DETAILED W166 Mercedes Benz ML350 Complete Dash removal and Heater Core Replacement | How To

[@melotone3305]

I took the whole heater unit out of a W108 (1968 250S) and that was a headache. But, I was really lucky because I was parting out the car. If I was doing it as a paying job, that would have been a nightmare. It really was easier to take everything out from in and under the dashboard. I think a lot of people underestimate the number of parts and pieces - large and small - that have to be removed. Take lots of photos. Make notes. And keep track of all of those screws and clips. The estimate is several hours in the rate book, if I remember correctly. Hopefully you have a lightweight, skinny mechanic with long fingers and slim wrists that does not get sick working upside down. Congrats on your job!

[@AlbanianFix]

Yes it is a nightmare for sure but like you said, when you take notes and pics of everything then you should be good 👍

[@mobitechaz]

very impressive operation. kudos. helpful to the merc benz DIY community. I recently replaced and troubleshot a ml350 163 A/C system, the center blend door flap was clicking and rotating endlessly, and linkage was broken on right blend door. Upper dash had to be removed. Your procedure dwarfs that operation. Well done.

[@AlbanianFix]

@mobitechaz thank you for the feedback!

[@p.tchigladze]

Bravoo .. respect from Georgia 🇬🇪👌

[@ccarlock8537]

Heater core got plugged up because the Silica slow release anti corro6pack came apart. You also need to replace bottle to get 100k out of coolant and bottle potentially or replace coolant now at 50k if not new bottle

[@AlbanianFix]

Thanks man, good to know 👍

[@TheApache47]

Hi, Many thanks for the video. I have a problem with my 2013 ML 250 w166. Couple of years ago, there was a rattling noise in compressor during idle and when vacuumed at Merc dealer, it had less gas and no oil. So they added the specified quantity( I don't know how much exactly) and it was working fine. The noise was there anyway. The cooling was totally great. Annoyed by the noise, I went ahead and changed the compressor and receiver dryer alone at an independent garage. Then the rattling noise from compressor was gone. Fast forward two years, the aircon wouldn't cool for the first 10 minutes from the cold start of engine. But when the vehicle was at operating temperature, the system began cooling well. I then went to a generalist ac recharge person and checked by vacuuming. It had about 300 gms of gas and 45 ml of oil when vacuumed in the machine. Since, the ac guy had no clue of how much gas was required. I searched online and found that the ML 250 needed 1050g of gas and 120 ml of oil which he refilled. 1 month into it, I now have the same rattling cluncking noise from compressor. Finally, went to a reputed ac mechanic and then again vaccuummed it and found the gas level was about 967g and 45 ml of oil. But this time the oil was grayish with some metal emery. The high pressure was fine. The low pressure readings were inconsistent. I think I made a mistake by asking him to fill 120 ml of oil when the recovery was only 45 ml. I didn't k ow that rest of the system had oil too. Did I overfill oil? What should I do now? Should I replace the compressor,Condenser and received dryer alone? Or should I replace the evaporator core as well? To ensure that the system doesn't fail again. I am early confused about how best to sort this. Looking forward to your advise. Many thanks

[@AlbanianFix]

I read everything you wrote, but at no point did you mention any leaks. The way that you're describing losing gas and oil every year or two, it's very concerning and that should not be happening. So, my advice... instead of replacing everything that comes to mind, how about start with finding the leak and make sure that's solved first before you go on to replacing parts.

[@kathiravanm1874]

Thank you. Could you give a broad outline as to how to find the leaks in the system?

[@AlbanianFix]

Fill up your system with gas that has Dye in it, start the car so it builds pressure and check around with an Ultra Violet flashlight that you can buy for $5. The Dye will immediately highlight the leak for you.

[@kathiravanm1874]

Hi, Many thanks for your advise. The leak was from the compressor itself and the condensor too. The third time I filled gas and it got leaked out fully in two months. Last week, I traced the leaks in the system and replaced the compressor, condenser and expansion valve. Cleaned out the lines and flushed the evaporator without removing it. Checked for any leaks by pressuring the evaporator. It was holding good. Replaced all the o rings in the entire system. Now the pressure holds good and the cooling is extraordinary. I truly hope this will be the end of the issues in ac system. 😊

[@AlbanianFix]

@@kathiravanm1874 it sounds to me like you found the issue. Good job 👍 Hopefully that was all to it. Good luck!

[@conservatorcivilus]

One-Hand wonder‼️ 💪🏻👍🏻

[@jessetimber1388]

Thank you for the video that makes me have more confidence replacing the core by my self, but how to tell the core is leaking what type tool or gauges you using for the pressure? thank you

[@AlbanianFix]

Thank you for watching! The only way that I could tell the leak that was coming from the core is because inside the car it smelled sweet and musty and the windows will fog up very quickly with like a sticky film to it. You can find the tools I used in the video's description.

