E320 Melty A/C Fuse Repair
Smoking a brisket and fixing my vehicle’s A/C. I’ve now done each nearly the same number of times. I like the results of both done correctly and Im getting better.
It had been an honest to goodness 110 degrees the week that the HVAC button on my E320 decided to deny me cold breathable air. It showed it self as an intermittent problem. Google returned every expensive scenario but the fix was simple and cheap. A fuse. An easy to get to and cheap fuse. Right there on the driver side shock tower I found the number I was looking for:
123-540-04-50
Thanks Mercedes! This number was conveniently molded on the fuse cover that melted itself closed. I shoved a flathead screwdriver in there and gave it a crispy pry just to see the extent of things.
Not terrible and it turns out that these housings are common and also used as glow plug (50 Amp!!) and rear window defroster fuse holders. I sourced my holder and fuse from pelican parts for under $10. If your holder can be salvage you can find the strip fuses at NAPA for cheap.
- 123-540-04-50 – Strip Fuse Holder
- 000-545-20-34-M14 – 30Amp Strip Fuse
- ATMN171252 – 30 Amp Strip Fuse – NAPA Alternative (50 cents!!)
Once my parts arrived getting everything installed was simple. Two strip fuse screws and two mount screws and it was reinstalled. I did take some time to clean the charred wire terminals with some emery cloth and coated the connections with dielectric grease. Hopefully this will keep the corrosion at bay and prevent future melting.
