Additions:
**1)** I don't mean to pull a Haynes on you but you have to remove the dash. No two ways about that. I have a DIY on that here:
[[http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W124DashReplace Dashboard Replacement]]
[[http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W124DashReplace Dashboard Replacement]]
Deletions:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=244658
Additions:
**2.0)** Remove the top cover of the airbox.
With the dash off, the black plastic thing smack in the center of the dash area with a little turret on it is the ACC airbox. The cover has to come off so you can replace the diverter and center vent pods. The cover is held by 2 clips just under the duct that feeds the center pods, a screw beside each duct that feeds the defroster vents and 2 screws against the bulkhead by the clips that hold the ACC vacuum lines. The bulkhead edge screws will make you curse MB engineers!
Here's the cover off the airbox -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a01.jpg
Here's the airbox minus the cover -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a02.jpg
Since the dash is off at this stage I'll assume the switch panel and ACC controls are off the console.
**2.1)** Remove the 2 clips holding the... first let's set orientation. It's confusing to talk about the radio in the car because the front, the part containing the controls, faces aft and the back, the part containing the connections, faces forward. I'll try to stick to calling the aft end the console end and the forward end the bulkhead end if for no other reason than because my other writeups follow that convention. Back to work. There are 2 clips on the console end. The clips hang from the cover and clip onto the main section of the airbox. It's hard to get a good picture of the clips but they're easy to see and reach.
The 2 clips to remove are between the top ledge of the console and the bottom of the center vent duct. The 2 clips hang vertically. Don't touch the 2 clips that hang horizontally outboard of the vertical clips. Note that this picture doesn't provide the sense of depth involved -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a03.jpg
I'll preview this installation picture to show the clip partially attached. In reality it's easier to remove the clips with your fingers. Simply pull the tab at the bottom of the clip towards you to release the bottom attachment then lift the clip so the tap at the top comes out of the pocket on the airbox cover. I dropped these clips numerous times and each time was able to fish it out of the depths of hell where the radio is. Sometimes the radio had to come out. The clips can be reclaimed with a magnet (whew!) -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a04.jpg
**2.2)** Remove 1 screw along each side of the airbox cover. The screws are next to the defroster ducts, the big ducts facing upwards. The screws take a Philips screwdriver. The screws can be reclaimed by a magnet but they might fall somewhere a magnetized tool doesn't reach -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a05.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a06.jpg
**2.3)** Along the bulkhead edge, the cover has two rows of clips to hold the ACC vacuum lines. The left clip holds the supply line and a line for each nipple of the driver side recirc pod. The right clip holds in addition the line for the diverter pod atop the airbox cover. I don't think the clip position is relevant. At least I hope it isn't Push the lines off the clips with your fingers -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a07.jpg
**2.4)** Now the fun begins. There are 2 screws along the bulkhead edge of the airbox cover under the ridge that supports the windshield. Seems like a perfect place to use clips but MB engineers went with screws. It was difficult enough to navigate a Philips screwdriver into place while holding a mirror, try it while taking a picture! use the best screwdriver you have because it's going to contact the screw at about a 15* angle. You might try a screwdriver tip with a breaker bar or a u-joint or flexible drive -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a08.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a09.jpg
**2.5)** This should probably have been done earlier but pull the vacuum line off the diverter pod atop the airbox cover. This is the best picture I have. The diverter pod is the cyliner on the left end of the picture -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a10.jpg
**2.6)** Lift the airbox cover up and off the airbox -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a11.jpg
**2.7)** So the diverter and center vent pods have been addressed and the airbox cover is ready to go back onto the airbox. Haynes time! I don't have a picture with sufficient detail but there's a lip along the bottom of the cover that fits into a slot along the top of the airbox, but you see the slot along the right edge of the airbox under the lifted cover in step 2.6. The fit in my car was quite precise so the cover dropped right into place. Keep this in mind if the clip anchors and screw holes don't align.
**2.8)** I started with the screws along the bulkhead edge. Make sure the holes are aligned then do whatever magic it takes to get the screws into their holes without falling out while you reach for a screwdriver. In my car, the bracket by the driver side screw hole doesn't move. That's it's natural relation to the airbox -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a12.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a13.jpg
**2.9)** Then the screws along the sides. Same pictures as in step 2.2.
**2.10)** Then the clips along the console edge. Not so easy to do with fingers, I found. I used longnose pliers to hang the clips in place then pressed them into place with my fingers. The dash crossbar makes it difficult to get the driver side clip in place. The passenger side clip is easier -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a14.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a15.jpg
**2.11)** Get the vacuum lines back on the clips (step 2.3) and attach the vacuum line to the diverter pod (step 2.5).
With the dash off, the black plastic thing smack in the center of the dash area with a little turret on it is the ACC airbox. The cover has to come off so you can replace the diverter and center vent pods. The cover is held by 2 clips just under the duct that feeds the center pods, a screw beside each duct that feeds the defroster vents and 2 screws against the bulkhead by the clips that hold the ACC vacuum lines. The bulkhead edge screws will make you curse MB engineers!
