For a few weeks now I have had the SRS light up on the dash & have been keen to fix it - I have searched all over for a 'how too' but couldn’t find anything for something which seems to afflict a lot of MBs as they get older...
The method discussed is what worked for me - I am sure that there is a correct & proper or easier way - I hope will help others to fix it themselves.
The car in question is a W210 - 2000 facelift E Class:
Symptom: SRS & airbag off light both lit - though occasionally off when shifting weight on seat (15 stone+
)
Tools Required: Torx socket & Torx bits, Phillips screwdriver, Blanket, Patience & a little bravery. Cardboard cornflake/cereal packet, replacement passenger transponder (A210 821 21 51), 17mm socket. Pliers.
Time required: 1-1.5 to strip seat - 25 mins to get it all back together & in again. Phew.
1. Begin by removing seatbelt from seat (17mm) side closest to door, unclip side port to reveal bolt first to get at bolt, undo then hang out of the way.
2. Push seat back on runners to reveal wiring and front two Torx bolts. Unclip wiring (possibly take a photo or note where they came out of) - then undo both Torx bolts fastening seat to floor.
3. Push seat forward and undo rear bolts.
4. Lay blanket on floor and lift seat out of car onto blanketed floor (helps to protect seat & hold any stray bits that may otherwise get lost)
5. remove side covers on both sides - unscrew rear on closest to door then slide forward, the other side is just clipped in and remove by pulling rearwards then unhinging at front.
5a. turn seat up side down and unclip all the wiring - taking note of the wiring going up to the top half of the seat.
6. Take large Torx bit and remove the gold coloured bolts holding the top half of the seat away from the base. Remove top half carefully guiding out the wiring from the underside (do not rush this stage..)
7. With top half out of the way - I then removed the 4 small black Torx bolts holding on the front 'tipper' mechanism to get access for the cover to be removed - there are two on each side towards the front of the chair frame.
7a. check the wiring is free - especially the yellow connector (100 baud label) - mine passed under the wiring connector block and then went up through the seat - this all needs to be free before continuing. There are two small white clips close to where this wire ventures out of the seat cushion - pull these out with a pair of pliers.
8. turn the seat upside down onto the blanket and kneel on it using your body weight to compress the seat foam, this releases the tension on the upholstery and enables you to unhinge/clip the upholstery from the steal lip on the seat base - a bit like a bicycle tyre off the rim. - I started with the front part of the seat and then finished up at the back - which seemed to release the whole seat cushion from the chair sprung frame - ease it all out carefully and remove it completely from the metal frame. Phew. Have a coffee.
9.There may well indeed be an easier way to get to this point - but I was then surrounded by a lot of expensive bits and the worry of would it all go back together again...
10. It was at this point I could finally get my hands close to removing the transponder. from the rear of the seat cushion slide your hand in and feel for the transponder plastic which easily bunches up (remove any watches etc before going in) this all needs to come carefully out - towards the front of the seat is a cigarette sized pad which covers the white plastic sender unit - removed the pad and then carefully ease out the whole laminated transponder & sender unit.
11. Take a good look at it - it’s pretty weird and what is causing all this grief.
12. I paid £60 delivered (06/2007) for one from a UK Merc breakers after I was quoted £92 + vat (17.5%) for new one. (Thanks Mercman)
12a. I was able to very quickly able to check that this 2nd hand unit worked - by connecting it to the cars wiring (laid out beneath the car seat and then turning the ignition on - the SRS light came on the car started the SRS went OFF! Thank God! I knew that the transponder was indeed the cause to the SRS problem and that this used unit was going to fix it - I just needed to get everything back together without damaging anything - No Pressure then.
13. I tried many times to try and get this very precious floppy & delicate item back into place - in the end I used a large flattened cereal packet - I slid the transponder into the flat packet - tapped the front end to stop it opening and hold it in place - tore a slit in the bottom for the wire and sender to ultimately push out of.
14. this bit is tricky - I slid the cereal packet in a bit and at the same time pushed the yellow connector through the hole in the seat floor - and kept slowly pulling the wire as the cereal packet was eased in...After a few minutes sweating and telling the wife & kids to please be quiet and leave me alone it was in.
15. I then made sure the sender unit was pressed into place in its cutout hole and that the rest was flat - I had given up trying to extract the cereal packet as the seat cushion was holding fast and refused to give it back.
16. Turning the seat cushion onto its back I then refitted the seat cushion to the metal frame and started by pushing the frame into place before starting with the rear edge of the upholstery
17. It was then just a case of putting it all back together very carefully and cable tying all the wires neatly etc before finally returning the seat in to the car - bolting the seat belt back on, refitting the Torx bolts and connecting up the wiring.
18. I turned the ignition on the SRS light came on and my heart sank - it was along two seconds - the engine started the SRS disappeared! - I still couldn’t believe it.
19. Total cost: £60 for transponder, £25 for extra Torx tools bits (socket & driver bits), 2.5 hours of my time, temporary high blood pressure, and satisfaction of fixing it myself - still can’t quite believe it.
