Center Console Armrest Gas Strut Replacement

2026-07-20 Repairs Tarus

I bought this car when it was nearly 20 years old and I don’t always know how things are supposed to work, so I am unaware they need repaired.

For example, I was looking at R230 related videos when I came across this one talking about the “center console armrest gas strut replacement”.

Like many cars, the Banana has a center console armrest with storage. In fact there are two compartments. One holds the electronics for the bluetooth phone adapter and the other provides storage for things like sunglasses.

Refurbishing the COMAND Screen

2026-01-03 Repairs Tarus

I finally got around to working on a minor repair I’ve been wanting to attempt for awhile.

As The Banana is over 20 years old, the COMAND screen had started to look a little faded. This is due to the anti-glare coating on the screen aging, and it takes on a cloudy, blue tint.

It is possible to remove the coating and then add a replacement anti-glare screen, and I figured I’d give it a shot.

Back from the Shop

2025-10-05 Repairs Tarus

After running another large charge through the ol’ credit card, I got the car back on Monday.

Banana SL at the repair shop

As I suspected, the alternator needed to be replaced, but the surprise issue was that the noise I was hearing was from the supercharger pulley and not the alternator itself.

While they had the car I also had them look at the air conditioning, which wasn’t blowing very cold. Turns out that it only held 0.56 pounds of refrigerant versus the recommended 2+ pounds. There is obviously a slow leak somewhere so they injected some dye as well so we’ll have to wait and see if that shows where it is located.

More Woes (Alternator)

2025-09-23 Repairs Tarus

Just when I got the car back from the last repair, another issue popped up.

Red warning: electrical problem stop car

(sigh)

It’s getting a little frustrating. Yeah, I know that the Banana is 20 years old but I maintain the hell out of it and it still keeps letting me down. Much like those bad relationships from high school: let’s hope that once we get past this problem things will get better. (grin)

Door Seal Repair

2025-08-11 Repairs Tarus

My mild OCD means that whenever there is something a little wrong with my car it bothers me. Recently I noticed that the rocker panel door seal under the driver’s side door was missing.

I figured it would be an easy repair, but that was before I found out that the seal itself (part 230-690-01-98) was discontinued. (sigh)

The one for the passenger side is still available. I assume that is because the driver’s door is used more frequently and thus there is a higher chance for the seal to go missing.

Replacing the Hazard Switch

2025-08-05 Repairs Tarus

I have some mild OCD, and when it comes to cars this expresses itself in that I need to keep my vehicles in a particular state of repair. If they aren’t clean, etc., this causes anxiety.

This means I tend to do things no sane automobile owner would do, like replacing a perfectly functioning switch with a new one.

Cars as old as the Banana have a tendency to develop “sticky” switches. Apparently this has something to do with the non-slip coating used on them degrading with time. When I got my first SL55, the Shark, I went to work trying to clean that stickiness off of the controls.

Carbon Fiber

2025-08-01 Upgrades Tarus

There are a number of things I like about the Banana, mainly that it is unique. I will never pass another car like it on the road.

It was also made that way at the factory. The color, the yellow piping on the seats, the custom exhaust, and the hood were shipped that way from Germany.

One change the original owner made was to swap out all of the wood trim for carbon fiber, including the steering wheel. I really like the change. Not only does it look cool, whenever I watch Formula 1 and see them driving with a carbon fiber steering wheel (well, it isn’t really a wheel) I can imagine it is me driving.

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