W124 Carpet Repair, Molding, & Cleaning

[puchak]

Hi guys, I'm back with another topic. My S124 is coming closer to completion, the carpet however is disgusting and needs a thorough wash and repair. I'll be yoinking the whole thing and having it professionally repaired unless I can find a beige uncut one. I'll be tackling some upholstery shops this incoming Friday and stripping the car over the incoming weekend hopefully.

Since there is no documentation on removing carpets on the W124, I'll do it here with my S124. Based on speculation, the sedan is much easier as the carpet doesn't go behind the rear seats.

1. Has anyone pulled these floor carpets? I looked around on the internet but can't fit sh*t. The chronological process I'm thinking will be: seats (front and back likely), center console, B and C pillars, and the door sills. What else? I will report back but want to see what people know before I start pulling things.

2. Clips will be needed to hold down the carpet. It looks like 5 per side, 2 in the rear, wagon will likely vary via this video. Allegedly there is 16. I will find out myself within a week and report back. Anyone who conclusively knows, let me know. P/N: 0019978686



3. Does anyone have not ripped creme/beige S124 carpet? Otherwise, I'm going to go ham on a junkyard E320 with a beige carpet and hand it to an upholstery shop to work it. Call me crazy for reparing something you barely see, but I want to make this car like new again. Pictured is the damage:



That is all I got right now, I know this can be useful for people repairing their carpets or swapping interiors.

 

[500AMM]

Hi guys, I'm back with another topic. My S124 is coming closer to completion, the carpet however is disgusting and needs a thorough wash and repair. I'll be yoinking the whole thing and having it professionally repaired unless I can find a beige uncut one. I'll be tackling some upholstery shops this incoming Friday and stripping the car over the incoming weekend hopefully.

Since there is no documentation on removing carpets on the W124, I'll do it here with my S124. Based on speculation, the sedan is much easier as the carpet doesn't go behind the rear seats.

The carpet in the S124 doesn't continue behind the rear seats as one part. It ends under the rear seat as on the sedan, and what you see behind the rear seat is a separate section. Have a look at this video:

 

[puchak]

The carpet in the S124 doesn't continue behind the rear seats as one part. It ends under rear seat as on the sedan, and what you see behind the rear seat is a separate section. Have a look at this video:

Woah, thanks for sharing this video, you're the man.

I've done so much digging and could not find a video like this. Looks like just the seats and console have to go which is a huge relief, I don't want to mess with those delicate pillar clips.

Unfortunately, my rear passenger seat (the wider fall down seat) behind the driver seat is completely stuck, I can't drop it down at all. I shot a bunch of WD40 and gave it a few kicks but not a budge.

Is there any reason we cannot edit the original post? I'd like to have a single post of information instead of stacking things, for future users.

 

[gsxr]

FYI, the facelift cars (1994-95) E320 will have a slightly different color interior - Parchment. This is similar to, but not identical to, the cream-beige used on pre-facelift cars with xx5 interior color code. Click here for photos.

Editing posts - there is a time limit to prevent people from deleting all their old posts when they get mad and want to take their baseball and go home. I forget what the time limit is (@xfadmin ?). If you want to change content of an old post, a moderator can do that for you. In general though, as long as the thread title is accurate it's easiest to "stack" the information in subsequent posts.

 

[puchak]

I took the VIN from the junkyard car and my wagon and compared their datacards, they're both for the same interior leather color (265).

Junkyard car: WDBEA32E3SC246909
My wagon: WDBED90E8PF252689

Also, your click here for photos link doesn't work.

 

[gsxr]

I took the VIN from the junkyard car and my wagon and compared their datacards, they're both for the same interior leather color (265).

Junkyard car: WDBEA32E3SC246909
My wagon: WDBED90E8PF252689

Yup, both are interior code 265 but the color still changed from USA model year 1993 to 1994. Your car is a 1993 with Cream-Beige, the junkyard donor is 1995. The only place you'll see this color difference is in the EPC, the 4-digit color code suffix for part numbers is different between 1986-1993 and 1994-95. As you can see in the link, when you put the two side by side, they ain't the same. There is nothing in the datacard that will show the color difference.

Also, your click here for photos link doesn't work.

OOOPS. Link fixed!

 

[puchak]

I've noticed this with interior bits as pictured in your link, I had this issue when I was trying to replace my interior mirror trims. It looks like Octoclassic started selling these plastic interior mirror trims. I'm going to order them soon, I think the guys here would appreciate details on fitment and quality, since the clips are always breaking.

