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Car Forum / Mercedes-Benz Cars / February 2005300 SD Power Windows- Flaw?
I've noticed several 300SD's advertised with dead power windows. It is unsurprising that the windows would die after 250,000 miles, but it seems a little odd that so many seem to go unrepaired. Is reparing the power windows on these cars prohibitively expensive? One day you'll find out whether fixing power windows is expensive. "Expensive" is a relative term: $500 on a $100,000 car isn't "expensive" to its owner but spending $500 on a $2,000 car is "expensive." Actually, several parts could cause such failure. Blown fuse. Dirt in the switch. Burned out relay. Burned out regulator (motor). Bent window track. Where are you getting the $500 figure? Is this a typical cost for a repair? > One day you'll find out whether fixing power windows is expensive. > "Expensive" is a relative term: $500 on a $100,000 car isn't "expensive" [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Burned out regulator (motor). > Bent window track. Instead of guessing based on newsgroups, why not just go check out the price of parts online? Parts like the window regulator, motor, relay, etc are all available and not particularly expensive. But how many people do you expect to put even $200 into a non-essential repair of a 20+ year old car with 250K miles, especially if it's not the driver's window? Many of these are now being driven with the plan to send them to the scrap heap or sell them to someone for $500 soon. > Instead of guessing based on newsgroups, why not just go check out the > price of parts online? The price or parts is not usually indicative of the cost of a repair in my experience. For example, I had a '92 Escort which required a heater core. The new core was $33, but the cost of labor to replace it was $300. Parts like the window regulator, motor, relay, > etc are all available and not particularly expensive. But how many > people do you expect to put even $200 into a non-essential repair of a > 20+ year old car with 250K miles, especially if it's not the driver's > window? It seems that many of these cars have recent major service like engine rebuilds or transmission overhauls. It is surprising to me that so many of them seem to have window troubles given the otherwise well-maintained condition of the cars. Many of these are now being driven with the plan to send them > to the scrap heap or sell them to someone for $500 soon. Again, I can understand this. I was just wondering why the windows seemed to be singled out. Many times it's a little plastic slider that costs a few bucks from the stealership and not that hard to install. Next the switches can get clogged with whatever spills and finally stop working. And then it's motors and regulators, not cheap. It could also be a fuse. So you need to find the reason for the windows not working before jumping to conclusions.  Signature73 Hank WD5JFR >> Instead of guessing based on newsgroups, why not just go check out the >> price of parts online? [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > Again, I can understand this. I was just wondering why the windows seemed > to be singled out. >Where are you getting the $500 figure? Is this a typical cost for a repair? f.ck no. Thatr's the price of buying a beater 126 to use for parts. My windows have failed 3 times. I think I spent $4 on some JB Weld to repair a cracked regulator arm (when a deer ran into the side of the car) and the other repairs were just cleaning 20 years of guck off switches. SignatureNeed Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org Does anyone know what makes power windows (in general) slow down or get jumpy before they die? From my personal experience, it seems that they often slow down or become jerky before they die. Obviously the fuse and switch are not doing this, so it must be some other problem. Dirty worn and bending track, worn regulator etc. These are no-maintenance mechanical items that wear out - it's just that simple. The cars you refer to are about 10,000 miles from being sent to the bone yard. Owners of these old cars know it will be costly to fix and that such cost isn't recoverable in a sale so it just is let go. The labor charge to open a door panel is about $150, add a regulator and track and the bill quickly approaches $500 - at an independent shop. That's why and owner needs to DIY for its these "light" repairs that run up the costs. Rebuilding an engine is relatively cheap in comparison and IT adds to the car's value whereas repairing a window is just "money out the window"! >Owners of these old cars know it will be costly to fix and that such >cost isn't recoverable in a sale so it just is let go. The labor charge >to open a door panel is about $150, add a regulator and track and the >bill quickly approaches $500 - at an independent shop. That's why and Good mother of God. I can take off and replace a door panel in about 15 minutes (although the first time it took me about 4 hours :-) SignatureNeed Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org > >Owners of these old cars know it will be costly to fix and > that such [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > about 15 minutes > (although the first time it took me about 4 hours :-) sounds like it might be easier to replace door than mess with jb weld on a regulator. been there,,, my $.02 n0rt > sounds like it might be easier to replace door than mess with jb weld >on a regulator. been there,,, my $.02 Depends on the nature of the fracture. Mine broke in a U channel on the regulator casting. I broke a big drill bit in half, stuck it in there and filled it with JB Weld. Easy. SignatureNeed Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org Paul After several hundred thousand miles and thousands of cycles everything starts to show wear and nothing tracks like as new. If the car was in a real dusty environment it would probably have more problems with wear. Before the little nylon slider breaks it can start sticking. Switches with crap in them can result in the symptoms you mention and so can a fuse that is original, poorly seated with oxidized ends. Some fail with a hairline crack and unless you know what you're doing you'll chase your tail. Check the fuse first by replacing it with a known good one. And as others have said no one is going to sink money into a window that doesn't work just before they dispose of the car. That and other deferred maintenance is why they're cheap and there's nothing like a cheap Merecedes. I never had a problem paying more than book for a well maintained car. Back in the 50/60s I had an old 47 Ford that had over 200,000 miles, several engines/transmissions/etc and the mechanism that controlled the door open slide fell off inside the door becasue it had worn thru the rivets that were supporting it. Signature73 Hank WD5JFR > Does anyone know what makes power windows (in general) slow down or get > jumpy before they die? > > From my personal experience, it seems that they often slow down or become > jerky before they die. Obviously the fuse and switch are not doing this, > so it must be some other problem. >Does anyone know what makes power windows (in general) slow down or get >jumpy before they die? > > From my personal experience, it seems that they often slow down or >become jerky before they die. Obviously the fuse and switch are not >doing this, so it must be some other problem. Cuold be increased resistance somewhere in the wiing. Could be increased friction in the machanical bits. Might just need an adjustment or it could be about to die from age. Could be anything, you really can't tell till you troubleshoot it. SignatureNeed Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org >I've noticed several 300SD's advertised with dead power windows. > >It is unsurprising that the windows would die after 250,000 miles, but >it seems a little odd that so many seem to go unrepaired. > >Is reparing the power windows on these cars prohibitively expensive? Nah, piece of cake. Some people are just afraid to take things apart. SignatureNeed Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wristwatches http://watches.list.mbz.org |
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