89 Mercedes 420 SEL: How to Wire the Radio


1. Disconnect the negative cable from the car battery terminal, using an adjustable wrench.
2. Remove the two Phillips screws that hold the ashtray bracket. Pull out the ashtray, and unplug the lighter and ashtray light. Slide your finger below the radio to locate two steel tabs. Pull these tabs down individually, and use a flat head screwdriver to prevent them from re-engaging. Pull the radio out of the dashboard housing. Disconnect the wire harnesses, and pull out the black radio antenna cable.
3. Slide the radio installation sleeve, provided with the new radio, into the vacant dashboard housing. Bend the tabs on the side of the sleeve 90 degrees to secure it in place. Ensure the radio wiring can come through the portal of the sleeve.
4. Connect the wire harnesses of the 420 SEL to a wire harness adapter. Push the connections together until they snap into place. Repeat this process connecting the other end of the wire harness adapter to the wire harness of the new car stereo unit. Plug the radio antenna cable into the designated port on the rear of the new stereo unit.
5. Slide the connected new stereo into the radio installation sleeve until it clicks into place. Reconnect the lighter and ashtray light. Replace the ashtray and screws securing it.
6. Reconnect the car battery. Turn on the radio, and test its features.
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How to Drive a Car With a Tiptronic Transmission


1. Ensure that the gear lever is on “Park.” Tiptronic gearboxes have an automatic shift gate and a second gate off to the side where the lever can be moved up and down to upshift and downshift. Some models also offer the ability to shift with buttons on the steering wheel.
2. Depress the brake pedal and turn the key to start the ignition. Press on the accelerator like you would in a normal automatic to move away from a stop. On some versions of the tiptronic gearbox, the transmission shifts for you in the first two gears, after which you can take over shifting manually.
3. Move the lever out of the automatic gate (the one with the Drive, Park and Reverse on it) and into the gate for manual shifting if you are going to be using the gear lever to shift. If you are using steering wheel mounted shift buttons, you still have to move the gear lever over to the gate for manual shifting. For steering wheel mounted buttons simply press the button with the plus sign to upshift. It is not necessary to lift off the throttle as you would with a conventional manual transmission. Continue upshifting through the gears as you accelerate.
4. Downshift by pulling the gear lever back to the minus sign if you are using the shift lever or press the “-“ button to downshift. The gearbox will select the next lowest gear. Try to downshift through the gears before you drive into a corner. If you downshift in the middle of a turn, particularly if you are driving fast or driving on a track, the composure of the vehicle may become upset and cause a potentially dangerous situation.
5. To reverse a car with a tiptronic gearbox, simply place the gear lever in the automatic gate and in the reverse gear. Also, tiptronic gearboxes will revert back to automatic mode after a predetermined amount of time goes by when the driver has not selected shifts.
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How to Connect an iPod to a Mercedes Radio


1. Purchase a cassette tape adapter. These devices consist of a cassette tape connected to a headphone plug by a length of audio cable. The tape goes into the tape deck in the stereo, and the plug goes into the headphone jack of the iPod. The audio from the iPod will play through the tape and subsequently through the Merecedes' speakers.
2. Broadcast the iPod audio through an FM transmitter. These devices are a bit more expensive than tape adapters, but they are a good alternative if the Mercedes does not have a tape player in it. Find a radio station with plenty of static, tune the FM transmitter to that station and press play on the iPod. The Mercedes' antenna will receive the low-level transmission and process it the way it would any other radio broadcast.
3. Take the vehicle to a car audio specialist, and ask about installing an auxiliary cable or iPod interface dock. He may have different recommendations based on the age of the Mercedes, the model or the type of stereo. An auxiliary cable is a simple audio cable that is wired into the auxiliary input in the back of the stereo. It can be plugged into the headphone jack of the iPod. An iPod interface dock is a complex, small connector that plugs into the data port of the iPod and allows for full integration of the iPod into the car's stereo, with browsing and full-display capabilities.
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How to Repair a Sideview Mirror


1. Push the right side of the driver's sideview mirror into the mirror housing. If you are repairing the passenger mirror, push the left side of the mirror lens into the housing. This pushes the opposite side of the mirror lens out of the housing.
2. Grab the exposed end of the mirror lens and pull it straight out to pop the mirror lens off its mounting post or off the mirror motor mounted inside the housing. You will not damage the mounting post or mirror motor by pulling the lens off.
3. Place the new lens into the mirror housing at the same angle as you removed it. Push the mirror onto the mounting post or mirror motor until you feel it snap into place.
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How to Replace the Headlight on an X3


