124 Estate - knackered tailgate / affect on electrics

[mercforsale]

Hi there

Wonder if anyone can help -

The motor on the tailgate of my otherwise brilliant 300 TE (1992) seems to be on the way out - it no longer shuts properly and the electric mechanism makes a whirring noise upon closing

bizarrely, I think this may be affecting other bits of the car - the rear wiper / washer is dead, and even more strangely, the lights-on warning buzzer comes on whenever we open the front passenger door!

can anyone advise how to rectify - is it a DIY to change tailgate mechanism? is it worth sourcing it from a mercedes salvage yard?

thanks for your help

 

[Myros]

do try one from a breakers

I did,

and it worked fine. The other elctrical problems sound as though you have a short or bad earth somewhere. best to investigate that before you buy a new mechanism.

They are held on by 5 x 13mm bolts and three links to the locks/vacuum system. they come out with a little wiglling and jiggling and go back the same. the lock cylinder just unbolts with 2 x 10mm bolts.

 

[Bolide]

Intermittent tailgate electrics are caused by broken wires in the rubber tube that feeds into the tailgate. You need to remove the rear headlining plastic trim and the tailgate trim and replace the failed cables. Cut the wires one by one and use them to pull a new wire through the rubber tube. Then rejoin either side of the tube

It's a fiddly job but it'll cure the problem. Rerplacing the tailgate motor won't cure the problem if the problem is broken wires

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[mercforsale]

thanks for your help - will look into it