300TE Estate: Rear bench seatback stuck...

[barry300TE]

Anyone have any experience with “unsticking” the rear bench seatback on a 300TE Estate (W124) seven seater? I am trying to get the seatback down but it is stuck in the up position. I seem to remember it’s just meant to fold over once the bench seat is folded forward. Don’t want to force it if I don’t have to!

Thanks

Barry

 

[barry300TE]

Sorted my sticky seatback:

...“the black tabs are under the center of the seat bottom near the center seat belts anchors. They are made of iron, get stuck with dust and such off the seat. Rust can develop within the closeley spaced parts. Lube and light pushing freed mine up today.”....

Whew.....

 

[andy500]

Mercedes engineering amazes yet again - I've been struggling to get the left hand rear seat folded for about half an hour - push-me-pull-you-thump-thump. Righthand side is fine, just the lefthand side... nearest the garage wall.
Now I come indoors, crack open a beer, and do a search. Found this, plus another thread..
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=2884
The doors both have to be open! Arrrrrggggghhhhhh.
Still, could be worse
Cheers.

 

[television]

Mercedes engineering amazes yet again - I've been struggling to get the left hand rear seat folded for about half an hour - push-me-pull-you-thump-thump. Righthand side is fine, just the lefthand side... nearest the garage wall.
Now I come indoors, crack open a beer, and do a search. Found this, plus another thread..
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=2884
The doors both have to be open! Arrrrrggggghhhhhh.
Still, could be worse
Cheers.

That was an old post that you dug up there

 

[teddycatkin]

Hi Barry--I wonder is this your 1st TE ?--I love them for these quirky things that are not on any other cars --the star wheel pass seat adjusters making them soft or hard ? the self closing tailgate? the seperate rear wash wipe switches on dash -not stalk ?
My current 220 te also has the later M111 coded engine which pulls like a train and is very nippy for such a large vehicle.
Check out the W124 TE You Tube tests too -no wonder they were so expensive new.

 

[Bolide]

The rear doors have to be open and the squabs have to be lifted for the seat backs to fold

If they won't, it's probably because the locking mechanism is stuck. It's operated by the black button in the door shut - opening the door should release the lock via this button. If it doesn't, remove the kick plate, undo the bolt on the tiedown loop, pull out the trim that sits under the kick plate and prise up the rear quarter panel. You should just be able to see the release mechanism with a torch. If you have a long thin screwdriver you may be able to release the catch

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[RiceBurner]

The rear doors have to be open and the squabs have to be lifted for the seat backs to fold

If they won't, it's probably because the locking mechanism is stuck. It's operated by the black button in the door shut - opening the door should release the lock via this button. If it doesn't, remove the kick plate, undo the bolt on the tiedown loop, pull out the trim that sits under the kick plate and prise up the rear quarter panel. You should just be able to see the release mechanism with a torch. If you have a long thin screwdriver you may be able to release the catch

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

To add to this.... on my car the nearside "plunger" in the door (just above the locking latch mechanism) has fallen out of place, so the rearseat can be sticky - a bit of fiddling with the loose plunger will release it.

I need to get that fixed....

 

[AWaugh]

Further, the rear seatbacks were jammed on my 1996 E280; a gentle 'persuasion' with a screwdriver in locking mechanism (located close to the black button in door shut) was all that was required to effect folding forward of seatbacks. Hardly any pressure was required.

 

[PiltdownMan]

I have just solved this problem on my 300TE which apparently hasn't ever had the seats folded before using advice from this thread and some others. I didn't have to stick a screwdriver in any catches: I sprayed a load of penetrating oil into the catches and the plungers in the door shuts and left it overnight. Then I pulled the plungers out as far as they'd come and folded up the seatbases.

The seatbacks were still stuck, but with some carefully applied force they eventually folded: I got in the boot and put my left arm over the right seatback and pulled up on it from the bottom, while with my right hand I repeatedly punched the top of the back of the seatback near where the catch on the wheelarch is. It took a few hard thumps but eventually it did fold. Pulling up on the seatback at the same time seemed to help the catch over the wheelarch disengage, while punching it got the seized parts to move. I had to do the same thing with the other side. Apparently it is simply disuse that causes everything to seize up. They're still stiff to operate now, but usable.

 

[delo777]

Here is how I did it on my 1993 300TE - Once you have opened the doors (so-doing releasing the knob on the door sills) and lifting the seat bases: remove the headrests, insert them in the corresponding holes in the seat base, then; there are 3 black tab/button on the headrest post holes (at the base of the posts), all you have to do is push those tab/button down (towards the floor) and the seat backs will release - use a flat piece of wood to push down on those tabs/buttons if they are stuck.
Hope this helps
This worked for me.
I am still working on the mechanism to make sure it will stay easy to operate, have to figure out what piece to lube etc.

d.:

 

[television]

Here is how I did it on my 1993 300TE - Once you have opened the doors (so-doing releasing the knob on the door sills) and lifting the seat bases: remove the headrests, insert them in the corresponding holes in the seat base, then; there are 3 black tab/button on the headrest post holes (at the base of the posts), all you have to do is push those tab/button down (towards the floor) and the seat backs will release - use a flat piece of wood to push down on those tabs/buttons if they are stuck.
Hope this helps
This worked for me.
I am still working on the mechanism to make sure it will stay easy to operate, have to figure out what piece to lube etc.

d.:

Thank you for the info and welcome to the forum

 

[jibcl500]

Me I lye on my back in the boot and kick the back of the seat, problem sorted in less than 15 seconds.

jib

 

[television]

Me I lye on my back in the boot and kick the back of the seat, problem sorted in less than 15 seconds.

jib

You are young and fit,,,I used to be like that once