Coruscator

Hi,
I have the 'clicking noise of doom' inside my dash.

It happend in my car about 6 months ago. I did attempt to take the dash apart to get to it at the time but only got so far.

I couldn't see/understand how to remove the radio cage.

I was easily able to remove;

glove box
centre console
radio
a/c controls
top bank of buttons (hazzard switch)
clocks behind steering wheel
facia below steering wheel
cup holder
ash tray
gear lever and trim
left hand trim between radio and glovebox


but thats where I ran into a problem. I couldn't for the life of me see any screws or fixings to enable me to
remove the radio cage. They fix them securely thats for sure.

So I gave up because I wasn't prepaired to force or break anything to get to the stepper motor and I
discovered if I turned my carbon filter on it did not click anymore. So thats the way it stayed until now.

Can anyone advise as to how the radio cage is removed? Preferably with some photos,
if thats not too much to ask.

The photo shows my progress the last time I attempted it. I managed to get further than the picture
shows but it gives you an idea of the dash im talking about.

megacrazy

You need to remove the center console (or at least detach it and pull it back a little) as far as I remember along with the paneling below the steering wheel...so in other words it sounds like you removed everything there is to remove.

Coruscator

Hi thanks for your promt reply.

Like I said, I was able to remove the;

glove box
centre console
radio
a/c controls
top bank of buttons (hazzard switch)
clocks behind steering wheel
facia below steering wheel
cup holder
ash tray
gear lever and trim
left hand trim between radio and glovebox

My photo may have misled you. I got further than it shows.

I just cant see how the radio cage is fixed into position. :0(

megacrazy

As far as I recall, there are a couple screws that hold it in place. If you have the trim removed, they should be visible? Also, the vents on each side are attached to it as well.

Coruscator

Again thanks for your prompt reply,

I couldn't see any obvious fixing screws holding this part in place.

I'm gonna have another crack at it on Wednesday.

I might do a step by step picture diary of it and post it on here when the job is complete.
That is, if can complete it (of course) and if you guys think it would be worthwhile to do so. :0)

When I get as far as I did before (up to removing the radio cage) I'll take some photos
so you can see what I mean and hopefully you will be able to locate these screws for me,
like i said I looked all over and couldn't see them.

I wondered if it just snapped/clicked into place but I was afraid to pull on it too much in case i broke it.

Coruscator

just to be sure you guys know the part im refering to: the first image shows
the black plastic radio cage I mean. (ignore the trim either side of this
I was able to remove all of this)


And the second image shows it with everything removed. Just as I want to do.

The car in these images is not mine, but is identical. :0)

megacrazy

I removed the cage when I did the center console upgrade. I had no issue taking the old cage out . I'll check WIS when I get home.

Search for "w209 center console upgrade" or "W209 facelift upgrade" and you'll find plenty of threads detailing the process, however none mentioning the radio cage removal in particular.

Coruscator

Ha, yeah thats exactly what i'm finding when I google how to remove it. They just say 'remove radio cage'.

I must be missing something glaringly obvious.

It would be great if you could check the WIS for me.

Cheers bro. :0)

Coruscator

Is it worth mentioning that the clicking stops when I switch my carbon filter on?

Does this give any clues as to which motor is clicking?

The sound is coming from underneath the left hand side of the metal grill
insert in the top half of the dash.

Also, now I think about it the rear center console blowers aren't nearly as powerful as the
front ones either but I'm not sure if it was like this when I bought the car (2 years ago) or
if its happend since the clicking. (sorry)

megacrazy

Checked WIS. It just mentions removing the reinforcement aka radio cage with the vents for the rear compartment ventilation. You're probably missing something as there is no additional document for this step. It just says "remove".

Coruscator

Ahh, brilliant.

No wonder I can't find anything about it online.

Cheers guy, thank you for looking it up on the WIS.

xsever

When my indy changed it, he did not need to remove the radio cage. He accessed it from the side. He said it's hard to access that way and it takes patience, but it's doable as I saw him do it to my surprise.