Anyway, there are no photos of carpet comparisons, so is this only on the vinyl and leather material or is the carpet included?

If there is a huge difference, I'll just ask for the carpets to be dyed to blend better.

 

[gsxr]

I've noticed this with interior bits as pictured in your link, I had this issue when I was trying to replace my interior mirror trims. It looks like Octoclassic started selling these plastic interior mirror trims. I'm going to order them soon, I think the guys here would appreciate details on fitment and quality,

It looks like Octoclassic doesn't understand the xx5 color change, same as almost all other companies that deal with interior colors. *sigh*

Code xx5 = champignon = mushroom. You need the 4-digit color code (which varies from part to part, there is not one unique 4-digit code per color) to differentiate between Parchment and Cream-Beige. Octoclassic doesn't list color names that make sense, which irritates me to no end. Search the forum for prior discussion on this topic from like 10 years ago.

The same issue applies to interior code xx4 = Date, the four-digit code will differentiate between Palomino and Saddle. (Saffron didn't exist until later in the 90's, IIRC, ditto for Java). I see these terms used interchangeably all the time and it drives me batty.

since the clips are always breaking.

Don't expect the octo clips to last any longer than originals. Best to locate original trims with intact clips, then file down the edges of the tab so it doesn't lock so tightly into the white oval retainer in the door frame. This was a design flaw IMO, the lock is far more positive than it should be, or needs to be.

Anyway, there are no photos of carpet comparisons, so is this only on the vinyl and leather material or is the carpet included?

Carpet is also included. I never found photos of the 2 colors side by side, and didn't have loose carpet of each color to take my own photos. But, every colored piece on the interiors is different.

If there is a huge difference, I'll just ask for the carpets to be dyed to blend better.

This is the easiest solution... dye to match.

 

[puchak]

I'll try filing/shaving the Octo clips as suggested, the overall main issue is that I just can't source an original corner trim that isn't broken for my 93'. This is less of an issue on the 93'+ models since they all had electric powered windows so they're more abundant.

If anything, these clips will be a great alternative for our pre-facelift guys who are in the same boat as me. I used a vinyl glue and it holds up somewhat but the retained clips have a much better fitted look obviously.

Dye it is! I should have some updates this weekend on what I'm going to do.

 

[doolar]

Nice to see a TE getting some love! I'm parting out a S124, let me know if you need anything specific.

I'm based in Sweden, but shipping for small/medium size items are reasonable. The car that's being parted is a red 200TE with black interior. It's got Standheizung/auxilliary heater for instance. Let me know in PM!

 

[puchak]

Nice to see a TE getting some love! I'm parting out a S124, let me know if you need anything specific.

I'm based in Sweden, but shipping for small/medium size items are reasonable. The car that's being parted is a red 200TE with black interior. It's got Standheizung/auxilliary heater for instance. Let me know in PM!

Good to know, maybe some odds and ends! Considering the car will be in Florida next year, not sure that I'll be needing an auxilliary heater. That's pretty neat though.

 

[xfadmin]

Editing posts - there is a time limit to prevent people from deleting all their old posts when they get mad and want to take their baseball and go home. I forget what the time limit is (@xfadmin ?). If you want to change content of an old post, a moderator can do that for you. In general though, as long as the thread title is accurate it's easiest to "stack" the information in subsequent posts.

The allotted time for long-term users to edit and/or delete their posts is 36 hours (1.5 days) after the post was made.

For short-term/new users, the time allotment for editing/deleting posts is 2 hours after the post was made.

It used to be much more generous, but too many posts and valuable images were being deleted on a regular basis. Recovering deleted posts is not that big of a deal, and is fairly easy to reverse. But recovering deleted IMAGES is an extremely difficult and time-consuming effort, because it requires going through system logs, and then going to the weekly image backup and picking the exact files out of millions of stored image files.

 

[gerryvz]

Code xx5 = champignon = mushroom.

After 15 years, he FINALLY admits that "mushroom" is actually a true, factory-named interior color.

 

[gsxr]

After 15 years, he FINALLY admits that "mushroom" is actually a true, factory-named interior color.

LOL! Nope, "mushroom" is a vague description, not a specific color. A nickel is a coin, but a coin isn't necessarily a nickel... same as Parchment is a type of mushroom, but mushroom isn't necessarily Parchment. Identifying a specific Color requires a 4-digit code, not a 3-digit code.