[@ismailkarim100]

One hand wonderful man

[@williechaffin387]

I was fortunate in 2009 to pickup my E320 Bluetec at the factory near Stuttgart. The perk included a factory tour. We were loaded on a golf cart at the delivery center and driven to an entrance of one of the factories, that seemed like a couple miles from the delivery center. Hardly any people worked in the factory of robots, those that did were on the catwalks with binoculars watching the robots. at one point in the tour, we were on catwalks over the assembly line below us, which was putting the dashes in cars. it was fairly early in the interior process that a robot came in from the drivers side with a dash and popped it in the car, maybe 10 second and it was out. The dash assembly I’m sure was done in a separate factory because it was ready to go in the car at this point, there were a few humans plugging things up ahead of and behind the robot at that location as the dash and other items were put in by the robots. I remember the doors and windshield was not yet in the car. Mercedes took a lot of heat for getting rid of all the people that worked in that factory and replacing them with robots, that was one of the big storylines, but the robots won. Quite an interesting place. Never seen anything like it. The last stations were measuring and testing tolerances on all the cars components, absolutely every crack and every line and everything in the car had a tolerance and measurement machines were checking, a human and machine were even testing the paint on the car. Only when a robots machine failed something was a human called in to retest. If a car failed any of the testing at that point it was shot a side on a different assembly line for corrections. Ps. 5500 people sticks in my mind. They told us (about 10 on the tour) how many people worked in the factory before converting it to robots and I believe the number was 5500. Of course that would be all shifts. Lawsuits and fighting took Mercedes about 5 years to win the automation war, that involved many factories all over the world. YES, final inspection many machines measure everything imaginable and there is a lot of humans interaction at that point. For example. The limits on the power seats are measured in every limit, Mercedes has a tolerance for each movement and it’s less than the eye can see; if it’s out of tolerance it’s fixed then or put on a resolution line if it can’t be fixed. The time it takes the trunk to shut and open is measured; every internal and external space is measured and check and must be within a tolerance. The assembly line robots can catch some things, but not like the human eye can, especially of the final product. Mercedes recognized this was a weakness robots introduced and designed the inspection process to correct such problems. I wonder what will happen to the income tax revenue loss when robots replace people? Could we get to a point where all that revenue drys up because people aren’t working to pay in to the system? I think about things like that. Hahah

[@AlbanianFix]

That's quite an impressive story. I wish I could see that, too. Even though machines have taken over, nothing gets sent out without proper inspections by human. I mostly wish my car was actually imported. I feel like German cars over here seem to have a lot more issues than the ones in Europe. Probably here we got bad staffing and or work environment or, in other words, motivation for quality work is lacking. But since all issues still require the same solution regardless of manufacturer's origin, at least the internet brings us together to share our experiences and help each other out. That's a good thing!

[@angrycatowner]

If a robot can install a dash board assembly in one complete pass, why can't a human remove the whole thing the same way and not have to dissamble it?

[@interiordesigntfw9933]

Nuff respect, great job.

[@AlbanianFix]

Thank you!

[@TheresaMcNish]

Hi, excellent video! Thanks so much. would this be similar to my 2011 E-350?

[@AlbanianFix]

It's very similar with a lot of Mercedes models so I would say yes, it should be the similar to a 2011 E-350

[@ossiossi6289]

Oo te lumshin duar o Shqipe👍 Desha me te pyet si mundem me i hek vetm laisnat e armatures, jan me ngjyr druri e desha bleck me i venu original te Mercedes. A osht e mundur vetm laisnat me i hek a duet si kur ti per fillimit? Te pershendes

[@AlbanianFix]

Faleminderit shqipe! Ato nuk i heq dot veç sepse janë të kapura me plastiket e tjera dhe me kapset ajrimit. Nuk ke nevoj ti heqësh të gjitha nga e para si puna ime, thjesht hapi rrugën sa të dalin nga kapset.

[@tasking7577]

My savior 🎉🎉

[@ChempixelLtd]

nice video!! what is part you are removing at time 7:31? its the little chip with a cable. Do you know what its for?

[@AlbanianFix]

I think that's a sensor for the AC thermostat, might be wrong.

[@veejayramachandran726]

Awesome video. What would you estimate total time?

[@AlbanianFix]

If you know what your doing, 4 hours. If not and you’re taking your time (like me), 7-8 hours.

[@Q_thulu]

Its booked at an 18.8 hour repair.

[@johnavecilla3908]

W166 2013 4matic - my vents run hot even with climate control off. AC blows hot as well. It was vacuumed and filled, no leaks. Intermittently blows cold. I feel the hvac blend door actuator is stuck open for the heat to vent and won’t close for the AC. Question: how far deep do I need to go to replace this part?

