Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan · 3.8-liter M116 fuel-injected V8 (155 hp U.S.)
1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL Automatic
The long-wheelbase 380 SEL was the gasoline half of the two-model 1981 U.S. W126 launch range.
Photo: “1981 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE (W 126) sedan (25041740475)” by Jeremy from Sydney, Australia / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Factory configuration
What this model is
- Trim
- 380 SEL
- Body style
- Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
- Engine
- 3.8-liter M116 fuel-injected V8 (155 hp U.S.)
- Transmission
- 4-speed automatic
Configuration-specific ownership
Maintenance for this exact configuration
These items are filtered to the engine, transmission, trim, and model-year applicability recorded for this configuration. Broad Amazon category searches are suppressed here; shopping links appear only beside catalog-backed part numbers.
Service desk
What this car needs & when
Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL Automatic. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.
- Service topics
- 2
- Factory intervals
- 0
- Fitment-scoped
- 2
- Exact references
- 1
Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.
Engine air filter
Exact reference available
The part reference below is catalog fitment only; retain the separately sourced factory service interval where one is shown.
380 SEL — 3.8-liter M116 fuel-injected V8 (155 hp U.S.)
K&N E-2872
Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W126 S-Class table — 380 SEL, 1981 — E-2872 · checked
Verified ordering references
- Service replacementK&N E-2872
Qty. 1 · Reusable engine air-filter element · catalog-listed
K&N lists one element for this application; confirm VIN and build date before ordering.
Catalog: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · W126 S-Class table — 380 SEL, 1981 — E-2872 · checked
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Engine oil filter
Fitment must be confirmed
Use the exact engine, VIN, and build date to confirm the catalogued service part before ordering.
Sources
Other 1981 configurations