 

[puchak]

Pulled the carpet out of the car, it is in terrible condition. Still some snail shells being found as well as a lot of sticky residue, so I ran a dehumidifer inside to help. This will be a great opportunity to tidy up the guts of the car. I will post pictures next week... phone died in my shop and I forgot a charger.

Another issue I have right now is that the bigger rear seat is absolutely jammed, and I cannot get it loose. On top of that, I'm struggling to find out how to detach said seats. It will be a bigger issue when the replacement carpet comes.

On the plus side, I found a decently priced carpet on www.german-spob.com in blue and black, but no beige. I shot them an email to check availability on those and potentially beige. In the worst case scenario, I will order it then just dye it to match the original beige.

Anyone here have experience with www.german-spob.com?

Edit: Part number for carpet is A1246805741.

 

[500AMM]

@puchak, is it actually possible to dye a darker colored carpet to a different and brighter color?
I don't mean to kill the initiative, but asking out of curiosity.

 

[puchak]

@puchak, is it actually possible to dye a darker colored carpet to a different and brighter color?
I don't mean to kill the initiative, but asking out of curiosity.

I don't think so, but I think I can work with a lighter grey.

 

[puchak]

I found a place called World Upholstery, they do carpet kits for lots of cars (especially our beloved brand) and they look legit! They don't have my kit, but I've sent them photos of my floor and may ship it later this week to have it replicated. Hopefully soon everyone will have access to these carpets for their wagons!

Some (disgusting) eye candy for you all!

The car no longer smells awful, the carpet seemed to be responsible for it.



I got two questions if someone can answer them:

1. Anyone know how can I remove the rear seat? Especially with the driver side seat being jammed. Photo 1 below:
2. How do you remove the driver side carpet footwell? Can't remove the plastic wall because of the parking brake, and the gas pedal goes through the floor carpet. Photo 2 below:

 

[gsxr]

The driver front carpet should just lift up and out. However, yours appears different than normal. Is your S124 a 4Matic?

 

[puchak]

The driver front carpet should just lift up and out. However, yours appears different than normal. Is your S124 a 4Matic?

It is indeed, quite different I know.

SOLVED: There is a tab on the bottom of the pedal, just popped it out with a flathead. Unscrewed any screws and yoinked it.

Carpet isn't too bad, will probably just get it deep cleaned with the trunk when the time comes.

 

[gsxr]

Ohhhhh. That 4Matic carpet likely pries out, but may be a PITA if it's one large piece. Normal 124's have separate bottom/floor pieces vs the vertical carpet next to the transmission tunnel.

 

[puchak]

For how much pain the 4Matic gives me, I think in the end it will be worth it to have the cleanest early AWD beast.

This is the goal, with paint matched Ronal Pentas to the body:



I got the carpet out, it wasn't too bad, pedal just needed to get let loose. I need to remove the side plastic wall and it has these funny clips, any idea how to remove these? Two of them.



Speedometer cable has a lot of loose, should it be tight or loose?

 

[500AMM]

I got two questions if someone can answer them:

1. Anyone know how can I remove the rear seat? Especially with the driver side seat being jammed. Photo 1 below:
2. How do you remove the driver side carpet footwell? Can't remove the plastic wall because of the parking brake, and the gas pedal goes through the floor carpet. Photo 2 below:

View attachment 185327

It's decades since I removed the rear seat on my ex300TDT, but IIRC you unscrew the three screws in the center hinge shown on the image, pull the seat back a bit forward to release it from the hinge, and next slide the seat back a few mm sideways to release the lower pivot at the other side.

 

[500AMM]

I got the carpet out, it wasn't too bad, pedal just needed to get let loose. I need to remove the side plastic wall and it has these funny clips, any idea how to remove these? Two of them.

View attachment 185361

Speedometer cable has a lot of loose, should it be tight or loose?

That clip can be pulled straight off, but it wear out faster that way. The clip sits on a "stud screw" so you can unscrew it as well to save it for reuse.

 

[Bogeyman]

Would Upholstery has been around a long time. I did business with them on a W113 many moons ago. Good reputable source.

 

[puchak]

It's decades since I removed the rear seat on my ex300TDT, but IIRC you unscrew the three screws in the center hinge on the image, pull the seat back forward on that side to release it from the hinge, and next slide the seat back a few mm sideways to release the lower pivot at the other side.

Success! Now I'm stuck with this. I'm guessing I need to remove the two bolts. Not a fun spot to reach into.



Clips came off on the plastic sidewall as well, thanks for the details. One was really awkwardly put in and left me worried to pry with it.

