heater controls

[Sam SL]

Hello,  I have owned my 71 pagoda for 20 years now.  Prior to that I had a 70 for about 5 years.  The heater control on both cars do not have the coloured plastics in behind the rubber to cast a hue when lit.  Is that how it is with the late model cars because I know the earlier 230's had the red/blue/grey hues when the dials are lit?

[Pawel66]

Yes, it is. Details here: https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/Levers

[Sam SL]

The levers in the car are all black with no colouration plastics in behind to cast coloured lighting at night.  Is that normal in the sense that perhaps they are a different version that was retrofitted for durability or some other reason? 

[Pawel66]

Sam, there are hundreds of posts on this topic, you can find them by using the search function. Press "Home" button and from that place type in e.g. "heater levers" in the search window and press search.

You get a lot of hits, e.g.:
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=34273.msg250655#msg250655
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=34554.msg252846#msg252846
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=24338.msg174164#msg174164

Material, lighting, service etc. are discussed there.

I think the light behind the levers in the late cars is just red. And yes, various versions could have been fitted over the years.

[lreppond]

On later model w113, per DOT regulations, the levers were changed to a pliable black rubber.  The plastic interiors however remained in colored hard plastics.  Two were red, one blue and the other grey.  Replacements levers today replaced the grey one with orange.  When the lights are on, these colors are readily visible.