90's Merc wiring looms.

[Tetleysmooth]

Further to my other thread 'a big ask but...'

Apparently, Mercs of the era of which I've been offered - mid 90's, were fitted with a biodegradeable engine wiring loom. Can anyone tell me for definite if this applies to all Mercs of this era?

What car company would fit such wiring that breaks down and falls to bits after a certain amount of time????

This is certainly putting me off the one I've been offered - an M reg e200 W124.

[Rusty_Rocket]

First I've heard of this.. but then a quick google search suggests '92-'96 cars had this crumbling insulation 

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbadmercedes.com%2F&ei=X_nzUe3tHc2a0AWl3IGoAw&usg=AFQjCNGswIMOMRdN9SNkmihamedniW6Usw&sig2=egYnXJuy_WMz2aWs4eYvEA

[Tetleysmooth]

Thanks for that info Rusty.

It confirms what I've read elsewhere.

[Jikovron]

i read up on these before picking up a 300e but thankfully all mech injection cars got propper wires and benefited from lack of cats for free breathing power j/k reg on are abit of a liability i gather

[Partridge]

Not biodegradable on purpose I hope? 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Not biodegradable on purpose I hope? 

 

Biodegradable on purpose ! Similar principle to Tesco's plastic bags, only the Merc ones are supposed to last a couple of decades rather than a couple of years.

 

Merc wiring suppliers decided that 50kg of biodegradable wiring will save the planet. Especially if said wiring causes 1500kg of old Merc to get scrapped and another 1500kg of replacement new Merc (or equivalent) to be manufactured.

[Partridge]

So much for built to last...

[Rusty_Rocket]

I'm really surprised that these biodegradable wiring looms were ever approved on a safety basis... I mean, a short circuit can quite easily set fire to the car, right?!

Possible scenario-

"Helmut !  Our wunderbar automobiles are lasting too long, ya?  How can we sell more und maintain German efficiency?"

"Einfache!  We make them burn themselves to the ground in zwanzig Jahren !"

 

Mind you, the 'biodegradable' bodies on the C-Class onwards have done a pretty good job of returning to nature 

[xkjaguar]

Clucking Bell well that explains why all the insulation is crumbling on the various looms on the wifes S class ( i think its a 96 but might be a 98) i'm a bit far away to check

it is particularily bad around the headlight wiring

is there anything you can spray on to hold it all together (like plastikote or similar) cos rewiring will be a bitch as it has electric everything!!

[Station]

I think it'll be fine as long as you don't mess with it. I think this is in case it goes into a landfill.

[Wilko220]

Wasn't this the same period that they started building Mercs with panels which had about the same rust protection as a '70s Fiat?

I'm surprised they ever managed to recover their reputation after that dark chapter. '90s / early '00s Mercs are some of the scruffiest cars you see on the road these days.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Clucking Bell well that explains why all the insulation is crumbling on the various looms on the wifes S class ( i think its a 96 but might be a 98) i'm a bit far away to check

it is particularily bad around the headlight wiring

is there anything you can spray on to hold it all together (like plastikote or similar) cos rewiring will be a bitch as it has electric everything!!

 

 

They supposedly changed to more conventional wiring after the 1995 model year, though there's loads of contradicting info online and Merc never really accepted there was an issue with the biodegradable wiring.

 

Either way, no modern engine loom lasts forever, there are simply too many wires bundled together and running too close to components that get very hot.

 

Regarding fixing the problem, the easiest and most reliable way to do it is to buy a complete new loom. This would probably last a further two decades, but is likely to cost more than the car. Some very determined, brave souls have taken the time to rebuilt segments of the loom, wire-by-wire. I admire them, but would never be able to do it.

[Spiny Norman]

I 'heard' the affected looms were only on the 4 cylinder W124 range, can't remember where though. Mercs from that era can be a mixed bag, some of them are OK and others have long since dissolved like old Alfasuds, and there seems to be no rhyme nor reason for it.

Mine's not bad, with no more rust than you'd find on any other 17 year old car, but there's an identical one round the corner that's absolutely destroyed.

[HMC]

As far as i know its the w124 e320 93-96, possibly other models too