Hi All,

I am continuing to have glitches with my 1997 E420 Mercedes Benz.

I recently positioned the passenger seat in the full recline position so
I could carry a long load home from Lowes.  The trip went well and I
felt smug about using a MBz for hauling.
Well, the seat will NOT reposition it self back to the upright position.
 The fuses for the seat are all O.K. because the seat will move in all
the advertised function.  The recline up / recline down works, but very
little from the near-horizonal position it is in.  I've moved the seat
to all the extreme positions hoping for a Mercedes Miracle.  The seat
back will go further down to the full recline position and will come up
for a short distance and stop.  I'm guessing it will not come up as high
as half of 45degrees which I can guess fairly accurate.
As I fiddle with all the functions - even the headrest moves in and out,
I'm beginning to suspect that the gearing mechanism (or something in
side) has "slipped a cog" and is now operating in a different range of
motion.  When it come up and stops, it is a clean stop without any
grinding, groaning sounds, or slowing down in speed.  It behaves as if
it is stopping as per design.  This is just a theory, a weak one at that.
I removed the back panel for the driver's seat and don't see anything
accessible.  Nor can I see anything that may shed any light on the problem.
THIS IS THE PART WHERE I ASK FOR HELP FROM THE GROUP.
If anyone has any ideas, clues, suggestions, or similar experiences
about this, please let me know.  This car is beginning to bug me because
I'm slowly working my way through the E-CLASS LEMON LIST of malfunctions
(see elsewhere on the internet) and I've only owned the car for 3 years.
 The engine is sound and is mechanically great.  The headaches come
from the accessories (turn signal stalk renewed, rear windows controls
failed, driver's headrest motor renewed, part of the instrument panel
has lights burned out, A/C fan speed switch replaced - only had two low
speeds left, low fuel light comes on for no reason a time or two a
month, and on and on and on.....

Please share any knowledge you have.  My 5-passenger vehicle will only
SAFELY accommodate 2-1/2 now.

Hez of the Pacific NW