Heated glass?

[69280sl]

My 68, 280sl data card shows option 598, "heated insulated glass, rear window heated". I believe the insulated glass refers to what is now more commonly called tinted glass. But how about the "rear window heated"?  I have the original hardtop and there are no wires to or in the backlite. Am I misinterperting?
Would appreciate any help.

Gus
Signal Red, Beige, Both tops

[Tom]

Option code 249 is the code for the rear heated window in the hard top.

1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
1970 280sl Deep Red (Project Car)

[J. Huber]

Hey Gus. I believe one of our Pagoda faithful, Geo. D has this option. I am sure he will chime in when he can. On our database of options, 598 is tinted glass but both 593 and 249 appear to be a version of heated rear hardtop window.

James
63 230SL

[Douglas]

Gus,

Do you have a switch on the center console in the wooden tray just beneath the ashtray?

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[Ed Cave]

The original window sticker from my 1971 280sl has line items for both:

249 Electrically Heated Rear Window  $ 0.00
595 Tinted Glass                    $50.00

The switch to activate the rear window defogger is adjacent the ashtray and there is a black cable extending from the hard top with a male, three prong plug on the end which must be unplugged when removing the hard top [:0].

I've never plugged it in since I don't anticipate driving the car in conditions that necessitate rear window defogging. Why the rear defrost option appears as 'no charge' is beyond me.



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Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA


1971 280SL
1973 911S
2004 A4 3.0
2006 GS430

[TR]

The thing that amazes me is how difficult it is to see those super-fine heating elements sandwiched within the glass.

Tom in Boise
'71 280SL 4-spd, signal red w/lt. tan interior, restored/enhanced

[69280sl]

I do not have a switch either near the ashtray or anywhere else and as mentioned, there are no wires going to the back window. Option 598 is definately shown on the data card, but it was the Classic Center that identified it as the previously referred to "heated back window" when they provided the copy of the data card. I'm beginning to think 598 may be something else altogether.

Thanks for your responses and ideas.

Gus
68 280sl

inspectorgm

[DavidAPease]

Gus,

Here is a site I sometimes refer to for Mercedes option codes:

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/5350/mbcodes.htm

Its definition of 598 is:

"heat-insulating glass with clear windshield and rear window pane single-sheet safety glass"

Here's another site:

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~mtor/mbcodedsc.html

This site is interesting because it shows different meanings for the same code, with the relevant dates (if known).  According to this site, in 1968 code 598 was a combination of three other options:

591 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, WINDSHIELD SHOT-COLORED
592 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, SIDE WINDOW PANES
593 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, REAR WINDOW PANE

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL

[Klaus]

Code designations have changed over the years. Fortunately, some older versions of MBAG's book "List of Codes for Special Versions (SA)" list the older and the newer descriptions.
E.g., the 3/93 version lists
598 as "heat absorbing glas, wrap around, band filter", meaning tinted glass, all windows and the top of the windshield is tinted darker, which was e.g. used for US cars (note: no heated rear window).
It also lists the later code 598 description, which was "heat-absorbing glass for side window panes and heated rear window pane (ESG), crystal clear windshield" (ESG= single-pane safety glass)
This latter use of 598 seems not to be valid for the W113.

Klaus
1969 280 SL

[George Davis]

Hi all,

my '69 has the heated rear glass, option code is 248.  In addition to the switch in the console box, there is a small electrical pigtail right behind the driver's seat, plus a matching plug on the hardtop to power the heated glass.

The heat insulated glass is a different thing as far as I know.  Exactly what it is, though, I don't know.

And Tom hit it below: the wires in the heated glass are so fine that it's almost impossible to see them.  At the right angle and in the right light you can see them.  Lots of extremely fine wires in a zigzag pattern, maybe 3/16 of an inch apart.

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual