Hello folks, I have just been informed that I need an Idle Control Valve for my 500sl. I searched through ebay and general internet searches, but have had no luck in locating one. Can anyone suggest where I might find this part on-line?

 

do an online search google, bing, etc "0001412425 control valve". I found it easily for around $200 and up.

 

Hey Brookings, I used your suggested search string and it worked amazingly well. I managed to find a few although some were $500 +. The I came across one on ebay for under $200. The Mercedes numbers match and I compared photos, and it certainly looks like the correct part. The guy selling says that it has been tested and is in fine working condition. I have ordered it but I am a little concerned that there appears to be a scorch mark on the valve casing. I tried to attach a photo of it. Do you think that this might be a problem?


Many thanks for your help.


Rob

 

that burn spot would indicate an internal short. I wouldn't buy it. I seen them on one site new for under $300 one for $210. check wiring to the part too.

 

Hey Brookings, thanks for your advice. Unfortunately I'd already paid for it before I read your post. I have bought one or two parts from this guy, based in California I think, previously and he seems very knowledgeable and professional. I think he does a lot of business on ebay which is completely dependent on his customer satisfaction ratings. It is becoming more and more difficult to source spare parts for this car and the cost of posting to the UAE is at least an additional 25%. The mechanic who works on the vehicle is pretty good, but even he is having difficulties with replacements. So, often I am forced to shop on places like ebay, where there has to be an element of trust. I would certainly like to find a website where I can purchase new parts at reasonable prices, but so far, I have not been particularly successful. I think also that the postage times are a big problem. The bloke fixing my car has told me that he needs to get this part in and working so that he can determine if there are other problems. If there are any other issues it might be a three or four week delay for the next part, if it cannot be sourced here. So a job which should take a couple of hours actually can take a couple of months. For this reason I am now thinking of cutting my losses and getting rid of the car. This is heartbreaking as it has practically been rebuilt at considerable expense.

 

I'd be patient. That's a good looking rig. It looks like you have a nice Jimmy to drive while you wait for parts. how does your wiring harness look? some of the later model 92s through 05 had that stupid bio-degradable wiring. if it's an early model 92 you're ok. bad wiring could have been your problem in the first place. those valves are fairly dependable

 

Thanks Brookings. The information about the wiring is quite interesting. Unfortunately the only information that I have on the history of this car is that it was a Japanese import to the UAE and the recorded year of manufacture is 1992. I will however mention this to the mechanic, just in case he is unaware of the biodegradability of Mercedes wiring. I have another car, Mercedes C180 Coupe, which is very reliable. So I'm not exactly stuck whilst the 500sl is in the garage, but it is very frustrating as I only use the convertible in the winter here, the summers are way too hot for a vinyl roof, so the drive 'window' is getting shorter and shorter. By April it will be covered up and left until the following winter. Thankfully there are no rust issues here although the heat does create a big problem for the leather interior and the plastic windows. I need to look for a car cover that is very effective in reflecting heat (at times it can reach 56 degrees here). Anyway, I'll speak to the mechanic when the new part arrives and I'll let you know what he says. Thanks again for your comments. Rob