Mercedes-Benz W126

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Mercedes-Benz W126

Manufacturer:	Mercedes-Benz
Production:	1979–1992 (sedan) 1981-1992 (coupé)
Predecessor:	Mercedes-Benz W116
Class:	Full-size luxury car, Grand tourer
Body style:	4-door sedan, 2-door coupe
Similar:	BMW 7 Series Porsche 928 Jaguar XJ

Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC coupé

For a complete overview of all S-Class models see Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The W126 was the Mercedes-Benz S-Class produced between 1979 and 1991. The different models produced achieved combined sales of more than 800,000 units, making the W126 the most popular Mercedes-Benz S-Class to date. Available as a long- (SEL, SDL) and short wheel base (SE, SD) sedan, as well as a coupé (SEC).

1 History
2 Models produced
3 Technology and Features
4 Famous Owners
5 Demand in the United States
6 Problem models
- 6.1 350SD/SDL
- 6.2 380SE/SEL
7 Engine model numbers
8 Popular Tuners and Variants
9 External links

[edit] History

W126 is the bodycode given to the Mercedes-Benz S-class series, produced from 1979 until 1991. W126 sales were halted in 1992 for the US market. Mercedes-Benz South Africa continued producing them for some years, stopping in 1994.

The car was introduced at the IAA in Frankfurt on September 1979. Most people did not appreciate the design right away. Its appearance differed too much from the rest of the Mercedes fleet at that time. The objective of the design team, lead by Bruno Sacco, was to produce a car that was sleeker, lighter and faster as opposed to the old W116 S-class it was meant to replace. Now, over 20 years after its first introduction, it is clear they succeeded in designing and building a true classic.^{[citation needed]}

The W126 remained in production for over a decade and its design still wasn't old fashioned when production was halted in the early nineties.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Models produced

The many W126 models (named according to engine size) include:

1979-1985:
- 280S/SE/SEL (World excluding US)
- 300SD ('81-'85, USA and Canada only)
- 380SE/SEL/SEC
- 500SE/(excluding US)
- 500SEL/SEC (for US and Canada '84 and '85)
1986-1991:
- 260SE (World excluding US)
- 300SE/SEL ('88-'91 US)
- 300SDL ('86-'87)
- 350SD/SDL ('90-'91)
- 420SE/SEL/SEC
- 500SE/SEL/SEC (World excluding US)
- 560SE/SEL/SEC (560SE n/a in US)

The W126 replaced the 1970s-generation W116 (including the flagship Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9). It carried forward the self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension of the 6.9 as an option on the 500-, and standard on the 560- models. Following the 1970s oil crisis, Mercedes-Benz made fuel efficiency a pertinent goal of the model, even in the large V8-engined models.

[edit] Technology and Features

It had become tradition for Mercedes-Benz to raise the standards ^{[citation needed]} of automobile engineering, comfort, safety and technology with each new generation of the S-Class, and the W126 was no exception.

Novel luxury features/options include:

Airbags, as an additional measure of occupant protection. The driver side airbag premiered on 1985 models (standard on 500SEL and 500SEC, optional on 300SD, 380SE, and 380SL), and the passenger side airbag premiered after 1990.

Traction control ASR to prevent wheelspin (a Mercedes first). Available on European models only until the 1990 when it was available to 560 SEL customers in the United States.

Seat belt pretensioners ETR enabled all seat belts (with exception of rear center lap belt on sedans) to tighten when the car sensed conditions that could lead to an accident; such as sudden, forceful braking.

Anti-lock braking system ABS brakes (as introduced by its predecessor, the W116)

Self-leveling suspension There were 2 Versions for the Sedan, a Rear only hydraulic suspension using 2 nitrogen ballasts to automatically level the car, and a 4 wheel hydraulic leveling system that could be set in 3 positions. The coupes were only available with the rear-leveling from the factory. In the US, rear-leveling was standard on both the 560 SEC and the 560 SEL.

Courtesy lights on the underside of the doors, to enable the occupant to see the ground when exiting the vehicle in the dark. And on sedan models, individual, rear cabin reading lamps aimed at the rear seat occupants' laps so as to avoid distracting the driver at night.

8-way powered, dual stage heated front seats, with two setting memory functions for both front occupants to retain positions of power adjustable steering column and seat position for driver; and seat position for front passenger.

2-way powered, dual stage heated rear "Chesterfield" bench seat (pre 1990 SELs) with 4-way manually adjustable rear headrests that was standard on flagship 500 SEL and 560 SEL models.