SOLVED: Tiny clip on the joint that you pop off on the right angle, slips right out after.

 

[puchak]

Managed to find various OEM rear carpet in stock but no photos, is there a list of colors matched to 4 digit codes?

ie: 124-680-47-41-7144 vs 124-680-47-41-8423

 

[gsxr]

Yep, it's in the EPC footnotes. 7144 is gray (interior xx8), 8423 is Palomino (interior xx4), etc.

For cream-beige it looks like you'd want -8424.

Parchment is a different footnote, row 909, -8F32 (not what you want).

 

[gsxr]

Also, remember that if an internet dealer website from the RevParts platforms shows a price, this DOES NOT mean it is in stock and available for purchase!! It's almost guaranteed your order will be canceled.

Sample RevParts dealer that shows your cream-beige carpet available brand spanking new for under $600:

Search Results | MB OEM Parts

www.mboemparts.com

Don't get too excited until you talk to a live person at a dealership who confirms availability in a warehouse on planet Earth.

 

[puchak]

You're very helpful, thank you! Going to shoot them an email right now.

Also, that EPC tool is awesome, I need it.

 

[puchak]

Okay, update time!

Many things have happened since:

• Rear seat finally disassembled, the pin to drop the seats in the doorway was rusted shut. Managed to disassemble it and bomb it with WD40/clean the mechanism. Works flawlessly now, really happy about this! (Image 2)
• Antenna cable was running along the wall of the car, radio/sound cable was hanging around too. Managed to neatly tuck them in the plastic tunnels running along the floor.
• Via this wonderful guide, I repaired the interior mirror trim on the passenger side. I took the driver door apart but couldn't find the broken tab inside... so that is still an issue. If you have a spare driver side beige mirror trim with tabs, let me know - I'll buy it. (Image 1)
• There is a really weird ethernet/phone type cable under the driver seat. Any ideas what it is? Looks like it runs to the comfort module but I don't really know. (Image 3)
• I found a used carpet! Someone on Facebook has a parts wagon with the same interior except the seats are MB Tex which is fine - my seats are good. Also from the year 1993 which is cool. I'm getting a bunch of parts including the carpet and some interior bits. Looking at 1-2 weeks out.
• Not interior related, but I sourced period correct OEM wiper delete panels. (Image 4)

I'm looking to have this all completed by the end of April. Wheels, tires, and paint correction won't happen till the summer.

Outstanding issues:

• Bouncy speedometer at low speeds.
• Inaccurate cluster information, will likely just send to Palo Alto for repair/additional cleaning.
• Ambient temperature does not work or will sometimes shows 136 degrees. I'm guessing I just need to replace the sensor inside the the cable within the bumper.
• Missing driver side interior mirror trim.

 

[gsxr]

• There is a really weird ethernet/phone type cable under the driver seat. Any ideas what it is? Looks like it runs to the comfort module but I don't really know. (Image 3)

That is for the optional cellular phone handset inside a flip-top armrest, which I believe was optional in 1992, and standard equipment as of 1993 USA model year. The flip-top armrest has a long cable that snakes through the front seat and plugs into the connector you found on the floor.

• Bouncy speedometer at low speeds.

This is USUALLY from a mis-routed speedometer cable. And, it can be extremely difficult to remedy... if not impossible. I hate the mechanical speedometers for this reason. I replaced the cable three times on one car trying to cure it... sigh...

• Inaccurate cluster information, will likely just send to Palo Alto for repair/additional cleaning.

What information is not accurate?

• Ambient temperature does not work or will sometimes shows 136 degrees. I'm guessing I just need to replace the sensor inside the the cable within the bumper.

This is either the sensor or display. There is data in the FSM which will allow you to diagnose if the sending unit is good or not.

 

[puchak]

I figured it was the phone, good to know - thanks!

As for the speedometer, by routed do you mean the way it was put in and sitting? Because I’ve read the same that people swap them and nothing changes.

Regarding the cluster, I replaced the faces and needles from a cleaner cluster. All of my needles are slightly off. I managed to get the speedometer correct but fuel, temperature, and revolutions are definitely not 100% accurate.

I don’t have a factory service manual, that’s something I need to look into. Unless it came with the car.

 

[gsxr]

As for the speedometer, by routed do you mean the way it was put in and sitting? Because I’ve read the same that people swap them and nothing changes.

The cable is very, very particular about routing. The cable pulls up and out when you remove the cluster, and the cable must be pulled back down from below after re-installing the cluster. There are marks on the cable indicating where it will snap into clips and whatnot. Even then, it still may not solve the bouncy needle. But, start here... read the FSM procedure.

