Left rear window inoperable

[Full Monte]

Window inop, Alarm system

Hi Guys,

After a hiatus of a few months, I'm back working on vehicles. The 300D has the window problem. Took it apart today. It turns out that the wires coming from inside the door jamb, going through the rubber boot to the window control switch and motor are either broken or frayed. I suspect it's from rubbing on the bottom of the hole in the door. I had to remove the inside door panel to get some slack in the wiring harness. Tomorrow, I'll attempt a fix.

Yesterday, I replaced the radio with a Blaupunkt. The old Alpine was switching itself on and off depending on the last bump I hit in the road. It's in the trash now. Picked up the new one at Fry's during their anniversary sale. $79 for a $199 radio. Not bad. During the install, I bypassed the fader control on the console and allowed the radio contols to do the fade function. It turned out OK.

 

[towcat]

monte-
your generation MBZ is the start of the intergrated radio to car security system. You might want to double check that the security system is working properly still. My 190D's car alarm would go nuts periodically with no reason whatsoever. Yes the previous owner had an aftermarket radio in it too.

 

[The Warden]

Monte,

How did you handle the wiring to the speakers? IIRC, only the + wires go through the fader...what is done with the - wires? Or, did yuo just run new wires to the speakers?

Congratulations with the window...you're in better shape than I am; the left rear windows in both of my cars have bad regulators.

Hope all is well

 

[Full Monte]

Warden,

On my 124, there are two sets of wire pairs that come from the rear speakers and another two that go to the console fader control. They connect with black and white bullet connectors behind the radio. The bullet connectors are labeled R and L, with the male pronged ends being the ones going to the speakers.

 

[Full Monte]

Towcat,

You gotta be kidding me. I guess no good deed goes unpunished. I'll see if it still works.

 

[Meta6981]

Hmmm I am soon going to put in some better speakers on the rear channels. The speakers in there now are just about to blow, but then again i have alot of power running to them with the deck i had installe. its a pioneer deck and it sounds really good i went ahead and hooked it up through the stock fader as well. I am going to put in 6x9's but i really don't want to cut into the hat deck, been comtemplateing getting 6x9 boxes and finding a hideing place for them. Also monte i never noticed you were in campbell. i am not to far from there just inside los gatos

 

[Full Monte]

Update: I was awakened this morning at 4am by my 300d's alarm system going off. Towcat...I guess it still works. The question is: was this alarm due to a real situation, or a false alarm caused by me fooling with the radio rear speakers. Not sure. I have no manuals, no wiring diagrams.

Update: The driver side rear window still doesn't work. I fixed the broken wires and tried it. No dice. I get a clunk when I activate the switch, but no movement from the window. I notice the winder has some slack cable. Maybe it hasn't worked in so long that everything is stiff/stuck. Any ideas?

Meta...yeah, I'm in Campbell. Don't think I've met you yet.

 

[Meta6981]

Nope don't think so ethier. I have a similar problem on my w126, neither of the back windows roll down and successfully go back up without my forceing it. I need to rip into the door panel again and try to fix it, it might be off track. I have pulled the door panels before attempting to fix them but no joy.

 

[towcat]

Update: I was awakened this morning at 4am by my 300d's alarm system going off. Towcat...I guess it still works. The question is: was this alarm due to a real situation, or a false alarm caused by me fooling with the radio rear speakers. Not sure. I have no manuals, no wiring diagrams.

monte-
that's part of the symptoms of the alarm system going nuts. Its falsing due to the fact the radio is not communicating witht he alarm computer.
Time for you to go see Mr. Terry......he can get you fixed up. There's a trick with certain wires that you need to bypass to get the alarm system to work right again.
give me a call.

 

[Full Monte]

monte-
that's part of the symptoms of the alarm system going nuts. Its falsing due to the fact the radio is not communicating witht he alarm computer.
Time for you to go see Mr. Terry......he can get you fixed up. There's a trick with certain wires that you need to bypass to get the alarm system to work right again.
give me a call.

Drat! And it seemed so logical to run the four speakers off the radio instead of running just the two front channels and letting the car wiring run the rear speakers off the front ones. No good deed goes....

 

[towcat]

monte-
this has nothing to do with your speaker rewiring.
mbz factory radios have electronics that comunicate with the factory alarm computer. When you install aftermarket radios, there are some wires that have to be bypassed in order to fool the alarm computer to think the factory radio is alive and well. This is mbz's idea for theft deterence...

 

[Full Monte]

OK, but I had an Alpine Radio in it before, now I have a Blaupunkt. The alarm system worked fine with the Alpine. However, I did change the wiring to access the rear speakers directly, using the other two channels available from the radio.

 

[Full Monte]

Update: my 4am alarm clock worked like a charm again! I have verified Towcat's assertion that the fader control wiring has something to do with the alarm system. Two night's in a row is too much to be a chance occurrence.
It never gave me a false alarm in the year I've owned it. Towcat...you da man. If it wasn't for you, I'd be scratching my head with both hands trying to figure this out. I'll call you about visiting Terry. I owe you a big breakfast at Stacks.

 

[towcat]

monte-
unfortunately with a genius around like Mr. Terry, I am nothing but a parts changer when it comes to MBZ. Fortunately, when it comes to the older stuff, their issues are pretty rare but they are consistent. It also helps that he's been a foreman at Smythe for 18 years...he's trully has "seen it all"
Now here's the funny part....just like here, there's quite a few smythe veterans with the same diesel benz AND IDI combos...

 

[The Warden]

Now here's the funny part....just like here, there's quite a few smythe veterans with the same diesel benz AND IDI combos...

Why am I not surprised?

These M-B's make great parts-runners for the IDI's, don't they?