As an option on the 500 SEL and 560 SEL, individual, power adjustable rear seats were provided with a burl walnut grained center console that replaced the center seat to allow for a 2 + 2 seating format.

Fully automatic climate control system that used an interior temperature sensor to more accurately climatize the cabin. This sensor was mounted near the sunroof so that when the roof was ajar, the sensor would detect cool windchills and call upon the system to adjust heat flow accordingly.

Exterior temperature sensor with display set in main instrument console below the speedometer to inform the driver of exterior conditions.

Four-Speed automatic transmission with a topographical sensor that monitored the vehicle's position (whether on an incline or decline) and gas pedal position. The result was an extraordinary capacity to "hold back" acceleration when coasting down hill and to maintain the S-Class' position without using the brake pedal after coming to a complete stop on a steep incline. The transmission also featured a "limp home mode" in case of electronic failure and was programed to start in 2nd gear so as to permit smooth, wheel spin free launches.

Cruise control that used the transmission's topographical sensor to appropriately add and cut back the throttle fluidly as needed in order to maintain the desired set speed. The result was a cruise control that was free of the sudden throttle inputs and undesired downhill excess speed that plague many current cruise control systems.

Whilst almost all of these features are available on modern luxury cars today, each in its own right was considered very significant in the 1980s. The harmonious and "matter-of-fact" way which these were combined, as well as their renowned durability, has added to the appeal of W126.

The W126 generation was replaced by theW140 in 1992.

[edit] Famous Owners

Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator of the Philippines had a bulletproof 500SEL

[edit] Demand in the United States

Three US-Specification W126s parked in a driveway

The 500SEL has an interesting place in US history, since American demand for this particular car drove the establishment of a large grey market. The detuned, yet very expensive US specification 380 SE/SEL/SEC was underpowered, according to contemporary reports, and fueled demand for the more powerful version available in the rest of the world. 25,000 units per year of the grey market vehicle were sold in the early 1980's, according to contemporary reports in the Los Angeles Times.

[edit] Problem models

[edit] 350SD/SDL

The engine had a design defect which causes ovaling of cylinders walls, bent rods, excessive oil consumption (1 quart per 200 miles or 1 litre per 300 kilometers is not uncommon), and eventually engine failure. Mercedes-Benz did not accept responsibility for this defect, even when problems arose before warranty terms were met. Most of these engine failures have so-far occurred on vehicles driven under high load or city driving, while highway driven engines do not show signs of problems until many miles later. Fixing the problem can cost the owner more than $10,000 or 8000€ which exceeds the value of the car.

[edit] 380SE/SEL

Following the fuel crisis, part of the program was to reduce weight and increase power with decreased engine weight. On early versions of the 380, the engines came with a single row timing chain. These models were plagued with chain failure problems and the problem was corrected by Mercedes-Benz, free of charge. Some models, however, escaped retrofit and may at some point fail as a result. All models built in 1985 were equipped with the dual-row chain from the factory.

[edit] Engine model numbers

Model  | Years | Chassis# | Engine # 
380SEC | 82-83 | 126.043  | 116.963 
420SEC | 86-91 | 126.046  | 116.965 
500SEC | 84-85 | 126.044  | 117.963 
500SEC | 86-91 | 126.044  | 117.965 
560SEC | 86-91 | 126.045  | 117.968

[edit] Popular Tuners and Variants

AMG, offered Bodykits for all w126 models, as well as a widebody kit for the coupe. Offered many levels of engine tuning, but was most famous for the DOHC 6.0 Liter Engine, based on the original 117.968 engine.
BRABUS, Offered Body kits Similar to the AMG package and minor engine tuning.
Lorinser, Offered Body kits Similar to the AMG package and minor engine tuning.
Koenig Specials, Offered a famous widebody kit, a supercharger, and twin-turbo kits.
MKB, Various Engine kits
RennTech, Offered most of the AMG engine tuning packages except for the DOHC engine.
Carat, Body kits, wooden seatback trays, wood trim, AMG installer/dealer.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mercedes-Benz W126

300SD.COM (Resourceful website and forum dedicated to W126 S-Class diesel ownership)
AUTOMOBILES DE LUXE (Automotive website dedicated to fine automobiles; includes reviews and editiorials on the W126 S-Class) *AUTOMOBILES DE LUXE 1/31/06 REVIEW "The Drive> 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300SD"
MBCoupes W126 (SEC) Page (an online enthusiast group and mailing list for the SEC model)
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w126-s-se-sec-sel-sd/ (Very active online forum for the W126 Model.)