Regarding the cluster, I replaced the faces and needles from a cleaner cluster. All of my needles are slightly off. I managed to get the speedometer correct but fuel, temperature, and revolutions are definitely not 100% accurate.

Ohhhhhhh. If you removed the needles, yeah, everything must be recalibrated. You can get them close by comparing min/max travel with a virgin, untouched cluster. I'm not sure if Palo Alto can calibrate the tach or fuel/oil/temp gauges, but they should be able to calibrate the speedo. Alternately you can adjust the speedo needle yourself, via trial & error, with GPS (assuming stock tire size).

I don’t have a factory service manual, that’s something I need to look into. Unless it came with the car.

It's posted online everywhere. Sample link below. You can buy all the paper manuals on eBay if desired, but they ain't cheap, and there are 5 separate printed manuals (Engine, Chassis Vols 1+2, HVAC, and ETM).

Model 124 Maintenance Manual Index

 

[puchak]

Thanks for the notes on the FSM, I’ll dig into it.

I spoke with one of their guy’s on the phone, they said they can do it but it’s tedious and they measure it using voltage or frequency… not really sure, I don’t remember exactly. But yes, I did use a speedometer app to get the speed down!

Bummer about the cable though, seems to be a plague for a lot of people. From what I’ve seen, even the cleanest, lowest mileage cars aren’t safe, lol.

 

[puchak]

Quick update, just waiting on the parts from the parts car. Here is the “new” carpet that will be cleaned and installed. Really excited to finish this interior.

 

[puchak]

Soak, scrub, power wash, and air dry. Only issue is the bleach looking stain on the right side (of the photo) against the passenger footwell. I'm considering doing some DIY dyeing for this. Anyone got any suggestions for dye I can use?

Regardless, carpet will be going in this weekend, just waiting on some small bits and the car will be rocking and rolling this weekend. Also rewrapping a lot of the cables that were wrapped in the sticky/musty fabric, must've been contributing to the smells. Will share photos of that as well.

 

[puchak]

Spent a good 5-6 hours working on the car yesterday. A lot of adjustment on the B-pillar, the seat belt adjustment mechanism drove me absolutely nuts, I still don't think I have it set up right.

Phone died before I could take more pictures, but the carpet looks pretty good I think! I will send more updates on Monday when the floor hardware for the front seats arrives and I can put everything in.

 

[geraniumtr]

puchak, getting the B pillar re-installed is a pain. Did this recently when I had the drivers side covering re-glued. Many attempts made before success. In my opinion the trick is to install the top clip AND seat belt adjuster in one movement. Then position the bottom plastic cover in place and secure with the 2 screws.
Getting the clip and slider in place requires you to line up the small metal post on the seat belt thingy with the plastic bore on the slider. The post must insert itself into the bore in order for the slider to work smoothly. This takes some time. Pushing the clip in first and then trying to line up the slider didn't work for me.



Regards,

Peter

 

[puchak]

@geraniumtr Thanks so much for your notes Peter, I think I've managed to adjust it quite a bit to a good working level. I just don't know if the adjuster is supposed to go all the way down... or half way? Anyways, I'm pretty happy, I may just leave it.

USPS seems to have temporarily lost my package, which has the floor nuts for the driver seat. In the mean time, I've installed almost everything and worked on some electrical gremlins and missing screws. The only flaw in the new carpet is there is a hole under the (shotgun) passenger, which I could care a bit less about since I don't get in on that side.

 

[geraniumtr]

I think you're all set. Adjusters only go half way.


Peter

 

[puchak]

Latest updates on the interior:

• The door cards have clips that connect to the rubber trim that slide on the window. It's the final step when mounting the cards to the door. These metal prongs can slide off because they bend over time. I tightened these and the doors are firmer than ever, had the looseness present on a door card I didn't even take apart or touch in my ownership.
• I followed geraniumtr's advice and got the seat belt adjusters running perfectly. You really do have to do it in one movement.
• New right front passenger carpet imported from Germany since my other one was torn up.

So, the interior is done besides a couple little nitpicks:

• Passenger seat headrest adjuster doesn't work. Most likely something inside of the seat.
• There was a lot of wind noise behind the mirror trims and turns out I forgot the foam pads! I only have one, and I'd like to replace both. I'm thinking of ordering some automobile jute and tracing it.

Anyways, I attached some cool early morning photos.