Hi all. I have a 1990 M/B 300E. Coming home after a ball game in 98 degree weather the AC/Heater blower motor died. Does anyone know what it takes to replace it? I don’t even see it! (a lot different from my S10! Thanks
I have a 1989 300E and I can tell you that removing the blower motor is a frightful job. It’s beneath the mono wiper, by the way. Get yourself a repair manual for step-by-step instructions.
It is advisable to remove the old motor before ordering a new one. You need to first determine if you are able to separate the motor itself from the squirrel cage; this cannot always be done.
Oh yeah… first check to make sure the problem is not merely a bad fuse or bad fan relay.
Thanks very much. I was afraid it would be a bear!
Steve is correct in checking the smaller item first before throwing the larger more expensive items at the problem.
The 12volt supply for the blower motor goes through a set of contacts on the ignition switch. There is an assembly on the rear of the ignition tumbler that contains several sets of electrical contacts. Perhaps yours is defective. I’ve had to replace a few for similar intermittent problems.
You can test it, sometimes, by rocking the key every-so-slightly when the blower quits. The replacement electrical switch is about $25 and fairly easy to replace…if you are contortionist…
A new motor for a 124 is around $150 for the part, add another $100 for the fan. It’s a DIY job if you have the time,tools and talent. Having the factory 124 manual is a must though.
Benzman
FYI, these are the parts benzman is referring to:
Craig,
I met you’re good twin the other day. ;^)
Both he and his wife drive pre-1993 MB diesels. He also owns a 1997 MB diesel, and says that he will never make that mistake again. The shock towers are rusting away and there are several, lesser problems; it only has 150,000 miles on it. His wife’s 300 TE has about 250,000 miles and runs beautifully. They plan to keep the older ones forever. He alerted me that one should not buy the mass-produced junkers after the early 90s. You guy’s been talkin’?
LOL, some folks like the newer ones better, but I’ll stick with the 80s models. The old ones aren’t perfect but they are a lot easier to keep in good condition and I prefer the styling. Mine just tuned over 397K miles, my wife’s has 215K (and it only takes 15 minutes to replace the blower motor). I plan on keeping mine indefinitely too.
IMHO, the 90s were probably their low point. By all accounts, the newer (2000+) cars are better quality than the 90s, but very complex and expensive.
When my 1992 300E’s air conditioner quit, I was pleasantly surprised to find that an inline fuse (in a Tic Tac container sized black plastic cover above the driver’s side wheel well) was to blame. The new part was less than $3 and only took me a couple of minutes to install.