Here's the cover off the airbox -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a01.jpg
Here's the airbox minus the cover -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a02.jpg
Since the dash is off at this stage I'll assume the switch panel and ACC controls are off the console.
**2.1)** Remove the 2 clips holding the... first let's set orientation. It's confusing to talk about the radio in the car because the front, the part containing the controls, faces aft and the back, the part containing the connections, faces forward. I'll try to stick to calling the aft end the console end and the forward end the bulkhead end if for no other reason than because my other writeups follow that convention. Back to work. There are 2 clips on the console end. The clips hang from the cover and clip onto the main section of the airbox. It's hard to get a good picture of the clips but they're easy to see and reach.
The 2 clips to remove are between the top ledge of the console and the bottom of the center vent duct. The 2 clips hang vertically. Don't touch the 2 clips that hang horizontally outboard of the vertical clips. Note that this picture doesn't provide the sense of depth involved -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a03.jpg
I'll preview this installation picture to show the clip partially attached. In reality it's easier to remove the clips with your fingers. Simply pull the tab at the bottom of the clip towards you to release the bottom attachment then lift the clip so the tap at the top comes out of the pocket on the airbox cover. I dropped these clips numerous times and each time was able to fish it out of the depths of hell where the radio is. Sometimes the radio had to come out. The clips can be reclaimed with a magnet (whew!) -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a04.jpg
**2.2)** Remove 1 screw along each side of the airbox cover. The screws are next to the defroster ducts, the big ducts facing upwards. The screws take a Philips screwdriver. The screws can be reclaimed by a magnet but they might fall somewhere a magnetized tool doesn't reach -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a05.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a06.jpg
**2.3)** Along the bulkhead edge, the cover has two rows of clips to hold the ACC vacuum lines. The left clip holds the supply line and a line for each nipple of the driver side recirc pod. The right clip holds in addition the line for the diverter pod atop the airbox cover. I don't think the clip position is relevant. At least I hope it isn't Push the lines off the clips with your fingers -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a07.jpg
**2.4)** Now the fun begins. There are 2 screws along the bulkhead edge of the airbox cover under the ridge that supports the windshield. Seems like a perfect place to use clips but MB engineers went with screws. It was difficult enough to navigate a Philips screwdriver into place while holding a mirror, try it while taking a picture! use the best screwdriver you have because it's going to contact the screw at about a 15* angle. You might try a screwdriver tip with a breaker bar or a u-joint or flexible drive -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a08.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a09.jpg
**2.5)** This should probably have been done earlier but pull the vacuum line off the diverter pod atop the airbox cover. This is the best picture I have. The diverter pod is the cyliner on the left end of the picture -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a10.jpg
**2.6)** Lift the airbox cover up and off the airbox -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a11.jpg
**2.7)** So the diverter and center vent pods have been addressed and the airbox cover is ready to go back onto the airbox. Haynes time! I don't have a picture with sufficient detail but there's a lip along the bottom of the cover that fits into a slot along the top of the airbox, but you see the slot along the right edge of the airbox under the lifted cover in step 2.6. The fit in my car was quite precise so the cover dropped right into place. Keep this in mind if the clip anchors and screw holes don't align.
**2.8)** I started with the screws along the bulkhead edge. Make sure the holes are aligned then do whatever magic it takes to get the screws into their holes without falling out while you reach for a screwdriver. In my car, the bracket by the driver side screw hole doesn't move. That's it's natural relation to the airbox -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a12.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a13.jpg
**2.9)** Then the screws along the sides. Same pictures as in step 2.2.
**2.10)** Then the clips along the console edge. Not so easy to do with fingers, I found. I used longnose pliers to hang the clips in place then pressed them into place with my fingers. The dash crossbar makes it difficult to get the driver side clip in place. The passenger side clip is easier -
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a14.jpg
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/w124centerventpod/2a15.jpg
**2.11)** Get the vacuum lines back on the clips (step 2.3) and attach the vacuum line to the diverter pod (step 2.5).
