W124 wiring advice

[mejermy]

They are these - http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005D7HUWG/?tag=amazon0c7b3-21. However, I rather think that all non original are now the carbon web type. I think the company Systafex makes these for many of the companies which put together the complete package. The pads I checked just now are not fitted.

The French ones are from DK Schweizer UK Leather Retrimmers and do not heat up as quickly as my OEM ones in other MBs. Adequate though. Using the DK switches and relay by the way.

 

[brigadier]

Waeco carbon pads I have range 5 to 6.5 ohms. All as it should be me thinks! I don't think they get hot - just warm. Get them installed once and for all.

 

[shanksy]

Waeco carbon pads I have range 5 to 6.5 ohms. All as it should be me thinks! I don't think they get hot - just warm. Get them installed once and for all.

If the Waeco's draw the same then I guess 5A must be per seat and not per pad.

In Brighton tomorrow so i'll try and get the seats stripped down and all fitted on Sunday.

Thanks again to you both, I know its been a bit of a faff at times but I'll be well chuffed when they're in and i've learned some basic electrical skills to boot !
(even if its just to be more careful with a DMM )

Cheers
Lee

 

[mejermy]

He who dares...........possibly gets a burnt bottom

I think this thread is about done to death, and I'm glad you got there in the end Lee. I have been gnawing at the bone of obsession with the insufficient heat however. Our joint experiences (all posters on this thread) sggest that the heat falls below OEM MB levels. So I had a glance at my as yet unfitted 2nd set of pads. What do you think would happen if, using the MB relay, switches and loom, as you have (and I may) you by passed the heat sensor built into the pads? Easy to do without cutting the carbon webbing. As you are a pioneer of this mod I feel you should be elected as our Captain Oates. What think?

 

[shanksy]

As tempting as it is to try and up the heat output, i'm not that flush I can just buy another set after reducing these to something resembling cheese on toast.
And why you're asking me with my electrical skills i'll never know

Seriously though, i'll see what they're like once they're in properly (Sunday ended up being spent fixing my blower motor).
Are yours sitting between the horsehair padding and the foam?
I'm planning to either detach the leather from the foam padding and restitch after, or more likely slit open the foam padding to place between the 2 layers.

If they're not adequate i'll maybe look at modding options, in the meantime i'm afraid its up to you to push the boundaries on this one

 

[mejermy]

What happened to the Dunquerque spirit??http://1.2.3.12/bmi/www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

I didn't remove the leather covering entirely, but just enough to allow me to slide the pads fully to the front of the base and the top of the backrest. The pads therefore sit on top of the semi rigid brown material (is this the horse hair?) you see in this pic of the reverse side of the seats. So if there's anything under the leather then that's in the way, but I don't remember that being the case. There were metal rods stitched into cotton sleeves for the plastic/nylon base/squab hooks to fasten onto to pull the cover flush.

 

[mejermy]

By the way, how do you post an emoticon??? Mine end up as text!!

 

[brigadier]

Just push on a smiley and it inserts automatically. How did you manage to display text instead of smiley is beyond me.

 

[mejermy]

Like this http://1.2.3.12/bmi/www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

 

[mejermy]

And that's simply dragging a smilie from the RH box onto the text window, which is what I thought you should do!!

 

[brigadier]

either clicking on or dragging them both work for me.

just noticed there's that 1.2.3.12/bmi/ string at the front of your smiley that shouldn't be there.

 

[mejermy]

Thanks for the tip brigadier, but I think I'll leave them alone until I know how to keep them under control. My computer has blown up, so on the wife's (with my backup loaded); this means anything could be happening.

 

[shanksy]

What happened to the Dunquerque spirit??http://1.2.3.12/bmi/www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

I didn't remove the leather covering entirely, but just enough to allow me to slide the pads fully to the front of the base and the top of the backrest. The pads therefore sit on top of the semi rigid brown material (is this the horse hair?) you see in this pic of the reverse side of the seats. So if there's anything under the leather then that's in the way, but I don't remember that being the case. There were metal rods stitched into cotton sleeves for the plastic/nylon base/squab hooks to fasten onto to pull the cover flush.

Dunkirk spirit is on hold for Christmas I believe

Hi Malcolm, Yes the rigid brown material is what I meant by horsehair, not quite sure on the correct terminology for whatever it is
So you're pads will be sitting under the thick foam on the underside of the leather as I thought.
I will try a seat out the same at the weekend, then try placing the pad in between the foam and see if makes any noticeable difference.

It was suggested to me that some silver foil underneath the pads might stop heat dissipating out the bottom side, the logic seems fairly sound although it could just end up with the temp sensor cutting in sooner !
It also might end up sounding like your sat on a crisp bag.

Attached is a pic of where the foam can be split in two.......

Sounds like you should have taken a few spare PC bits while you were here as well

 

[shanksy]

Was a bit pushed for time so just fed the pads in under the seat foam, didn't bother butchering the foam after all.
I had a longish journey this afternoon and have to say i'm extremely pleased with the result, they are definitely warm enough for my liking.

Thanks again Malcolm and Brigadier, couldn't have managed it without you guys.

If anyone is reading this with a view to installing themselves, please feel free to PM with any questions. I had planned to do a proper guide with pics but it was too damn cold

 

[brigadier]

Glad to hear that, well done!