20. What no pictures? As a photographer it was a case of 'cobblers shoes' sorry.
The method discussed is what worked for me - I am sure that there is a correct & proper or easier way - I hope will help others to fix it themselves.
The car in question is a W210 - 2000 facelift E Class:
Symptom: SRS & airbag off light both lit - though occasionally off when shifting weight on seat (15 stone+
)Tools Required: Torx socket & Torx bits, Phillips screwdriver, Blanket, Patience & a little bravery. Cardboard cornflake/cereal packet, replacement passenger transponder (A210 821 21 51), 17mm socket. Pliers.
Time required: 1-1.5 to strip seat - 25 mins to get it all back together & in again. Phew.
1. Begin by removing seatbelt from seat (17mm) side closest to door, unclip side port to reveal bolt first to get at bolt, undo then hang out of the way.
2. Push seat back on runners to reveal wiring and front two Torx bolts. Unclip wiring (possibly take a photo or note where they came out of) - then undo both Torx bolts fastening seat to floor.
3. Push seat forward and undo rear bolts.
4. Lay blanket on floor and lift seat out of car onto blanketed floor (helps to protect seat & hold any stray bits that may otherwise get lost)
5. remove side covers on both sides - unscrew rear on closest to door then slide forward, the other side is just clipped in and remove by pulling rearwards then unhinging at front.
5a. turn seat up side down and unclip all the wiring - taking note of the wiring going up to the top half of the seat.
6. Take large Torx bit and remove the gold coloured bolts holding the top half of the seat away from the base. Remove top half carefully guiding out the wiring from the underside (do not rush this stage..)
7. With top half out of the way - I then removed the 4 small black Torx bolts holding on the front 'tipper' mechanism to get access for the cover to be removed - there are two on each side towards the front of the chair frame.
7a. check the wiring is free - especially the yellow connector (100 baud label) - mine passed under the wiring connector block and then went up through the seat - this all needs to be free before continuing. There are two small white clips close to where this wire ventures out of the seat cushion - pull these out with a pair of pliers.
8. turn the seat upside down onto the blanket and kneel on it using your body weight to compress the seat foam, this releases the tension on the upholstery and enables you to unhinge/clip the upholstery from the steal lip on the seat base - a bit like a bicycle tyre off the rim. - I started with the front part of the seat and then finished up at the back - which seemed to release the whole seat cushion from the chair sprung frame - ease it all out carefully and remove it completely from the metal frame. Phew. Have a coffee.
9.There may well indeed be an easier way to get to this point - but I was then surrounded by a lot of expensive bits and the worry of would it all go back together again...
10. It was at this point I could finally get my hands close to removing the transponder. from the rear of the seat cushion slide your hand in and feel for the transponder plastic which easily bunches up (remove any watches etc before going in) this all needs to come carefully out - towards the front of the seat is a cigarette sized pad which covers the white plastic sender unit - removed the pad and then carefully ease out the whole laminated transponder & sender unit.
11. Take a good look at it - it’s pretty weird and what is causing all this grief.
12. I paid £60 delivered (06/2007) for one from a UK Merc breakers after I was quoted £92 + vat (17.5%) for new one. (Thanks Mercman)
12a. I was able to very quickly able to check that this 2nd hand unit worked - by connecting it to the cars wiring (laid out beneath the car seat and then turning the ignition on - the SRS light came on the car started the SRS went OFF! Thank God! I knew that the transponder was indeed the cause to the SRS problem and that this used unit was going to fix it - I just needed to get everything back together without damaging anything - No Pressure then.
13. I tried many times to try and get this very precious floppy & delicate item back into place - in the end I used a large flattened cereal packet - I slid the transponder into the flat packet - tapped the front end to stop it opening and hold it in place - tore a slit in the bottom for the wire and sender to ultimately push out of.
14. this bit is tricky - I slid the cereal packet in a bit and at the same time pushed the yellow connector through the hole in the seat floor - and kept slowly pulling the wire as the cereal packet was eased in...After a few minutes sweating and telling the wife & kids to please be quiet and leave me alone it was in.
15. I then made sure the sender unit was pressed into place in its cutout hole and that the rest was flat - I had given up trying to extract the cereal packet as the seat cushion was holding fast and refused to give it back.
16. Turning the seat cushion onto its back I then refitted the seat cushion to the metal frame and started by pushing the frame into place before starting with the rear edge of the upholstery
17. It was then just a case of putting it all back together very carefully and cable tying all the wires neatly etc before finally returning the seat in to the car - bolting the seat belt back on, refitting the Torx bolts and connecting up the wiring.
18. I turned the ignition on the SRS light came on and my heart sank - it was along two seconds - the engine started the SRS disappeared! - I still couldn’t believe it.
19. Total cost: £60 for transponder, £25 for extra Torx tools bits (socket & driver bits), 2.5 hours of my time, temporary high blood pressure, and satisfaction of fixing it myself - still can’t quite believe it.
20. What no pictures? As a photographer it was a case of 'cobblers shoes' sorry.
