'd want to source some used pods and rebuild a used one.

On the 124 chassis, you would need 4 total per vehicle of the ACD-2010 diaphragms to replace all of them (1 defrost, 1 center vent, 2 for the main air / recirc flap left+right pods). ONLY the defroster pod can be repaired without pulling the dash. The 124 diverter pod and footwell pods are different sizes and cannot be repaired / rebuilt.

Let the hoarding commence! I just bought a dozen...

Before I commence hoarding, I notice you pointing out the limited travel. Did that affect the performance? Sorry if it’s a silly question, and thanks.

maw

 

[gerryvz]

Before I commence hoarding,

What's your current pod count?

There are actually now more pods available for the 126 chassis than there are for the 124.

 

[maw1124]

What's your current pod count?

I have 2 new 3075, a 2675 and an 0375, and I’m thinking to buy 12 repair kits. Everything works fine now, but when I do the condenser I’ll do whatever’s going to be done for the pods (repair or replace) at that time.

maw

EDIT… I bought these last year… now the 3075 is gone from the site and 2675 says back ordered with no ETA

 

[gerryvz]

Nice going! Good stash. Surprisingly my car is still on its original set of pods, and all of them work 100%. That said I have one full set of six OE spares, for that inevitable day when I have to remove the dashboard to replace the evaporator and pods.

It is a real bonus that one doesn't have to remove the dashboard on a 126 to replace all six pods, like you do on the 124 to get at four of them.

 

[gsxr]

Before I commence hoarding, I notice you pointing out the limited travel. Did that affect the performance? Sorry if it’s a silly question, and thanks.

Limited travel only affects the ACD-2020 kit. There are no concerns with the ACD-2010 diaphragms which work very well.

Limited travel means the pod doesn't move through the normal range of motion and may not fully open or close an air flap.

 

[gerryvz]

A quick check of pod availability sustains the previous finding from October, 2023, that only ONE W124 pod is available from MB -- 124 800 03 75. This is the diverter flap pod.

Availability has gone down for the 126, so that now only ONE pod is available from MB for that chassis (the lower footwell pod).

As noted, there is a new source for both reproduction pods, and diaphragms, from Matthew James at https://www.klimakit.com

These diaphragms make it possible to repair existing pods.