[@AlbanianFix]

For the doors looks like as far as I went in the video where you can see the big plastic black rig

[@johnavecilla3908]

That’s pretty deep to get to the hvac blend door actuator. Everything comes off then looks like.

[@mauriciogasca6516]

Another question, how can I clean the air conditioning evaporator? On a ML400 w166, it has a musty smell, I replaced the cabin air filters but the smell is still there.

[@AlbanianFix]

The cabin air filter is the right thing to replace when it smells. If this smell still persist, then you might have moldy carpets.

[@mauriciogasca6516]

Hi, I have an ML400 2015, the glove box vent is not working, It doesn't matter if I turn On or Off the knob inside the glove box or change any settings on the controls, what do you suggest me to check? Thanks in advance.

[@AlbanianFix]

There isn't much you can do from the glove box side because there's a pipe that comes from the AC dash unit to the top of the glove box and the knob only opens the air flow or stops it. I suggest to check the pipe, maybe it has fallen off or it's broken but you will need to take the glove box apart in order to check the pipe.

[@mauriciogasca6516]

@@AlbanianFix thank you so much!!

[@AlbanianFix]

@@mauriciogasca6516This is the black plastic pipe I was talking about: kzbin.infoUgkxh9rhS6Cc1_aFIR2sxvnZ0MJWjAIbcN5v?si=czfwdar1i9PRd_e3

[@salizymberi5425]

Hi , I have 2014 GL 450 , the heat is so low special on hi speed 60mph right side no heat at all , any sugestions? any recomanditions i,m in NYC. Thank you.

[@AlbanianFix]

Check coolant level, maybe low coolant.

[@salizymberi5425]

I did check coolant level is normal , I did replace thermostat, I did replace radiator, still no heat special passages site , most likely heater core needs to be replaced, any good mechanic in NYC.

[@AlbanianFix]

@@salizymberi5425 Yeah, sounds like the heater core is clogged up. you can try to flush it. It's easier and cheaper than replacing it especially since you have no leaks. I would try that first.

[@HatsuneMiku-nt1hh]

How many miles does your ml350 has? I’m planning on buying an used ml350 2012 with 140,000 miles, with the m276 engine and no air suspension

[@AlbanianFix]

Mine is close to 200K miles.

[@chrisbenavides5042]

How many hours did it take? How much would you charge?

[@AlbanianFix]

If you know what your doing, about 4-5 hours. If not + you're taking your time (like me), 8-9 hours. I don't have a shop, but if I had to do this for a friend, probably hmm... around $1200 would be my guess.

[@classy_w210_2]

Hello, I have a 2014 Gl350 flushed the heater core, and it blows heat drivers side but no heat on pass side I did heater core it isn’t clogged no actuator issues present or anything what should I check?

[@AlbanianFix]

How far into the dash are you? Can you see the blend doors (actuators) actually moving as you press the hot and cold buttons? I’m pretty sure it’s stuck somewhere on the passenger side or it’s not opening/closing all the way.

[@classy_w210_2]

Everything was working I scanned with Xentry my issue I think is circulation

[@luiscorchado284]

Thanks

[@dimitarzagorski1311]

How much do you think such a job would cost in Service?

[@AlbanianFix]

I think 4-5 K at the dealership but you can definitely find cheaper at an indi shop.

[@dimitarzagorski1311]

thanks for the answer friend, greetings from Bulgaria🇧🇬

[@ismailkarim100]

Excellent

[@ahmedabuabede1044]

Very good man

[@AlbanianFix]

Thanks Ahmed!

[@ifonly8294]

Hi I have Mercedes cla 200 14 plate when I’m I sport mode say at 70mph when ease of the pedal the rpm jumps right down an jurks the car like it’s in wrong gear so when braking and bringing car to a stop it’s harsh down shift in gears any ideas

[@AlbanianFix]

That’s a tough one. I would guess bad speed sensor, bad solenoid, bad fluid… Best if you have it checked out, maybe start with diagnostic to see if there’s anything going on.

[@williambigby8420]

Hey I would like to change my dash board on mine I would like to pay you to do it how much would u charge

[@AlbanianFix]

I don't do commercial. These are just home videos. But if you follow along, you can do it too, not too hard, just time consuming.

[@williambigby8420]

K thanks how many hours it took u to take apart n put it back together

[@ErnestoMunoz2075]

Awesome. 😃😃😃

[@김진우-t9w]

Thank you...!!

[@firephoenix7902]

What state do you live

[@AlbanianFix]

South Carolina

[@brienmaybe.4415]

Hit me up, gas food. -Brien camaro.

[@AlbanianFix]

Yoooo, where you at???

[@KlevisMarku-mg2tv]

O vlla a ke nje email/numer telefoni qe tet dergoj nje video te makines time qe ben ne zhurme te cuditshme.

[@AlbanianFix]

[e-mail]