Mercedes Benz 380SEL Parts & Accessories

Do you know that an average human being spends more or less 4.3 years of his lifetime driving his car? That's probably one reason people consider their car their second home. And much like a home, your wellbeing when driving is largely determined not only by how your Mercedes Benz 380SEL cabin looks but, perhaps more importantly, how it smells. Imagine being behind the wheel for a few hours, with a stinking odor permeating the interior of your vehicle. Annoying? Perhaps even distracting, right?

Well, bad odor is something that develops after a few unattended mishaps in your ride. But you'll be glad to know that there are some things you can do to prevent bad odor in your vehicle cabin. In this article, outlined are some tips to keep odors at bay. Check these maintenance suggestions below:

• Kill odor-causing bacteria in your A/C system.

The air conditioning system is one of the most common breeding grounds of bacteria that cause foul odor to develop in a vehicle, all thanks to the moisture that usually accumulates in the A/C evaporator as it performs its function in cooling your vehicle. In order to prevent odor caused by these bacteria, you need to ensure that the said organisms are kept from accumulating in the evaporator in the first place. What you can do is to spray odor remover to the vents. Another thing is to turn the fan on when you're nearing your destination in order to dry the moisture and keep it from attracting unwanted organisms.

• Wash and clean, wash and clean.

Pay extra attention to parts of your car where crumbs and spills usually accumulate—the cupholders, the tight spaces on the corners and crannies of the seats, and even the mats. Another area where foul smell can linger is the upholstery; it has an absorbing property and can soak up bad odors. The same is true with the seats. Clean these using the right cleaner depending on the materials of the upholstery and the seat, as well as shampoo them as needed. These will take away any dirt that may be causing the foul smell.

• Avoid smoking inside your vehicle.

Cigarette smoke has a strong odor that often sticks to the seats and upholstery. If you typically smoke while behind the wheel of your vehicle, waiting for your wife to finish shopping, or just passing the time, then it won't be long before your vehicle will develop a smoke odor—and this is something that's really hard to remove once there.

• Regularly open your windows when driving

Proper air circulation may be all you need to eliminate the stale odor in your Mercedes Benz 380SEL, and this is something you can achieve not only by keeping the A/C working but also by opening the windows a bit more frequently when you drive. Let air from outside environment get in and flush out any stale odor in your vehicle. Drive with the windows open every once in a while. If you're worried about rain or snow getting in your car, you can invest on vent visors for easier window opening without the hassle.

Sold and manufactured from 1980 to 1985, the 380SEL was one of the vehicles created by Mercedes Benz under its popular W126 series. The W126 line was the company’s longest-running vehicle generation to date. Its sedans were introduced to the, market in 1979 and they were built until 1993. On the other hand, its coupes were made available in the market from 1981 until 1991. Here’s a quick overview of the Mercedes Benz 380SEL and its roots in the W126 line.

During the late 60s, Mercedes Benz began to develop its second generation S-class line to replace the first and previous generation W116 line. The new range was going to be comprised and full-size cars and grand tourers and they were going to be built using the FR layout. As a result, the brand came up with Project W126 with the goal maintaining the image and reputation of the brand as one of the best luxury automakers in the world. At the same time, the automotive community was at a crossroad towards building more cars that used less fuel. And with this in mind, the designer of the W126 line, Bruno Sacco, integrated new features that would make the sedans and coupes not only fuel-efficient, but also easy to handle and ride.

During the first half of the 1970s, Mercedes Benz became busy with evaluating and finalizing the details of its new W126 line. However, the process would take longer than expected and the final designs were only finished in 1977.

After taking almost a decade, the W126 line was finally introduced to the market in 1979 at the International Motor Show held at Frankfurt, Germany. Compared to their predecessors, W126 models had a new and different look and this was mainly due to their new polyurethane bumpers—a drastic shift from the traditional chrome bumpers present in older models. Aside from that, their designs were also more aerodynamic. And even though they looked sleeker, they were actually more spacious than their earlier counterparts. The Mercedes Benz 380SEL was one of the first vehicles launched under the W126 line.

During its short but good 5-year run, over 27,014 units of the 380SEL were produced and sold in the market. This vehicle utilized the W126.033 chassis and it was powered by a powerful 3.8 L M116.963 V8 engine, which could churn out up to 201 hp at 232 lb•ft of torque. This engine also boasted a maximum speed of 127 mph. Five years after the 380SEL was dropped, the W126 line was replaced by a new generation of S-class vehicles—the W140 line.