Driver Side
1. Open the hood.
2. Lift the tab on the lamp cover, using a flat-head screwdriver, then pull off the lamp cover.
3. Press down on the bulb holder and pull it straight out.
4. Pull the used bulb straight out of the holder.
5. Push the new bulb into the holder.
6. Replace the bulb holder by pushing it back into place.
7. Replace the lamp cover and snap the tab back onto the cover to secure it.
Passenger Side
8. Open the hood.
9. Remove the windshield washing system reservoir. Unscrew the screw on the left side of the reservoir and pull it out. Be careful when lifting the reservoir, because it is heavy.
10. Follow steps 2 through 6 from the 'Driver Side' section to replace the passenger-side bulb.
11. Reinstall the windshield washer system reservoir.
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How to Transfer Maps to a Garmin


1. Check your computer's hard drive and ensure there is enough free space on your hard drive to download the executable file for the new map or map updates.
2. Connect your Garmin GPS to your computer using a USB cable. It is not necessary to use the USB cable that came with the GPS unit. Any USB cable with the appropriate connectors will work correctly.
3. Insert the physical disk or purchase the downloadable version of the update or new map at the Garmin website.
4. Launch the disk or map program.
5. Follow the steps with the map updater program and enter the map program serial number.
6. Allow the map updater to download the new map into your GPS unit. This generally takes up to five minutes. Be patient and enjoy your new updated maps that will now be stored within your GPS unit.
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How do I Tow a 1989 Mercedes Benz?


1. Park a flatbed tow truck directly behind the 1989 Mercedes Benz. Pulling the car onto the truck backwards will make it easier to steer when it is being removed.
2. Lower the tow bed so that it touches the ground just short of the car. Hook the tow chains to the rear of the frame, just behind the axles. Place towels between the tow chains and the body to keep it from getting scratched.
3. Pull the tow chains tight. Open the driver's door on the Mercedes and set the transmission to neutral. Point the steering wheel directly ahead and roll down the driver's window. Close the door.
4. Slowly pull the Mercedes on to the flatbed. Adjust the steering wheel as necessary by reaching through the window and turning it. Do not open the door while the vehicle is moving.
5. Get into the Mercedes. Set the parking brake and roll up the driver's window. Lift the flatbed back onto the truck until it is level.
6. Attach tie downs to the Mercedes frame and axles. Tighten the tie downs as much as possible.
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How to Remove the Ash Tray in a 1994 Audi Cabriolet


1. Shift the vehicle’s transmission into park or first gear for vehicles equipped with a manual transmission.
2. Shut down the engine and remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Depress the button on the parking brake lever and disengage the parking brake so the lever is horizontal.
4. Sit in the driver’s seat and grip the ash tray with your right hand, placing four fingers inside the ash tray with your thumb on the outside. Pull the ash tray out as far as it will go. Remove any ash or or debris from the ash tray, using a vacuum. Wipe the ash tray clean with a shop rag.
5. Pull the ash tray up and out of the center console. To reinstall the ash tray, set it into position inside the ash tray slot and press down on it until it click into position.
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How to Change the Battery in the Key of a C280 Mercedes


1. Pull out the mechanical key located inside the Smart Key housing by pushing the small lever next to the keychain ring.
2. Examine the slot that contains the mechanical key for a small lever, inside the Smart Key housing. Use the end of the mechanical key to push in the small lever, holding the top portion of the battery holder inside the Smart Key housing.
3. Separate the top and bottom portions of the Smart Key housing in order to pull out the battery holder. Slide the two quarter-size batteries out of the battery holder. Make note of the old battery orientation and insert the new batteries into the holder in the same manner.
4. Insert the battery holder into the Smart Key housing. Make sure the battery holder has locked into place by trying to separate the battery holder from the Smart Key housing. Reinsert the mechanical key into the proper slot inside the Smart Key housing to complete the process.
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How to Change a Password for BMW Assist


1. Call BMW Assist at 1-888-333-6118 (as of November 2010). Wait to speak with a representative.
2. Explain to the representative that you would like to change your BMW Assist password.
3. Provide your new password to the representative.
4. Fax a copy of your car's registration to the fax number that the BMW Assist representative will provide.
5. Activate BMW Assist in your BMW and give the representative your new password to verify the password change.
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