Coruscator

Ok so I'm up to where I got to the last time.

It looks like there are two insert clips at the back of the radio cage.

Do I just pull this out? I'm so afraid of it breaking when I try to do so.

The two clips are about 1 inch long and about a quarter inch thick.

You cant really see it in the second photo but its just behind the foam
im pushing back with my fingers.

Coruscator

Wow your mechanic must have tiny hands!

I'm gonna have a look to see if I can do this too.

Thanks!

Coruscator

Ok

So I plugged the ac controller back in and switched it on and the clicking noise is coming from behind the black pollen filter box.

How do I remove this to get to the offending stepper motor?

Please don't tell me I have to remove the top half of the dash. :0(

Coruscator

Ok had to remove the top half of the dashboard after.
Not just for this but to get to my charcoal filter stepper motor, which it turns out
had a snapped shaft on one of the cogs and was clicking.

The radio cage only came out for me if I rotated it throught 45 degrees in an upward direction.
Only then would it release the plastic lugs which fit into the horizontal black metal crash bar.
The problem was I couldn't rotate it up because the top half of the dash was in the way.

For those of you who wonder whats under the top dash, see my photo.

megacrazy

That looks like a lot of work. Removing the top dash is definitely not necessary to remove the radio cage, in case anyone gets confused in the future. I wish they made these motors either last longer or easier to access.

Coruscator

Yes it is quite a lot of work and time consuming too.

Well, I can't comment on other peoples confusion in the future but this certainly was the case
for me when trying to remove the radio cage.

It would definitely be interesting to compare the radio cage fixings that fit into the black horizontal
crash bar. My car is one of the first-gen face lift models. I believe 2003 was the last of the old type
and 2004 (mine) on-wards are face lift models. I do not know if this is applicable in the USA but this
is certainly the case here in Europe.

With regards to the stepper motors, I personally did not have any issues with these.
Although I have seen images of the inside of some where the internal cogs had been stripped of their teeth.
My fault was with one of the cogs that transfer the rotational force of the motor to the charcoal filter
airway flap to open and close it. The shaft on the back of one of the cogs had sheared. I would say
that the motors are definitely powerful and reliable enough, well enough to shear the shaft off my cog anyway. :0)

I also understand that these motors/linkages were modified by MB because they were failing at an alarming rate.
I wonder if this was done at the same time as the facelift change-over.

But yeah, they definitely could do with making them easier to access. :0)

DroolinFool

I've got a clicking noise on mine - reading through this thread I think I'll leave it for now.

OP must have the patience of a saint!

Coruscator

Well its not that bad really, it only took me 5hrs to get everything back together.

She's all shiney and click-less now.

One thing to consider is that you will have to disconnect the battery to
remove the top half of the dash because of the passenger airbag.

NEVER EVER! tamper with airbags while the battery is connected and
wait at least 15 minutes after disconnecting the battery for any residual
current to dissipate before unplugging the airbag.

When you put it all back together and re-connect the battery you will get an
'SRS defective drive to workshop' error message on the MIL and a red SRS light
on the dash, which can only be reset using a 'star' compliant error code scanner.

I was disappointed to discover that my OBDII code scanner could not read
SRS errors, so I could not reset this error myself.

sailorben

Whereabouts in Wales are you? I've not had to use star, but when I do, if you find someone charging a good rate, let me know

Rudeney

My understanding is that iCasoft i980 can reset SRS errors (and man others that generic scanners can't). Here in the USA it can be bought for around $135 at Amazon.

Coruscator

Just got back from my indy guy and his snap-on scanner has cleared my SRS error perfectly.

He only charged me £30 too.

cutin

Hello,
Could someone explain how to romove the radio cage? I know about two clips at back, I feel them by fingers but I don't know what I should do with? Push them down or up and so on. I see a metal retangle where the cage it's attached. Maybe someone have a photo how it looks like it will be helpful for me. I made thesee photos.

Rudeney

You have to remove the piece to the right (where the cell phone mount is attached), which requires removing the glove compartment and the center console. Then the rest of the center stack can be removed.