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Window mechanism

Started by peterq, 12 August 2009, 12:04 AM

peterq

I am trying to get rid of the slack in the LH front window mechanism - when you wind it up or down there's lots of whirring but nothing happens for a second or so as slack/wear in the mechanism is taken up.

In a rare moment of inspiration I thought "why not check out the spare door you got from that 280SEL?". So I did, and the window mechanism is nothing like the one in my car, or in the manual:

Is this from a later model, or a generic one? The motor is Bosch, and it has been connected into the standard wiring.

nathan

Heh Peter,
that motor is from a 126 (and later 123s) if im not mistaken...the regulator im not sure. 126 regulators had this crazy scissor action.
if it works, who cares!!
1979 116 6.9 #6436
2018 213 e63
2011 212 e63
2011 463 g55
2007 211 e500 wagen
1995 124 e320 cabriolet
1983 460 300gd
1981 123 280te

Hemersam

Interesting. My '78 280SE passenger front window comes down at about 1 foot per hour, but actually quits half-way down. I don't use it anymore because I'm afraid it won't go back up. What could be the problem with this slow-mo window?
Hemersam
P.S. When it's coming down, it sounds like it is constipated and straining mightily to get it done.
P.S. 2 Sorry for the crude analogy.
Hemersam

OzBenzHead

Quote from: Hemersam on 13 August 2009, 08:24 PM
Interesting. My '78 280SE passenger front window comes down at about 1 foot per hour, but actually quits half-way down. I don't use it anymore because I'm afraid it won't go back up. What could be the problem with this slow-mo window?
Hemersam
P.S. When it's coming down, it sounds like it is constipated and straining mightily to get it done.
P.S. 2 Sorry for the crude analogy.
Hemersam

Hemersam: If it's constipated, then at least it hasn't s**t itself (yet).   ;)

The liners in which the glass slides (a felt type material) are possibly binding.  Apply a liberal dose of graphite powder to them. (Warning: this can be messy if you're not careful, and certainly wouldn't be appreciated on your passengers' clothing.)

Also generously lubricate all the mechanism inside the door with waterproof grease. If this mechanism is particularly dry, it might be an idea to first spray a goodly dose of Lanox / Lanotex on all jointed areas. These products are akin to WD40 / CRC etc. but contain lanolin, a natural lubricant found only in sheeps' wool; once the carrier medium (the kerosene-like liquid) has evaporated, the lanolin doesn't dry out. Lanotec / Lanox is so good that it is the only product that fixed the unbearable squeaking in my air-suspended 300SE coupe's suspension system.

If that doesn't unbind it, it's possible that the channels in which the felted guides sit have rusted and swollen. No fix for that other than replacement of those runners.

If there is a normal electric motor sound but it is accompanied by what sounds like slipping, jumping, or not-quite-engaging gears, then the metal mechanism is probably twisted / bent / distorted. This happens as a consequence of people holding the switch longer than necessary at the extremes of open and shut. This puts more torque on the mechanism's frame than it can handle (lots of torque produced by DC motor), and that torque -- turning or twisting power -- has to go somewhere; it goes to the weakest point, the lifting mechanism frame. This has the effect of misaligning the driven gear (an arc of metal only a few mm thick) with the driving gear, and improper engagement is the result, with movement of the glass eventually ceasing altogether even though the motor still turns.

Motor drive and lifting frame can be purchased separately, so no need to buy a new motor if only the frame is twisted. There is little point in buying a used frame, as it seems they all suffer a similar fate.

Good luck.

Three of my W116 windows are all so stuffed that I'm replacing the lot as part of my current restoration.
[img width=340 height=138][url="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png"]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a215/OzBenzHead/10%20M-B%20Miscellany/OBH_LOGO-2a-1.png[/url][/img]

peterq

Well I pulled out my old motor and mechanism and fitted the one from the wreck. Works fine, and its obvious that it was made for a door with installation points the same as a W116 - perhaps a W126, or other MB?